Normbrero

We make holes in teeth!

Wednesday, July 16, 2008

Change Tube

That's what is written on the top of the white board in the kitchen today. Change tube. No ride today, I'll let you guess why.

I'm not one to go by omens but I do let the world flow and I tend to go with it. I allow flat tires to tell me I need a break out of the saddle. When a meteor hits my car I opt not to go to work. That kind of thing. Today was a triple omen day so I went with it.

It started at 4:30, when the alarm went off. I was tired, and I don't mean in that way we're all tired when the alarm goes off every day. I mean tired to the point I considered mailing it in and going back to bed. I'm not usually one to give up easily in these early hours, so I stuck to it and laid around for 10 minutes before I got up. But I did get up.

I was also acutely aware that it wasn't remotely light out either. The last time I got up that early it started peeping light at 4:45, maybe even a hair earlier. I was able to get on the bike at 5:05 last time. Well today, in the whole cycle of the sun rising later and later as we plummet to the dreary cold winter days as evidenced by our heat actually kicking on this morning, it was still damn dark at 4:40. And 4:50. And 5:00. So looks like I'm taking the later train.

Third omen, and I use the word omen because I'm too lazy to go back and change it to sign or excuse, was the flat tire. It was already 5:30 and it wasn't even a mental discussion. If I'm programming this it goes like such:

if (tire.isFlat())
ride.quit();

No brackets needed for the one-line if-statement. No additional logic. Just a one-to-one correllation going on there. Turned around, went back into the house, did bike laundry, took a shower, made breakfast, and wrote myself a note to change the tube.

I also wrote "Lights on bike." Now I need to make a note to sleep earlier and I won't have to worry about any omens, signs, or excuses at all. As I was going to my car to go to work, and thankfully it had not been hit by any space debris, I wondered if my big rides are taking more of a toll than I want to admit. Probably, as jumping from 90+ minute rides to 3 hour rides is a bit. I also don't think I really ever let myself rest up enough from the 11 days of life which included 6 bike rides, 240 miles, 5 days in Chicago, and 9 nights of at least a beer. Given all that I don't feel half bad really. Just a bit sleepy.

Cycle 41

Victim: Summit, Asian, woman, 30-39, regular, not fat, married. This woman has been riding the train as long as I can remember. She's always been a good cohabitant. Decent looks, wearing an odd pink/brown skirt. Reads the Wall Street Journal. She has bad breath.

Assessment: Good, since she doesn't openly breath on me so much.

I think the reality is that in the summer there are more people on vacation and thus fewer people who are forced to sit with other people. I'm noticing that more regulars are sitting with me or nobody is. This makes social dynamics less of an issue because the regulars know the game, so to speak.

I've had 2 cups of water and a coffee. I have to pee pretty badly and it looks like the train is on the slower side today. Maybe I'll just wet myself.

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