not a cycling day

no cycling in my life today; instead, I went to sundance ski resort and sat, shivering, in a tent while snow blew down and around for hours. I was almost as cold as I've been on a few of my bike rides this season . . . but this time I was wearing a thin silk dress, hose, and heels.

and I was waiting, sitting and waiting, for the weather to behave. and then for my turn in the hair and make-up trailer. and then to be shuttled to the shooting location. and then to be told what to do.

because today I sacrificed a bike ride (well, okay, it was snowing anyway) and instead was an (unpaid) extra in a film being shot here in utah. it came about through a friend of a friend, and although I don't consider myself starstruck, there's something almost seductive about an offer to be involved in the making of a movie.

it's common knowledge that movie production involves a great deal of down time.

my step-father once described the job of an anesthesiologist as being 99% boredom and 1% terror. I wouldn't describe out moments of activity today as terror, but the 99% boredom is fairly accurate.

so let me just give a plug for the film:

a movie about a dog who both holds a marriage together and accomplishes a number of other amazing feats while on the run, this movie, Darling Companion, has star power. dianne wiest, richard jenkins, elizabeth moss, keven kline, sam shepard, and diane keaton all have significant roles, and today I hung out with all of them but sam, shivering in the same fresh and freezing air. I think this will be a great movie: watch for it in 2012!

and now I sit here in thick warm socks and pajama pants, almost returned to a normal body temperature after being home about 90 minutes. just like after a few bike rides I've been on.

and as experiences go, this one fits in the "glad I did it but don't want to repeat it" category. just like a few bike rides I've been on.

my mellow

I love the movie Cinderella Story. It is a Disney film, one of those made for the pre-teen/teen audience, starring Hilary Duff. I have watched it over and over (okay, I am usually folding laundry or doing some other task that occupies my hands) and over, and I still love it. why? because the good guys win and the bad guys lose. honesty triumphs over deceit, those who hold true to their dreams achieve them, and best of all, in the end, true love prevails. what more could I ask for?
along the way we are thrown some funny jokes, a few exceptional characters, moments of teenage angst, and some pretty cute actors to look at. my kids and I have a few favorite lines that we weave into daily life at times: the evil step-mother has some great moments! at one point she talks about how expensive it is to fly her Norwegian salmon in all the way from Norwegia. So now Norwegia is part of our vocabulary, a land far, far away. The step-mom also has a great line where she calls herself a "very appealing person," in this nasal, whiny voice, which we love to imitate.
but the line that is staying with me lately, often during rides, is one from the cute, female disc jockey. at one point a teacher interrupts her DJ-ing, and she replies, "Hey, Mrs.-- , you just harshed my mellow."
you harshed my mellow. wow. this is a description that is sometimes unbelievably accurate. coming down emigration, light tailwind at my back, pedaling hard and feeling great: this is a mellow for me. I love it, I'm feeling good, I've done most of the hard work already and now I'm on my way home. no big bugs jumped out and scared me; I'm good.
and sometimes things harsh that. in particular, anything that makes me apply my brakes! a car backing into the road from its driveway, a spray of gravel across the road, anything unexpected that causes me to use my brakes and slow the downhill rush.
this is all in my head, usually. I would never use that phrase out loud in front of my children: I'm sure they would cringe first, then give me grief for the rest of my life. I know I'm old ~ I try not to pretend otherwise, but sometimes I really like these descriptive phrases kids come up with.
I like being in my mellow.
in fact, I am going to remain there today. It's a beautiful morning, still cool, and it's friday. I have my whole life in front of me, and my bike doesn't need to go to the shop today. I am fit and healthy and my kids are the same (yes, my son's leg is still broken but at least he's healthy), I have food in the fridge and gas in my car, school supplies in backpacks and shoes for my kids' feet. I am set, I am in my mellow, and if anything tries to harsh it I'm going to take a deep breath and tell it no way, not today.