The Road Back to "Normal"

It was a long night, and I was awake even before the radio clicked on at 5:45. The pain had subsided a bit, thanks to the Ibuprofen I'd taken when it had awakened me earlier in the morning. With my head still on the pillow, I fished around on the nightstand with one hand for the combination pen/flashlight (you know, the ones that they give out at conferences) so I could read the "41F" displayed on the outdoor thermometer. That still qualifies as cold in my book, so I dressed warmly and headed for the levee. There were eight or ten guys up there today, and I was glad for it because I wasn't feeling too hot. Aside from Howard's normal surges up to 27 mph, the pace was fairly steady and I fell into a mindless training ride mode, taking short pulls, pulling off, latching back onto the end of the line. Actually, it wasn't quite the end of the line today because there were a few guys back there who were staying out of the rotation. I was riding just for the exercise today, hoping the dull toothache would remain dull, and just going along with the flow. When a little surge would open a gap in front of me, I'd just let it go and slowly reel it back in. After the turnaround, most of the group rode slowly for a few miles. I hate when they do that. The result this morning was that I started to get cold because of my now-sweaty multi-layered arctic wardrobe. Finally, the pace got back to normal, though, and I got back to the house at about the normal time.

By the time I got on the commuter for the trip to work, the temperature had already risen at least ten degrees and the air felt warm and soft as I rolled down Fontainbleau Drive toward the office. The weathermen are promising a return to normal weather, and right now it's looking pretty nice. The temperature has climbed into the 60s and a light southerly wind is bringing the humidity levels back up to normal. I didn't have much time to look out at the summer-like scenery before my tooth started to hurt again; this time rather badly. Time to call the dreaded dentist, schedule an appointment, and walk down to the drug store for some naproxen. It seems to be helping a bit, and I'm hoping I'll be able to keep it under control until my appointment on Thursday.

So I got an email today from the Aigle Rouge Sportif Club de Port-au-Prince in Haiti. It reads a bit like one of those letters you get from Nigeria, but I think it is legit. I know the club exists, anyway. We shall see. They are asking for an official invitation to the Tour de Louisiane so that they can get their expenses covered by the Haitian cycling federation. Interesting....