Let There Be Light

After a few days to recover from riding 190 miles--300 kilometers--it was back to the commute. Remarkably, I rode into the office Wednesday, Thursday, and into the office this morning. Pretty much I've thrown clothes into my backpack, and rolled out into the cold desert morning air. The moon has been bright and with the hub, I feel I can see. My night vision is horrible, so it was cool to see moonlight on the mountains.

Yesterday morning, a thick piece of wire puntured my rear tire--and I flatted in the busiest most dangerous section of my commute. The bike lane ends and everyone is bullying for a right turn onto the freeway. I have to jockey for a position and ride in the middle lane. Most drivers realize I'm not getting on the freeway, and realize that I'm going pretty fast, so why bother trying to beat me to the red light. Often, some guy in a big redneck truck will lay on his horn for me to get out of the way, only to realize the light is red and there we are waiting at the light. I always give the asshole the "oh come on" look. They usually ignore me because they know they're idiots for being so impatient. But enough about those losers...

Because of the flat, I decided it would be safer to go the river bike path and quaint Glenn Ave, where the speed limit is only 30 mph--but there's a stop sign or stop light every few blocks; it takes forever it seems to get anywhere.

That's why this morning, I decided to ride on Ina--even though it is due East right into the morning sun. A lot of people not working today so traffic a bit lighter. But I had a steady climb for many miles up Ina until it turns into Skyline--but once I got up to about Campbell, I rode like a bat otta hell all the way to Swan. This section of road is about 10 miles of bumper to bumper haul-ass traffic. There's a bike lane--just enough to fool yourself--and you're going like 20 to 25 mph, and cars are just inches from you. It's quite an odd feeling to know that if one of the drivers hit me and knocked me off my bike, I'd probably be run over twenty or thirty times before anybody stopped.

So--coming home--yeah... Its Friday and has been a long week--and I still have to drag myself home on the bike. The last seven miles are through, but not for long, open desert on an old jeep road. It is dark Gentle Reader. And I am nervous and sometimes scared. I've seen big rattlesnakes, Owls, coyotes,and javalia. One night a horse was standing in the middle of the road--just out there in the desert--and he was just looking at me with this kind of surprised look on his face.

In the dark, witn not much light, you can imagine what a horse's figure can look like--a monster is what!!! So tonight I have the hub, and the commute lights with 5 watt and a 10 watt lamps. That should do the trick, mes amis!

Cheers!