Sadomasochism and other lessons learned.

Lesson #1: The balaclava is not a Greek pastry

I heard someone pronounce this word for the first time Sunday. I'd only just seen the word prior to this. I'm embarrassed to say I thought it was pronounced more like a Greek pastry: baklava.

Lesson #2: "The Strip Trail will be closed through February" means "Through March"

Boooo!

The the "I spotted Yale" drinking game.

I should make a game. Every time I spot Yale on the trails I have to drink a shot. No? How about a little bike decal award on my helmet every 10 times I spot him?

 I ran into the 'Well-lit recumbent Lady with kitty litter panniers' that Vannevar encountered some time ago. My new cowbell caught her eye (ear, actually) and she asked why I had a cowbell on my bike. I explained that few could hear my teeny bell or soft voice squeaking out an 'On your left!' at them, so I was trying out something with more ooomph.

Please, don't try and press the play button. You'll just feel silly.

 Hubby sometimes works in a rural office and I asked him to stop at a Tractor Supply Center for a cowbell. He called me from 'the cowbell section' and actually rang them for me over the phone. Gotta love that. I'm now the proud owner of a Kentucky#4 (whatever that means) cowbell. It works surprisingly well, it remains almost silent while moving, just an occasional 'bong' while going over a bump. It takes a bit of finesse to get it to ring when I want it to. Everyone hears me coming up behind them, I haven't noticed if the folks with earbuds hear the tones yet. It's been too cold for them to be out. This is definitely something I'll remove for riding with others, as the occasional 'bong!' might get annoying to others.

Mooooooove out of my way!

No, I didn't need a prescription from
Bruce Dickinson for my cowbell.

Lesson #3: Don't post handlebar cam video of anything I do on a bike at our local bike message boards.

...unless I'm feeling particularly sadomasochistic that day and I'm up for a complete sh*tstorm/clusterf*uck of Internet arguing. 

Lesson #4: it takes a lot of planning and people to get one bike rack installed.

I'm working with about 10 different people and 4 different companies & organizations to get approval, placement, funding and design of one bike rack (and possibly an air pump too!) with our logo installed outside our door at work.

"Artist's" rendering