The Weather!!
Last time I wrote, I thought I would be able to ride the next day, which would have been March 2nd. Guess what? The weather man was WRONG! As always in Indiana, the weather changed in five minutes, and the idea of riding went down hill very quickly. I mention this, because this sets the tone for this entry.
The weekend of March 11 and 12, 2006 was as wacky as Indiana weather can possibly get. Overnight rain and thunderstorms, early morning flooding, and sunny 70 degree skies in the afternoon. This happened on both Saturday and Sunday. As you can tell from the entry date, I didn't ride on Saturday. I was spending the day wiring in my LED driving lights. I created a ring of white LED's that surround the turn signal light. The turn signal still works as normal, and is still yellow. I figured, as with many LED's, they would not show up too much in the daytime, but it would be cool at night.
Sunday, I was not going to be fooled again. I had the bike ready to ride, and just inches from the garage door, as if the door was a starting gate, and the bike a horse ready to jump out. Except this gate wouldn't drop, it would raise, and I would race out into the Hoosier Air. My issue on Sunday was going to be time. First order of the day was my usual breakfast gathering. The rain had ended, and I was hoping to ride to the Golden Corral, the alternative to Shapiros this week, but when I saw the swimming pool at the end of the drive way, I decided not to risk floating the bike out of the driveway, and I was not looking forward to the amount of cleaning that maneuver would require.
After breakfast, I continued my Sunday routine with my attempt to exercise off the breakfast I had just consumed. I doubt I came close, but at least I am trying. I knew that later that afternoon I would be going to a retirement open house of sorts, but I was hoping that would only give time for the skies to clear, and the temperture to rise, as it did the previous day. By the time we got to the retirement party, it was 70 degrees, and looked every bit like a beautiful day of May. It would have been perfect for that little annual race that goes on here at the crossroads of America.
We returned from the retirement party around 4pm. I didn't waste any time. The riding jacket went on as soon as I got in the door. I used the excuse that I need to go to the store and get some bread, but I am lucky that most of the time I want to ride, I don't have to have an excuse for my significant other. She knows what great therapy it is, and with the little riding I have been able to squeeze in over the winter, I have to believe she was a little more understanding.
I took off west on Washington Street, then south on Shadeland Avenue. This is the portion that leads to 465, so it is like highway driving. The higher RPM's would get the oil warmed up, and the engine going. After a brief stint on 465, I got off on SouthEastern Avenue, and proceeded north west. I rode until Sherman Avenue, as my plan was to ride up Pleasant Run Parkway. You will probably hear about me taking this road more than once. It is a pleasant parkway that runs northeast through the city. We do a lot of rides where we end up on the southwest side of town, so this is a relaxing, although sometimes bumpy, way to go home. Most of the traffic is out for a leisurely drive as well. Actually, most of the traffic are pedestrians walking along the path. I decided to take the parkway until its end, which is 21st Street, just east of Shadeland.
I rode on 21st East to Franklin, south to 16th, and then more east to Post Road. Post Road led me south to US 52, where I headed northwest, once again, to Franklin. I rode Franklin north to Washington Street. Not forgetting my errands, I pulled into K-Mart. Besides bread, I needed to get some frozen dinners for the other half, and I wanted to look at some new tennis shoes for working out. I don't remember when I bought the shoes I was using now, and I think they had served their time, and they were ready to retire, although, I will probably continue to wear them as house slippers or something.
I will admit that I am writing this on March 13, in the morning, and guess what. There is thunder, lightning, and rain blowing all around me. This time however, the afternoon will reveal lower tempertures, as will the rest of the week. That is, at least according to the weatherman. I am willing to wait and see what the next five minutes hold.
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