This ol' world must still be spinnin' around

I stepped out the door into -- light! Between the clear morning sky and the hemisphere's increasing tilt back toward the sun, it was light enough at 6:30 to see. No blinky lights needed! I immediately thought of the lyrics to an old James Taylor song (recently recorded by Sheryl Crow too), "This ol' world must still be spinnin' around." The toothache had settled down, the weather was a bit warmer, and just before sunrise all seemed right with this little corner of the world. One layer of clothes lighter, my pace out to the levee seemed a bit easier, and when I arrived I found a good group already there and ready to go. I've still not gotten back to that happy place where the Wednesday ride seems effortless, and indeed I could feel a little soreness in my legs from yesterday's ride, but that was to be expected. It's interesting how the Wednesday ride has evolved into a consistent medium-pace day-- faster than Monday, and just a touch slower than Tuesday and Thursday. The shorter distance gets me back home with a little more energy, and so my commute to work always seems a little easier.

This morning when I walked into my office it felt like walking into an oven. The thermometer on the wall read 88F. I opened a couple of the sliding doors to the roof, but it hasn't made much of a difference. The southeast-facing wall of glass that defines our offices will be hot to the touch until early afternoon. Still, it's better than being cold.

So my brother's son, who's at the University of Florida in Tallahassee, will be bringing some friends to stay at the house the weekend before Mardi Gras while we're away in Iowa again. That weekend is always an excellent option for those who can't get away for Mardi Gras, which of course is always on Tuesday. Two of the biggest and most extravagant parades run that weekend, along with a bunch of smaller ones, and things by then are usually pretty lively down in the Quarter.

Damn, now I'm hungry for some King Cake.......