Pain nook.

I now have SIX candles.

*basic bitchiness intensifies*

Also, my quest for an area rug has come to an end:

After being duped by promises of free shipping–a perk often only available to those living in the continental US–I started limiting my search to Canadian retailers. This whittled my options down to the beige rugs of Maison Simons or the staggeringly ugly condo lobby rugs of rugs.ca. I reconsidered investing in a tufting gun, but instead headed to Etsy, the land of tuft gun-toting rug makers. Snorlax. Homer Simpson disappearing into bushes. Fried egg. Flaming heart. Fuck. Some cute, some aggressively tacky: but none inspired a sense of coziness.

And that’s how I ended up ordering a hand-knotted wool rug from Morocco. DHL dropped it off next to the compost bins in front of the house. I had to do three laps around the house before I spotted it. I was looking for a long cardboard box. Instead, it came dressed as a flood barrier sandbag mummified with packing tape. I was impressed. Then frustrated because it was a bitch to open.

My next mission is finding a sewing machine to set up in the nook at the front of the living room so that I can alternate between sewing and sweating. I’ve reactivated my Zwift membership. On that note, I have some hot money saving tip for you all: when you get the urge to buy something, add the item to your cart/basket but do not proceed to the checkout. Often, retailers or subscription services will send you an email saying, “Don’t forget about this thing in your cart! Here’s a discount code!” I was fully prepared to resume paying the monthly subscription fee with Zwift until my credit card got cancelled due to fraud. Zwift ended up giving me a month free. I also got a 20% off code for one of my candles because I wasn’t impulsive enough for the retailer’s liking. Also, sometimes the impulse fades away, thus saving you the most money.

The uncle I rode with last month got hit by a car yesterday. The car underestimated his speed and made a left turn–something that has happened to me before, fortunately without dire consequences. My uncle was going downhill super fast (based on how fast he was going when we rode together, I’d say he was probably going at least 60km/h) and slammed into the car so hard that the hubcap cracked. He went flying onto the road. “Flying Dutchman” he joked, a good sign that he’s mostly fine aside from potentially broken bones in his ankle/foot. He’s not sure what’s broken as he’s still awaiting his x-ray results.

As for me, Zwift will keep my unbroken legs in shape from the comfort and safety of my pain-slash-sewing nook. This year, I’ve chosen the 8-week TT Tune-Up training plan, which requires getting on the trainer five nights a week. My first choice was the 12-week Active Offseason, but I aborted it after failing to complete the first workout, which was three hours long, and realizing that this plan included multiple three-hour sessions. I already do substantially more physical activity than the average person (6,000km on my bike this year). It’s bonkers to think there are people dedicated enough to complete a time-consuming plan like this!