the right thing to do

 I haven't ridden much on a couple of months other than a few miles around the over-55 community in which I live. Some of that was due to conflicts and being busy, some due to illness (I had a cold that persisted over 2 weeks; gone are the days when I could have a cold for two or three days and then get back to feeling normal [I tested; I was negative for COVID]). A lot of it was depression over the way the election was going, and then the way it turned out. I just haven't felt like doing much.

But it became clear that I had to get out and do something rather than just sit in my misery. From previous episodes of this type, I know that one of the things that may work is going ahead and doing the things that I would be doing if I had the energy and desire, because sometimes the energy and desire comes back as I do things. So I posted a club ride -- admittedly late (Friday, for a Sunday ride), but posted, nonetheless.

It was a while before I got any takers. Then they started to drift in: one, then two more; eventually I had six, plus me.

I chose a short, not-too-hilly route to a favorite stop, the Italian bakery in Raritan. I've got a couple of routes that go there: the one I'll link below, and one a few miles longer that goes through Neshanic... but I really didn't feel up to the Neshanic route today (there's a hill that another rider complains about, and I don't like some of the roads), so we did the other.

Even with a group of only seven, I had one or two riding off the front, one at the back who was saving energy for another day, one who I had expected to be stronger, but who showed signs of flagging. Our average speeds probably ranged from 14-16mph. When we first started, I wasn't sure I was going to make he distance... but by the end, I know I could have gone farther or faster (I make a point of keeping an eye on the people in the back).

Our stop was at that bakery:

I can sometimes use  a ride to dispel the gloom. That wasn't the case today; I'm still subdued and not eager to engage with people. But getting out and leading this ride was the right thing to do. On to finding the next right thing.

Ride page.

ashamed

 Today, I'm ashamed to be an old white man.

Edit November 8: I remember, though, that I have never in my life voted for a Republican. That is undoubtedly a reflection of my privilege; nevertheless, there it is.

brother-in-law died yesterday

 My brother-in-law died yesterday.

It's bad. It's worse for my sister, I'm sure.

local barbershop

 I got back from the barber a few minutes ago, and this came out of my head.

---

The crones, or almost-crones
Giving the haircuts, are standing at chairs
Marked with the names of the men (all of them were men)
Who gave haircuts in these places forty years ago.

But they were not the first barbers here. In the arms
Of the chairs are ashtrays, now clean,
But still with the memory of ashes, from when
Everybody smoked at the barber’s. On the counters

Are products I only remember seeing
When I was getting 25¢ haircuts, beside men
Who looked old to me then, although they
Were decades younger than I am now.

This floor has had hair swept from men
Who fought Nazis, or North Koreans,
Or who could make a living with only
A strong back and a willing attitude.

The pictures by the licenses are of grandchildren
Rather than of lovers and parties of their youth.
And despite my directions, and the crone’s obedience,
My hair comes out in a style from a movie
That was popular twenty years before I was born.

 

---

I almost never write poetry (I wrote one about a year ago, and none before that for decades), and I have no idea where this came from.

brother-in-law to go to hospice, and other stuff

 I heard yesterday that my sister's husband is being evaluated for hospice after a series of medical problems including a recent broken hip. 

I am trying to be supportive of my sister.

I've had a cold and didn't ride this weekend. I haven't ridden much recently, partly due to other commitments. These include a voice-over part for a production of the Performing Arts Club of the over-55 community in which I live, and the out-of-state wedding of my favorite niece.

Some of these are new opportunities, which I'm enjoying... still, the news about the brother-in-law, on top of the recent death of a nephew, has me out of sorts.

small no-pace ride

 A number of the club cyclists planned to do one of the organized rides today (one of which is the locally-famous Central Bucks Covered Bridges Ride), but I didn't get my act together to go (and I wasn't ready to take on the elevation in the Covered Bridges ride), so I posted one of my no-pace rides instead. The Excellent Wife (TEW) agreed to come out, but all of the other registrants could easily have taken on a much more demanding ride... Nonetheless, five of us (including TEW and me) came out.

We do the usual, easy, 21-ish-mile flat route, initially at a chatty pace, and then we picked it up a bit as the ride continued. The group sets the pace of this ride: if I have slower riders, I ride in the back with them; if not, the group set the pace (I've brought up the rear pretty regularly on this ride). 

When we got up to the turn onto Culver Road, TEW engaged in her usual practice of cutting through the bagel shop parking lot to avoid a confusing left turn at a five-points intersection. The rest of us got caught at the light, and TEW pulled way out in front... and then stayed there for miles. She later said that she wasn't worried about the rest of us catching up, and, in truth, I guess she didn't need to be.

Peter R brought out his fixie.

If you've got a bike that may not be suited to most group rides, this is the one on which to bring it. Peter said, though, he wouldn't do it again: since the pedals can't be moved easily to (for example) a convenient starting position, it's not a perfect bike for a group ride. (I hadn't thought of that. Years ago, there was a vogue for fixies on group rides. Nobody complained about the problem, but perhaps nobody wanted to admit that it was a problem for them.

We stopped at the Southfield McCaffreys.

It's a better stop than you would think.

And back. Raj rolled off a bit early because he'd ridden in. Laura OLPH griffed up her miles a bit by riding part of the way back withe me, before heading back to her car.

I'll keep doing these. Come on out, if you're an interested club member - or even if you're not a clb member; you get one for free.

new brunswick bike exchange ride

 Some of youse already know about the New Brunswick Bike Exchange (see also Facebook link). We take bike donations, and either rebuild them and sell them at low cost, or strip them for parts that we can use on the bikes we do sell. I'm a co-manager of the all-volunteer staff, and I wish I could have taken credit for organizing the ride today (it DOES sound like a co-managerial thing to do), but the truth is that one of our weekend volunteers, Baratier Erebus du Halm, set the whole business up.

That's the founder of the feast, on the left, above.

We were a crew of six, with varying interests and abilities. We left from Washington Crossing and went up the D&R Canal at a conversational pace to Lambertville.

It was a lovely fall day, with temperatures as if it were the end of May.

Once in Lambertville, we did a walk around, stopped for lunch at El Tule, a Peruvian restaurant there, and came back, again at a stately pace.

My thanks to the volunteers, both for their service to the Bike Exchange, and for allowing me to participate in such a delightful day.

Ride page.