I F_CKED UP!
today after work I ran a quick errand
actually left a few minutes early as I had to get there before it closed at 5PM, just made it!... after the time it took to change, swing by the bank, get to the location, lock the bike, and find the right room it was just minutes before 5PM
most certainly that door behind me closes and locks by 5PM if not by 4:59!
I was IN! I was IN LINE! all before the doors closed and locked no matter what time they closed
the cross town pedal was under double rush mode
so rushed that there was no more time then a quick game of chicken as a childish hello to friend and rival kevin dillard.... okay arch enemy
so perhaps the game of chicken was not so childish.... okay... it was
then once the errand was done I was in the thick of it downtown on the bike
not wanting to take the most direct room home as it was still early
not at work
not working late
lisa getting home from work and picking up Dean from Rosemount were on my timing for schedule and return time
I pointed away from home not sure of the best path to take
as I pedaled towards home I got distracted
somehow I thought I would be more comfortable at speed on the cross bike with its skinny little tires and well worn brake pads, which even at their best they do not meet the braking power of V-brakes then of course the USCF forbidden disc brakes
man... I want disc brakes on a cross bike... hold on getting distracted
braking in traffic is a style I like very much
the track bike never spoke to me in the urban setting
so on a geared cross bike I hammered through traffic fighting a little rub from a rear wheel that is asking to be retired
so I went down past the Smithsonian on The Mall towards the Washington Monument, then the Jefferson Memorial, and across the 14th street bridge towards the Mt. Vernon trail
this is a well trafficed bike path
with impressive numbers for daily users
respect to those that founded this project
respect to those that keep this thing going....
if only there were more trails
but for that to happen we need more people that understand the value of the trail
does not look like the majority of America "gets it"
after all... this is a country that considers obesity to be an epidemic
okay.... off the topic again
humorously enough all this tangent stuff is me trying to edit
so almost without notice I pedal towards and then under the Memorial Bridge as the marble monuments on the other side of the river take a glorious pinkish orange glow... subtle yet beautiful
then after memorial comes the Key Bridge after a little island which has some urban outdoor culture... Roosevelt Island
before I knew it I was spinning fast and hard on the towpath between the C&O Canal and the Potomac
the hard packed orange gravel earth mixture of the tow path was pretty dry for the most part
with one side of the path, the side closest to the water of the canal was the fast line
I stayed within the fast line as much as possible
but things were solid and dry enough to get a tad sloppy
not intentionally sloppy, but sloppy as I was distracted by the view through the leafless trees of the Potomac
the canal at this point is without water and is really not much of a site
well, yes, a site... as in an eyesore
the sun had already set
but there was still plenty of light and some magical coloring over the Potomac as I headed northwest further and further from home
now do not let me give you the wrong impression.... I was not headed to Cumberland
heck....
I was not even going as far as Great Falls
all I was trying to do was get a little more than the usual post work ride in as I feared that the next few days will be too wet and too cold with rain and snow for anything more than a mad dash from home to work then work to home
with a glance at my watch I made a turn around at an arbitrary point and headed back down the towpath towards Georgetown and then home
the path is a slight grade downhill which aided the momentum
while freeing me to spend more time gazing out over the Potomac
as the light grew more and more dim the objects on the water became nothing more than sillouettes
until it was not so dark that I needed a headlamp
but dark enough that I needed to focus on the trail ahead and did not have enough light to bother to look out over the water
at Fletcher's boathouse I rolled off the canal onto the Capital Crescent Trail where the wheels would feel less friction
once on the paved trail I focused on the bicyclists ahead as motivation to maintain pace
one by one I rolled past a variety of commuters
giving each individual a respectful "on your left"
pleased that I am not being passed...
being that hypocrite that is maybe going a little too fast on the trail
or is it the guy going past me that is the asshole going too fast
either way caution and respect are on my mind, so is a little risk for a little pleasure
with a glance at my watch to get an estimate of my duration I realized a few things
it was getting late and lisa would be expecting me
and
it is wednesday
yes, wednesday, not tuesday, president's day threw me off
lisa is at home with the kids.... there is the potential for an earlier pickup as it all is not dictated by what time she leaves work and the post work commute traffic that can be altered by accident or weather each day having or or the other.... lisa and I had planned for her to go to yoga wednesday night... tonight
the pleasure of a brisk winter ride vanished immediately
any notion of taking my ride any further into Rock Creek for some rolling hill climbs were dashed
there were no options but whatever would get me home most rapidly
sure enough
there was lisa
entertaining Dean and Grant
both boys fed and involved in one project or another
it was too late for yoga
lisa asked if I worked late
I hung my head and admitted that I had forgotten that it was wednesday, that president's day had thrown me off, and that I had the best intentions for her to go to yoga
it is wrong for me to take advantage of her like that
unintentional or not
it is wrong
I need to focus on her needs as well as my own
had it been her late for me to meet some people for a ride.... well I would have thrown a tantrum
sure I got some "negative energy"
but had this happened to me I would have acted like a 3 year old
believe me I know what a three year old acts like
(okay, Dean is an angel, but I have a history for throwing tantrums)
negative energy?
okay
I deserved it
it was still a pretty good winter ride
just need to be more careful and not f_ck up so much
oh
forgot to mention the moon
even before the city was in actual darkness the moon was our full and white
as I finished the last couple of hundred of yards on the Capitol Cresent Trail I gave the moon as much attention as I could afford
the rest of the ride home was too demanding to take in the stars
I do love the moon
if I were not such a lazy mothe....
sorry, I never cuss in my blog and could not contain myself
but I am a little too lazy to suit up some gear and get the dogs out into the woods
maybe we will be blessed with some snow....
then tomorrow night I will take the dogs out for a long one before I try the cross country skiis again
today after work I ran a quick errand
actually left a few minutes early as I had to get there before it closed at 5PM, just made it!... after the time it took to change, swing by the bank, get to the location, lock the bike, and find the right room it was just minutes before 5PM
most certainly that door behind me closes and locks by 5PM if not by 4:59!
I was IN! I was IN LINE! all before the doors closed and locked no matter what time they closed
the cross town pedal was under double rush mode
so rushed that there was no more time then a quick game of chicken as a childish hello to friend and rival kevin dillard.... okay arch enemy
so perhaps the game of chicken was not so childish.... okay... it was
then once the errand was done I was in the thick of it downtown on the bike
not wanting to take the most direct room home as it was still early
not at work
not working late
lisa getting home from work and picking up Dean from Rosemount were on my timing for schedule and return time
I pointed away from home not sure of the best path to take
as I pedaled towards home I got distracted
somehow I thought I would be more comfortable at speed on the cross bike with its skinny little tires and well worn brake pads, which even at their best they do not meet the braking power of V-brakes then of course the USCF forbidden disc brakes
man... I want disc brakes on a cross bike... hold on getting distracted
braking in traffic is a style I like very much
the track bike never spoke to me in the urban setting
so on a geared cross bike I hammered through traffic fighting a little rub from a rear wheel that is asking to be retired
so I went down past the Smithsonian on The Mall towards the Washington Monument, then the Jefferson Memorial, and across the 14th street bridge towards the Mt. Vernon trail
this is a well trafficed bike path
with impressive numbers for daily users
respect to those that founded this project
respect to those that keep this thing going....
if only there were more trails
but for that to happen we need more people that understand the value of the trail
does not look like the majority of America "gets it"
after all... this is a country that considers obesity to be an epidemic
okay.... off the topic again
humorously enough all this tangent stuff is me trying to edit
so almost without notice I pedal towards and then under the Memorial Bridge as the marble monuments on the other side of the river take a glorious pinkish orange glow... subtle yet beautiful
then after memorial comes the Key Bridge after a little island which has some urban outdoor culture... Roosevelt Island
before I knew it I was spinning fast and hard on the towpath between the C&O Canal and the Potomac
the hard packed orange gravel earth mixture of the tow path was pretty dry for the most part
with one side of the path, the side closest to the water of the canal was the fast line
I stayed within the fast line as much as possible
but things were solid and dry enough to get a tad sloppy
not intentionally sloppy, but sloppy as I was distracted by the view through the leafless trees of the Potomac
the canal at this point is without water and is really not much of a site
well, yes, a site... as in an eyesore
the sun had already set
but there was still plenty of light and some magical coloring over the Potomac as I headed northwest further and further from home
now do not let me give you the wrong impression.... I was not headed to Cumberland
heck....
I was not even going as far as Great Falls
all I was trying to do was get a little more than the usual post work ride in as I feared that the next few days will be too wet and too cold with rain and snow for anything more than a mad dash from home to work then work to home
with a glance at my watch I made a turn around at an arbitrary point and headed back down the towpath towards Georgetown and then home
the path is a slight grade downhill which aided the momentum
while freeing me to spend more time gazing out over the Potomac
as the light grew more and more dim the objects on the water became nothing more than sillouettes
until it was not so dark that I needed a headlamp
but dark enough that I needed to focus on the trail ahead and did not have enough light to bother to look out over the water
at Fletcher's boathouse I rolled off the canal onto the Capital Crescent Trail where the wheels would feel less friction
once on the paved trail I focused on the bicyclists ahead as motivation to maintain pace
one by one I rolled past a variety of commuters
giving each individual a respectful "on your left"
pleased that I am not being passed...
being that hypocrite that is maybe going a little too fast on the trail
or is it the guy going past me that is the asshole going too fast
either way caution and respect are on my mind, so is a little risk for a little pleasure
with a glance at my watch to get an estimate of my duration I realized a few things
it was getting late and lisa would be expecting me
and
it is wednesday
yes, wednesday, not tuesday, president's day threw me off
lisa is at home with the kids.... there is the potential for an earlier pickup as it all is not dictated by what time she leaves work and the post work commute traffic that can be altered by accident or weather each day having or or the other.... lisa and I had planned for her to go to yoga wednesday night... tonight
I F_CKED UP!
the pleasure of a brisk winter ride vanished immediately
any notion of taking my ride any further into Rock Creek for some rolling hill climbs were dashed
there were no options but whatever would get me home most rapidly
sure enough
there was lisa
entertaining Dean and Grant
both boys fed and involved in one project or another
it was too late for yoga
lisa asked if I worked late
I hung my head and admitted that I had forgotten that it was wednesday, that president's day had thrown me off, and that I had the best intentions for her to go to yoga
best intentions suck!
I F_CKED UP!
it is wrong for me to take advantage of her like that
unintentional or not
it is wrong
I need to focus on her needs as well as my own
had it been her late for me to meet some people for a ride.... well I would have thrown a tantrum
sure I got some "negative energy"
but had this happened to me I would have acted like a 3 year old
believe me I know what a three year old acts like
(okay, Dean is an angel, but I have a history for throwing tantrums)
negative energy?
okay
I deserved it
it was still a pretty good winter ride
just need to be more careful and not f_ck up so much
oh
forgot to mention the moon
even before the city was in actual darkness the moon was our full and white
as I finished the last couple of hundred of yards on the Capitol Cresent Trail I gave the moon as much attention as I could afford
the rest of the ride home was too demanding to take in the stars
I do love the moon
if I were not such a lazy mothe....
sorry, I never cuss in my blog and could not contain myself
but I am a little too lazy to suit up some gear and get the dogs out into the woods
maybe we will be blessed with some snow....
then tomorrow night I will take the dogs out for a long one before I try the cross country skiis again