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Musings on a Rainy Day

01.16.2011 by Ray Niekamp // 8 Comments

The email and message boards lit up Saturday evening with ride cancellations.  We’ve had several wet days in Central Texas, with a fine mist falling all day Friday, and heavier, steady rain Saturday.  Rain again Sunday.  We certainly need it, but it sure throws a monkey wrench into things.  As the organizer of our club’s Sunday ride put it, “I have no problem riding in the wet myself, but it might send the wrong message if we as a club go ahead with our ride in these conditions.”  A local bike shop announced that its Sunday shop ride was cancelled for the first time in their history.  So not only will I not ride, but some long-delayed yard work is going to be delayed even further.

My attention isn’t focused on riding right now anyway.  Thursday afternoon, while driving home from the car dealer’s where I paid a lot more than I expected for some service on my car, I was rear-ended.  A woman pulling out of a parking lot assumed I was moving forward (I was stopped at a light), and looked left for oncoming traffic.  There was none, so she turned out of the lot – right into my rear bumper.  I had just celebrated making the final payment on the car a week ago, and I was already in a foul mood about the cost of the service.  Now this.  But when I looked at the damage to her car, the great German word – schadenfreude – came to mind (taking joy in the suffering of others).  Her crumpled fender, hood, and headlight were in far worse shape than mine.

Auto insurance has gotten easier to deal with in recent years.  State Farm called me Friday, asked what body shop I had in mind, gave me the shop’s phone number as well as the extension of the person who handles State Farm claims, and said a rental car would be ready at the shop whenever I took my car in.  I guess the fact that the woman was also insured by State Farm helped.

The trip to the body shop Monday will have to fit in around a trip to the dentist.  I’m getting a new crown put in to replace a bad tooth, and the temporary one they put in last week is causing me a lot of discomfort.  They’ll fix it, but it makes finding time to ride a little more challenging.

The good thing is that the forecast for Monday calls for improvement.  The rain will be gone, the temperatures will be milder, and it’s a holiday for some of us – myself included.  Somehow, I’m going to find time to ride.

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Comments

  1. Bryan says

    January 16, 2011 at 5:12 pm

    You know what they say – when it rains it pours. (Sorry, couldn’t resist.)

    Hope your luck turns around some and you make it through the car and tooth repair with no surprises.

    Reply
  2. johnt says

    January 16, 2011 at 5:18 pm

    I’ve sunk to spinning classes to get in some miles this week with the cold and rain keeping me off the bike.

    Reply
    • Bike Noob says

      January 16, 2011 at 7:13 pm

      The gym my wife belongs to offers spin classes, and I could go as her guest – but I hate spin classes.

      Reply
      • Tim says

        January 17, 2011 at 6:42 am

        Me too. If I’m going to venture into zone 4 and 5 I would rather be conquering an actual hill.

        Reply
  3. Mel Hughes says

    January 16, 2011 at 5:34 pm

    Thank goodness you weren’t hurt! I hope your Monday is much better!

    Reply
  4. RamonH says

    January 16, 2011 at 6:01 pm

    I hear you and feel your pain about not being able to ride. The sun finally came out this afternoon after several days of drizzle, rain, and cold . I was itching to go riding this evening, but other chores came calling. Instead, I will put in a nice 15-20 miler tomorrow morning.

    Reply
  5. mildstallion says

    January 16, 2011 at 7:22 pm

    On the down side, it will top out at 16°F tomorrow. On the upside, I’m in the middle of a 5 month stretch of no yard work.

    Reply
  6. Tim says

    January 17, 2011 at 6:43 am

    Actually, it wasn’t that bad yesterday. Of course, I’m crazy (according to my wife and grandkids).

    Sorry to hear about the car. I see people do that all the time; looking left trying to sneak a right turn when they should be looking in front of them.

    Reply

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