Criminal Commute!

I truly didn't wake up this morning with plans to break any rules.

However while cycling my way to work on my usual commute I see a sign posted at the entrance of Otsiningo Park that all trails are closed for the SpeidieFest & Balloon Rally www.spiediefest.com/ August 2, 3 & 4th. Yeah, okay, I mutter as I sail by the sign around the gate: gotta get to work!

SO further on into the park what do I find but a padlocked gate with wire fencing wrapped around the ends of the gate so that there was no simple walkaround! By now I'm feeling a little bit of Michael Douglas' pain as he felt just trying to blast his way home in Falling Down! www.imdb.com/title/tt010
6856/

I just WASN'T going to backtrack all the way up to Chenango Bridge and come down Chenango Street. I would be late for WORK!

All righty then, UP goes the bike as I hoist it over the gate and follow suit swinging my legs up and over. I'm just peeved enough to have words with someone should they start chastising me! I've ridden my bike through the park on the morning of SpeidieFest for years! The park has never been closed until today. I make my way through the park with nary a peep from anyone, including the security guard at the gate on the other end of the park. I was ready for him though! PLUS I wasn't even rewarded by one of my favorite sights: no hot air balloon launches this spectacularly sunny, blue morning with the fog quickly lifting skyward.

But it all was smoothed out by the remainder of the ride through Cheri Lindsay Park along the sprawling Chenango River and gaggles of geese lazing about squonking, feeding themselves and fertilizing the trail.

It's pretty tough to have a cycling commute that one regrets. Even last Friday's commute, for instance, when I got TWO flats only 2.5 miles from my home. My mistake was assuming that the first flat was a pinch flat resulting from not totally avoiding a pot-hole. I quickly changed the flat without checking the inside of the tire, because it was a pinch flat, right? Wrong...! Glass all over. No more tubes. What to do? I figured by the time I call home to rouse DW for a lift I could probably jog home and hop in the car without bothering her. Yes, yes, there was Kattellville Hill to climb, but hey, I've done that before, right? Whew! It was a challenge, for sure, especially hanging onto my bike with one hand and avoiding collisions between the pedal and my ankle...which I almost succeeded in doing (ouch). But after I was done I figured, hey, workout is done, I'm ready for the day! It's all good!

I have some really awesome plans in the works for special rides coming up later this summer, but more about that in my next blog. Today I have to decide on tomorrow's ride: I have registered for BikeTioga.com, a whole $15... :-) But have since learned that the 60-some mile ride starts at 7:30 a.m. And the start is around an hour's drive from home. Ugh. An alternative ride was posted by a fellow club member who is riding to Norwich for the www.chenangosummerjam.or
g/

This ride will be cruising right by the front of my home around 9:30 a.m. and will be around the same distance and feature free live entertainment. I think I will consider my $15 fee to BikeTioga as money donated to a good cause and high-tail it to Norwich for a later (hello SLEEP, my good buddy!) ride sharing free music with my fellow bike club members!

Make it a wonderful weekend everyone!

Fill it with boatloads of heart and SPARK!

Don