Mustang Sally

Some choice graffiti on a log in Kettle Moraine

Yesterday at my daughter's soccer game I was chatting with one of the parents about our favored outdoor activities. He's a climber -- loves to climb, indoors and out. I was particularly struck by something he said about climbing: "I love chaos and there's just so much chaos on a good climb!"

To some extent, I get it. My constitution is primarily pitta -- lots of fire -- so I like to be challenged -- and I'm not afraid to take risks. But I don't love chaos.

Mountain biking is perfect for me in that it is challenging and you have to be willing to take risks, but you're also following a trail. You might have to choose which logs to go over or how to go over a bunch of big rocks on the path, but there's a trail and you follow it, always trying to be ready for what's next even while you focus on what you're doing in the present moment.

While riding this afternoon -- on a gorgeous fall day -- I saw the message on the log pictured above.

And from that point on, The Commitments had joined my ride:

Mustang Sally, think you better slow your mustang down
Mustang Sally, think you better slow your mustang down
You been running all over the town now
Oh! I guess I'll have to put your flat feet on the ground

All you want to do is ride around Sally, ride, Sally, ride
All you want to do is ride around Sally, ride, Sally, ride
All you want to do is ride around Sally, ride, Sally, ride

One of these early mornings, oh, you gonna be wiping your weeping eyes
I bought you a brand new mustang 'bout nineteen sixty five
Now you come around signifying a woman, you don't want to let me ride
Mustang Sally, think you better slow your mustang down
You been running all over the town now
Oh! I guess I'll have to put your flat feet on the ground

All you want to do is ride around Sally, ride, Sally, ride
All you want to do is ride around Sally, ride, Sally, ride
All you want to do is ride around Sally, ride, Sally, ride

Ride I did, and BTW, I felt about a hundred times better both during and afterward doing this particular ride (on a long and challenging trail) than I did a month or two ago, before I was on the Whole 30. I'm thinking some of these dietary changes are gonna need to be permanent!

Take Me to the River

I was exhausted today when I got home from our road trip, so I took a big nap. And now here I am, at the end of the day, and I still feel super tired.

But as I went to lay my head on the pillow, this was the song I heard on the internal jukebox (yep, the one playing in my head was The Commitments' cover of Al Green's original):

I don't know why I love you like I do
After all these changes that you put me through
You stole my money and my cigarettes
And I haven't seen hide nor hair of you yet

I wanna know
Won't you tell me
Am I in love to stay?
Hey hey
Take me to the river
And wash me down
Won't you cleanse my soul
Put my feet on the ground

Perhaps reminding me that although I blogged about the road trip to Western Wisconsin, I neglected to mention that soon after I arrived at the party, I decided I needed to ride my bike down to the Mississippi River for a swim.

The party hostess expressed concern that I wouldn't be able to ride all the way back up again -- their cabin is on a bluff high above the Mississippi. I believe her exact words were "you'd have to have some strong legs to make it up all those hills."

I assured her that I had some strong legs, and those strong legs would be grateful for the action after 5 hours in the car.

So off I went, down to the river, wearing my bathing suit and fully intending to swim in the River once I got down there -- it was a super hot day.

But it wasn't easy to find a place to swim. I ended up at a spot called Cold Springs Landing, and I wound up dunking rather than swimming, but damn, did that mighty Mississippi feel amazing:

Hold me, love me, please me, tease me
Till I can't, till I can't take no more
Take me to the river

I wanna know
Take me to the river
I wanna know
I want you to dip me in the water
I wanna know
Won't you wash me in the water
Wash me in the water
Wash me in the water
Won't you wash me in the water
Feeling good

And that baptism was just what I needed to fuel my long journey uphill back to the cabin -- which by the way -- also included some critter excitement in the form of a rattlesnake and a fawn!