bicycles are goood ( an e-mail to my friend Lisa Dawn)

Namaste, Lisa Dawn, I envy you all the events and people you must meet at the cycling events you talked about. I've been pretty much a lone rider, except when I go to SanAngelo and ride with Tony. One of my goals is to enter an event. I've had opportunities, but shyness, ego, dollars, prevent me so far. I've shown the universe my intention though! There are small hills around here. Some pretty steep, (subjective). South, towards SanAngelo, though, are some bigger hills ( mile or more of grade). I took my west loop today. Got a late start so only did sixteen miles. Averaged twenty mph. I have started running, at lunchtime, on the treadmill to increase my endurance, and have been standing up and attacking the hills. I try to gain speed going up. Theres one hill that I have to go down to small chainring, and third to climb. When I first started two years ago it was first gear and eight to nine mph at the top. Today I made it at seventeen mph. Course I thought I was going to pass out after I topped the hill. Ha. The first year and a half I rode an old BCA twelve speed with inch and a quarter tires. Good conditioning! I got my new bike in January of this year. Since February I've put twenty four hundred plus on the road bike. I test rode a carbon bike before buying, but I guess I was too used to a rigid frame. It felt like riding a snake. Maybe on the next upgrade. Mine is an alloy. I had a twelve tooth small gear and replaced it with an eleven. Now its a fifty three x eleven gear ratio. I'm getting a fifty four large chainring soon. When you asked if it was a carbon, I decided to take a picture and put it on my page. Check it out. We're in a drought here. There were thunderstorm clouds in the west, and they were real pretty to look at on my ride. There was about a twenty mph crosswind, from the ssw. It was about ninety six degrees. The clouds hid the sun though, and it was a nice ride. I try to remember to thank God after every ride. There were times in my life that I would have given anything to have the freedom to get out on a lonesome country blacktop and just ride to be riding. Lots of cotton fields here. Mostly flat with rolling hills and caprock hills in the distance. Lots of mesquite covered pasture land to break the monotony of the fields. There was a haze in the distance, that hasn't been around in quite awhile. Heard some thunder, and saw one tall streak of lightning with bright white clouds behind it about a mile and a half away. Writing like this is a blessing. I journel. I have for a little over four years now, but lately I've noticed that the words are more about facts of the day, and not about how I felt. Blogging and reading interesting people, like you, here at Zaadz, is helping my mind to expand. (that almost sounded like i'm getting a big-head) ha. Thank you for your kind attention, Lisa Dawn. I like what you did with your page. Good pictures, cheerful to behold. Joy, Peace, and Love to you,                        jerry