Rain, rain, dripping from my nose...

I've been riding my blue Univega bike (named Dirk- yes, all three of my bikes have names. I also have Ethel & Gary, but we'll talk about them another day) everywhere lately. In summers past, I would dabble in the cycle arts here and there- pulling out one of my vintage one-speeders to just meander around the neighborhood, challenging the other kids to races and ringing the bell on the handlebars every chance I got. It wasn't about getting anywhere in as much as it was about color-coordinating my outfit to match my sweet wheels.

This spring/summer, though, I decided to be a bit more serious about it and get out more. I put my saddlebag basket on Dirk's bum so I'd be ready for anything and ready to carry almost anything.

I've kept my word to Dirk- I've been all over town many times over- dodging traffic and drivers that don't seem to know the rules of the road, hitting teeth-shattering potholes, attempting some ridiculously steep hills, avoiding unleashed dogs, dealing with sore "bike ass", picking bugs from my teeth, and just enjoying the general awesomeness that comes from just coasting down a hill and listening to my wheels spin.

One thing I'm a bit timid about, however, is biking in the rain. It's slippery, your brakes don't work as well, and (pointing out the obvious here), you get really wet and kind of look silly, and you get that stripe of wet down your back and between your buttcheeks that feels so very, very wrong.

I rode Dirk to work yesterday, a day where (like every day lately) rain was predicted. And just like every other day lately, I figured that it wouldn't rain, as we hadn't actually achieved rain on even one single day that it has been predicted.
Oops.
When it was time to go, the skies were black and it was pouring with no sign of letting up. I thought about waiting it out, but knowing that I had a doggy at home that was probably doing the pee-pee dance and contemplating using the couch as a diaper, I knew I had to just suck it up and head out in the (still pouring) rain.

And it was AWESOME.

Other than one near-wipeout early on, I loved every second. I took a route that utilized biking & pedestrian paths, so I avoided traffic almost completely. I felt like a kid- soaked from head to toe, grinning uncontrollably, revelling in every second of it. It sounds cheesy, but I felt more alive and connected to things than I have in a while. It was fantastic.

wet:

...but still completely fantastic.

Happy Wednesday, my free-wheeling puppies with wet bums. Happy Wednesday.

XO

PS: Yes, this is as close as I'll ever get to mooning you.