Obsessed

Since I was 14 or 15 I have been completely obsessed.  I want to confess a love for a boy band here, or for soft tacos, or for glitter eyeliner (that's actually pretty awesome), but my obsession was with names.

A trip to the book store--and there were super-duper many of those--would compel me to the same two sections.  The first was Philosophy.  I was always trying to learn something, so home came Nietzsche and Camus and Sartre and...none of that helped.  I got a C in college Philosophy.  Meh.

Horse camp.  15?  Only the most flattering photos make the blog.  This chick loves books.  And flannel.  And has no idea where her hairbrush is.

The other section was Parenting.  I wasn't a young mom (although my mother was visibly confused when I brought in new baby name books).  I didn't even want children.  Babies?  That was a completely foreign concept to me.  But--NAMES!!!  Oh, how I loved them.  Still do.

And...I lied when I said two sections, I would also sneak into the Children's Department to search for new Saddle Club books or to pick up anything related to Anne of Green Gables.  There were a hundred of each.  I still read those.  Good stuff.

I wanted to know the complete history behind names, their evolution, earliest known usage, all the juicy stuff.  I learned that some authors invented names that we still use today like Vanessa, Olivia, and Evangeline.

I never named my cars.  What??  I dunno.

If you've been following any of this, you'll know I'm searching for a cyclocross bike.  I'm not going to spoil the surprise, but I've got one on hold to try out.  I might hate it, but I'm already trying to name it.

I've got the perfect name but this bike isn't black, and having it repainted would cost nearly the same as buying a second bike so I'd just get a second bike, obviously.

So, I need a name for a very peppy-looking red and white bicycle.

Do I want her to sound fierce?  Do I want her to have a cute name so people underestimate us then get trounced?  Do I use up the cool baby names I won't get to use on actual children and skip the plan to adopt dozens of cats?  I mean, not all at once.

On the short list:

• Harpy (tough and scary--just like me! Grr!!! (see above photo for confirmation of this)
• Philomena
• Ruby
• Isolde
• Freya
• The Flying Tomato
• Lola
• Zelda
• Florence
• Matilda
• Ingrid (nixed for my human daughter--what?!!)

Should I try to hold out for an ebony steed to use the name I covet?  Does it really matter when cross bikes are primarily the color of mud?

Have you ever named a bicycle?  Car?  Stilts?  (I'm thinking lefty and righty for the stilts, though I used to have a pair and those didn't get names, either--slacker)

Feel free to send suggestions.  I sorta dig names.

Cyclocross: "make sure your sneakers are double knotted"--a friendly enabler responds to my cx questions

Not long ago--really, like a few days ago--I dipped my quill into ink made from crushed winterberries hand-gathered into a basket woven from locally-sourced swamp ash collected with my obedient children in tow.  I penned all my cyclocross wonderings onto parchment and sent it out into the universe by way of electronic journaling.  Hi.  I have three kids.  I work a full-time night job.  I'm tired.  It's quick or it does not happen!

To recap: adventurous spirit meets motherhood x3 and menial household tasks and physically-taxing job and inertia.  Adventurous spirit, undeterred, splashes some cold water on my face and reminds me that 1. I'm not dead and 2. I'm still alive.  Let's make something happen, shall we?

The spouse is a rabid cyclist, a roadie, who loves big hills and long rides.  I'm not sure he's sane.  I wasn't sure I wanted to tag along for 100 milers so I pretty much let him do his own thing.  Does that mean I am NOT a real cyclist?  Not a REAL cyclist?  Not a REEL cyclist (see below)?  Am I meant to drive the SAG wagon only, or is there more for me?

Deep questions.

Enter Jen Murphy, Master Enabler.  While shoveling piles of mislaid toys back into the toy box, I noticed a cyclocross photo she posted.  And another.  And then I was on local race pages noting registration deadlines and searching for sale bikes (thrifty=me, see previous two blog postings).  Hmm...cyclocross...I was feeling...excitement?  She seemed hooked on this crazy sport.

But, first, I had a few questions.  How do I know I've got the right stuff?

Friend Jen is a good sport.  She baited her hook and promptly posted this response.  Will she lure me in?  Is there something fishy about someone who overdoes metaphors?

Stay tuned.