BItch and Moan

Yesterday was beautiful.  The kind of day when atheists have a hard time denying that somebody up there likes them.

As luck would have it, I spent the entire day indoors listening to policy wonks give presentation. There was no break in the action after lunch so we had 3 1/2 hours of speech after speech.  I was mentally numb by the end. When I consider that I was handsomely compensated for my troubles, it was a pretty decent gig, but I couldn't help but feel like that little boy years ago smelling the lilac scent drifting into my classroom window and counting the seconds until I was liberated from Sister Irma's clutches.

Since my workday was an away game (in DC but miles from my office), I decided to drive to metro and take the subway.  I got to Huntington only to discover that my intended parking lot was now a town house development. It's been at least 3 years since I've parked there so I was pretty shocked. Fortunately, it was some sort of depressing religious holiday; the parking garage was nearly empty.  So no worries.

I hear a lot of bitching about metro but it was a smooth, uncrowded ride to Gallery Place, one block from the meeting. We should have depressing religious holidays more often.

After the meeting I stepped onto the street to the sound of a Dixieland band playing near the Verizon Center.  I'd have hung out to listen but my bum right leg doesn't want to bear a lot of weight these days.

The ride home was even nicer than the ride in.  I love the part where the yellow line goes over the Potomac.  Pretty views.  The Mount Vernon Trail seemed really busy.

My little adventure on public transit worked out just fine. I felt bad that I missed the Friday Coffee Club get together at Swing's but I just couldn't fit it in.

My wife and daughter recently read The Hunger Games and were bugging me to read it so we could all see the movie. Given the bottomless pile of magazines that I have calling my name, I may never get to the book so we decided to go to the movie anyway.  It was a little boring for the first hour but once the killing started, I enjoyed it. I haven't read the book but I knew who's going to survive within the first 20 minutes.  Like a bike ride, the end wasn't as interesting as the ride along the way.  

Today, I rode to the barber shop and got my haircut.  After some gardening, I headed back out for a leisurely ride. It was gusty and I felt cranky because my leg still hurt.  I wasn't having a whole lot of fun.  To add to the annoyances, Big Nellie was making all kinds of creaking noises.  Lately, I have felt that Big Nellie feels off.  Usually this means some part is about to go kaput.  I checked the frame and the fork for signs of wear but couldn't find any.  After 5 or 6 miles, the cycle computer fell off.  So I turned around and headed for my local hardware store to buy a part (an 0-ring). 

After that I threw in the towel.  Normally on a nice day like today, I'd be riding out in the boonies. I just couldn't get into it today.  So I'm heading to the deck with a big mug of tea and a magazine. Hopefully, I'll fall fast asleep.So I can do a long ride tomorrow. I hear it's another one of those religious holidays. 

And to think I was once an altar boy....