crunch crunch

Hubby always thinks it's funny that I like to make a lot of noise crunching through the fallen leaves.

path near Royal Glenora

I tell him it's because I grew up on the bald prairie of Southern Saskatchewan where we didn't really have trees or fallen leaves. They are still a bit of a novelty to me. Turns out I like crunching through the leaves on my bike, too.

Because of my hand I haven't done a lot of long-distance riding this fall. But last Friday I rode into Southgate so I could go to the optometrist and order new glasses. I rode along 16A, down Winterburn to 87 Avenue, into Callingwood, Westridge and Rio Terrace, and then across Quesnel Bridge to Fox Drive. It was a perfect day -- about 20 degrees, a light breeze and plenty of sunshine. 

And what a thrill to arrive at the mall and see a full bike rack! Of course, I was glad there was room for me to lock up my bike, but how cool that so many people are riding.

ravine hill

 

fall is here -- or is it winter?

Tights - check
Knee-high boots - check
Wool sweater and second wool sweater - check
Water-resistant jacket with quilted lining - check
Rain pants - check
Thin wool gloves and ski mitts - check

Then... clear the snow off the car before leaving for work!

Yes, this was September 8, the first day of our fall session. One thing was omitted from the list above -- a scarf. I was sorry about that. It was a cold, wet ride, but even so, it was better than driving.

Tuesday morning was a little warmer. I was looking forward to a more comfortable ride, but when I took the bike out of the car, I noticed that the front brake was rubbing -- again. A closer look showed me that the brake pad is positioned too high and is actually rubbing on the tire - not good, as I understand it. So I put the bike back in the car, drove to a parking spot near 142 Street and walked the rest of the way. I had forgotten about the 102 Avenue bridge, so scrambled a bit to find my way over to Stony Plain Road. I ended up walking about 6 km, at 7.6 km/hour, arriving at work carrying my jacket and blazer, but still hot and sweaty. Oh well, better than driving!

Wednesday and Thursday I used my other commuter bike and although it was cold in the morning, the afternoon rides were fairly pleasant.

On Thursday morning, the River Valley was gorgeous, with the frost-covered grass sparkling in the sunlight...

 ... and the moon hanging low in the uniformly blue sky behind me. Although I was cold, I had to stop to take some photos.

To kick off the new session and to encourage perseverance in language study, I had my students read a story about a  

South Korean woman who finally passed her written driving test 

on the 950th try. The students loved it, and one woman even said that it inspired her to start driving again, after 5 years of being afraid to drive as a result of being rear-ended at a red light. 

We studied synonyms for perseverance, including doggedness and resolve, and engaged in discussion about the need for this trait in our own lives.

catch-up

I can't believe it's really been more than a month since I wrote anything here.

The weekend of August 9-10 we went down to Calgary to meet up with my brother. Of course, I saw the opportunity for a good long bike ride. I started out fairly early Saturday morning and met up with Hubby in Millet, 90 km from home. If I'd known the distance, I would have ridden another 10K to make it 100 km, but oh well. Aside from a couple of inconsiderate guys behind the steering wheels of trucks -- one delivery truck and one pick-up truck -- and a dog that chased me, barking the whole time, for about 1/2 a kilometer, it was a good ride. Gorgeous sunny day. Smooth, fast pavement. Wide shoulders. Gorgeous scenery, but I didn't take many photos.

Sheep, just south of Devon

 

I stopped here to text Hubby and tell him to bring the stuff I'd forgotten!

We stayed at the Delta South in Calgary, where they cheerfully kept my bike in a locked storage room. After a superb buffet breakfast Sunday morning, we picked up my brother and went to Fish Creek park, where we walked for about 9 km. It was unexpectedly hot and there is virtually no shade on the trail, so we were ready for some cold drinks afterward. We had a most enjoyable visit and then headed home.

The summer session of ESL ended on Thursday, August 23, but I checked out a bit early, On the Tuesday, as I was riding back to the car after work, zipping along and enjoying the beautiful weather, a young kid, maybe 13 or 14, threw his skateboard out onto the shared pathway, right in front of my bike. It all happened so fast that the next thing I knew I was on the ground and blood was pouring onto the pavement. I sat there for a while, feeling stunned, then finally got up the courage to ask the kid what was bleeding. He told me I had a cut on my chin and another under my left eye.  My hands were also scraped-up and swelling rapidly. I instructed the kid to get my sweater out of my pannier and used it (white sweater, no less) to stem the flow. 

Still shaking, I finally stood up and assessed my condition. I was pleasantly surprised to find that I could walk without keeling over, so I asked the kid to take my bike and come with me to my car. He obliged, but after a couple of blocks, I realized that I was OK on my own, so I sent him on his way and walked my bike the remaining 2 or 3 blocks to the car. Somehow I even managed to load the bike into the back, then I sat down behind the wheel and called Hubby. I was still shaking and was scared to drive, so we left the car where it was and Hubby drove me home. 

It was a bit of a shock to look in the mirror and realize that I had a doozy of a black eye, along with the not unsubstantial cut on my chin. But there was nothing that a few bandaids and some ice couldn't take care of, so I took the necessary steps and then lay down for the rest of the evening. It didn't take me long to conclude that I was not going to be able to teach the next two days, so I called to arrange a sub.

Wednesday and Thursday I felt pretty shaky and didn't do much of anything, but by Friday I was feeling much better, well enough to agree to a visit from my three Buddhist monk students. They came after lunch, bearing fruit and flowers, and stayed for about an hour. Youngest Son was home, so he sat in on the conversation and was entertained by stories about life in a remote Laotian village.

On Monday I was ready to get back on the bike. I went for a short ride on the trails, figuring that between my helmet and sunglasses, I could hide the worst of my injuries. The bike was in pretty good nick, except that the front brake was a bit off. So on Tuesday I rode to the bike shop, where I impressed the guys with my war wounds and listened to their crash stories. And got the bike fixed.

I'd had great plans for my two weeks off -- lots of cleaning, plenty of long bike rides, hours of sewing. But thanks to my sore right hand, extensive cleaning was out of the question. I did organize my study and do some other light cleaning, but the blinds and windows are still waiting to be attended to. I did a little sewing, but fine handwork, required for the Waldorf doll I was planning to make, has had to wait. I did some cycling, but again, because of my sore hand I didn't dare ride for more than an hour or so, and I was afraid to ride the road bike, because the shifting and braking techniques are difficult and painful. I didn't want to go out much, because I looked so awful, so I mostly stayed at home. I did a lot of walking on the treadmill, reading, and preparing for next session. I was a little sorry to have spent my break in this way, but...

My predominant feeling about this crash is one of thankfulness. It could have been so much worse -- I could have had a concussion, broken my wrist(s), done more damage to my eye... Instead I came out with a sprained hand, some scrapes and bruises, a few cuts and of course the pro boxer-style eye. Not only that, but it happened just before I was due for time off. I had to take only 2 sick days (the first I've taken since I started working.) 

And I learned a most valuable lesson: don't ride so fast on the shared pathways!