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| Fireworks display viewed from Waikiki Beach |
The
start of the year is often associated with change and implementation of new
routines. For us it was the first New Year that we saw in as husband and wife.
It was an exciting start in Honolulu, unfortunately it was also there that we
caught a really nasty flu virus, pretty much the worst flu either of us had
ever had. So three weeks off the bike in Hawaii (sorry, we were so busy hiking,
surfing and snorkelling that we never got around to hiring a bike like we
planned...I’m happy to do a write up of our surfing safari though if anyone is
interested...) turned into five weeks off the bike. I can’t even remember the
last time I had that long off the bike!
The
first week of January, which was also the last week of our holidays, we spent
on a makeshift bed in the lounge room sleeping and watching TV. The second week
found us well enough to stand, eat and more or less function at work. Although
I was left with a cough that meant walking was still difficult, so riding was
out of the question. To make matters worse, last week was also a heat wave with
temperatures of 37-41 degrees Celsius.
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| The invalids are comforted by faithful Reggie. |
Today
though, the temperature is a mild and refreshing 23C and my lungs are more or
less functioning normally. So I wheeled out my faithful Fixie ready to load up
for the daily commute. Bob and Betty might also note from this picture that
there have been some changes in the Mirador de Canberra.
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| Getting the bike ready for the first ride of 2014 (and yes there is a story to be told about the wheel in the chair ;-) |
The
time away from home, combined with the stifling heat of last week, provided us
with the impetus necessary to undertake some radical changes. No, not air
conditioning, nor was it a spa, although the spa is officially on the list of
things to eventually be added. I can’t even begin to imagine the luxury of
having a spa to slip into after a day of cycling. Maybe next summer?
This
new year has seen the commencement of a new living space, the removal of walls
and the opening up of our kitchen and lounge (there has also been the luxury of
a dishwasher added to the kitchen, hello 21st century). This means a
much easier space for manoeuvring bikes around as well as a refreshing cross
breeze through the house. 2014 is very much looking like the year of us
establishing ourselves in a new way of living. A more open lifestyle.
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| It's good to be back on the bike! |
So
how was the return to cycling? It was tougher than I remember. The relatively
short 18km between home and work really tested me today. While one never
forgets how to ride a bike (it’s just like riding a bike, yeah?), the legs have
lost a lot of strength over the past month, especially after the week of flu
where I hardly ate a thing. It felt good to get the legs moving though and I’m
really looking forward to getting back into a routine of riding daily. The
question is where 2014 will see us riding? Only time will tell.
Before
I go today though, I just want to say thanks to Andre for the advice on the
renovations and thanks to Bear for his help in taking down the walls. There is
some kind of nice symmetry to life that the same two wonderful individuals who
supported us through the night at WEMBO in 2013 are the same two who have helped
make the exciting new changes in 2014 possible.
Oh Yeaaah!
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| And thank you Lobo for your excellent supervision! |
