Day 26 & 27 – Wind of Change

Saturday & Sunday, November 15th & 16th

Clearwater, FL

Didn’t ride the bikes yesterday or today.  We had planned to begin our trip home this weekend while the South winds blew, but a cold front blew in and left behind a cold, strong headwind from the North – nothing we’d want to pedal against. So we’ll probably leave tomorrow morning.  I spent all of my Saturday morning and afternoon working on adding pictures to the previous pages of the log, so be sure to check them out! Dad worked on the bikes and we took a short break to mail some stuff at the pharmacy/jewelry shop/post office.  We thought about riding to the nursing home, but by the time we were ready to, the sun was already low in the sky.  Instead we drove to the beach and walked along the water while the sun set.  I pointed out the infamous bathroom, then we had a tasty seafood dinner at one of the restaurants along the main drag.    After that, we stopped by the nursing home for a while to visit Grandpa.

This morning, not wanting to brave the cold alone on my bike, I drove to St. Petersburg to train with Dino Martinez, the instructor who organized the conference I attended last weekend in Titusville.  I don’t often get the chance to train with him, but when I do it’s always a treat.  Like so many talented Pekiti Tirsia Kali instructors, he brings his own unique perspective of the art to the lesson.  Luckily for me, in addition to honing a fast, powerful and fluid personal style, he has also developed a talent for clear, insightful explanations.  If you’re in the Tampa area and interested in the art, take time to look him up.  It will be well worth your while.  Dino: thanks again for your time; the lesson (as usual) was awesome!

I drove back to Clearwater, hyped after the morning’s workout, and helped Dad clean and lube the chains.  We’ve spent the rest of the day prepping and packing the bikes (with a little napping in there, too), even though neither of us are ready to leave. After our last visit to the nursing home to say goodbye to my grandpa, we took my uncle and his friend out to dinner to say thanks for letting us crash at his house for almost a week.

Tomorrow, with more than a little sadness in our hearts, it’s back to Texas.