No matter where I live  or where I travel, it's always nice to come home again.  Even during those years when we lived in the basement of an unfinished home, there was no place like home. 

When our boys were little we'd always say as we drove the last mile home after a vacation or extended trip away, "home again, home again, jiggidy jig." 

No matter how great the time  away from home was it was always good to be home.  It's always good to sleep in your own bed, lounge on your own couch and shower in your own bath. 

But the unpacking?  Ugh!  I always hated that part. 

Last night it was exhilerating to get on my bike and head down to the pool after being gone two weeks.  What a joy it was for my husband and I to take the bikes out, park them, run two miles and head for the pool. 

My husband looked at me as we biked down to the pool and remarked how much he missed his partner and how lonely he was during those weeks while I was away. 

It was hot and very humid last night.  After getting off the bikes we took a drink and headed out for a two mile jog.  It was hard to breath especially for me after the first half mile.  I had run in Ohio but it wasn't near this humid nor hilly.  But I was pleased with a 16:09 performance which gives me an 8:04 average mile.  Not bad for the conditions.  Actually my first mile was 8:06 so I did a bit better on the second mile which had more of a decline than going out.. 

Then we headed for the pool which I had especially been looking forward to.  Surprisingly I was able to make the full 25 meters in this laned pool without stopping.  Sometimes I can and sometimes I can't. But lately I am finding myself getting stronger upper bodily and am feeing not so discouraged as I was in the beginning.  While my husband does his 30 or so laps I try to swim at least 6-8 laps or so aternating from free style to a style that I don't know what to call but it's something between a doggie paddle and freestyle. 

After swimming, We dry off the best we can with hand towels we put in our bike bags and head  the two miles home mostly still wet.  But on a hot humid day it's very refreshing. 

We just added swimming to our exercise routine sometime in May or June and already are pleased with the results.  While I was away my husband swam 30-50 laps a night and he is noticeably buffer (is that a word?).  His soft upper body has now become lean and strong with neary a soft spot to be found.  Thank goodness his knees told him to stop the running months ago or else we wouldn't have discovered this new passion of ours. 

Tonight after he returns home from work we'll head out again.  This time we're going to take a trip to another pool in the opposite direction.  The two mile run there will at least afford us some shade as we meander thru a very wooded section of bike trail.  But because this pool also has the lanes in it, we know we can enjoy doing laps without interruption from other swimmers, although quite often we find ourselves the only ones in the pool for much of the time.  It's hard to believe we don't see more people out swimming around here. 

It's good to be home. 

So again, I have to say, home again, home again, jiggidy jig!