So, last night I got home... and I ate dinner and I smoked some cigarettes... and then I hopped on my bicycle which has seemingly gone unridden for the last 6 1/2 years... and rode to work. The plan was to find out if I could do this and if it would be better than taking the bus. Most of what I was hoping would be better about it was less interaction with people I don't know (I am a horrible stranger-phobe) and faster (thus leaving me with more time to lay in bed).
For the record, once upon a time, I used to be able to ride my bike 50 miles in a day without thinking twice. One day in 1995, I biked up the side of an alp. It's less than five miles to work, surely I could go less than five miles now. I know I smoke now. I am prolly otherwise just as inactive now, except that back then I had to walk up and down stairs all day at high school.
Waste didn't believe I could do it. He told me to take money for the bus (the bus does have bike racks). He thinks that I am unfathomably out of shape. He thinks that because I coerce him into doing everything for me and whine when I have to move that this means I am out of shape. What it really means is that I am lazy. I am perfectly capable of doing things for myself. It's just easier to let him. I am just lazy. I am so lazy that I once consiously thought "I have to pee. I wonder is Waste can do something about that for me.".
I did it. I rode my bike to work. It takes 25 minutes. It only takes 15 minutes to get home. That's cause it's all up-hill going there. For those of you keeping track, that's half the time the bus takes.
However, it's all up-hill. No way could I possibly ride my bike to work and then work all day without taking a shower. (note: I did not take a shower when I got home last night. I didn't realise how I smelled until I got to work today. I promise to shower tonight. Oh, and for the record, my body odor smells like fast food to me. I think I sweat french fries. Which would make sense given my eating habits.). I didn't have to stop at all. Aside from all the coughing (I am not completely over the bronchitis) and the runny nose, and one time the chain jumped, it was not that horrible.
So, now I know that if I oversleep and miss the bus I do have an alternative. I am thinking that tonight I will try the through downtown method. It's almost all down hill going into town and then coming out it's a little bit of uphill, but I don't think it's as bad. We'll see if I have the energy to do it tonight.
I am not counting on having a working car this weekend. I am figuring that diagnostics will take place this weekend and then maybe the weekend after that the car will get fixed. That would be sort of ideal (aside from the dire need of doing laundry) since by then I will have another paycheck to put towards fixing the car....
