FW: If i had a blog this would be a great post.

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From: Jon Eberly
Sent: 1/25/2012 11:15 AM
To: John Speare
Subject: If i had a blog this would be a great post.

Today on my way to school I stopped by the Shop to pick up cyclocross magazine from coffee joe. Deviating from my normal commute path I decided it'd be fun to go down the trails from perry district to liberty park. The trails were slicker than snot, and given that studded tires only give you so much additional traction, I fell and slid most of the way down.

I now had to make my way from liberty park to SCC.  I chose to take the "scenic" routes through the train yards to avoid as much traffic as I could.  After I had committed enough to the endeavor that I didn't want to turn back and find a different route, I realized the route I chose had its own draw backs.  In between each track was a mini lake of ice cold water.  I had many opportunities to practice my cyclocross  mounts and dismounts but in the process soaked the wrestling shoes I was wearing.

After the impromptu train track swimming lessons I was relieved to finish my commute and get to school where I could warm up in the computer laboratory before class.  I dismount and pull the shogun into the bike rack while reaching in my back pocket for my u-lock.

"Fuck," I said realizing my lock must have fallen out of my pocket when I took a slide down the liberty lake trails.  I looked at my watch and realized I had 1 hour until class.  Do I head all the way home and grab another lock or do I attempt to find my u-lock where I think I may have lost it?  I decided to go find it.

Not knowing exactly where my u-lock fell out of my pocket I backtrack my path back to the park.  If my feet weren't soaked now they sure are now as I was forced to cross the train yard once more.  I make it to the park and begin my ascent of the icy trails.  I scratched, clawed and pulled my way up the frozen trail utilizing any shrubbery to prevent sliding back down.  Nearly at the top, lying right in the pristine ice, is my lock.  I grab it and this time stuff it in my pannier and head back to school.

I took a different path this time that didn't involve any wayward train track crossings.  I made it to school with minutes to spare, smiling, realizing this adventure is exactly the reason I ride my bike.