Left work early today with a bad case of despair, and decided to go for contemplative ride to try to understand where JB and I fit in contemporary society.

Let's see, we believe in accountability, the environment, collaboration, diplomacy, fiscal responsibility, taxes, government regulation, universal healthcare, personal freedom, and civil liberty. We embrace diverse cultures, lifestyles, and orientations. We believe in a secular government. So I guess this makes us scary, untrustworthy, heathen turncoats.

Within the first half mile of the ride I got a flat. But I run slime tubes, so I heard the psssst sound of air escaping, and, because I had just started, headed for home. By the time I got there, the slime had "patched" the tube competely. I simply pumped the tire back to 50 PSI, and I was on my way. Got to love the slime tubes.

Khhhaaaannnnn!!!	Self-healing	Core skills

Futzing a weak backside EG into Princeton, I headed north into a wind as raw and bitter as my emotions, Jim Morrison providing the soundtrack:

This is the end
Beautiful friend
This is the end
My only friend, the end

Of our elaborate plans, the end
Of everything that stands, the end
No safety or surprise, the end
I'll never look into your eyes...again

Of course, those Americans out there who are industriously consming God's bounty in advance of their rapture probably hear a more positive refrain like, "It's the end of the world as we know it, and I feel fine."

Less than six miles into the ride, as I labored across the Fitzgerald blufftop, a woman on the trail made a comment to me about the threatening storm clouds to the north. I hadn't noticed before, but there was a black wall of rain clouds bearing down on me. As I had forgotten to bring my rain shell, I immediately reversed course and raced home. Surfing the squall's leading edge, I reached the shelter of the garage just as the raindrops started to fall.

I'm waiting for the silver lining.