Caved

I just don't have it in me. Not yet. Two days, back to back. A mere 63 miles between them. That's all it takes to knock this wimp out. I crashed as soon as my wife left for work and was asleep well before 11PM. I woke up at 5:00 sharp. This might not sound like much, but to me, 6 hours of sleep is like going into a coma. I just don't usually need that much. I'm often awake till after midnight geeking out and/or talking to my wife while she's at work orchestrating the lockdown of campus.

Lo and behold, though, my coma was restful and much recovery was done, but I was still really tired and sore. The roads are soggy from the storms last night, but no significant rain was falling. By all calculations, this morning was probably the best morning of the week for me to ride in, with a stiff south wind and temps in the low 60s and upper 50s throughout the region. But, as I said, I just don't have it in me. I rode (oddly enough) into the wind and to the bus, racking up a massive 2.5 miles this morning. But I took it easy and now my legs actually feel better than they did when I woke up.

This completely vacant building at 11th and Baltimore makes me sad. The lower level has the remnants of several interesting shops (two pizzerias, a japanese restaurant, optometrist among other things) and there are tens of thousands of square feet of floor space, all neatly stacked in an interesting looking piece of downtown KCMO architecture. Sure, it may be as drab and faceless as the building I occupy, but when it's sitting in the heart of the city doing nothing but rotting, it kind of breaks my heart.


Barely more than one city block away sits the Lyric Opera House -- an unwavering central figure of culture that's somehow survived the ebbs and flows of blight downtown. It's likely as busy as ever with the recent gentrification of the area.


Random Tunage:
Lisa Loeb - I Do
Orbital - Dŵr Budr