since I rode home from work in yet another BEAUTIFUL snowstorm.
I had a monstrously shitty day at work today. It was almost all of the normal frustrations inherent in my job (and they are manifold and plentiful) times about 10 because of the snow storm. My job involves making transportation arrangements for people who can’t drive, and when the weather goes to hell, things like taxicab and bus services go there right along with it. So work today was really stressful, and by noon I was thinking that after work I might have to indulge in an uncharacteristic violent drunken rampage.
Years ago, my sister had this housemate who kept a sort of “rumpus room” in their basement. He’d drag down old chairs, TV sets, vacuum cleaners, whatever old shit he could find alongside the road or at the city dump, and when he had a really bad day, he’d go down into his little bat cave with a baseball bat and smash the hell out of old busted appliances and furniture until he’d worked all of the evil out. There are days that I can see the appeal.
But as all days do, mine finally ended, and I bustled out of the building with my trusty, crusty old Trek into a whirling white landscape most pleasing to my eyes. It was much less windy than Thursday night, so riding into the flakes wasn’t such a face-scouring affair. The streets were well covered…in some places passage was frankly challenging as the snow was drifted up to hub height in places and alternately sodden and clinging or powdery and shifting. I churned, plowed, fishtailed, and crunched my way home, and by the time I was heaving my bike over the snowplow-created barricade blocking off our alley, I was feeling totally human again.
Instead of looking for something to destroy, I brought the dog outside and shoveled the sidewalk, throwing snow high into the air for her to chase around madly. No longer was I in a wretched and vicious mood. I was restored and able to just chill out and watch the dog be a loonburger.
There’s something about a good ride, and especially a good snow ride, that can really improve one’s outlook on life.
Joel took this picture of me on my way to work yesterday (yep, I had to work on Christmas day). He rode in with me and then had a little cruise of his own. He’s riding home tonight, too, in fact. It’s great to be with someone who appreciates the beauty of a good snowy bicycle ride!