The Car-Free Challenge: Monday

Today, John and his whole research team were in the car, most of the day. BUT. It wasn’t our car---it was a University vehicle. AND, their high-altitude balloon launch had been planned for almost a year. AND, they all car-pooled together over the mountains. AND, all his team was going anyway. Is this cheating on the car-free challenge? I don’t know... sticklers would say ‘yes’, and we should probably consider our Car-Free Challenge officially over.

But I didn’t get in the car today. So I am still car-free after nine days! I walked to work, as usual, and walked home for lunch, and walked back to work again in the afternoon, and walked home and took Cassie (bark!) for a walk on the trails. I pondered ordering delivery food, since John was out with the ballooning crew until very late, and truly, we are getting a little low on basic staples around here, since it’s the end of our ‘food week’---Winder Dairy and the CSA box come tomorrow. But then I just made rice and had a salad instead. And some of the awesome dark chocolate we brought back from Peru for dessert! Mmmmmm.... Better than the Chinese delivery place!

Tomorrow morning, we have barn, but I’m planning to bike out there. Actually, I think we have to, since we can’t seem to find our jumper cables and so the car is still not running (remember that we left the door ajar last week, and didn’t discover it until Thursday). On Wednesday morning, we both have lessons. Our friend Angie is coming in to town, and we will meet her for lunch downtown on Wed after lessons, so that’s all bike-able, although the timing is going to be tight.

But then Thursday, we for sure have to get back in the car. We have had plans for months to go up to Sandpoint, Idaho and meet up with C&T---they have a new kid we haven’t even seen yet! I think it’s going to be weird to get in the car. Then, next week, we have the big road trip seminar for local school teachers. That’s going to be even weirder!