This perfect day

Every time something goes wrong with my bike, and every time I drive my car, or even walk in a busy area--especially downtown--I start to think how hard and scary it is to get on that bike and proceed into traffic. I wonder how I do it, and think I might not have the nerve next time.

I was thinking that as I was walking Clyde the eight or ten blocks to my new best friend, Bike Gallery's downtown store, an hour ago.

They fixed the flat for me in a few minutes (during which I resisted the strong urge to buy a new helmet, a front basket and a floor pump with stern self-talk about waiting for my tax refund), and when I emerged onto SW 10th Avenue, I was still a little hesitant. I thought, maybe I'll just walk him back on down to work.

Yeah, right.

It's 57 degrees out there today (14C), all buds and shoots and blue sky, and ten BAZILLION people were out grinning and squinting at the sun. I hopped on Clyde and oh my God, it was glorious. For a ten block ride I didn't even bother with my helmet. Hair, meet breeze. Retinas, meet Vitamin D. Mouth, meet idiotic grin.

I haven't ridden on a spring day before. There is NOTHING that's gonna keep me from doing it every day from now on.