it was raining so he wouldn't have to ride, and then had to grumpily force himself out of bed and onto the bike.You think you know a person, and then they go and reveal something like this.
If he wanted us to think he's nuts, why didn't he just say he owns the entire Michael Jackson catalog on CD, or that he has a computer full of Russian granny porn? Not that he does (as far as I know), but it wouldn't have been any more disturbing.
I don't understand the concept of not wanting to ride to work. Whenever I know I'm going to ride, it's easier to get myself out of bed. And trust me, I'm not a morning person. If you doubt that, just ask my family. They'll tell you how I hate it when someone tries to talk to me in the hour of the day. Hell, last week I got mad at my wife and daughter for talking to each other while I was sitting nearby and trying to eat breakfast and read the news.
Dragging myself out of bed so I can drive to work is hard. Getting up so I can ride to work sucks less. And once I get going, I virtually always enjoy the trip. Having all my gear ready and wishing for an excuse to not ride? Never happens.
But Dave, who owns at least as many bikes as I do, is a closet car guy. It's sad.
Speaking
of friends who ride to work (some happily) I used to occasionally share part of my commute with my former co-worker Gina, who asked me to pimp her art show and presentation on this here blog.OK, she didn't use the word "pimp." I just call 'em like I see 'em. Does she read the blog? Does she ever have a kind word to say about the blog? Noooooooooo. But if you read it, she'd like you to show up, look at her art and hear about her bike trip in Spain and Portugal.
You could do worse on a Friday night, so click on her flier for more info., and go check it out if you're so inclined.
Just be sure to say something like, "I'm sure glad I read about this on Tim's blog, or I would have missed the whole damn deal!"
10 comments:
dude, your totaly right it was supposed to downpour here today, and I ended up driving to work, turns out it was nice out all day. It sucked I hated every minuet of driving and it didn't even start raining until it got dark out. And as far as the mornings go, I'm totally the same way I always end up getting to up and getting to work earlier when I ride. I had a good 3 week streak of not driving. Of coarse for you being from Alaska and all the thought of worrying about a little rain during your so-cal 20 mile to work and back commute, probably seems laughable. I don't mind getting wet, but its the cars Im worried about, it almost never rains here so when it does the roads get real slick from oil build up and drivers don't know what how the hell to drive in the rain. So my main concern is getting pelted by a car.
great post
I used to commute to work by bike, and keep thinking about starting again.
What scares me is the suburbs.
Riding out of St Paul is going to be fine, the attitude towards bikes is cool (wide shoulders and bike lanes everywhere). But in Eagan, the suburb I'd be in, the vibe is mostly hostile and passive aggressive at best.
I found I had more energy in the morning when I biked to work.
This is why I ride to work everyday. Once you give yourself an excuse not to ride it’s too easy to look for excuses the next day.
Then you end up like this guy and you’re missin’ all the fun.
-Todd
Portland, Oregon
riding to work is the best excuse to leaving the house early i've ever come up with. sometimes i leave an hour 1/2 early to go explore on my way to work.
it's 20 miles round trip for me, and i freaking love it!! nice blog page also!!
Peace,
Joe
I must admit, I sometimes do find myself looking for excuses - to ride my bike. My wife has almost stopped mentioning that I could take the car when I'm on my way out the door in some downpour or other. The only real hard part about riding to work is knowing that work is my destination, and even that's not so bad, since I actually like my job. What I really hate are the times when I have to make myself drive (so far, only twice this year). I do feel sorry for your freind; he obviously has an advanced case of hydrocyclophobia - a terrible malady, but one that can be overcome with the correct therapy. Perhaps you should stage an intervention. Something like this, maybe: http://tinyurl.com/yod3br As long as he rides, there is hope. Val
Tim,
Gina may not read your blog regularly, but I'm a daily visitor. Thanks for "pimping" -- it's a role you're surprisingly good at.
--Steve
LOL...I'm going to get so much tail being featured on a famous blog like this.
I definitely don't consider myself a closet car guy (though I do miss my old 1965 Dodge D-100 and my 1974 Dart Swinger.) I commuted almost every day when I lived in Italy...4 years straight on my LeMond Poprad and sometimes the Olympia townie!
I loath driving. Sitting in traffic makes me want to murder people or at least shove their cell phones up their hoo-haas. I love zooming past the huge line at the Boniface Gate every morning instead of sitting in line for 10 minutes staring at blinking brake lights. I was being a bit of a drama queen on my mtbr post...once I'm on the bike and out of my neighborhood I am usually out of my funk. I hate getting up equally when I drive to work. My hours vary a great deal and I have to be at work 3 hours before a plane takes off. It's hard enough getting up at 4 or 5 AM and making myself do it at 1 or 2 AM is hell. I'm sure if I was on a constant schedule it would be a lot easier to stay motivated.
The biggest thing that sucks is I work on the back side of base on the far side of the 2-mile-long flight line, so to get anywhere I need to go (which my job requires me to do often) isn't really feasible if I want to get work done that day...not to mention biking around in my BDUs and combat boots sucks. I did it last summer several times and it blows.
Take today...I had to go to the tax office (5 mi roundtrip) and then over to the BX (12 mi roundtrip) to get some cookies for some stupid party the squadron was having. I guess I could leave a car on base, but that's a pain in the butt.
Also, this time of year getting my kiddo to/from daycare is a pain. I don't feel right sticking him in the trailer when it's cold out. Last summer I used to bike the hour home, pick up my Chariot trailer, bike the 45 mins back to daycare (on base) and then bike the 50 minutes back home (hauling 40 extra pounds then...more like 60+ now!! HAHA!).
Once I retire from the military (about 9 more years) I will live somewhere (probably a city) where I can bike everyday.
Now that I'm done typing I'm going to get back to my Russian granny porn...now where did I stick my Thriller album...
P.S. About the duct tape thing...keep a bunch wrapped around your seatpost...keep on keeping on and love the latest pics on the "slickrock!"
Just found your blog and I love it.
I commute as much as practically possible, and I live in Colorado. My cars-with-seat-heaters friends don't quite understand me. You Alaskans are a hearty bunch!
I would have died commuting in Colorado. I used to work at Cheyenne Mountain and that 3 miles of hill climbing with just over a mile of elevation change everyday would have been killer.
Just biking there at the higher altitudes helped a lot once I got to Italy and started racing.
I hope to get stationed back there if I have to leave AK.
I have been lurking here forever and finally want to say hey! I am moving to Anchorage in August...if I get a job...and hope to eventually buy a bike. Will I take it to work? We'll see!!
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