Spring Fling

"CA-CHING": If you pay for it, you're definetely still going. Rolling out of sleepy Louisville on a chilly incline told me my immediate plan for this ride: make like a Kingsford charcoal briquette; "lights up fast, and burns longer". So I did. Route 66 was not a big deal like some song suggests so I just rolled with that. "DING!": The gentle curve spilled me down into South Bend; a quick as a wink spin with all the fun of a kid riding for the first time. I wished for the Ding Ding Man to bring me ice cream. Hello 310th Street, all speckled with hills and barns with huge quilt-like motifs capturing my creative side of the ride. "SING": Good eats at the first stop in Murdock and good company-2 Velo riders! You guys were an added inspiration to my day today sharing with me my passion! Getting a little chilled, so I headed out on my own again, visiting everyone I encountered, mostly on the hills. "CLING": Finally to Eagle as the cross-winds on the straightaway 4 mile flat took the rest of my toes. Warm was the food and OMG! PROCESSED MEAT on the grill. Do I eat it and warm my core but risk getting sick on a hill, or do I skip it and sniffel about it all the way back to that church with the graveyard? I ate it. I saw people's breath as they seemed to be talking in slow motion; time to move out again: they were clinging to the grill. "PING": Headwinds all the way back. Come on Mother Nature show me what you've got. The ping-ping sound of water bouncing off me became pelting sheets of water striking me(so this is rain). "STING": Now I've rode in the rain but this was a little more untamed. Tackling hills, against the wind, and now rain, yes, this is REAL life, embrace it! My eyeglasses were eyeball protectors. I nudged them down my nose and made a gap between them and my cap. The closer I was to Louisville, the harder it rained. "WING": Descending the last downhill rapidly- good time to check my breaking ability- yep it's there- GOGOGO! YEE-HAW! Umm, did I miss my turn in? "KING": Arriving at destination like a wet noodle, yet feeling like a burning briquette, I beamed through my warpaint(you know- snot) and wondered if there was any recovery food. Sure enough, the coals had jussst enough burning ability to grill one more batch of processed meat-the glorious hotdog. Thanks, Kingsford. Trivia: Q: What Tour De France team allows only it's own countrys nationality to be on its team? A: Spain's team Euskaltel-Euskadi 'Orange' you glad you know that?! Speed Queen