An hour ago I was sitting on a picnic table outside Bridge Pizza, scarfing two pieces of spinach, sun dried tomato, and garlic on white (olive oil sauce).  I was returning from an after-work adventure, the sun was setting on a bluebird evening, and life was good.  Things seemed even rosier as a young lady walked out with her boyfriend and, as she was getting into the passenger seat of the Explorer, blatantly looked me up and down, smiled, and closed the door.  I smiled and took a few more bites, reflecting on the justice aborad in the land that evening.  Then two more young ladies walked out, and as they passed the bike rack 15 feet away even more blantantly examined my Lenz, locked to the end.  One had a full 160 degrees of neck rotation before commenting to her companion, as they continued across the street, “That is a nice bike!”

Hell yes it is.  Though when I was in the laudromat this morning drying my sleeping bag (which took hours) I saw no naked women, I still have to count it as a good day.  (Where does Bill do his laundry anyway?)

On a more somber note, this evening was probably the last Rattlesnake Creek run of the year.  In the last two weeks the creek has dropped two feet, creating a vastly different run.  Now manuvering is not to stay dry, but to actually avoid hitting rocks.  On the one hand the creek now has actual eddies, which adds a dimension, but getting around the one pine sweeper is only just possible.  Maybe once more this year, but there are plenty of other things to float, and having such a great (non-roadside) run so close is a rarity to be properly savored.

I’ve also been quite obsessed with the tour in the last two days,  I don’t care to delve into the nuances of whether classics hazard belong in the world’s most high stakes bike race, but one thing is certain: is has been very interesting (and not just I suspect for spectators).  It should continue to be so.

Edit: I do have an opinion, perhaps best expressed by this: