Rain... let it Rain!

This is all about me right?  Oh, okay... it's about riding a bike and trying to recycle too.  This I must say has been a month of change.... some good, some bad. 

I started a new job June 7.  It is 10 miles away by bike.... I have averaged for the last four weeks to ride three days per week.  Not the usual 7 days a week I am striving for.  It takes me 50-55 minutes each day each way.  I don't have time to pick up stuff... Only once have I stopped to pick up something.  It was a bikers glove that i swore I knew where the other one was so I could have a pair.... but no, I didn't see it.  I am still hopeful I will find it, but feel bad for the person who lost it.

I get up at 5:10 a.m. and leave by 6:10 a.m. Ugh... Those of you who know me know that I have by this time drank an entire pot of coffee and done some chores around the house "aka shit hole".  Yesterday I awoke at 6:10... Oh, crap... determined to ride I left at 6:30 with one cup of coffee and decided I would be a few minutes late.  It was yesterday I picked up that glove.

I ride down high street, Take a right on 5th, jump curbs through Battels parking lot (it kind of offends me that they have parking signs that say "Contractors must park past these signs") jump on the the bike path to 33 (confluence park), take a right on 33, Left on Sauder, Right on McKinley (I used to take a right on W Broad St but McKinley is much better pavement) Left on Capital, Right onto W Broad Street and take that basically to 270.. Damn.

I recently got my odometer fixed and invested (I say invested because for some reason everything I buy for my bike is over $50 bucks! Shhhh don't tell Mike) in new front and rear lights.... USB rechargeable.. I thought this was cool until I read the instructions and saw there was an even better one SOLAR charged.... oh well, next time.

I arrive at work at 7:30 and leave at 4:00 to try to miss as much of the traffic as possible...... Yesterday, Friday, I left work at 5:00 because someone said something HAD to be completed.... I was almost done at 4:00 but being lowest on the totempole I have the oldest slowest computer in the building.... it dragged and then froze up... we went to another one and continued training on this document that HAD to be done... realized WE WEREN'T GIVEN the information needed and tried to get it.... Then the person (at 4:45 pm) decided he wanted to hash it out in his head over the weekend and we would send it out Monday....  So I rush at 5:00 pm to get on my bike and IT IS RAINING CAT'S AND DOGS at this time.... I said to myself... BE EXTRA CAUTIOUS and put my paper calendar, phone etc into plastic bags and then into my panniers.  Dreading the first drenching when you head out, I sucked it up and left... wishing I hadn't wore my "new looking" leather tennis shoes as I felt them fill with water... oh well.  Took it slower, , remembering drivers do NOT see bikers in the rain, and made it home.... carried my bike up the steps and realized I DIDN'T ZIP UP ONE OF MY SIDE BAGS... the one with paperwork in it..... Those are still drying....

It only rained for another hour then stopped.  I thought crud, I should have worked longer and rode later... but I made it home safely, the grass is greener and thank goodness it's not so hot.


There was lots of water on the road.  I saw lots of  recyclables and trash going down the storm drains.. why do people litter?  I understand that sometimes things blow away and you don't even realize it, but.... It is amazing how bad West Broad street is with trash and the road is awful. 

 Ugh...

I see all sorts of people out at 6:30 am.. I'll save that for another blog..
Please leave your comments on the blog... I enjoy reading them.
Today is my oldest sisters birthday.... she is a great sister, a source of inspiration, and an environmental do good er!  Happy Birthday Tessa!