We started the day by eating a spectacular breakfast at Good Eats Cafe in Traverse City. My eggs benedict were quite happy to be enjoyed.

Glen.

Di and Ali watching the 85th National Cherry Festival Air Show.

Team RV

Team RV

Team RV

Heavy Metal Jet Team

Heavy Metal Jet Team

Heavy Metal Jet Team

Heavy Metal Jet Team

We went to the Jolly Pumpkin for dinner, microbrew, and Le Tour de France. The lights were pretty cool in that place.

You taught me how to build a snowman with four giant snowballs instead of only three.

You bought me a Barbie and a Barbie Tonka Truck that I loved to play with in the snow. Later in life, I drove that brown pickup truck to high school.

You taught me how to brush my teeth.

You even put “tony pails” in my hair.

You took us all over Michigan. Most important, you took us to see Granny, every year.

You would give us money so we could go buy cap guns and other fun toys at the dime store in Gaylord.

You took us camping all the time.

You shocked all of us when you brought home a black kitten that we named Black Velvet. He fit in perfectly with our dog named Spirit and our horse called Brandy.

You bought me the best horse of all, Ima.

You gave me one of my favorite stuffed animals: Poochie!

You love holidays. You put together the best Easter baskets, a tradition that you still like to carry on.

You took us trick-or-treating.

You took us to see Santa Claus.

You took us to Michigan International Speedway when we were little. You took us when we were adults.

When I was in the army, you sent me pictures of Rick Mears waiving the flags at the US 500 so I wouldn’t feel left out.

You made life fun. Thanks, Dad! Happy Father’s Day!

I had to do my workout. It is really hard doing it consistently, and I’ve been on another faithful stretch of exercise. My Mardi Gras leg workout was a killer – it always is. Ash Wednesday, I had my cardio boxing. I also had a hungry tummy and felt like I needed food very badly. That’s another thing: the older I get, the more in shape I get, the more I need food to keep me from feeling weak and dizzy-esque.

How was this Catholic supposed to fit the fasting rules around tough workouts? I knew I wasn’t the only one facing this challenge. After all, Catholicism is the biggest Christian religion, and it isn’t the only religion that practices fasting. Surely there were other athletes out there who were searching for the exact same answer. Enter: a beloved magazine from my past; well, their forum: Runner’s World: Any Catholics on here? Lenten questions?

I no longer felt alone because another Catholic was asking the same questions that were mulling around in my mind. Then, someone said, “Unless running is more important to you than your beliefs.” Wow. Nothing is supposed to be more important than your beliefs. If you place running above God, then running becomes your new God. Talk about a dose of perspective, and it came from someone who “gave up religion for lent.”

What did I do? Well, I followed the fast. Mind you, Catholic fasting requirements can’t really be labeled as suffering. In fact, suffering isn’t really the point. Mastery of ourselves in a world in which most of us allow ourselves to be ruled by “worldly pleasures” is the point, in short. If you would like to know more, Google it.

My solution was a simple one, and I’m sure it won’t surprise you: Ovaltine. Yes, Ovaltine. Ovaltine is a beverage and does not count as food. Yay! I began my day with a grapefruit and Greek yogurt. This is not unlike most mornings. I love my yogurt, and I love me some grapefruit. Also, it’s not exactly a full meal. After my workout, I did not want to eat a full meal, so I opted for the Ovaltine with two cups of milk. Ovaltine is basically a multivitamin in a glass, and is an ideal “food” after a workout.. Later in the day, I had my full meal and all was good.

Ash Wednesday did not negatively affect my workout, and the traditions of my religion had no negative impact on my workout. All it took was a little . . . Ovaltine.

• Christmas is 12 days long – December 25 to January 6, which is the Epiphany of our Lord.

• Some sects of Christianity celebrate Christmas by exchanging gifts on each of the 12 days.
• In the How Stuff Works article, “What are the 12 days of Christmas,” Sam Abramson says, “Some cultures, like the French and Spanish, celebrate the Feast of the Epiphany with a king’s cake, a coffee cake with purple, green and yellow icing to commemorate the visit by the magi to the Christ child.

There you have it! If you celebrate the Epiphany, you have a “new” tradition you can try out with your kids or other family.

What Di’s Been Doing

This seems to be something in which a few people are interested. The funny thing is that the people who seem to care the most don’t read this blog. That’s okay. It makes me seem more mysterious to them.

My initial Christmas plans were to celebrate the holiday with my best friend, Sandee, and her family. I’ve celebrated other holidays with them and it has always been quite enjoyable. Sandee and I were then going to go to a party on December 26. Unfortunately, Sandee got sick and I had to jet downstate a week before Christmas.

I embarked on a tearful journey from the Upper Peninsula to Durand. Living downstate is not what I want to do, but it is something that is becoming more and more of a reality.

My Plans

I spent some time placing my resume on several job bank web sites and updating it with Michigan Works. I am currently looking for jobs in the following states: Alaska, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Oregon, North Dakota, and Washington. We’ll see what happens.

I decided to head to Copper Harbor to greet 2009 with people I hold near and dear to me: my friends. I was quite surprised to find that this little white, northernmost town in Michigan provided the most exciting New Year’s party in the history of Di.

New Year’s even started on a healthy note when I took a little stroll along Lake Superior with my good friend, Amanda. There was a break in the falling snow as the sun shone down illuminating the lake in beautiful pastel colors. I couldn’t help but to try to capture the beauty that surrounded us.

After our walk, we headed into town to share in a spectacular turkey dinner with some friends and the band that was to later provide the entertainment at Zik’s bar: The Blackflies. The entertainment really started as the band passed out after dinner for a little siesta. They finally headed off to Zik’s to play, and Amanda and I headed to the Mariner for a beer. The beer turned into a beer and a half (we split one) and a tequila shot. I was in no way responsible for the tequila and, in my defense, objected to it. It was nevertheless placed in front of me and I imbibed.

Off to Zik’s we went to join the rest of our friends in drinking, dancing, and making merry. It was great fun. This is where the drinking also got a little out of control. This is also where Amanda and I parted ways on our journey of alcohol in the great hall of Zik’s. I did not have a tab. I did not buy any beverages. Yet, beverages kept appearing in my hand. Interesting.

Zik’s did an extraordinary job hosting this New Year’s bash. They handed out hats, headbands, silly 2009 glasses, noise makers, and confetti poppers. We were well prepped, midnight struck, and I suddenly found myself covered in sparkly confetti. Zik’s quickly emptied out as people rushed into the middle of the highway to watch fireworks. How many towns do that, hey? Eat your heart out New York!

This morning, eight of us woke up at Amanda’s house. We were in pain. We all also knew that skiing or snowshoeing was in everyone’s immediate future. Breakfast was had, winter clothing was donned, and all left for some fun in the snow. Amanda and I weren’t feeling particularly well, but we managed to embark on a two-and-a-half hour snowshoe journey along some of our favorite mountain bike trails.

Aside from the massive hangover, the New Year is looking pretty good. We even started it off on a good foot by doing what we do best: playing outside. What is best of all is the fact that I got to spend it with some of my favorite people.

My dad came to visit for Thanksgiving, leaving mom and my brothers behind in Lower Michigan. This picture is mostly for them so they can see what they missed.

Thanksgiving is something many try to force on a national holiday by making lists. Thanksgiving is something I don’t necessarily feel on the holiday, itself, but it is worth reflecting on those times I’ve felt true, deep gratitude, and how those occasions came to be.

I spent the last decade of my life fighting and conquering clinical depression, acquiring a degree, losing a job, and going back to school. On a smaller and more present time-scale, I find myself continually fighting the financial pressures of being a non-traditional student, trying to keep my credit okay, struggling for hours at work, struggling to keep my grades up, preparing adequately for my Medical College Admission Test (MCAT), preparing for my application for Michigan State’s College of Human Medicine, and most recently, a car accident temporarily leaving me without a vehicle. It has been a very difficult ten years and the next ten years promise to be equally demanding. I’d be lying if I said that I never found myself sometimes lying awake at night with a mad whirlwind of worries clouding my thoughts.

Over the last ten years, I have even found myself questioning my religion, Catholicism, researching other religions, researching my own religion, and finding that I am in the right place. I found out what my religion is not: a hierarchy of old guys culminating in a political front; and what my religion is: regular people, like myself, gathering together and offering support, love, and words of hope. I’ve had the great pleasure of having this awesome support system when my life was at its lowest. Someone else has already experienced what I have experienced, and they can give me hope so I can get past my current worries and move onto a different set of worries. The truth is, whether it be bad grades in school, credit woes, job loss, divorce, or even cancer, we are all afflicted with our own problems. Any problem may be an easy obstacle for one person and devastating for another, and that is okay. We are all unique and we deal with things in different ways.

I tend to feed my passion with books. When I got into horses, I bought books. When I got into yoga, I bought books. When I got into cycling, I bought books. When I got into my religion, I bought books. I wanted to learn more about why Catholics did what they did, and I wanted to know more about the philosophical and spiritual aspects. I learned amazing things, including one that is emphasized not only by some very spiritual Catholic writers, but by Eastern religions as well: live in the now.

I’ve spent the last three years mountain biking in the Keweenaw Peninsula. I’ve journeyed to Lower Michigan to check out some trails there, and I’ve gone to Fruita, Colorado and Moab, Utah to see what all the fuss was about. Nothing matches the satisfaction I get from having the incredible rush of gratitude to God for what I am doing right now. That rush of gratitude doesn’t always occur while riding, but it is almost inevitable when the sun is beating down on me and I take in spectacular views. The world opens up, I feel the kiss of the sun, the pat of the wind on my shoulder, and I smile. I have this odd habit of randomly smiling and giggling in the middle of a ride, and I’m usually by myself when this happens.

The rush of gratitude is amazing. I can’t adequately describe the rush of excitement my body feels and how my heart does flips. I look up. I smile. I thank God. I don’t thank Him for anything in particular. I just thank Him. I am happy. That is enough. That is the ultimate prayer. All of my worries are gone and I am happy. The stress has been eradicated from my body. I have new hope.

It is kind of odd how cycling and religion can be brought together, but the fact is that God wants us to live. It is no surprise that people who allow themselves to live experience the greatest of life’s lessons and the greatest spiritual pleasures. Living in the now fits into both of those categories and is an admirable achievement. It allows one to experience the happiness of little, everyday things, while keeping the mind fresh, so that inevitable obstacles can be handled with less pain and devastation. While I am thankful for many people, things, and experiences – good or bad – in my life, today, I am thankful simply for the experience of being in the now.

Many people are busy shopping for food and thawing out their turkeys. They are preparing for family visits and getting ready to ingest a lot of food. Usually, by the evening of Thanksgiving, Americans all over the country really aren’t that thankful for their overstuffed bellies and the accompanying pain. It really isn’t that fun. That’s why tonight can be helpful.

Today, like any other day before a festive holiday, should be used to plan for the holiday, including some quality exercise time. Usually, walks are reserved for after dinner, but any athlete – amateur, professional, or otherwise – knows that a good, long workout early in the day will make plenty of room for a large meal later on. I’m not saying that the post-dinner walk should be forgotten and thrown away with the inedible leftovers, but time for a good workout earlier in the day will most likely eliminate that Thanksgiving dinner ordeal. As an added bonus, the exercise should also help you cope with the stress of cooking dinner while entertaining your guests.

I hope all of you have had a wonderful weekend and continue to enjoy the Easter season. Easter lasts 50 days. Many cyclists in the northern hemisphere, whether they believe in God and celebrate Easter or not, view the Easter season – the bulk of spring – as the time to break out the bike and start riding. The days are getting longer and everything is preparing for rebirth. Soon, the trees will begin sprouting their leaves, weeds will flourish, and cyclists will be hitting the roads and the trails in all their glory. Many of us realize that the squirrels never went away, so they are not a sign of spring. They are a sign that they have been there all this time making those scratching noises on your roof.

Altar at St. Albert the Great, Houghton, Michigan, USA. The Easter Vigil Mass is to begin sometime after dark and end before sunrise. It is to take place at night. The lights are out when the mass begins.

As a Catholic, I had the pleasure of celebrating Mass on Holy Thursday, service on Good Friday, the Easter Vigil Mass on Saturday, and the Easter Sunday Mass. It isn’t just a lot of church. The four days unfold the death and resurrection of Christ. It is four days of worship, reflection, enlightenment, and the gift of the spiritual family – those who are not of blood relation, but who are there to offer love and support when needed, and to share in joy when life is going well. I felt a strong sense of community at my church this weekend.

The Mass begins at the site of a fire. In our church, it was in the basement by the fireplace. It is traditional to start outside, weather permitting. Everyone is given a candle and the congregation processes into the church.

I told Father Larry last night, after the Easter Vigil, that things went so naturally. That is a special way of putting it. You see, there are so many events taking place during the Easter Vigil Mass that are not commonplace for any other Masses of the year. There is a lot of preparation and practice beforehand. Things didn’t just go well last night; they flowed. We sang, prayed, laughed, and even had an ice cream social at midnight. It was the very example of what God wants for communal prayer, for the Mass. It is about people coming together and sharing in God’s love.

The Liturgy of the Word is done by candlelight. Afterwards, the church lights are turned on and the candles are extinguished.

I haven’t been a kid for quite some while, now, but I still like to color eggs and put together an Easter basket. I love tradition, which is one of the reasons why Catholicism suits me so well, and I will never think that anyone is ever too old for the Easter bunny, even if he is your alter ego.

I came home from church last night and broke out the egg coloring kit. I sleepily went about the coloring process while dreaming of slumbering in my room. It was worth it, though, to wake up to the colorful, friendly little eggs peering at me out of their basket.

How do you feel about eggs staring at you? They’re laughing at you . . .

The Easter bunny stuffed my basket full of Dove dark chocolates and caramel-filled milk chocolates along with some eggs and jelly beans. It’s the perfect basket fit for an adult!

An Easter basket fit for an adult.

Today is also a very special day: Good Friday. Today is a day of worship, and I am spending the majority of it as such. The world over, Christians mediate on the Passion of Christ (John 18:1–19:42).

There was a vessel filled with common wine. So they put a sponge soaked in wine on a sprig of hyssop and put it up to his mouth. When Jesus had taken the wine, he said, “It is finished.” And bowing his head, he handed over the spirit.