miriamSpace

I finally had my bike fixed and was able to ride to work yesterday.

After being crabby for a week it was great to have something real to gripe about - something that could take all the bitching I could throw with delightful passivity. The weather, the roads, the wind, and the random cars on the road really couldn't care less. It was exhilarating to be fighting against the wind again, to notice my frozen toes when I still had three more miles to go (about half-way).

And when I was all grumped out I began to notice all the beauty - the delicious sent of cold - the snow covering a group of rocks, the weak sun making what few colors around so much more vibrant, the frozen river, the pattern of slush on the road. There was/is no end to beauty when out in the world unprotected with no bubble of heat, glass, and metal around me, with no radio to distract me. And when I am traveling at 8 to 10 miles per hour I tend to notice more.

I need to bike more in the winter to stay sane - riding brings much needed adversity and struggle to my life.