How Was Your Commute Today?

[Becky]

What an awesome ride home today! DH and I rode from work to the bike shop to pick up a bunch of stuff that we'd ordered, and rode home with the whole mess. DH had a pair of fenders strapped to the top of his rack and panniers!

We did 25 miles for the day and I felt strong despite the beating from the wind

[Melalvai]

I mention this here because sometimes I have these "deep thoughts" during my commute. (Probably not all that deep.) On my way home today I had this thought that humanity does NOT shine when the world is our oyster. When we have access to cheap resources we get greedy and do horrible things. Cheap oil & cheap bananas today, but it was cheap land when Europe was discovering Africa and the Americas and India and China.

The more we have the less we share. When we are struggling we are generous and compassionate.

This is probably a huge overgeneralization to the point of not being true at all but maybe it can help us value our struggles as we look for work and try to make ends meet.

[7rider]

My deep thought yesterday during my ride home was:
"Sweet potatoes? Are those sweet potatoes? WHY is there a pile of sweet potatoes on the side of the road?????"

[Tri Girl]

My deep thought yesterday during my ride home was:
"Sweet potatoes? Are those sweet potatoes? WHY is there a pile of sweet potatoes on the side of the road?????"

and you didn't stop to pick them up and put them in your panniers??

[7rider]

and you didn't stop to pick them up and put them in your panniers??

LOL! Some did look pretty big...one could feed the 2 of us pretty well. But I think someone put them out for the deer (no idea why anyone would...but perhaps they did). It was a head-scratcher....

[redrhodie]

Okay commutes today. Stopped in the lbs twice, dialing in my fit. So close, but not quite there yet. It's funny, you solve one issue, and another pops up. It's kinda like whack a mole.

Hard headwind back, on my heavy bike. Tired.

[Melalvai]

Okay commutes today. Stopped in the lbs twice, dialing in my fit. So close, but not quite there yet. It's funny, you solve one issue, and another pops up. It's kinda like whack a mole.

Whack a mole, I will have to tell my dad that one. He was telling me that his mountain bike style handlebar is fine, he never has wrist or arm problems. He has lots of other problems and I promised him that as he gets his other problems solved, he'll start having arm & handle problems!

[pfunk12]

I decided to bike to work even though they are calling for rain and possible thunderstorms this afternoon. I figure - it's spring and that's what happens in spring. I don't really mind riding in warm rain but I'm not a fan of thunderstorms.

I was about 10 minutes from work and the sky started to light up. It took a little while till it dawned on me that it was lightning. Less than 5 minutes from work, I heard the first clap of thunder. Then it started to sprinkle and then...about 2 minutes from work - pouring rain and hail! Hail that was almost the size of golf balls. Ouch! I could see my building but was considering ducking into the fish market for cover. Instead, I started to sprint. I got to my building and the maintenance guy and security guard came out and asked, "Is that hail?" I wanted to say, "Yes, do you see the red marks on my face?"

[redrhodie]

I decided to bike to work even though they are calling for rain and possible thunderstorms this afternoon. I figure - it's spring and that's what happens in spring. I don't really mind riding in warm rain but I'm not a fan of thunderstorms.

I was about 10 minutes from work and the sky started to light up. It took a little while till it dawned on me that it was lightning. Less than 5 minutes from work, I heard the first clap of thunder. Then it started to sprinkle and then...about 2 minutes from work - pouring rain and hail! Hail that was almost the size of golf balls. Ouch! I could see my building but was considering ducking into the fish market for cover. Instead, I started to sprint. I got to my building and the maintenance guy and security guard came out and asked, "Is that hail?" I wanted to say, "Yes, do you see the red marks on my face?"

Good thing you had on a helmet!

[pfunk12]

True!

Good thing you had on a helmet!

[divingbiker]

Pfunk, you're braver than I. I was ready to go, figuring I could handle thunder and lightning, but I got half a block from home and the hail started. I put the bike away, drove to the office in the pouring rain, and got ready for work in the bike locker room. Wimpy, I know.

[pfunk12]

DB - Definitely not wimpy. I probably wouldn't have gotten on the bike if I knew there was going to be a hail storm. Fortunately, I was very close to work when it started. It wasn't fun being pelted by hail on my face and body!

Pfunk, you're braver than I. I was ready to go, figuring I could handle thunder and lightning, but I got half a block from home and the hail started. I put the bike away, drove to the office in the pouring rain, and got ready for work in the bike locker room. Wimpy, I know.

[lph]

The more we have the less we share. When we are struggling we are generous and compassionate.

To a certain point, I think. Desperate people will also do desperate things in self-preservation. But I do think that a little struggle makes us feel vulnerable, we need other people's support and are more likely to offer support back. If you never experience really needing anything it's harder to imagine that someone else needs something more than you. And our capacity for wanting more is umlimited.

I was thinking something similar this weekend. We help run a local ski slope for kids and teenagers. The municipality pays the electricity and other bills, local parents work for free. Entrance is free for members and we charge a symbolic fee for a year's membership - less than half the price of a day ticket at a commercial ski slope. We loan out skis and snowboards and helmets for free. The slope is open 4 times a week, freshly groomed with professional equipment and big jumps. We lend out shovels so they can build their own jumps, help the newbies onto the lift, make sure no-one's squabbling in line or being mean, comfort the ones who hurt themselves, call parents if necessary.

Even then, we have parents coming in grumbling about not getting a discount if they have several children, or why can't we offer ski instruction as well, and can they try for free for just one day? It's amazing.

[tulip]

I commuted to a meeting I had today. It's not far, about 2 miles, but there is a huge hill between my house and that meeting. I wore regular clothes and it was fine. Luckily, my meeting was after the morning's thunderstorm (no hail down here, though!)

[malkin]

I needed to take 30 lbs of potatoes and a food processor to work today, so I drove my car.

We're making hash browns this week.