Life is crazy that way

I have had a couple of topics I wanted to blog about running around in my head for the past week or so, but I have been so busy with the kids, homework, house stuff purging, and all that, that it seems I never get the opportunity to sit down and write a proper blog.

Then something happens and I feel the need to share, but have no time so I do a quick facebook post and call it good.

But sometimes I want to process things on  a bit deeper level or more completely, but that is hard to do on facebook, and even harder on a blog because one needs proper feedback and one can't know if that will happen in those mediums. So I just keep putting one foot in front of the other and moving, feeling as if I am getting no where. Kind of like, "the hurrier I go the behinder I get". That sort of thing.

So a quick recap of the last couple of weeks:

*Saw the doctor and things are looking better. I am down 6 pounds and my blood pressure is so low that I will be off the medication soon. The vitamin D is doing me some good. He is having me come in next month just for a blood draw to check some of my other levels and then again the next month for a more in depth blood test. But I am optimistic because I feel so much better.

*I took up hiking and I think that is also part of the reason I feel better. Hiking is really doing me good. Most of the time. Unless I almost step on a snake or almost come across a dead body. Then I am not sure, but then I put on clothes that are too big or step on the scale or take my measurements and know again it is worth it. And on the days I don't go because I am giving my muscles a rest, I crave getting out and hiking.

So, the snake. Last wednesday, just Jess and I went hiking. I don't remember why the boys and Brandi didn't go this day, but they didn't. We were moving along at a pretty good clip along the road/trail, Jess on my left side but about a foot in front of me. I was watching where I was walking because the road is kind of rutty in this area and I didn't want to twist my ankle because she would never be able to get me back to the car. I was about to put my foot down when I realized there was a stick in the road and I needed to adjust my stride or I was going to step on the fat end and pop it up and it would hit my leg. And then I realized that the "fat end" was really a snake's head. I gasped and stepped backward. Jess, who was wearing flip flops, whirled around thinking I had fallen or twisted my ankle and looked where I was looking and saw the snake- about 6 inches from her foot.

We both just kind of stood there and then I told her go, go, go. So she did. The snake just lay there. I think he was hoping we wouldn't notice him because he was the exact shade of the dirt. It was his eyes that gave him away. (why do we always speak of snakes in terms of he/him?) Anyway. I moved to the other side of the trail and hugged the side of it as I hurried past the snake. He pulled just his head back as if he was trying to get away from me as well.  Scary times. I am pretty sure it was a garter snake as I didn't see any rattles, but he did have that triangular diamond back head, but I didn't stay around for introductions so I guess we'll never know for sure.  And we had extra adreniline to help us move quickly the rest of the hike.

Then there was this morning. Again just Jess and I because Brandi had soccer camp at 8 and I didn't want her to hike 1-2 miles and then have to immediately go to 2 hours of soccer. and I left the boys with her while they did their chores and got ready for marching band also at 8. So today we were headed up to the falls, because it was Monday and that is where we go on Monday and Friday. So we went even though we both were feeling we should go above Cedar Hills. And neither of us slept well last night. And I dreamed the trail was flooded and we couldn't go past the flat part, the first bit of water that when I first made the hike I was hoping was the end of the trail. And Jess kept saying that she didn't want to go farther than that today because she was afraid we wouldn't be back in time to take Brandi to soccer- even though I knew we would.

Just before we got to that part of the trail, we met a biker headed down. He stopped to talk to us. At first I was a bit freaked out by that, because really? you don't have to stop to just say good morning. And it was a guy. And we were 2 females kind of in the middle of nowhere with no one else around. And I watch and read a lot of stories where that situation always is disaterous for the females. But then he started talking. He told us that he didn't think we wanted to go any further up the trail because he had just found a body at the base of the falls and he was headed to meet the law enforcement and recovery teams. Then he headed on down. We walked the couple of feet to the flat place, caught our breath and turned around and went back down. The police were just getting to the parking lot as we did and by the time we left, the parking lot was full of police, sherrif people, rescue/recovery people, and barely enough room for us to turn the Durango around and leave.

We later found out that the body was a male and it was not murder or an accident. We also found out that he was a close friend of Jessica's friend's boss. We are also sad that our world is so intolerant that someone would rather die than be different. And we are also thankful that we were not 10 minutes earlier in our leaving the house time like I wanted to, because we would have been at the falls first. So as horrible as it was for this man, we are thankful that he spared us.

But even with the crazy/scary stuff, I am going to keep on hiking. I am not sure about when school starts in a couple of weeks because I am not sure I want to go after work when it is super hot. I am sure I will get sick. I did on Thursday when it was over 100* and my swamp cooler is inefficient unless you are standing right under it. I had a migraine. I had one Friday and Sat. too- all heat induced, so I may have to just start using the treadmill until it is cool enough in the evenings to go after work. I'll figure it out somehow.

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Indeed.