Soggy Shorts

It was nice not to have to hit the road in the dark yesterday morning for the long group training ride, but my enthusiasm was dampened by the overcast skies full of clouds streaming in from the Gulf. I asked if anyone had checked the radar, and someone said we should be OK.

Shortly thereafter, the dry pavement ended. Through the occasional light rain, the group settled into a consensus pace of about 24 mph., with occasional surges, eventually ignored, by The Howard. Most of the ride back was even more wet with enough water on the road that getting a good draft in the headwind meant having gritty water sprayed in your face to accompany the water being sprayed up your backside and dripping down into your socks. Naturally, it also meant flat tires, one of which was mine. I was only a few miles from the end of the ride and for a minute I thought I might be able to ride it in before it hit bottom, but no such luck.

The worst thing about changing a flat under these conditions is that you get really dirty. By the time I got home, I was a bit of a mess with black smudges all over my hands and thighs from changing the tire and dirt and grit running down my legs into my socks.

I keep the bikes in the basement (which around here is at ground level) near the washer, so I peeled off all the lycra, threw the lot into the washer, headed up the stairs stark naked but for my sandals, and jumped in the shower.

It stayed cloudy all day and by mid-afternoon, the real weather was moving in and the skies turned really black. I'm talking sci-fi movie black - "dark and stormy night" black. At 4 p.m. it was dark enough that all the street lights automatically switched on. The wind started gusting and the rain came down in Biblical proportions. The bike and I got a ride home with The Wife after work.

It was still wet and drizzly this morning so I skipped the training ride and headed in to work early. There was still a light rain falling here and there, but not enough to get me really wet. We're expecting cooler temperatures tonight and by Friday it will be what we commonly refer to around here as "cold," which is to say it will be in the low 50s. Tomorrow morning should be rather nice. Definitely arm-warmer weather.

As Scarlett said, ". . . tomorrow is another day."