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Since I work from my home office 99% of the time, I don't have the opportunity to commute properly. Inspired by my husband and you ladies here, I thought that maybe I could "commute" by running some of my errands on my Surly-Girl "Ethel". I make regular trips to the post office for work every week (9 miles round trip) plus other trips (bank, library, hardware store) that I could certainly do on a bike. I had gotten as far on this plan as asking my son if I could use his old backpack, the one with the hole in the bottom.
Today at about 10 minutes before 4:00, as I am about to leave (in the car) for the post office with an express mail package, my son shows up in the kitchen with the backpack. "See the hole isn't that big Mom. Not big enough for a letter to slip through." So, I am thinking, "what better time than the present?" The post office doesn't close until 4:30. Just 4 miles. Plenty of time. It's about 42 degrees, damp and very windy. I spend about 10 minutes getting my gear on. I've been wanting to try my new Terry heavy weight tights so this is the perfect opportunity to try them out. If I'm too hot, well, it's a short ride. At 4:00 I'm starting down the driveway. The wind is really whipping and I've been sitting at my desk all day so brrrr.... I think maybe I better trade this heavy jersey in for my windbreaker. A quick trip back to the house. Off comes the backpack and the jersey. On with the Windstopper. I was proud of myself for remembering to get the credit card out of the pocket of the jersey. At 4:03 I jump back on Ethel, down the driveway. I get out to the road and realize that something is wrong. I'd forgotten the backpack with the extremely important express package!! This wouldn't be so bad, but our driveway is 1/4 mile long, gravel, with a very steep grade returning to the house. I turn around, put her into granny gear and head back up to the house. I'd never climbed our drive that fast! I'm thinking maybe I better give up and jump in my car. This package must go today. But darn, I hate for my first try at commuting to be a failure. Maybe the second try, but not the first! It's 4:09 by the time I retrieve the package. 4 hilly miles. Hmmm... quick calculation... plenty of time.
Back on Ethel. Back down the driveway. Pedaling as hard as I can. I didn't know the Surly Girl can go that fast! Three miles in. A gradual climb the whole way. I check my iPhone. 4:20. Dang, it's Friday, holiday weekend, quiet country post office (I'm the biggest customer). I'll be there in 5 minutes but I hope the postmaster doesn't close early! I'm pedaling fast up the last hill, steering with the left hand, calling my son with the right, "Call the post office and tell Postmaster Eileen to wait for me!!" (Do you know that you can't dial an iPhone with your gloves on, but you can dial with your tongue?!?) "Chill Mom, you have 10 minutes."
I make it to the post office with 5 minutes to spare, sweating buckets, nose running, laughing my a** off. Package successfully delivered, I came home the long way at a leisurely pace, enjoying the cool darkening evening, the Christmas lights, and I decided my first "commute" was a success.
"No hour of life is wasted that is spent in the saddle" -Winston Churchill
That was quite an ordeal for your first attempt! I commend you for not just saying "to heck with it" and jumping in the car (like I might have done).
Way to go and congrats!!!
oh, and thanks for the laugh. I imagined you dialing your phone with your tongue. HA!
Check out my running blog: www.turtlepacing.blogspot.com
Cervelo P2C (tri bike)
Bianchi Eros (commuter/touring road bike)
1983 Motobecane mixte (commuter/errand bike)
Cannondale F5 mountain bike
fantastic story I had no idea you could dial with your tongue!
Bike commuting is great but it does help not having deadlines. I'm continually underestimating the time it takes me to get anywhere (hey, it feels like I'm going really fast, right?) not to mention I still think it takes me 5 minutes to get dressed and 10 minutes to shower and change at the other end.
Winter riding is much less about badassery and much more about bundle-uppery. - malkin
1995 Kona Cinder Cone commuterFrankenbike/Selle Italia SLR Lady Gel Flow
2008 white Nakamura Summit Custom mtb/Terry Falcon X
2000 Schwinn Fastback Comp road bike/Specialized Jett
I thought for sure the package had fallen through the hole! Great story! Glad it worked out!
Congrats!
I've operated my iPhone with my nose, but never my tongue!
I'd rather be swimming...biking...running...and eating cheesecake...
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2008 Cervelo P2C Tri bike
2011 Trek Madone 5.5/Cobb V-Flow Max
2007 Jamis Coda/Terry Liberator
2011 Trek Mamba 29er
you dialed with your tongue? um. wow!
great commute story!!
I like Bikes - Mimi
Watercolor Blog
Davidson Custom Bike - Cavaletta
Dahon 2009 Sport - Luna
Old Raleigh Mixte - Mitzi
Very impressive!
I wonder if it got cold enough, would your tongue stick to your phone?
Speed comes from what you put behind you. - Judi Ketteler
Thanks for the comments and encouragement! Even as unprepared as I was, I enjoyed it totally, so I'll continue to try to go by bike for any errands I don't need to transport something big (like a kid). Hopefully, I'll get better and more organized! It will be a great way to work in some extra miles at the end of a workday. I have to go the the post office anyway, don't I? What a great excuse to get on my bike. The miles could add up, to say nothing of the gas and miles saved on my vehicle!
Dialing with your nose... I'll have to try that!
"No hour of life is wasted that is spent in the saddle" -Winston Churchill
Great story, Ritamarie! I'm a post office commuter, too, working from home. I'm off the bike for at least a month with a wrist injury, so I got myself a magnetic trainer to "commute" to and from work every day.