NO LIGHTS!!

well, my morning commute is usually pretty boring, but this a.m. proved a little more interesting. i'm on the Rans again (going back to the LHT tomorrow). i may or may not have mentioned that i don't have a real front light on it, only a flashing safety light, which works well in the neighborhoods and city streets which i frequent. this a.m. had a little light fog, no biggie, but i went a slightly different route. i had left earlier, abt 6.05, so i rode to add some distance. crossing Seneca Garden and Douglass i ended up on Casselberry. from there i dived into the park. that's where the 'fun' began. the route downhill on the loop had somehow lost its lights, so i was going downhill in the dark. the flashing light was distracting me, becoming a pulsating beacon flashing into the trees and distracting me from the road. unfortunately i couldn't quite turn it off from my 'bent position. so that became the first order of fear. dark park road, trees, no street lights, couldn't see joggers. finally i rounded the bend and continued on the Loop and saw one of the lights, which continued by the rugby field. i then headed up the golf hill and hit upon my second interesting image of the a.m. this time, as i rounded the trees, i found myself staring up in the sky with Orion and Sirius looking squarely at me. remember that on the 'bent you have a somewhat natural face-up view, so that was really nice, fog laying low around the grass and upper tree tops and a good morning sky of stars above. i would give it a A commuting experience, and one of those that you wait for when commuting by bike, instead of in the box o' metal. the final a.m. experience was a repeat of the 'loop' adventure. this time i was descending the golfcourse hill towards Cherokee Triangle when, lo and behold, no light, and i think this time darker than the loop. really i couldn't see the damn side of the road. then some joggers, who i barely saw in silouhette, came by. fortunately i didn't run anyone over, but certainly it would've been my big, bad fault. the rest of the way was of no consequence, except for the cabron who cut me off at Barrett and Oak who felt the need to cut the corner on a left turn while i was at the light. Cabron!

the p.m. was considerably less adventurous. i did try to push the pace a couple times on the 'bent, and was pretty taxed upon arrival, so time well spent.

hearing about those home heating prices makes me even more motivated to hit the bike, even though i could've fallen asleep this afternoon.