I just wanted to grab breakfast at a local eatery and run a few errands. What happened was, I spent the day talking to myself while pedaling. The stuff I say to myself sometimes is just a kick. Either I’m crazy or I’m really funny. At least I amuse easily.
Best of all by the end of the ride, there wasn’t a stressed muscle in my body and the feeling of freedom and accomplishment was huge.
The bulk of this story is from last January. It’s now October and it happened again, a 50 degree temperature change while out pedaling. 51 degrees this morning +100 this afternoon.
January 2017 7:40am – 27 degrees
There’s ice on the windshield. I’m wearing, long yoga pants, warmish socks, long sleeves,sweatshirt hoodie, windbreaker and gloves it’s cold out.
After only 2 miles I rip off the windbreaker and toss it in the back of the ELF.
8am only 20 minutes have gone by and it’s almost 55. At the red light I take off the the sweatshirt and gloves and toss them on the back shelf of my ELF and put the windbreaker back on.
Now after breakfast around 9:30a it’s 67 degrees, I start to pedal and I quickly stop. I need to remove the windbreaker. Now I’m wishing for shorts.
Thank goodness I’m at Costco. Who in the world ever says that? I did, that 59 cent drink with crunchy ice. Ahhh I’m cooling down.
After a little shopping, I’m on the way home. Now to pedal back over the Grossmont Summit with all the stuff I bought at Costco. It’s all packed nicely in the trunk of the ELF. OMG, I’m pedaling an extra 50-60 pounds.
It’s 2pm, what a stupid idea it was to wear a long sleeve t-shirt and long pants. This is San Diego. I should know better, it’s almost 80 degrees. I need shorts!
OMG, I have to stopped for a drink, I’ve already finished off all my water. I’m boiling hot, but I’m almost home.
While negotiating traffic and sweating, I’m thinking of ways to cool down as I pedal the last few miles home.
If I could have gotten away with it, I would have ripped off the yoga pants. It was a real thought, don’t laugh. But I’d would need doors. Yes, doors on the ELF would solve the problem, I thought. A Pebl has doors. But I don’t have doors, now what?
Maybe, I could take my pants off and wrap them around my legs. Yes! It would look like a skirt. Yes that would work, at least until I have to stand up. I can’t believe my next thought was, “hmmm… what does my underwear look like? Are they the nicer ones just in case someone sees them.” I’m getting delusional.
I keep pedaling and thinking, if I’m lucky I would never have to stand up and I can use the garage door opener app, on my phone to open the door. So as long as the last two miles are uneventful it could work. All I have to do is cruise up into the garage and close the door. No one would ever know I’m not wearing pants.
Girl are you crazy? Just suck it up. You’re almost home and you’re burning calories.
Finally I’m home. What do you mean its 57 degrees in the house. I guess I’m dressed appropriately again. Sigh
In just one medium long ride to do errands, the thermometer changed over 50 degrees.
So we leave the ELFs on the back patio. *Note to oneself the batteries do not charge efficiently when it’s that cold at night.* I was way too hot, to have to pedal that hard up all those hills to make up for battery loss. Ugh!
Signed
A silly “east county” San Diegan