just back from vacation...
I have always thought that there is only a short period of time when you can talk about a trip, a vacation, or an extended journey not sure what the measure is but an estimate of twice as long as the vacation is the duration you can talk about it
the stories can arise anecdotal but there is a limit to how long you may answer when people ask... what are you up to? me? I am just back from vacation... spring break in florida visiting the inlaws etc... etc... etc... that is the answer you get at the water cooler when you ask me why I am so tan I just got back from a week's vacation in florida my tan is starting to peel spring break in florida was a week of leisure that may have allowed me to not only fall out of shape but also put on a few pounds I tooled around on an old beach cruiser just about every day but the duration was short and the intensity was not high and the seat was way too low it is good to be back good to sleep in my own bed and good to get back to my bikes got out of work and onto the streets about ten minutes after the hour wanted to get out on the bike needed to factor in the obligations of the evening a seven o clock coaches meeting for my five year old's soccer team and the need to walk the dog before that lisa usually gets home from work and picking up the boys a little after six figured there was time for something the bike of the day was my Jamis Nova cyclocross bike with its mountain bike riser bars left out and took to the street I had drank a couple of glasses of water and fueled up with some chocolate covered espresso beans in the late afternoon on the bike I did not feel particularly fast felt as if the wind was in my face no matter what direction I pointed the bike it was as if my rear wheel where rubbing the brakes there is a good chance that the rear wheel is rubbing the brakes this was one of those days where a little more air in the tires and some lube on the chain would have been a nice little help life was already putting up enough resistance did not try to go into the big ring just spent my time spinning down m street not sure where i was riding too but figured I could ride while I figured it out measured the time in my head and the speed I felt like traveling and the distance I wanted to go thought about the day light and the absence of a bright lighting system thought about getting to a seven o clock meeting means not getting home at seven but getting home with enough time that I can get off the bike... walk the dog... change into some civilian gear and then drive across town to make it to this meeting I am going to coach my younger son's soccer team... this is a meeting for that it is going to be cool it does not come without responsibilities, commitments, and sacrifice as much as I want to ride it is more important to be on time to this the cross town drive factors in the evening's post work traffic there is not that much time did not spend my time in traffic just zigged and zagged a few blocks of urban traffic to get to the Capital Crescent Trail had considered passing through the Cherry Blossoms I knew that I had to ride and would not want to spend my time with the camera instead of the pedals perhaps a trip to the Jefferson Memorial will happen over lunch this week a few blocks and into georgetown the lights were with me those lights that were not with me were with me in spirit there was no reason to break pace I arced a turn off m onto 29th street it was not like i was buzzing the tower but I was splitting the crowd a crowd of adults... no small children and no one elderly... some people who could have looked right before crossing the street being more aware of their surroundings and my approach would be less of a shock that was the gap that fit best into the equation it just did not make sense to go in front of them or behind them or to break pace so I passed through with a pleasant excuse me then I gave a wave as I could tell that someone had been startled the scream was more fun then fear I smile as I put my hand back on the grip it is good for us to get our heart rates some time the pedalling to get to the multi-use car free trail involved the usual hassles cars pulling out of parking garages under Whitehurst Freeway cars making U-turns and blocking my path pedestrians stepping out into traffic more concerned with their cell phone conversation than me on my bike headed their way the specifics of this can not be recalled because these series of near misses are the way things happen in these parts of town I passed a number of cyclist of various bikes and various identities before I passed the two boat houses and then onto the trail as soon as I got onto the trail a cyclist passed without warning at a pace faster than my own I moved over further to the right as this tall gentleman in street clothes rolled past he was taller than me and I noticed that he had no toe clips over his street shoes I wondered if he had a motor assisting him but more than anything I hated being passed everyone wants to be king of the capital crescent trail even if I am not pushing big gears I like to day dream that I am fast on this day I day dreamed going through the process of rebuilding my hubs the resistance was coming from all directions got onto the Capital Crescent Trail and worked it up and back to Bethesda Avenue wanted to work the final stretch of gravel to Conn Ave... but did not even have time for that there would hardly be time to say hello to the family as I grabbed the leash to walk the dog before getting in the car and crossing town to go to this meeting the time with traffic was slight more than the majority of my ride... okay... that does not make any sense an effort to be poetic often makes little sense the majority of my ride was on bike trail just a few blocks through georgetown to get there then the trip back was nearly all on bike path towards the zoo and then onto the streets in mount pleasant yet... in my few blocks of interaction with cars I had my fair share of aggravating situations the rush car moving blindly through the city at the point where the Capital Crescent Trail crosses Little Falls Parkway by the Bethesda Pool I saw that it was pretty much clear well... the logic seemed such that the left turning from the traffic would move at such a rate that I would be clear for the first half and then well... solve the riddle of the second half of the road when I to there well... the left turning traffic made their turn left hand lane slowed coming out of the turn seeing me and maybe a jogger or a walker also approaching but the white bmw in the right hand lane accelerated continued to accelerate bad boy club.... tokyo drift totally unaware of anything other than his reflection in his rear view mirror the point of intersection was visible to me I was force not just to slow but to stop as he finished his approach and his pass still accelerating
this left me day dreaming about the identity of the bmw motorcyclist versus the bmw driver
riding a bicycle offers plenty of time to day dream
day dreaming can really drop the pace
I had set things such that I was in no great rush
my arrival home was early enough to have a few seconds with the family as I gathered the dog for what was pretty much the standard loop then off to the U5 coaches meeting
any hour fifteen on the bike and fifteen minute walk with the dog and then the meeting there was pizza at the meeting that really hit the spot but I decided that anchovies are one thing too much on an everything pizza
I have always thought that there is only a short period of time when you can talk about a trip, a vacation, or an extended journey not sure what the measure is but an estimate of twice as long as the vacation is the duration you can talk about it
the stories can arise anecdotal but there is a limit to how long you may answer when people ask... what are you up to? me? I am just back from vacation... spring break in florida visiting the inlaws etc... etc... etc... that is the answer you get at the water cooler when you ask me why I am so tan I just got back from a week's vacation in florida my tan is starting to peel spring break in florida was a week of leisure that may have allowed me to not only fall out of shape but also put on a few pounds I tooled around on an old beach cruiser just about every day but the duration was short and the intensity was not high and the seat was way too low it is good to be back good to sleep in my own bed and good to get back to my bikes got out of work and onto the streets about ten minutes after the hour wanted to get out on the bike needed to factor in the obligations of the evening a seven o clock coaches meeting for my five year old's soccer team and the need to walk the dog before that lisa usually gets home from work and picking up the boys a little after six figured there was time for something the bike of the day was my Jamis Nova cyclocross bike with its mountain bike riser bars left out and took to the street I had drank a couple of glasses of water and fueled up with some chocolate covered espresso beans in the late afternoon on the bike I did not feel particularly fast felt as if the wind was in my face no matter what direction I pointed the bike it was as if my rear wheel where rubbing the brakes there is a good chance that the rear wheel is rubbing the brakes this was one of those days where a little more air in the tires and some lube on the chain would have been a nice little help life was already putting up enough resistance did not try to go into the big ring just spent my time spinning down m street not sure where i was riding too but figured I could ride while I figured it out measured the time in my head and the speed I felt like traveling and the distance I wanted to go thought about the day light and the absence of a bright lighting system thought about getting to a seven o clock meeting means not getting home at seven but getting home with enough time that I can get off the bike... walk the dog... change into some civilian gear and then drive across town to make it to this meeting I am going to coach my younger son's soccer team... this is a meeting for that it is going to be cool it does not come without responsibilities, commitments, and sacrifice as much as I want to ride it is more important to be on time to this the cross town drive factors in the evening's post work traffic there is not that much time did not spend my time in traffic just zigged and zagged a few blocks of urban traffic to get to the Capital Crescent Trail had considered passing through the Cherry Blossoms I knew that I had to ride and would not want to spend my time with the camera instead of the pedals perhaps a trip to the Jefferson Memorial will happen over lunch this week a few blocks and into georgetown the lights were with me those lights that were not with me were with me in spirit there was no reason to break pace I arced a turn off m onto 29th street it was not like i was buzzing the tower but I was splitting the crowd a crowd of adults... no small children and no one elderly... some people who could have looked right before crossing the street being more aware of their surroundings and my approach would be less of a shock that was the gap that fit best into the equation it just did not make sense to go in front of them or behind them or to break pace so I passed through with a pleasant excuse me then I gave a wave as I could tell that someone had been startled the scream was more fun then fear I smile as I put my hand back on the grip it is good for us to get our heart rates some time the pedalling to get to the multi-use car free trail involved the usual hassles cars pulling out of parking garages under Whitehurst Freeway cars making U-turns and blocking my path pedestrians stepping out into traffic more concerned with their cell phone conversation than me on my bike headed their way the specifics of this can not be recalled because these series of near misses are the way things happen in these parts of town I passed a number of cyclist of various bikes and various identities before I passed the two boat houses and then onto the trail as soon as I got onto the trail a cyclist passed without warning at a pace faster than my own I moved over further to the right as this tall gentleman in street clothes rolled past he was taller than me and I noticed that he had no toe clips over his street shoes I wondered if he had a motor assisting him but more than anything I hated being passed everyone wants to be king of the capital crescent trail even if I am not pushing big gears I like to day dream that I am fast on this day I day dreamed going through the process of rebuilding my hubs the resistance was coming from all directions got onto the Capital Crescent Trail and worked it up and back to Bethesda Avenue wanted to work the final stretch of gravel to Conn Ave... but did not even have time for that there would hardly be time to say hello to the family as I grabbed the leash to walk the dog before getting in the car and crossing town to go to this meeting the time with traffic was slight more than the majority of my ride... okay... that does not make any sense an effort to be poetic often makes little sense the majority of my ride was on bike trail just a few blocks through georgetown to get there then the trip back was nearly all on bike path towards the zoo and then onto the streets in mount pleasant yet... in my few blocks of interaction with cars I had my fair share of aggravating situations the rush car moving blindly through the city at the point where the Capital Crescent Trail crosses Little Falls Parkway by the Bethesda Pool I saw that it was pretty much clear well... the logic seemed such that the left turning from the traffic would move at such a rate that I would be clear for the first half and then well... solve the riddle of the second half of the road when I to there well... the left turning traffic made their turn left hand lane slowed coming out of the turn seeing me and maybe a jogger or a walker also approaching but the white bmw in the right hand lane accelerated continued to accelerate bad boy club.... tokyo drift totally unaware of anything other than his reflection in his rear view mirror the point of intersection was visible to me I was force not just to slow but to stop as he finished his approach and his pass still accelerating
this left me day dreaming about the identity of the bmw motorcyclist versus the bmw driver
riding a bicycle offers plenty of time to day dream
day dreaming can really drop the pace
I had set things such that I was in no great rush
my arrival home was early enough to have a few seconds with the family as I gathered the dog for what was pretty much the standard loop then off to the U5 coaches meeting
any hour fifteen on the bike and fifteen minute walk with the dog and then the meeting there was pizza at the meeting that really hit the spot but I decided that anchovies are one thing too much on an everything pizza