"Ramblings of a Lunatic"

First on this adoption thing.  Here's how I figure it came down.  Our dearly departed parents, being the devoted Catholics they were, decided to have a bunch of kids. After a fruitful but very disappointing start (Cory, Mary & Elly), they decided that maybe adoption would be a better route.  Back in those days the agencies would give kids to anyone, even to people who already had their hands full with 3 mentally challenged children of their own.  Of course that's where I came in, but after some testing they discovered that although I was a brilliant and kindly child, I also had very tight connective tissues.  I suspect the priest told them that this phenomenon was akin to having three "6's" tattooed on my forehead, and totally frightened them away from further adoption. Upon which, they immediately went back to having kids the old fashioned, biological way. Although Bill scared them a wee bit when he came along, upon Teresa's arrival they knew that once more they were solidly conceiving children that would need a little extra help to get through life!  This trend, of flexible, but semi-retarded children came to a climax a few years later when Odd John showed up with his head completely up his ass.  Talk about flexible!!

And so there you have it.  Despite my assertions over the years that I was one of 12 idiots, the acceptance of my adopted status now allows me to confess what I truly believed all along.  That I was the only normal child amongst 11 idiots!!  The very fact that I figured it out should be sufficient proof. 

And although I may not share the genetic factor that allows for flexible joints, I do acknowledge that I have somehow absorbed many other character traits from my siblings.  Many of them are of the good thing/bad thing variety, but I happen to believe that for the most part we've made the best of them.  Often 2 or more personality "flaws" seem to go hand in hand.  As I look in the mirror, and look around at the others I can conclude that there is a strong tendency to "know it all"! I would make one exception, so maybe she's adopted as well.  And ask just about anyone, and you will also get a consensus that the Rooyakkers stubborn streak is rather more like a full dye job.
So if you marry these 2 "flaws" together, you can get either an obnoxious, stubborn, know it all. like me, or you can potentially get an inquisitive, passionate, tenacious person, that although strong willed and knowledgeable, is also a kind, decent, human being.  I say potentially, because in actual fact every one of them turned out just like me!

But I was thinking about this stubborn thing while I was sitting on the trainer today.  I worked my freakin ass off!  It's not an exaggeration to say that it was one of the toughest workouts I have ever experienced.  I don't think that any of the professionals work harder than I do, once I am committed to a path.  You may recall that my recent focus has been on improving my cycling while in the aero position.  When you are on the very edge of succumbing completely to the pain, to still persist in staying with that pain, indeed takes a large measure of stubbornness.  Especially when all you have to do to make the worst of it go away, is to sit up a bit!  I'm proud of myself today.  Of the 36 minutes of high intensity, I spent 30 of them in the aero position, compared to 24 last week.

And then just to say that I did something useful, I cleaned the tiles in one of the bathrooms, and then started on our bedroom. You may think we're just lousy housekeepers when you look at this picture, but we're not really.  It just gets this way over time, despite regular cleaning.

But with a bit of elbow grease…

I will eventually get the whole house done, but since I haven't yet had any offers of help, that could take a while.  That's the problem with being adopted you see.  They may share their name with you, but they don't really love you.  I also need to get some new scrubbers cause they don't have the ones I like here in this two bit town of ours.

And lastly for today, to the unpleasant, self centred, person who has my eldest son trapped in his own body, could you please let him go.  I would like to have him back.  Thanks!

Computrainer intervals, 90 minutes total 

…and this is very good for me to remember...

"Many are stubborn in pursuit of the path they have chosen, few in pursuit of the goal."---Friedrich Nietzsche

Love
Peter