Another reason to leave the city

Trucks are LOUD.

Why must they stop and be loud right outside my bedroom window? Why?

Anyway, after fighting my way through Montreal traffic (reason #752 to leave the city), I got the rest of my bike equipment. I ran out of time before I was meant to meet up with the paternal unit for lunch, but I am home now, and in the next few minutes I'm going to set up my lights and pannier, don my reflective vest and helmet, and ride to work and back, to see how long it'll take.

In other news, my computer woes continue. The angle at which my computer doesn't switch off is now much closer to 45 degrees, which is *thisclose* to unacceptable. So at some point next week I'm going to have to take Cleopatra to the shop and get her fixed. I can't afford a new computer right now (well, I could, technically, but I have other places where I need to put my money first), so repairs it'll have to be.

*sigh*

The timing of this is not excellent. Could be worse, but why could it not have waited a year or so?

Bicycle: 6 Phnee: 1

Okay, my bicycle is mocking me.

1- The bracket for my old u-lock doesn't fit my new u-lock. *grr* I had to put it in my pannier in order to take it with me this time. I will have to take apart the old bracket (which is rusted and thus going to be a bitch to do) and install the new one.

2- The little flashy-light thingies are fiddly and impossible to install properly, at least for a layperson such as myself. The front light hangs loose (thus pointing downward, which is unuseful in the extreme) and no amount of coaxing on my part could tighten it further. It's also composed of fiddly detachable bits, one of which flew out of my hands and onto the sidewalk two floors below me while I was trying to install it. The only mercy is that it didn't fall into the greenery that inhabits our front yard.

3- The rear light thingy fell off mid-transit (see: fiddly and impossible to install properly, above).

4- For the first time in my bike-riding career, the cuff of my favourite jeans got caught in the chain of my bicycle and tore spectacularly.

5- I swallowed two bugs. The first one got caught in my throat, so I ended up making very attractive choking/cat-puking noises. Charming.


Otherwise, I managed to make the round-trip to work and back in exactly one hour. Thirty-five minutes to get to work, twenty-five to get back.

6- I got back unscathed in spite of the asshole in the black Ford F250 who deliberately tried to run me off the road on Rose de Lima, but then my body rebelled right after I wrestled my bike up the stairs. I abandoned the bike outside on my balcony, and downed a litre of water and Gatorade in the space of about two minutes. I've been sitting in front of my fan, recuperating. I feel better now.


On the whole, I am counting this as a win, though mitigated. Now I am off to see a movie. :)