5/8/07
Not too shabby for a Monday.

As you may or may not know, gentle reader, yesterday my front tire died on me. Since I'm a grasshopper of the Æsop variety I never got around to having my spare fixed leaving me up shit's creek without a paddle. Plus it was after 6 p.m. on a Sunday which meant that I was fucked three different ways since:

• Tire stores were closed.
• Walmart's tire store was closed.
• Now I had to bike and bus to work.

Got up around 6:15 a.m., did my morning routine, rode to the downtown bus terminal and waited for the 7:10 bus. Should I ever have to do this again, I'm going to get up at 6:30 or maybe 6:40 and ride downtown so there's less waiting with my thumb up my ass.

My stop was the Walmart stop and I coasted downhill to work. At least until I hit the uphill part. Since I was feeling pretty good I decided to see how far I could ride uphill and made my goal! Yet I hopped off the bike and huffed and puffed the rest of the way uphill. I felt like I was going to die.

While I was removing the front tire and seat to lock up my bike I had a wonderful view of the mountains. They were still in the shadow of clouds, covered in snow from last night and the sun was peeking through and shining on one of the foothills. Fucking gorgeous.

Bike's securely locked up and I am a happy camper. Time to fucking work!

Reassembling the bike was a bit of a pain and I blame myself since I was rushing through the process. I put the front tire on the wrong way. That cost me a minute. I had to readjust the saddle and ensure the stem was firmly placed in the frame. Lost another minute. Giving the Reader's Digest version of my car situation to two of the upstairs girls who are on the German side of the family cost me another minute.

Now I was under way, speeding downhill and hoping that I was going to make it on time. Halfway across Platte I was huffing and puffing something fierce, worse than this morning, and I was so damned close to making the 5:09 bus!

I sat in the rain for twenty five minutes waiting for the second number five bus reading Look to Windward and trying not to get it too wet. On the bright side I had a chance to cool down and regain my composure while sitting in the rain which can be rarer than hen's teeth out here in sunny Colorado. 300 days of sunshine every year!

The ride back was uneventful, got off on Weber and rode to the Birdhouse. I'm so glad that Jaybird and maribou weren't upset about my delay. Now I was more worried about getting to a tire store before it closed so I wouldn't have to bus and bike on Tuesday.

We pick up my spare, maribou gets dropped off at band practice then Jaybird and I head to the Goodyear store on Academy near Cassius's place. It's raining like crazy and I still have to replace the tire which I shall do once I feel I'm caught up with the internet.