It's Cold Out There

I managed to stay off the bike for about 24 hours, but I got antsy last night and biked to Safeway for some yogurt and fruit. The original plan was to go the back way to Albertsons via Ormsby/Ash Canyon/Winnie/College Parkway, but the damn wind was blowing really hard and I couldn't make any headway. I turned off Ormsby at Washington and took Mountain and Winnie to Safeway. It was a good ride.

And what is up with the wind and how can it always be in my face? I was riding on all four compass points last night, and the wind was directly against me on three of those (north, south and west). Two directions I can understand, but three and sometimes all four?

At Safeway, just as I was leaving, an elder driver was trying to park in the far left handicapped spot and was having troubles lining his SUV up. He was getting no help from his wife who was standing beside the car and ripping him for stopping on the left line. And not a light rip: we're talking Marine Corps Drill Sergeant ripping. She was in his face with her index finger. As he backed the SUV up to try again, she turned to me with a big sigh and gave me a "What am I going to do with him?" look. I turned 180 degrees around and showed her my back.

I rode in this morning on the 2.2 mile route and was reintroduced to an old friend: wind chill. Yikes! And the faster I peddled to try to keep warm, the colder I got. Thank God for hot showers.

Here's an old tribute to our forces in the Middle East (not for dial-up). I always tear up when I watch it and now knowing my daughter will be one of them...

From the internet. If my body were a car:
- If my body were a car, this is the time I would be thinking about trading it in for a newer model. I've got bumps and dents and scratches in my finish and my paint job is getting a little dull, but that's not the worst of it.
- My fenders are too wide to be considered stylish. They were once as sleek as a little MG; now they look more like an old Buick.
- My seat cushions have split open at the seams. My seats are sagging.
- Seat belts? I gave up all belts when Krispy Cremes opened a shop in my neighborhood.
- Air bags? Forget it. The only bags I have these days are under my eyes. Not counting the saddlebags, of course.
- I have soooooo many miles on my odometer. Sure, I've been many places and seen many things, but when's the last time an appraiser factored life experiences against depreciation?
- My headlights are out of focus and it's especially hard to see things up close.
- My traction is not as graceful as it once was. I slip and slide and skid and bump into things even in the best of weather.
- My whitewalls are stained with varicose veins.
- It takes me hours to reach my maximum speed.
- My fuel rate burns inefficiently.
- But here's the worst of it: almost every time I sneeze, cough or sputter..... either my radiator leaks or my exhaust backfires.

Richard Simmons was on 'Who's Line Is It, Anyway?'?