01.01.09

odometer reading: 8899

I must begin by saying how very excited I am to be writing 01.01.09. I have great belief in the power of this coming year, and am eager to be a part of it. outside of the gift of receiving our obviously charismatic, intelligent, and eloquent incoming president, I have no proof that this year will be much different from my past few.
no proof, but an expansive amount of faith. and trust. and as I stated above, belief.
and as the year unfolds and events reveal themselves, you will read here of just how powerful a year it is.

but on to cycling. and back to that odometer reading: at the close of 2008, my odometer read only 8871. the clever ones of you out there will thus deduce that I went for a bike ride today . . . my first time on the bike in 20 days, and it was the best thing I could have done.
I woke up this morning to a heavily clouded sky, lethargic, dirty snow on the lawn, and the never-disappearing frozen ice and chunky snow packed into the end of my driveway. I sipped my coffee as I read, wrote, reflected, and (very briefly) meditated in my favorite corner of my aubergine couch. the jcc's hours today were from 10-5, with no classes being taught, and I had planned to drive up there about 10 and have an hour-long workout in the weight room. warm up on the elliptical, do my ab work, free weights, bosu and big ball work, squats, a few machines, boring . . .
and suddenly the itch came. the ride-my-bike itch. the desire to sit in that saddle, to pedal away in whichever direction I chose and to have the freedom to just go. to avoid the jcc, to be back in the free world.
I pulled up the weather channel: 35 degrees, feels like 27, 60% humidity, chance of snow showers.
hmmm.
I still want to go.
I make myself a piece of wheat toast with the last measly scrapings from my peanut butter jar, and I eat it while I finish my coffee and start walking around the house collecting gear.
my bike shoes I prop up on the yellow pages in front of the space heater, as they have been sitting on the floor of my cold laundry room for the past few weeks. a minute later I grab my helmet from the garage and arrange it by the shoes.
tights, warm jersey, skull cap, wool socks. into my back pocket go arm warmers, glove liners, and my headband, all to layer upon myself for the downhill. because yes, I am heading up emigration. I checked out the bike lanes last week, and it is doable. yes, it is.

I had a great ride. the smell of wood burning in fireplaces, the thick snow lying in shallow gullies. the sun, playing hide and seek with me, cajoling my shadow to tease me once, and again, and again. the reservoir: wind-blown and shimmering, changing colors as I ride from one end to the other, and back again. the sledders at the top of emigration, the cyclist who gives me one of the biggest, happiest grins of a hello I've received all season. the other 6 cyclists who are as eager as I am to be pedaling, outside, soaking in the glory of the day.

may your 2009 be as felicitous as mine is promising to be.