New Experiences

There have been some notable "firsts" for me this week.

1. I went mountain biking for the first time.

A new friend invited me to go mountain biking with a group of coworkers on Tuesday night, so I borrowed Mike's bike (which has shocks and good brakes) for the adventure. We started at the Military Reserve and drove up Shaw Mountain Rd until several miles past the point where it turned into a bumpy dirt road. Then we hopped on our bikes and started up the road. After a while we reached the trailhead and continued uphill. It was a fun but challenging ride, with a fun group that gave me many helpful tips along the way (such as: look out ahead, not down at the scary rocks under your tires). We reached the top of our ride after about 1.5 hours, then quickly descended over bumpy trails that tested my brakes and nerves. It was a thrill!

And thankfully I returned without any loss of skin or limbs, so our wedding photographer will be happy about that.

2. I learned about Mormon Crickets.

Yikes! These are the scariest insects I've ever encountered in real life. As we were riding up the trails I started seeing huge bugs with long legs that looked like they could easily jump up and hit me in the face. Not a pleasant prospect when you are struggling to keep the tires moving on a steep dirt path. I'm glad they weren't feeling too energetic that night, or I might have slid down the hill in a panic.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mormon_cricket

I'm not sure how I managed to grow up in Boise and never see these mammoth bugs, but I'm glad I didn't meet them as a child or I might have been forever afraid to go outside.

3. I spackled!

Living in apartments for most of my adult life, there was always someone to do it after I moved out...