Welcome Interruption

I think my own outdoor thermometer read 51 F this morning, but presumably it was actually a bit colder here and there in the city. Regardless, it really did feel cold this time. I broke out the knee warmers and arm-warmers and wore double jerseys and long gloves, but even so I was a little chilly at first. Up on the levee in the dark there was only Richard H., and after waiting a few extra minutes we headed off down the road as I mumbled something about turning around early. There was a pretty brisk north wind and the idea of riding the usual 42 miles with just two people didn't seem all that appealing. And did I mention it was really, really dark? Well, as luck would have it, a bunch of guys showed up before we got to the playground, so with the group numbering ten or eleven, I was no longer worried about having to cut the ride short.

So Donald and I stayed on the front for a long time, squinting into the darkness and searching the shadows for oncoming unlit riders and runners. At least there's one thing about riding up there when it's cold and dark. It certainly cuts down on the pedestrian traffic! I think we only had one or two panic moments until the sky finally started to lighten up. Just before we turned around the sun finally cleared the horizon and I commented that it was less than a week until the time change when we would have that much light for our 6:15 am start. Everything looked so beautiful once the sun came up that I reached into my pocket for the camera to take a couple of pictures, but when I turned it on, all I saw was the message "battery exhausted." When I read it out loud, the guy next to me said, "Me too." Between the cold and the wind and the dark, it almost seemed like a good idea to skip the whole week and just wait until the clocks were reset to a more reasonable hour. Anyway, after I got back home I charged it up for a little while and was able to get a picture of the little plaza at our new office. I guess that will have to suffice for today.

On the plus side, there's nothing bad I can say about the crisp clear air and deep blue skies we had all day today. In fact, I even had an unexpected interruption that allowed me to go out and experience them again when The Wife called to say she was going to an eye doctor appointment across town and probably wouldn't be able to drive back. A little while later I got a text message reading, "I'm dilated." There were only two possible explanations for that, and since one of them would have represented a miracle of reproductive biology, I hopped on the bike for the ten mile ride out to what I used to refer to as "West Jesus Land," otherwise known as East Jefferson. Even though "East" Jefferson is entirely west of the city, its misleading compass designation refers to the fact that it's on the "east" bank of the Mississippi, which happens to be mostly north of the "west" bank. Confused yet? I think this is why New Orleanians drive so slowly, and usually in the wrong lane.