getting there

For the better part of the morning, I can best be described as a zombie on a bike. My feet are pedalling, but I’m not certain that I’m awake. The only thing that can save me and change from zombie to human in the morning is a cup of coffee. And unfortunately today, poor Noel found out what happens to one who comes between me and my coffee. Even though breakfast is laid out by a group of riders (we split into different "teams" for preparing meals) before 6, we're not supposed to begin eating until 6 o'clock. However, everyone generally has a cup of coffee prior to 6 as they're getting ready in the morning. Noel, who is an older fellow affectionately referred to as a "Noel it all", wandered up to me, tapped his finger on his watch, and asked "Is it 6 o'clock yet?" I glared back and snapped "Are you a crew member?". The poor guy recoiled like he'd been stung by a scorpion. Everyone laughed, and I said I was sorry, but I can't promise that I won't behave similarly if someone tries to come between me and my coffee. :o)

As though further evidence were required that I'm not a morning person, my jersey did the talking for me. It was cold one morning and I put on a sleeveless jersey underneath a long-sleeved jersey so that I could take off the warmer one as it warmed up throughout the day. When it did warm up and I took off the outer jersey, I realized that I'd put my sleeveless jersey on backwards so that all of the pockets were on my tummy instead of my back. I had to high tail it to the bathroom to switch it around before anyone else could notice how silly I was!

The crew members set up a table for lunch that contains different kinds of peanut butter, jelly, breads, etc. and you show up and make your own sandwiches. When I arrive, I’ve used all of my energy on the physical process of getting myself there, and generally don’t have any left for rational thought. I arrive at the lunch table, examine all of the items, and think “Hmm, that’s interesting” and completely fail to comprehend how to put all of the bits together into something useful and edible. One day, they also put out lunch meats, hummus, and salad bits left over from the previous night’s dinner, and that just completely threw me. It took a good five minutes to work it all out and put together a sandwich that was edible. My typical lunch is a graham cracker with smooth peanut butter and honey. I think the silliest thing I’ve eaten is a peanut butter, bacon, and honey sandwich.

I rode for most of the day with Eric, and we talked a lot about Ayn Rand since I’m reading Atlas Shrugged, and his favourite book is Fountainhead. I also had my second flat tire today, and unfortunately forgot to replace my spare tube since I’d used it changing my flat earlier this week. So I called Rich, and he brought a spare tube, but I changed this one (mostly) myself.

The clouds today were so beautiful, fully, and fluffy. In fact, I’m certain that if I were just a bit taller, I could reach up and squeeze them, and they’d be squeezably soft.

I also made up a new game today to keep me occupied. I pretend that the little pebbles on the shoulder are bombs and will explode if my wheel touches them, so I whiz between them, making sound effects as necessary.

I haven't learned many new bicycle skills lately, but it's not for a lack of trying. Two positions that I'm trying to master at the moment are to learn how to ride with my forearms resting on the handle bars and also sitting upright with my hands of the handlebars altogether. Not much progress on either yet, but thankfully no spills during my efforts to learn.

Today we stayed at the Newcastle Senior Center, which is actually a really lovely place. The members don’t reside there, but it’s more of a social club for seniors. They can go to the cafeteria and eat together, go to the family room and hang out, watch TV, and play bridge. I hope that when I’m a senior, I live by such a center.
It’s funny how your body so quickly becomes accustomed to new conditions. I’ve become so used to the hot outdoors, that when I was back in an air conditioned building, I was actually freezing. I wore my coat the whole time we were in the Senior Center.

One of the crew members, Lynn, had a birthday today, so as a group, we got her a t-shirt from the Senior Center that said “You can’t roll back the clock, but you can wind it up again.” They fed us dinner in the cafeteria there, and after dinner, some of us sat around playing silly games like writing down the name of a public figure on a piece of paper, switching them around, taping it to your forehead, and having to guess the figure named on your forehead by asking the other players yes / no questions.