The Best Laid Plans

It’s late October -- time to regroup following a heavy social schedule, and time to point
south as fall begins to feel a bit brisk. 

The goal is to bring back my “summer feeling” in a temperate climate. What does that mean? It’s waking early feeling rested, spending half the day playing outdoors, chatting with strangers, and perusing the area; while the other half is focused on writing, reading, travel planning, and catching up on life’s chores. 

After kicking tires in too many locations across the Carolinas, I was called back to a favorite spot I discovered in the spring. Yes, I’ve been living solo in Farmville, NC for the past month in a very affordable, grand old home. The owner lives elsewhere, but there was the possibility of multiple housemates arriving at any given time. This never occurred, so oddly enough, I had the place to myself in the same historic neighborhood I so enjoy.  The first week was quite pleasurable with warm weather, a successful visit to my favorite thrift shop, crusty bread from Cafe Madeleine, and a 2-hour tour of the local museum. 

Ice, Ice, Baby 
One week later, I had my first bike crash in more than a decade. Thankfully, no vehicle was involved, but I caught a tire crossing a railroad track and slammed my right side to the ground. I’ll spare you the photo, but suffice to say that my shoulder-to-ankle wasn’t pretty; while the scariest part was the thought that I broke my index finger. Lucky for me that I was less than a mile from home, but I woke barely able to open my hand. Ice was the magical relief to a very swollen calf and my hand in just 48 hours. The next day, I got back on the saddle 
oh-so-cautiously before I could psyche myself out completely. 

Pesky Dashboard Lights
Meanwhile, my dear Element is acting up, too.  So, I bit the bullet and spent my 
final week with a car mechanic. Long story short, when I left Farmville on the 19th, it was still acting up (idle, idle, baby); so I held my breath all the way to St. Stephen, SC for an overnight, then all the way to Brunswick, GA, where I now remain for a week. All of that said, there will be eggnog in a few days so all will be well in the universe.  

Note to Self: Living near a bike shop, an auto mechanic, and an urgent care center is probably a great idea.