3 Strikes
Date: Aug 13 Mon
Mileage: 17 (Rans)
August mileage: 48
Year to date: 1361
This was the first actual day for students, which is always a little nerve-wracking even though it's a day with very little work, per se. I didn't sleep well to start, so I woke up early but groggy and unrested. I had prepared last night, bringin the LHT in by the back door as I usually do.
This my grand surprise this morning, once I had the LHT packed and out the door I found that the front tire was flat, quite the ill omen for the first day of the year. Strike #1. It's the first flat I've had on the monster Serfas and is one vexing me greatly to this very moment. If it was flat last night I should've noticed it. Being montrous, it's pretty obvious when the Serfas is flat. Did it flatten overnight in the house? I can't imagine anything having that effect. And finally, did I somehow pick up a nail or something on the way from the garage to the house? just as strange.
I was early, so I had time to switch to the Rans Rocket, a bike I hadn't been on since the start of the summer. One good aspect of the morning was that I found a nifty way to mount one of my clip-on lights on the bracket structure of my helmet. I can't use words, but you know the new tightening stuff that comes on helmets? It's great for this lightweight light.
Going up Douglass all nice and sleepy I was met with a profound "Don't Fall Over!" shouted at me by a very attractive young man hanging out the back window of a pieceofshit Ford Taurus. What makes a person orally attack another on the road at 6.20a.m., especially one that most certainly isn't in the way? Maybe it was a student out for his first day of school today and he just knew I was a teacher on my geeky 'bent. Asswipe. Strike #2.
My third issue was a bit more nebulous. The heat is still with us, building towards a record of continuous days in the 90sF. Although it wasn't very hot this a.m., at 75F, the heat has create this all-encompassing stench that is wafting through all parts of the city proper. I guess they don't have this prob in the burbs with their big yards and wider streets, but Monday is trash day, and frankly my whole ride smelled like raw sausage or chicken that had been sitting out for a whole week in a black plastic trashcan. Oh, right. That is actually what it was. Trash sitting out in big plastic trashcans, just sitting there cooking the meat scraps, egg shells and dirty diapers. I would especially smell it riding past storm drains. Strike #3.
My afternoon was devoid of obvious obstacles, but I had nothing in my legs and just poked along. I'll have to dig deep into my suitcase of courage to make better tomorrow.
Mileage: 17 (Rans)
August mileage: 48
Year to date: 1361
This was the first actual day for students, which is always a little nerve-wracking even though it's a day with very little work, per se. I didn't sleep well to start, so I woke up early but groggy and unrested. I had prepared last night, bringin the LHT in by the back door as I usually do.
This my grand surprise this morning, once I had the LHT packed and out the door I found that the front tire was flat, quite the ill omen for the first day of the year. Strike #1. It's the first flat I've had on the monster Serfas and is one vexing me greatly to this very moment. If it was flat last night I should've noticed it. Being montrous, it's pretty obvious when the Serfas is flat. Did it flatten overnight in the house? I can't imagine anything having that effect. And finally, did I somehow pick up a nail or something on the way from the garage to the house? just as strange.
I was early, so I had time to switch to the Rans Rocket, a bike I hadn't been on since the start of the summer. One good aspect of the morning was that I found a nifty way to mount one of my clip-on lights on the bracket structure of my helmet. I can't use words, but you know the new tightening stuff that comes on helmets? It's great for this lightweight light.
Going up Douglass all nice and sleepy I was met with a profound "Don't Fall Over!" shouted at me by a very attractive young man hanging out the back window of a pieceofshit Ford Taurus. What makes a person orally attack another on the road at 6.20a.m., especially one that most certainly isn't in the way? Maybe it was a student out for his first day of school today and he just knew I was a teacher on my geeky 'bent. Asswipe. Strike #2.
My third issue was a bit more nebulous. The heat is still with us, building towards a record of continuous days in the 90sF. Although it wasn't very hot this a.m., at 75F, the heat has create this all-encompassing stench that is wafting through all parts of the city proper. I guess they don't have this prob in the burbs with their big yards and wider streets, but Monday is trash day, and frankly my whole ride smelled like raw sausage or chicken that had been sitting out for a whole week in a black plastic trashcan. Oh, right. That is actually what it was. Trash sitting out in big plastic trashcans, just sitting there cooking the meat scraps, egg shells and dirty diapers. I would especially smell it riding past storm drains. Strike #3.
My afternoon was devoid of obvious obstacles, but I had nothing in my legs and just poked along. I'll have to dig deep into my suitcase of courage to make better tomorrow.
Comments
-Laura