Summer Wine
Well, the Summer officially comes to a close for me in two days. I must admit I am feeling a tad melancholy about it.
The last year had been one of some personal growth (with some help, but mostly on my own) , some pain, and some loss. I've made some really great new friends and I've had to step away from some old ones. The best thing about this year has been finding a sense of purpose that I've been lacking in my life for... well... for a very long time.
Even though I really slogged emotionally through the past year, allot of the time I felt like I was screwing the pooch. (and hence part of my melancholy regarding the end of summer)
There will be no pooch-screwing as of September 4th.
But what a way to let the summer go.
The Haggis and I took the last week of August off. Our plan was to visit the lovely Timothy and Shelley (and the immensely cute Nina, and equally cute but in a much more furry sort of way Oliver and Devon) Before our visit we would leave the car at Timothy and Shelley's place near Grand Bend and take our bikes on an epic 75km journey to Godrich.
It was a good plan really.
We arrived at Timothy and Shelley's house parked the car and enjoyed a lovely (And really well thought out) lunch with them. We packed our back packs, filled our water bottles, and pumped up our tires....
And that was were things started to go wrong.
All was well and good until I pulled the pump valve off of my front tire. I heard a hiss and my tire deflated completely. I had somehow managed to rip the tire valve away from the inner tube.
Veronica is strong. Inner tubes it seems, are not.
No problem.
I had a spare inner tube. (Please note that I said "A" Spare and not "Several" spares.) We switched the tube, pumped the tire and after much waving goodbye and many hugs for the Habinski's, we were on our way.
The first twenty km or so were a breeze. We were easily averaging 25-27kmph We rode along a paved road sheltered by trees until just past Grand Bend. After Grand Bend the trees along the side of the road disappeared and the full force of a good strong wind off of lake Huron hit us full in the face. For the next 30k we struggled against the wind and saw our speed drop to 19kmph or less. Finally at km 52 we pulled in to a gas station and realized that my back tire was loosing air. I whipped out my handy dandy teeni-weenie carbon fiber air pump and went to town on the tire, I pulled the pump off the valve and... ripped the valve off the inner tube.
Once again proving that Veronica is strong...and inner tubes are not.
(Honestly people I have pumped these damn tires a million fucking times and NOTHING like this has ever happened)
Thank god for cell phones and thank god for the fact that WE HAVE THE BEST FRIENDS EVER!!!!!!
We called the Habinski's and in no time a rescue team was on the way. (Not only that, but we were provided with life saving emergency instructions to the nearest pub so that we could quaff beer while we awaited rescue!)
We sat on the patio of the Albion hotel and soon Timothy arrived driving Igals car and Shelly followed with their van. We bought Timothy a beer while Shelly and Nina enjoyed a nearby park. After thanking our rescuers profusely we parted ways, us with bikes now strapped to our car and them in there van.
we continued to Godrich and our lovely B&B.
The next day we came back to the Habinski's and spent the next day there enjoying there wonderful hospitality, the beach and firing Arrows and B.B.'s at a poor unsuspecting box and lawn chair.
That box and Lawn chair both know that they've been in a fight.
'Nuff said.
Wednesday we promptly went to MEC and got THREE new inner tubes. (Of course now I will NEVER blow another tire again...)
Yesterday we had dinner with Lana and Daniel and heard stories about there trip out west. Today we engaged in extreme gluttony at the burlington rib fest.
*urp*
Pass the alka-seltzer will ya Haggis?
The last year had been one of some personal growth (with some help, but mostly on my own) , some pain, and some loss. I've made some really great new friends and I've had to step away from some old ones. The best thing about this year has been finding a sense of purpose that I've been lacking in my life for... well... for a very long time.
Even though I really slogged emotionally through the past year, allot of the time I felt like I was screwing the pooch. (and hence part of my melancholy regarding the end of summer)
There will be no pooch-screwing as of September 4th.
But what a way to let the summer go.
The Haggis and I took the last week of August off. Our plan was to visit the lovely Timothy and Shelley (and the immensely cute Nina, and equally cute but in a much more furry sort of way Oliver and Devon) Before our visit we would leave the car at Timothy and Shelley's place near Grand Bend and take our bikes on an epic 75km journey to Godrich.
It was a good plan really.
We arrived at Timothy and Shelley's house parked the car and enjoyed a lovely (And really well thought out) lunch with them. We packed our back packs, filled our water bottles, and pumped up our tires....
And that was were things started to go wrong.
All was well and good until I pulled the pump valve off of my front tire. I heard a hiss and my tire deflated completely. I had somehow managed to rip the tire valve away from the inner tube.
Veronica is strong. Inner tubes it seems, are not.
No problem.
I had a spare inner tube. (Please note that I said "A" Spare and not "Several" spares.) We switched the tube, pumped the tire and after much waving goodbye and many hugs for the Habinski's, we were on our way.
The first twenty km or so were a breeze. We were easily averaging 25-27kmph We rode along a paved road sheltered by trees until just past Grand Bend. After Grand Bend the trees along the side of the road disappeared and the full force of a good strong wind off of lake Huron hit us full in the face. For the next 30k we struggled against the wind and saw our speed drop to 19kmph or less. Finally at km 52 we pulled in to a gas station and realized that my back tire was loosing air. I whipped out my handy dandy teeni-weenie carbon fiber air pump and went to town on the tire, I pulled the pump off the valve and... ripped the valve off the inner tube.
Once again proving that Veronica is strong...and inner tubes are not.
(Honestly people I have pumped these damn tires a million fucking times and NOTHING like this has ever happened)
Thank god for cell phones and thank god for the fact that WE HAVE THE BEST FRIENDS EVER!!!!!!
We called the Habinski's and in no time a rescue team was on the way. (Not only that, but we were provided with life saving emergency instructions to the nearest pub so that we could quaff beer while we awaited rescue!)
We sat on the patio of the Albion hotel and soon Timothy arrived driving Igals car and Shelly followed with their van. We bought Timothy a beer while Shelly and Nina enjoyed a nearby park. After thanking our rescuers profusely we parted ways, us with bikes now strapped to our car and them in there van.
we continued to Godrich and our lovely B&B.
The next day we came back to the Habinski's and spent the next day there enjoying there wonderful hospitality, the beach and firing Arrows and B.B.'s at a poor unsuspecting box and lawn chair.
That box and Lawn chair both know that they've been in a fight.
'Nuff said.
Wednesday we promptly went to MEC and got THREE new inner tubes. (Of course now I will NEVER blow another tire again...)
Yesterday we had dinner with Lana and Daniel and heard stories about there trip out west. Today we engaged in extreme gluttony at the burlington rib fest.
*urp*
Pass the alka-seltzer will ya Haggis?
posted by veronica at 8:32 PM
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