Back in the Saddle Again

To set up what you like against what you dislike - this is the disease of the mind. - The Hsin-Hsin Ming in the Zen Calendar (December 20, 2006).

Day 269. I am in complete and utter Nirvana. Who would have guessed I would arrive here via Mabank, Texas? I know! I am plunked down in the middle of a Texas prairie field (quite literally - the sign by the road to the hotel said "Prairieville") at a brand spankin' new Comfort Suites. There is nothing within five miles of the hotel, except for a vibrant orange Texas sunset. I just race walked a couple of laps around the hotel, breathing in the freshest, cleanest, country air of which my lungs have gulped since . . . I'm not sure . . . probably Durango! I am contemplating ranking the caliber of the computer on which I am currently typing (at approximately 150 wpm) as a Peak Experience! The keyboard is so plush, the monitor so humongous that I can read the words as I type them WITHOUT reading glasses -- I may stay and bust out my novel right here and now. At 150 wpm, four hundred or so pages shouldn't take long at all. The only drawback is that I am perched in a highly visible spot in the middle of an enormous lobby. Everything's bigger in Texas!

There are DQ's on every corner, and I dined at a Mexican restaurant that had soft serve ice cream -- for FREE! I just finished a Texas-sized twist and am feeling resplendent and content. When it comes to ice cream that is self-dispensed, the Middle Path is a tough road to follow.

I am here with my captain to take part in the Halloween tandem event sponsored by the Dallas Area Tandem Enthusiasts (DATES). Exactly one year ago, this was our debut into the world of tandem racing. It was an enjoyable, impeccably planned event. The weather is expected to be lovely; the routes are expertly detailed and pre-ridden, and the company spectacular. Should be an amazing weekend!

I want to write something profound and stellar to do this computer justice; however, I am ever mindful that I have 65 miles to stoke tomorrow, and I still need to sit. I have no idea how being a stoker for a captain cum former partner will be, but this much I do know: 1) I have a strong zazen practice; 2) Life is best lived from the here-and-now; 3) We are all borne of the One Great Love; 4) Everything is impermanent; 5) I will avoid setting up what I like against what I dislike.

I love being Buddhist. It provides an answer for everything.

Gassho,
CycleBuddhaDoc