Day 6: It's okay to say "Hi"

Day 6 miles to/from work: 26.8
Total miles for S4S: 170.4  

Happy P.O.E.T.S. Day!  (That's Piss On Everything, Tomorrow's Saturday.) Compared to the last mornings of mid-40s temps, it was a heat wave this a.m., with the temperature jumping up to the mid-50s. I set off in bike shorts and tank top, with my screaming yellow windbreaker for a little extra warmth. Halfway through the ride even the windbreaker was oppressive, and I was sleeveless the rest of the way in. I hope you're not bored with the daily weather reports from paradise. You know it will be a different story in a few months, which I why I didn't make this commitment for November and December.

I mentioned in yesterday's post that when I ran (or biked) an errand after work yesterday, that "detour" was ultimately shorter than my usual route. After briefly considering employing it on a regular basis, I discarded the idea. Parts of that route are just not as pleasant. But more importantly, I have begun to develop a community on my regular morning course.

On a bike path that Scott and I regularly take for our weekend rides (different from those I take to work), there is a rough, hand-lettered sign that says, "It's okay to say 'Hi'". What a good reminder for most paths in life, and make that a double for my morning journey.

I now exchange greetings with some of the cyclists I see daily, the people predictably walking their dogs on neighborhood sidewalks, the road crew doing God-knows-what on Mineral Point Road, and the three surly-looking guys smoking at the bus stop who now smirk or even grin when we exchange "hellos" and "good mornings". These are my people, my 13.4-mile neighborhood, my community. There is no way I'm trading them for the opportunity to shave 2/10 mile off my odometer, not to mention losing mileage-based pledge money for the critters. Nuh-uh, brother.

It would be easy to describe this morning's ride as uneventful. But when every moment is breathtaking (some in beauty, some in adrenaline while sharing Mineral Point with speeding cars, trucks and buses), a rabbit nests in the grass, light plays through tree arches, flowers are abundant, fall air is on my face,  and sometimes I can quiet my monkey mind enough to experience exquisite internal silence—there is neither adequate space nor words to share the never-ending panoply of events. Let it be said I got to work safely,  enveloped in my little endorphin euphoria.

The return ride home was marked by fatigued legs that felt like hamburger meat. I earned that hamburger meat, and there is great gratification that goes with that and knowing that because of your pledge, the miles on my legs translate to dollars and cents to save animals. Thank you again for your support of DCHS and this project!

Then there was the reward of blasting down hills that had been arduous climbs just 9 hours earlier. What a rush!

A few miles from  home, I was behind a cyclist in a short, tight dress and high-heeled sandals. The woman was crankin'. Okay, 15 mph is not a new land speed record, but in a dress like that? I'm not even sure how she stayed on the bike. At a red light (which she proceeded through), another cyclist and I were discussing that we were both in awe that she wasn't sweating through her clothes. He said that she is a professor at the University. All I know is that she is my action hero.

On the last leg of my journey, I took a trophy. Remember the black, sequined flip flop of Day 2? It has been treated cruelly over the past week, with the toe separator being ripped out; and left to have grass grow over it.  It is now mine and resting on Silver Beauty's rack. I haven't decided what to do with it—perhaps I should give it a decent burial.

As much as I've loved riding, I was so happy to get off Silver Beauty. As the sun was setting this evening, my last mode of transportation for the day was a boat. It was a great way to end a fantastic week.

Enjoy your weekend, and remember that it's way better than just okay to say "Hi."