Another busy week without much time to write about what I've done. Another week of commuting to work by bicycle. Really, is there any other way?
I had to find a new parking spot at the west end of the city, as there is heavy-duty big-time construction on the street where I used to park. I found another spot nearby. This spot seems ideal and extends the length of my commute slightly -- to 9 km. That extra 1/2 K makes me feel good!
On Tuesday I discovered that I'd left my cell phone in my purse overnight and it was absolutely dead. I do have a car charger, but it doesn't seem to work very well, so I essentially had no phone as I rode to work. I decided to ride through the city instead of the River Valley, just in case. I am cautious by nature and like to prepare for the worst, so I figure if something goes wrong and I am close to a store or a restaurant or the museum, I can always get help. If I'm in the River Valley, I am stranded. Anyway, riding on the city streets -- specifically Stony Plain Road and 102 Avenue -- made me very thankful for the River Valley option! I can't believe that until late last fall I rode on the streets every day. (I didn't know about the River Valley route before then.) I can't believe how much gravel and other debris there is along the curbs on 102 Avenue, a signed bike route. I can't believe how much traffic there is -- and how slowly it moves -- along this same street. I can't believe how many people ride their bikes counter-traffic on the narrow sidewalks across the bridges. I can't believe how stupid the 116 Street/100 Avenue intersection is. I rode home the same way, because I wanted to stop at MEC to look for a jersey. This ride was also less pleasant than my normal ride through the River Valley, but totally worth it, because on 100 Avenue I saw a sight I never thought I'd see: two EPS officers on bikes, riding side-by-side on the sidewalk, against traffic. Hmmm.
On Wednesday I rode through the River Valley. Wednesday started out as a nice day, but when I left work, it was beginning to sprinkle and the clouds were threatening worse to come. And worse came. I was nervous about riding down the Fortway Road hill, with its many potholes and copious amounts of gravel, in the rain, so I thought I'd try something new -- taking my bike down the staircase just east of the Royal Glenora. Big mistake. The heavy panniers on my bike meant I couldn't control it on the steep stairs -- I couldn't get it to behave on the ramp, and it was too heavy for me to carry. Just as I'd decided to remove the panniers, take the bike down on its own and then come back up for the panniers, a sweet young couple who were running up and down the stairs saw my dilemma. The guy very kindly picked up my bike and carried it down while I carried the panniers. Boy, do I owe them one! Obviously, that is one thing I will not try to do again!
By the time I resumed riding after that near-fiasco, the heavy rain had started, and moments later it began to thunder as well. I was soaked to the skin before I came out of the River Valley, and then as I exited the 100 Avenue shared sidewalk, the hail started. Fortunately it wasn't the size of baseballs or even golf balls, maybe more like chocolate chips, but that was big enough. When I finally got back to the car, I was so wet that I decided to change my clothes (I had some shorts in my pannier) in the back seat! This was the first time in almost three years of riding every day that I've ridden in a thunderstorm. I've ridden in normal rain, snow and sleet; now I can add thunder and hail to the list.
Thursday's commute was simply lovely -- on my to work I saw a nice big rabbit sitting on the hillside watching the human traffic go by. On the way home there were a few puddles from the afternoon rain, but the clouds were thinning and the sun was peeking through. I finished the work week happy and thankful to be able to get some exercise and have fun, instead of sitting in a car in stop-and-go traffic, on my way to work.
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