blast from the past

my typical commute to work leaves a lot to be desired. i take two interstate highways, and they're
always jammed with thousands of cars going both directions. it's a very rare day that i enjoy the drive without at least one traffic jam. i routinely thank God that i have been free from accidents. *knock on wood*

today, however, i had a pleasant surprise. cruising along in an area where i merged on was a red ford bronco. it was HUGE and the driver, a somewhat creepy old man, was wearing a weird looking hat over his long locks (i saw all of this from behind, while passing him and again while he passed me). the bronco was covered in mud, implying that the driver had taken it on an off-road adventure. the mud covered vehicle brought back fond memories of high school 4-wheeling treks.

i once took a trip to a place called haspin acres. it's located in the middle of no where indiana and is equipped to meet any desire one has for mud, ATVs and adventure. i'm definitely not one to live for motocross or dirt-bike racing, but this place was magical. i wore old jeans, a raggedy old hoodie and a pair of running shoes from 8th grade. by the end of the day, i was covered in mud from my head to my toes ... in my hair, in my ears, up my nose, in my mouth .... you get the point! the only disappointment of the day was my inability to convince the guy i was dating at the time to jump in a huge mud puddle. i should have taken that as a sign we'd never work --- i have this knack for wanting to do off-the-wall things and he refused to join in.

at any rate, this mud covered truck brought all of those happy mud-covered memories to mind and left me feeling adventurous. a co-worker of mine told me about a weekend mountain biking excursion she took with her husband over the weekend, which only strengthened the urge to let go of all my inhibitions and really just enjoy a day of adventure.

unfortunately, i don't own a 4-wheeler and mike is very particular about his jeep. it'd be pretty difficult for me to convince him to take it on an off-road adventure down a path filled with potholes and mud. i'm still trying to get him to travel to the outer banks to drive down the beach in search of wild ponies! until then, i'm hunting for a clever way to fulfill this new desire. any suggestions?!

ps. i don't like water too much, so surfing is not an option .....