A Warehouse of Fun

I write this from the friendly confines of a gutted, now defunct Menards store that has been renovated into an indoor Mountain Bike course. It's called Rays MTB and while it's a liablity nightmare, it is a very cool place. What they've done is purchased an old Menards and built a ton of bike ramps for all skill levels. As I write, kids are zooming around me, and above me, getting exercise in a relatively safe environment. The floors and ramps that they ride on are all wood, so even if they take a digger (and they just helped a kid off who had been hit in his gut with his handlebar) it is onto a forgiving surface for the most part.

The place is actually only open for 8 months of the year Oct-May. This is the last day it is open until fall, and it is fairly busy today. Ben and his friend are trying to convince the other friend to go down a ramp that he is hesitant to try. I can feel for the kid a bit, as I know how it used to be when your friends wanted you to do something really badly and you had to build up your courage to do it. I also can relate to Ben who just wants his friend to experience the rush of going down the ramp. Neither one is wrong, just kids being kids.

So I missed the entire Royal wedding. Does that make me a bad person? I hardly know Will and Kate. I doubt they missed me.

For some reason, ever since the Celebration of Life party, I have been having much fewer crying jags about Rob. This doesn't mean I'm less sad about it, but I think the party helped me deal with the grief and the grieving process in a healthy way. It was a turning point of sorts. It made me happy to see him happy, as happy as I've seen him in months. That's all I wish for him at this point; that he be happy. I don't expect him to be 100% healthy at all times, but if he can keep positive and happy during the good times and the good days, that's about all I can expect. Sure I'd like to be able to fish with him, and sure I hope he gets out when he can, but most of all I just hope he stays happy.

A little more about Chicago on Thursday.

Sarah loved Chicago, which was not surprising. She was digging the whole hustle, bustle thing and seemed to really like the whole international, cosmopolitan edge to it. I was telling Donna that I could totally see her as an aspiring young professional living and working in Chicago, maybe not owning a car, taking public transporation everywhere. It's not a place for everyone, but it is for Sarah, I think.

Ben liked it too, but I think he's going to be a wide open spaces kid. Maybe Colorado? Time will tell.

Well, the rock music is beginning to get to me and I've been here 4.5 hours, so I think it's time to pack it in for now. Bye Rays MTB...see you in the fall.

Blogging off...

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