Broke down and Busted
10/11/09 07:31
Yesterday was a lulu for sure. We rode our bikes to the furthest point near Atlantic ave in Hampton and Nancy promptly got a flat tire. You always laugh about the possibility of getting to the furthest point in your ride and breaking down. It makes the prospect of getting home that much more difficult. You can call someone if you happen to have a cell phone on hand and that would be a good thing. Maybe the silver lining yesterday was that I was with her on her ride. That is a rarity on a weekday but I had the day off so I was happy to be along not only for the ride but to do what husbands do best when their spouses are in a pinch. That is to say, they lend a helping hand. And so I did.
I agreed to walk her bike along the boulevard until she had a chance to ride my bike home and return in her car to pick me up. It was a delightful day with a bright sunshine and temperatures in the upper 50's so I was in my element. Of course, there is a fair amount of foot traffic along that route and yesterday was no exception. One woman walking her dog stopped long enough to ask me if I needed a lift after noticing that my bicycle tire was flat. Further down to road a car pulled up and the driver yelled out, "hey buddy, you know where I can find the local golf course?." Both incidents were odd in that 1) what woman in her right mind would offer a lift to a stranger in this day and age and 2) the occupants in the car asking about the golf course didn't look like golf enthusiasts in the least. It occured to me as I was hollering across the highway to them that they may have had other intentions so I was not otherwise bothered by the fact that I told them I didn't know the area well enough to give them directions.
My distraction of choice given my circumstances was to take as many pictures as possible with my trusty iPhone as I walked along the boulevard. I've decided that I will be posting a picture every time I post a blog and that picture will come from my iPhone photo library. The quality is reasonable and it adds yet another dimension to the blog that gives it a time and place perspective. Initially, at least, I plan to use photos taken along my bike route. As much as I hate to stop for the time it takes to take the picture, there are times when either the photo opportunity demands it or it comes at a time in my ride when pulling over while waiting for Nan to pull up the rear is not unusual. So, enjoy the photos. I enjoyed taking them and I wouldn't post them if I didn't think they didn't add just a wee bit to the site.
Lastly, when Nancy finally did show up to collect me and her bike, she was quite upset that she had run over my bike while pulling out of the garage. As she rolled won the window I could see the tears collecting in her eyes and I thought that someone had died. Alas, she did hit my bike but she was confused about the damage done. My trust Bianchi survived the impact and will live to ride another day. That is a good thing.
I agreed to walk her bike along the boulevard until she had a chance to ride my bike home and return in her car to pick me up. It was a delightful day with a bright sunshine and temperatures in the upper 50's so I was in my element. Of course, there is a fair amount of foot traffic along that route and yesterday was no exception. One woman walking her dog stopped long enough to ask me if I needed a lift after noticing that my bicycle tire was flat. Further down to road a car pulled up and the driver yelled out, "hey buddy, you know where I can find the local golf course?." Both incidents were odd in that 1) what woman in her right mind would offer a lift to a stranger in this day and age and 2) the occupants in the car asking about the golf course didn't look like golf enthusiasts in the least. It occured to me as I was hollering across the highway to them that they may have had other intentions so I was not otherwise bothered by the fact that I told them I didn't know the area well enough to give them directions.
My distraction of choice given my circumstances was to take as many pictures as possible with my trusty iPhone as I walked along the boulevard. I've decided that I will be posting a picture every time I post a blog and that picture will come from my iPhone photo library. The quality is reasonable and it adds yet another dimension to the blog that gives it a time and place perspective. Initially, at least, I plan to use photos taken along my bike route. As much as I hate to stop for the time it takes to take the picture, there are times when either the photo opportunity demands it or it comes at a time in my ride when pulling over while waiting for Nan to pull up the rear is not unusual. So, enjoy the photos. I enjoyed taking them and I wouldn't post them if I didn't think they didn't add just a wee bit to the site.
Lastly, when Nancy finally did show up to collect me and her bike, she was quite upset that she had run over my bike while pulling out of the garage. As she rolled won the window I could see the tears collecting in her eyes and I thought that someone had died. Alas, she did hit my bike but she was confused about the damage done. My trust Bianchi survived the impact and will live to ride another day. That is a good thing.