First: I know *AHEM* some people like to ride in the rain, but you need to be a really, really sick puppy to like this. Headwinds o'doom, and somehow ice, snow, and rain all at the same time.
This morning, Leg 1 was just chilly. Nothing wrong there. Leg 2, however, brought with it a deluge of rain. 38-degree rain. I was not amused.
The obdurate precipitation continued all day with every kind of wintry-mix element you can imagine. I got out a bit late, and in an "oh crap!" moment realized that the L bus was already several minutes ahead of me when I saw the B pull up. Fortunately, the L bus has a fixed route and schedule. Regardless, it was pretty far into its route, and I had to give it 100% to race it to Union Station. My race was won, but at the sacrifice of every bit of comfort I hold dear. I hadn't the time to don my gloves or balaclava, nor even zip my windbreaker. I arrived to the station soaked, chilly, wind-torn, worn out and with raw lungs from more than a mile of all-out pedal-mashing.
I actually fell asleep on the bus. That never happens. I took it easy for the ride home, and used the pedestrian bridge route.
So, today wasn't miserable, exactly. It just wasn't ideal.
Next: I wrote a little diddy on CommuteByBike about Guaranteed Ride Home programs. For those of us in Kansas City (and surrounding areas), I suggest signing up for MARC's GRH. Even though the cases where I'd be forced to use it are a few and far between, it's nice knowing I have the option if something bad crops up.
Random Tunage:
God Lives Underwater - From Your Mouth
The Postal Service - District Sleeps Alone Tonight
Ugh! I hate riding in the rain. Why? Because it means when I get home I'm going to have to clean and lube the bike in question if I want to keep it from rusting.. Typically I don't mind a little quality time with the bike; however, when I also need to cook myself dinner, take a shower, pack the panniers for the next day and get in eight hours of sleep the though of an hour or two on the garage floor becomes a little nettlesome.
ReplyDeleteI missed it! I was watching the weather outside all day, and was (not quite acutely) disappointed that the rain stopped by the time I got out in it. There were random snow flakes here and there, and some small rocks borne on the wind, but other than that, it was just cold and dry.
ReplyDeleteI will admit to a preference for *warm* rain vs. cold, but either way, if I'm prepared (read: not on my Torelli), I'm loving life!
Sorry to hear about your struggle home. Those days are no fun. My morning wasn't that bad, but there were indications that I should have stayed in bed.
Nettlesome. Obdurate. Great words.
If you haven't figured it out yet, I absolutely love obscure words. Nettlesome was definitely +1 in my book, too.
ReplyDeleteI went through a rampant phase of dictionary and thesaurus reading (yes, it sounds kind of masochistic) and in the process picked up a lot of really nifty replacements for everyday words. Throwing them in adds a bit of flavor. Even though I'm only writing this stuff for myself, there are people who apparently read it. I figure if I'm writing every freaking day and people are reading it regularly, I might as well make it worthwhile and somewhat interesting to read, even if it requires a trip to Google on occasion.
Exercise for the body + exercise for the mind = The Happy. If a trip to Google it takes, then a trip to Google it takes!
ReplyDeleteLanguage has always fascinated me. It's probably one of the reasons I'm a Tolkien fan-boy. Etymology is a too rarely explored interest of mine as well.