The Rez

As some of you know I don't do much in my life. Don't get me wrong, I totally enjoy not doing much and basically getting to do what I want. I feel bad because I probably should be at a job that I make okay money at and sit in a cubical and get carpal tunnel from typing too much (for the record, I am a wicked fast typer) so I could contribute financially to lets say my still predominant student loans (hooray for Comm. majors!) and work an eight to five job with an hour lunch that would be spent day dreaming out my car window about not being in a parking lot eating my peanut butter and jelly sandwich with a 100 calorie pack pudding at its side because I had to get out of my place of business and would rather brave 115 degree heat in a charcoal black car with black interior because I might puke from the breaths of recycled air that I had been breathing all day....okay, so I don't feel that bad.

This is where my wonderful husband comes in. See I did all the above mentioned plus more details I decided to exclude because I might relapse and curl up in the fetal position and start sucking my thumb again. Because I was a champion and braved those few years while Zac focused solely on school, I now get to do what I want. It was a deal I signed in blood. Well, I spit in my hand and then shook Zac's...he was asleep but I still count it. He is the best right?

So I do try to contribute somewhat to society and I coach youth sports for the city of Scottsdale. I really like my job and I work with fabulous people! So here is the great part. After this week I have about a month and a half until the volleyball season starts up. A bit of me time is what I like to call it.....because five hours of work a day is soooo demanding. I have been an avid runner for a while now until the dreaded March 12th day (see blog posting on that day for some sick pictures) when I bussssted my leg (say busted with a lisp...it is way more fun and funny). I have also done a couple triathlons and have thoroughly enjoyed them. I have made the decision that I am going to step it up and try doing an olympic distance triathlon. Now I really have to do it because I blogged about it....shoot. So I have begun to train and I am on my fourth week of training now. Since I have stepped it up, I now have to go double my bike distance which went from 12 miles to 25 miles.

There is a goofy thing around here in Scottsdale. I will be biking along on the road that has a huge bike lane when all of the sudden it just disappears. It drives me absolutely batty. Mostly because I was that person in high school that would drive real close to road bikers, roll down my window, slap the car side and scream HEY as I passed by to give them a harmless scare. I know that is going to happen to me and I feel like if I have a bike lane I might not go shooting off into the unknown. I have also always gone south for some reason when biking here in Scottsdale. I feel a little more at home here in the dirty south Scottsdale because it isn't pricy (is that the word I am looking for) and I am a little intimidated by streets paved in gold (at least that is what I heard north Scottsdale is like....they won't let me in because I drive a Ford). So I have been looping around ASU campus and weird side streets to try and get my 25 miles in. I will inevitably get home before I have hit 25 miles and so I will loop around the side streets like I am some kind of twilight criterium member.

Today I decided to map out a new bike route and convinced Michelle to accompany me. I dare say that I decided to head up to the north. I gave Gob (my car) a bath, cleaned him up all real nice, put my fake ray bans on, put a fake BMW emblem on Gob and gussied myself up so I could possibly be accepted into the north. Somehow we made it through....probably because Michelle knew all the secret hand signs and facial nods to get us in...she has been in Scottsdale longer than me. Might I say that it is absolutely beautiful and I think the streets were gold. Either that or the setting sun partially blinded me and everything looked gold. So we drove around for quite a while checking the streets and bike lanes to make sure they were sufficient. I have a nice route now locked in and I am pumped to give it a try.

The major problem with my other route is that there are TONS of stop lights that I have to sit and wait at. Just as I am in the zone on my bike ride I have to stop and try not to fall off my bike and look like an idiot in front of all the people in the cars who are looking at my good looking legs in my bike shorts. This new route has hardly any stop lights and I think will run smooth. However, could I stop at that?? Neigh I say. Cue the mystical indian reservation or as we around here like to call it "The Rez".

I have ALWAYS wanted to bike around on the Rez but I have been prone to stop myself for a few reasons. Number one-the bad blood between the white folk and indians in early America times. I totally blame the white folk for this one but I am not sure if it is over-or as the indians might say-that the hatchet is buried. I don't know if that hatchet is buried and I don't want to find out by biking on their land unwelcomed and have it come hurling after me. Number two-stories I have heard through people that are cousins of those people after marriage who owes that person a breakfast at Denny's (eh Victor). Meaning, I have heard stuff that could be bull but who knows. Number three- possible shape shifters (read the Twilight series people). Number four- not a lot of civilization...mostly open land so if I want a gatorade? Forget it. I do not mean this in any way to be insulting. Just things that go through my mind when I think it might be a good idea to bike on the Rez.

Now here are the reasons I REALLY want to bike on the Rez. It is chalk full of farmland. There are fields of green stuff growing EVERYWHERE. It is beautiful and reminds me a lot of Idaho. There aren't any stoplights that can be daunting in slowing my progression. Traffic is pretty slow so I don't have to worry as much that a high school me might be driving by looking for a good larf. The fastest way to bike to Michelle's new house in Utah....I mean Mesa is to go through the Rez to get there. All good reasons right? Plus the sunsets are STELLAR there...not to say I would be riding at dusk.

Anyway, after hitting up the north we took Gob and ventured out into the painted desert to check out the Rez. The whole place is simply square miles of open road. A road bikers dream...well, I am not sure. I don't really consider myself a road biker because I don't have a discovery jersey and I don't wear a live strong bracelet. Plus I don't have clip in peddles which screams rookie. I hate those things. It's like the bike wants you to fall and then has a laugh as it smothers you to the ground because you can't get your foot out. Blek! Then as you try to stand up and unlock your feet some 'real' road biker bikes on by and stops to give you a tutorial on how to use clip peddles. Then I would make up some excuse and try to use big biking mechanical words like shocks (even though road bikes don't have shocks), and kick stand. At least that is what I think would happen.

Anyway, we finished the round on the Rez and watched a picturesque sunset amid the greening cotton fields. Then we talked in wisconsin/middle american accents for a while. Then we went to Ross and picked out dresses if we were to go to Tennessee tomorrow.

So thus begs the question: Do I bike on the Rez or do I not? What say you?