The Joys Of Life...

Seeing your daughter smile on a bright, sunny day while riding behind you on her tag-a-long.

Coming back home after 22 miles of riding with your daughter, and your wife -the single greatest person in your Universe- is standing at the gate in your backyard, gate open, and smiling.

Getting trapped into a sidewalk session with two Mormon's on bikes, out on their 2-year 'Mission', having a few folks in cars yell [at me] to leave 'them' alone, having one of the two Mormon's walk over to that car, now at a red light, and tell them, "No, we're bugging him!", having the driver of that car look pinched and then drive away... and 45 minutes later, actually having the other Mormon youth tell me, after looking at their watches repeatedly, "We should get going... yes, we'll consider rethinking our convictions to the church, thank you for the informative talk on organized religion.  And yes, we agree, the Osmond's -as a whole- are very creepy".

Eating a not-overly-ripe banana, while sitting in the grass and sunshine at the canal between Lake Calhoun and Lake of the Isles... while Chloe scrambled around trying to catch a butterfly.

Talking to my buddy BBBB at that same spot mentioned just above, and him telling me over the phone that, "Yes, I'll upgrade you to SS on your next bike, at no xtra charge... because you are one bad-ass motha".  ;-)

Watching 4 guys in a pace line, with full-on Time Trial gear, going -maybe- 12mph while Chloe and me passed them at 19mph, with Chloe honking her newish Honka Hoota and shouting, "EYE OF THE TIGER BABY... EYE OF THE TIGER!!!".

And tomorrow... the weather's supposed to be even better.

Goodbye:

...Winter,

, Spring.

Keep Ridin'... Always

Comments

[chiggins]

Rode in this morning under a blue sky with rank and file formations of cottony clouds moving across the sky, temps in the low 60's, and just enough of a breeze to make the air interesting. What a phenomenal morning to be alive, healthy, and on a bike. The only bit of sadness on the ride in was about a half mile away from work when I realized the best part of the morning was about to end. Shoulda just kept pedalin'...

Thumbs up and grin from the East Coast to yous'n'yaws.

[mark]

I liked it better when you were asking people for free shit - let's get back to your roots.

Oh, and I just gave you a hit from Italy, you freak.

[Nick V]

Did you really get the Mormons to say that? If so you are the MAN!

That was probably me you passed in the team kit. What can I say. Sometimes it's fun to pretend. Just keep on Riding!

[Me]

Nick-

Yep, they actually said that [but of course, they were also desperate to get rid of me and find someone they could actually 'Recruit'].

Don't think we passed you... you'd have known it: we are lit up like an X-Mas Tree when we roll at night. It would have caught your attention.

-Me

[Hardy]

I know it is fun to pick on the guys in Lycra and a pace line, but were they 120 years old? I am sure you are one rockin rider, but I am just curious how a guy riding a bike with slightly wider tires, with a young lady in tow could pass the aforementioned pace line if they were really riding as fast as they could. Maybe you left out the part about them cooling down, or just going slow, to make it a more enjoyable story.

I do not bring up this point to be a jerk. Actually, I should have left well enough alone, but know I have about 5 minutes invested in writing this comment, so I will just throw it out there.

Oh hell, just go out and ride!
E

[Me]

Hardy-

If we were going 19mph, and they... 12mph, I am assuming [praying?] that they were warming down.

I would also assume [pray?] that you would have read that 'tween the lines of my entry.

Word-

-Me

[Dead Nerve]

Don't pick on us (Mormons) to much. We just found something we love and want to share it with other people to bring them happiness. If you already have something you believe in great!

Its really hard to have a mission in America where every middle class person isn't open minded and believes what they hear on the TV. (as to a foreign mission)

Were not some cult like them scientologist were just normal people who don't drink coffee and smoke/drink with only one wife.