whirrs and half a clif bar
When Wednesday night rolled around, I left a lecture hall in McBryde with a clear sigh. Midterms were done - some trivial items remain - as were my major papers. There is a great disconnect between my knowing that it is now October and halfway through the semester and my comprehending that. It’s frightening, namely when I think about long-term projects. Or when I don’t think about them…
In celebration of no labs this morning, I woke up to prepare for a long ride. Eventually, I discovered the cloudy skies from behind the venetian blinds. Then, I found the puddles by the curb. Soon, I lost the desire to ride. Though it actually wasn’t raining, just the dampened aftermath, my courage to face the day with a leading burst of exercise… well, my courage burst.
However, while sipping on my latté, the thought of staying in all morning was horrifying. I can’t be that lazy person. So, I suited up, buckled the appropriate buckles, and when a’ridin’.
And such a great ride it was. Fifty miles of gorgeous, newly-watered, green countryside. For five of those miles, I caught up with the storm that had passed by my house earlier in the morning. I have never actually enjoyed riding in the rain, but the smooth and generally straight roads that I was navigating while passing under the rain clouds made the experience invigorating. The entire loop offered me patches of water to roll through. Those super smooth spots of road where the blacktop appears to be glossy are a joy to ride over when wet. Of course, you’re hydroplaning the whole time, but the adrenaline rush far makes up for the associated risk.
If it wasn’t for those blasted long-term or semester-long projects I have to consider, the return home and subsequent shower would have been absolutely pleasant. A buffet lunch of for-the-most-part authentic Indian food was also a nice touch.