Okay, so even the Green bike wasn't enough to get my sorry rear end out of bed this morning. Still feeling "under the weather." But, one of few things must be happening; I am beginning to feel better, I am happy that we had coffee at home this morning (thanks for going grocery shopping yesterday Anika!), I had a great day yesterday, I'm so down there's only up to look at.

Feeling Better?:
I am still not feeling well, but that is okay. I keep taking my vitamins, I am trying to sleep when I can, I'm taking my vitamin C supplement with a glass of orange juice. I rode yesterday and despite the fact that I feel lethargic, it still felt good to be on a bike. I'm hoping that feeling sticks through the weekend. Yes, I am getting VERY nervous about the TransIowa ride.

Thank you SO MUCH Anika for having gone grocery shopping yesterday. Have I mentioned how much I am in love with my wife and how wonderful of a person you are Anika? She's great and I am so glad that I have her. I'll never do anything to spoil that. Yesterday when I returned from having ridden to and from work and run out to Hopkins Honda to pick up a new mirror for the minivan, there was a meal for dinner. I had just a pleasant ride, enjoyed every pedal stroke.

A funny thing occurred on my ride home. Waiting to cross Hiawatha on the mid-town greenway there was a young hipster on his bike. He took a look at my green bike and says, "is that a Rivendell."

Sheepish response because I am honestly embarrassed to ride this bike sometimes; "yeah..."

"Where's it made?"
(Okay, the guy knows Rivendell, but wonders where it is made?)
"Well, Rivendell is based out of Walnut Creek, CA. But, this is a custom version made by Curt Goodrich that actually lives and works here in the Twin Cities" (This is a line rehearsed and regurgitated so many times.)

"Oh, that's cool"

"I know, it's a little over the top." apologizing and trying to be humble about the bike "It's my favorite bike and I love it. It's the only thing that got me out of bed today."

"Well, I was going to say something, but you seem cool. Nice bike."

I'm not really sure what he meant by his parting statement, but I thought about that the rest of the way home. It made me wonder about how we as cyclists pass judgment upon one another so much based on the equipment. Watch peoples' eyes when you say "hi" to them on the road. The casual cyclist may or may not make eye contact and return your greeting. The "cyclist" will look at your bike, clothing, and equipment choice before returning your greeting.

Perhaps I am guilty of that too because I am just so interested in the equipment. But, I try to greet every passing cyclist because being outside, it's nice to be able to say hello. When going the same direction, it's nice to say hello and make an attempt at a conversation.

Restocked with Coffee:
I'm not proud to admit, but recognize the fact that I am addicted to coffee. I make a half of a pot of coffee each morning. Even when I ride my bike. Here is an old photo showing the fact that I have a Soma coffee cup holder on the handlebars of my primary commuter:


That setup has changed slightly because : 1) I leveled out the cup. 2) Replaced the brown cork with Brooks leather. 3) Now use an E6 headlight mounted on the rack that sits off the fork.

I really enjoy having a cup of coffee while riding. With the great Nissan insulated cup, it stays hot half way to work. (It would stay hot longer, but it's usually gone by then.) The day before yesterday, there was only enough coffee to make 1 pot. I decided that I would forgo making any for myself and leave it for Anika. Yesterday, there was no coffee. Today, there was coffee and all is right with the world again.

Had a great day yesterday:
As I mentioned, I rode my bike yesterday. That made for a great day. We had a good dinner when I got home. Everyone was in a good mood. I attempted to go to a meeting at Dunn Brothers coffee shop located in the Roseville Library at 7pm. Among other things in life, I am attempting to be a little more involved in my community. I participate and have volunteered to help out with our community on-line list server. Well, we were supposed to meet and discuss things last night, but nobody showed up. I had a cup of coffee and used the opportunity to go up to County Cycles to do some shopping for stuff for the TransIowa trip.

It was good to visit the bike shop. Picked up a few things and spent about an hour talking with Marty, Joe, Scott, Ron, and Aaron. Waited with Marty, Scott, and Joe to ride to the bank to make the deposit and back home. I miss hanging at the bike shop. Part of me misses working there because I just do like bikes and being around the guys. I don't miss the time commitment. But, having just spent a little time visiting made for a nice conclusion to the evening.