1:04:32 (32:39/31:53). It was very hot this morning (I was very disheartened when the radio announcer said it was 77F at 5:45 AM) -- but, it is going to rain, so there is a lot of cloud cover, which makes it much more tolerable.
This week was one of "those" weeks ... a test of the spirit. With all the best of intentions (and giving up a run for ... which is one of the personal attributes I am working on right now, flexibility) I was unable to participate in the gas boycott yesterday. What a mini-nightmare of an afternoon. At about 4:30 I picked up Dean and took him to his car repair shop (near campus) so he could pick up his car. I was planning on going back to my office, working for another couple of hours and then ride home at about 6:30 (giving me an hour before it is dark). No sooner did I turn out of the driveway of the shop, and get about 2 blocks, then my car started making this horrible noise (sounded like a motorcycle engine when it revs). And my dashboard lit up with all of these Swedish versions (I have a SAAB) of "MAYDAY MAYDAY". I pulled over and ran (in my dress and birkenstocks) up to the shop -- it was so hot ... I mean HOT ... to catch Dean. To make a very very long story short, I had to wait in the hot sun for the tow truck to come (Dean had to go pick up dogs from daycare - after I made him go to my office and pick up my cycling clothes) -- my bike was in my car so my plan was to get towed to my car repair shop (which was closed for the day -- nightmare #2) and ride home from there. Have I mentioned how hot it was?
So .... the tow guy finally came and I was *just* going to make it to the shop in enough time to ride home before it got dangerously dark (this is a big deal because their are very very few street lights in Tucson proper, and even fewer where I live (in the desert), so it is really dangerous at night even with lights. Anyway ... we get to the shop and I find out they don't take credit cards (or checks from people with Utah Driver's licenses) ... SO, I had to call Dean to bring me some cash and by the time all was said and done it was getting too dark to make it home on my bike. BUMMER.
One thing was so cute though. The tow truck driver. He loved my bike ... I got it out of the back of my car and he came over and started looking at it (he had already said how cool it was while he was getting my car onto the tow truck). "Wow, disc brakes", "Wow, how many gears does that have?". I told him about how the chain had popped off a couple of weeks ago and showed him where it messed up my frame and he started messing with the chain a little. Then he said, "oh yea, look at that the sprocket needs to be adjusted". He went and got a screwdriver from his truck and starts messing around with all of these screws and things ... he says, "bikes are easy to fix" as he messes with the gears and turns the wheel. It was so funny. Then he showed me where the problem was -- basically I have to be in the smallest of rear sprockets in order to shift to the smallest front sprocket ... which is sort of bad design if you ask me (although it probably would be dumb to be in large rear and small front anyway). It was just pretty cute though, and very nice of him.
On another front, my cat, Titus, is in the hospital today. Another long story cut short, he was in some sort of a fight last Monday. He has gone downhill over the course of the week (in some respects, he is doing better in others - animals are amazing in their ability to adapt), by last night I was pretty sure his front leg was broken or dislocated. Anyway - apparently it wasn't broken but there is a huge absess there that they have to surgically drain. Poor kitty. He is housebound for a while, poor kitty owners.
I did ride in to work this morning -- and even though I have to work this weekend, I am hoping to make enough progress today that I can work from home and not come into the office!
Happy weekend! | 