Of excitement and boredom

Hello Everyone,

Yesterday, instead of going somewhere further north on the island, I decided to stay in the Cumberland-Comox area and go biking for a third consecutive day. There are a few reasons for this, mainly a combination of good trails and high gas prices. I went to a second network in the area, one that is a bit further from town and thus a bit less travelled. Also, it started to rain. I'll connect these things shortly.

As it was the middle of the week, and middle of the afternoon, there were few other bikers on the trails I was riding. As mentioned, it started to rain, making a few section slicker than normal. Which in turn meant, that any difficult descents I tried would be riskier. I walked a few that I would have ridden in dry conditions, but not all. There are a couple of calculated risks I took, most notably the one I posted on my Instagram account.

I cleaned it without issue, and for the next 20 minutes or so, my heart was pounding and I had the thrill of adrenaline coursing through me. Arthur and I biked out to a swimming spot after that, along a beautiful glacier fed river. He went swimming when we got there, but I just put my feet in. You cannot believe how cold that water is.

Today though, was boredom. I planned to drive back to Victoria and spend the weekend with Tay, but I didn't have a lot else on the menu. When you live a busy normal life, a day with a mostly clear schedule is a gift. You can get stuff done that you've been putting off, or go and enjoy yourself with a day at the park or something.

But when you are basically retired at 40, like I am (temporarily), you get all that stuff done in the normal course of your affairs. A day with a blank schedule is kinda boring. I think this is how adrenaline junkies get hooked. They have a day where they do something that is heart-poundingly exciting, and then return to the mundane every day.

Fortunately, I'm rapidly aging out of the high-risk age group for getting hooked. I will stick to mildly dangerous activities, and only gently push the envelop.

wes