Thursday, May 23, 2013

Too Hot to Scoot

Sometimes I think that if I stopped complaining about things I'd have nothing to talk about, but that, indeed, would be a a wry curse because I seem to enjoy bellyaching and I love using words.  I've often told the kids whom I teach that to answer life's really important questions there is no big book of answers to which they'll be able to turn.  Perhaps I need to add a corollary to let them know that for the most important things they'll want to express in life, there are no adequate words.  No matter, for example, how many times and in how many ways I've wanted to say, "I love you," I have always fallen way short of getting across just what that means to me and how grateful I am that somebody finds me lovable.  But, see what I mean about not sparing the words?  Here I am about to start a post about the weather in the past two days and I'm getting all sappy and going on about other stuff.


This is the thermometer on my deck as it read last evening when I finished supper and very briefly thought about taking out the scooter.  I recalled in that split second of insanity a particular ride I took some summers back when I noticed that I was going about 75 mph on a very hot and humid, summer's day and noticed absolutely no wind chill factor cooling me down.  I wondered why that was and when I got back to the house I did some research and learned that for various reasons at temperatures about 95 degrees the wind chill factor operates in reverse so that fast speeds actually make you feel hotter than the given temperature.  With that recollection I decided just to stay put last night and listen to the AHL Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins game.

I'm glad I decided to stick around for the game.  Having come from behind at 3-0 in a seven game series to even the score with 3 games each against the Providence Bruins, the Penguins did the near impossible.  For the first time ever in AHL history a team, OUR team, came from behind at 3-0 to win the playoff round on the other team's ice.  This is a great thing because it will afford me the opportunity to attend at least one more playoff game and sample another new beer or two!

So, any how, back to that complaining that I opened with...  Actually, I'm not about to do it.  Yes, I stayed at the house yesterday instead of taking the bike out, and yes in part it was because of the heat.  But...


...it wan't all that long ago that I had to dress like this to enjoy a a ride, and...


...we had enough snow this past winter to last the next three winters at least.  The sunshine doesn't have to be shoveled, it doesn't require maintaining the snowblower, and it doesn't typically make for dangerous driving conditions.

Therefore, at least this time around, I'm not going to complain.  Mark your calendar, though, 'cause I'm not making any promises for the days ahead.


2 comments:

Unknown said...

Joe:

I can't believe it's 100°F there already. I wouldn't be riding either.

and at your age, it's okay to let your mind wander, you've earned the privilege

bob
Riding the Wet Coast

kz1000st said...

Actually "the Secret of Life isn't knowing the answer, it's knowing the person who has the answer."

Cook Neilson, Cycle magazine, circa 1976