A fine day

In years past, I celebrated my birthday by picking up a little something for myself from the bike shop — new socks or something like that — and getting on with the day. Because, really, it's just another day.

This year, though, I started planning well in advance. Things at the store this spring have been busier than in the past, and with various events being planned and executed — along with side projects — I'm feeling pretty worked over. Basically, I need a vacation in a bad, bad way.

So I started thinking about what I'd like to do on my birthday. Here's what I came up with: I just wanted to ride my bike all day. Get up, eat breakfast, jump on the bike. And whenever I get back is perfectly fine.

After taking Jack to daycare in the Burley, I kitted up and headed to Midtown to meet with EOB and KGil, who were ditching their various responsibilities in order to spend a day on the bike. Despite a splotchy radar, we got only a few random sprinkles the entire time.

Down through Bellevue, across the toll bridge and then down the Glenwood. Then back north on the west side of the bluff and up to Council Bluffs, then across the bridge and through town. It was a nice, long, steady burn.

With jobs and kids and other responsibilities, most of us don't have many days where the only task at hand is to get lost in whatever we're doing. And don't get me wrong — I love the family/job/responsibility thing.

But it was so nice to be able to worry only about turning the cranks. I needed a day like that.

Thanks to Eric and Kevin for joining me. I ended up with 93 miles (not counting the daycare/Burley trip) in just over 5 hours.

And thanks to Chris and Jack for putting up with me. And thanks to Chris' uncle, who didn't get bummed when I had three plates of BBQ at his house later that night.

And now, back to work.