Starting the day off right

I had to park my bike on the other side of the street last night when I got home. For some reason, there were three bikes already on my side of the street - where there are usually none. At any rate, I parked it and locked it up and went inside.

This morning, I came out with all my stuff and started to unlock it and get it all set up to head to my internship. I was doing this all in front of a building that is having construction work done. Construction men were coming in and out, laying drop-cloths, and doing other construction-prep type things.

Anyway, I get my bookbag netted down to my bike and unlock everything and roll up my pant leg, and something seems not right. Ah! No helmet. I see people everyday who ride without helmets. However, since I prefer my brains inside my skull, I propped up my bike and rushed inside to get my helmet. I walked out of my apartment, helmet in hand, and when I was about 15 steps from my bike, it crashed to the ground. With my bookbag on it. With my laptop in my bookbag.

All of the construction men - about 5 of them - stood and stared at it. I don't know whether any of them had anything to do with it falling over. I'm not suggesting that they did. But nonetheless, they just stood there staring at it. So I ran over and started trying to lift it up, which was a bit difficult since it was all off-balance because of the bookbag strapped to the back of it. The men continued to just stand there, and then they started to laugh. As I struggled to get the bike back to standing, they laughed. And as I struggled to keep it standing while I readjusted my bookbag and made sure that everything was secure, they stood there and watched me.

WHAT THE EFF? Who are these people? Is it so much to help somebody out? And not laugh at them?

And let me just say that I have met some really nice construction workers in my day. Once two years ago, my car was stuck in the snow, and a group of about 7 guys came over and lifted it off of the snow and pushed me into the street. Lifted it. Like actually picked up my car. I didn't ask them. They just came over because they saw that I was struggling. Clearly not the same construction workers.

These guys. I don't even know what to say about these guys.

It's that time of year again

Yes, it is.

Runny nose season.

The season of balled up used tissues in the pockets of all of your coats and jackets and pants. The season of snot residue on the ends of your sleeves because the balled up tissue in your pocket was so snotty as to have basically disintegrated, making it no longer useful for nose-blowing or snot-wiping. The season of knowing that every time you shake someone's hand, there's a little snot-swapping festival occurring. The season of constant fear that at any moment, there may be a tiny droplet of runny snot gleaming on the inside of your nose making the person that you're speaking to incredibly uncomfortable.

Ah, what a special time.

This year, runny nose season has taken on a new and delightful meaning for me. Why? Because I am now a bike rider. Yes, I now experience the pleasure of making frantic calculations as I ride next to as*hole car drivers - if I take my left hand off of the handle right now to wipe the snot from my nose, will I veer and hit the curb or hit the car that is driving ever closer to me? If I take my left hand off of the handle right now, is this car close enough to me that I could shoot a snot rocket onto their window? God, I wish I knew how to blow a snot rocket.

Because I actually do not like to have snot incessantly running down my face, and because I am fearful of wrecking my bike as I try to wipe snot and/or blow my nose (which I have attempted), I have come up with a couple of ideas. 1. Crochet a tiny nose stocking with an elastic cord that goes around my head. It will cover my nose, keep it from getting too cold, and catch any wayward snot. 2. Roll up tissue paper and stick it into my nostrils to soak up any snot while I ride. Of course, I'll have to buy throat lozenges to address the sore throat that I'll have from breathing with my mouth open in the cold. 3. Wear a stick-on mustache while I ride so that all of the snot will get caught in it. This has the added benefit of entertaining passer-by who will try to figure out whether I am a boy or a girl. Of course, I hate all passer-by when I am on my bike, so I'm not sure that I want to entertain them.

Snot. Good times.

Blah

When I woke up this morning and thought, “I really don’t want to ride my bike today,” I should’ve taken it as a hint and hopped on the metro. But no, I rode my bike. My cool stretchy net thing malfunctioned twice, and twice I had to pull over on the sidewalk, get off my bike and readjust everything. I suppose I could’ve just worn my bookbag, but it was kind of heavy today, and I thought that I had the net thing fixed the first time. Ugh. Anyway, so it took me a long time to get to work, and I’m just super annoyed now.

I just read that paragraph, and I’m thinking – that is not a blog post. That’s a random whiney paragraph. But it does seem to be where I am right now. Blogging is a bit of a struggle. Some people seem to be able to blog through their stressful times, maybe even use it as an outlet. Maybe sometimes I’m even like that, but not today. And not yesterday. Maybe tomorrow? Right now it just doesn’t seem like my brain has room or energy to come up with anything to say. I hope you, my 7-8 readers, will accept my apologies for the moment.

Speedy Speedy

I made it to the internship today in under 30 minutes on the ol' bike, and I didn't get off to walk up any hills. I may not be able to move my legs to ride to school when the time comes, but I'm pretty darn proud of myself.

Biker Chick

I rode my bike to my internship for the first time today – a little over 3 miles. Then I rode to school – about 2.5 miles. Then I rode to a meeting with an adjunct professor – about 2 miles. Then I rode back to school – about 2 miles. Then I rode home – about 1.5 miles. Over 10 miles on the bike today. So I’ve spent a significant amount of time today with one pant leg rolled up and a helmet on. Hot.

There are a few really good things about the bike riding today:
1. I’m alive.
2. I did not give anyone the finger. (Really only because I would’ve fallen off my bike if I had tried, but that’s beside the point.)
3. I bought this snazzy bungee net thing that holds my backpack on the back of my bike, so my shoulders don’t hurt.
4. I saved $4.60 in metro fares.
5. I didn’t have to ride the metro.
6. I’ve done it. First time is over.
7. The helmet hanging off my backpack gives me street cred. Or makes me look like a geek. I’m not sure.
8. I discovered that riding without the funny bike shorts is actually more comfortable than riding with them. Interesting.
9. I don’t really stink that much. Quality deodorant, and maybe the whole backpack thing.
10. My new helmet doesn’t leave a dent in my forehead.
11. After a reception this evening, I rode home in a wrap dress. That’s just awesome.

There are also a few not-so-great things:
1. Rude people honked at me and yelled at me out their car window. (See good thing #2)
2. Putting the lock on and taking it off gets sort of old and irritating.
3. I had black grime on my hands every time I got off my bike. I think it’s from the lock.
4. I worried about my bike when it was locked up and was scared that it wouldn’t be there when I got back, or that some part of it wouldn’t be there.
5. I was hungry all day.
6. Butt sweat.
7. Getting my bike up the stairs to my apartment at the end of the day is a PAIN IN THE ASS. I have a bruise on my foot and a scrape on my leg. Boo.

So, the good outweighs the bad. Guess I’ll do it again. :)