Friday, November 12, 2010

waz that ever a wild ride

i woke just before 5:00. a glance at the radar and i almost went back to bed. the voices said it would be okay. "jusssst thissss once. Karla G. thinks you're too wacko for the west side wackosssss. prove her wrong. go back to sssssleeeeep."

i jumped up and shouted, "get thee behind me, radar! you do not have in mind the things of fitness, but the things of repose!" i growled and got dressed for a wet ride.

honestly, when i stepped out the door with my bike, i almost went back in. it was wazzing - thanks Kevin M. for that word - and it was cold. i forced myself onto the seat and clicked into the pedals as i rolled out. no turning back!

when i reached the highway, i turned east. the weather lab had said the wind was out of the east-northeast, so that was the logical direction to go. fight the headwind on the way out. let the tailwind push you back.

the first two or three miles were miserable. between the rain falling from the sky and the spray off the vehicles passing me, i got pretty wet. my glasses were spotted and the glare from the undimmed bright headlights of oncoming cars made it difficult to know where i was. i put my head down and watched the white line. to pass the time, i imagined what the drivers of these cars were saying about me, what names they were bestowing upon me. "lucky" was my favorite driver-given moniker. i knew they were jealous.

when i passed the three-mile mark and headed down mock hill, the rain kind of petered out. i tried to spy the flag flying at the mock's house, but it was too dark and the tree in front of it hasn't lost enough leaves yet to give me a clear view. just as i turned my head back to the road, i saw something move on my left in the middle of the road. i looked quickly and my heart jumped. i couldn't tell what it was, but it looked like a giant anaconda! either that or a really big piece of plastic. i put the hammer down and fled the scene terrified. i had to come back the same way. what if the ssssserpent was waiting when i returned?

i rode out to milan road and turned around without further incident. my trip back wasn't all that much better than the way out. the wind was much more north than east or west, so sometimes i was still dealing with a headwind. grrrrr!

when i returned to the valley of the anaconda, i kept my eyes peeled for the beast. was it lurking in the ditch waiting? i will never know because as i neared the snakes lair three cars that would not dim their brights approached from the other direction. try as i might, i could not see a thing. for all i know i rode right past the anaconda of doom while he was blinded as well. lucky me.

i made it up and over mock hill and back to town. since i still had time to ride, i continued on through town and out into the countryside to the west. i rounded the correction curve with every intention of turning around at blackstone road. the voices said it would be okay. "you don't have to ride anymore. you can go home and be dry." grrrrr! i rode on up the the next road.

i turned around and headed back to town. when i reached pine street, i again had more time so i rolled past my turn off and continued on to eden road. eden? serpent? hmmm. this ride was getting more interesting by the mile. i turned around at eden road and headed back home. turning south onto pine, i quit pedaling. the strong north wind blew me all the way back to pine and vine without another turn of the cranks. i spun them around again only when i reached my driveway to go inside. it was beginning to waz again and i didn't want to get wet. (16.26 miles @ 14.0mph)

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