July 19, 2006

There were 2 posts published on July 19, 2006 (this is page 1 of 1).

Tour De Durant

I’ve been cycling a few mornings a week for the past few months. Its done wonders for my energy and health. I love riding in the morning since its not so hot, I can do it upon waking because it doesn’t require much thought, and its too early for drivers on the road to be yapping on their cellphones.

This is the first Tour I’ve been following while actually doing my own rides. I was disappointed to hear that American Floyd Landis ran out of steam on today’s climb up La Toussiure in the 16th stage of the race. Landis was to be the new hope for American cycling but likely won’t achieve that as he needs hip replacement surgery immediately after the race.

I hope Landis’s setback doesn’t diminish the growing popularity of cycling here in the States. So if not Landis, who will be the next American wearing yellow at the finish line?

(I was going to ask who will be the next Lance Armstrong, but that will never happen.)

Travel Follies

I got back last evening from Atlanta. The trip was smooth, up until the end at least. The show wrapped before 3 PM, giving me time to take the MARTA to the airport. I was booked on the 7:15 flight to Raleigh but thought I’d take a gamble and see if I could get an earlier flight. I arrived at the check-in desk at 4 PM for a 4:45 PM flight. The lines at the security gate were long, but still I managed to get to my gate in time. I even had time to pick up a souvenier for the kids before boarding.

The flight was late due to waiting for transfer passengers to board but we made up the time and landed two minutes ahead of schedule. I breezed through the airport and went out to my car when I soon realized I wouldn’t be so quick to come home. The front left tire was flat!

I’d noticed it was flat when I was leaving Charlotte last week. A stop by a local gas station not only got me enough air to get back home but made the tire look so healthy that Leith Honda failed to find it when they rotated my tires on Friday.

There was no sense in grumbling about it at the moment, so I put my bags in the car and got to work. Fortunately for me my Honda CRV carries a full-size spare on the back, so in less than thirty minutes I was good as new.

That’s when I really got steamed. The thirty sweaty minutes I spent changing my tire caused ExitExpress to hold me hostage for another buck. I could have wrung its electronic neck! Lucky for it my tire iron was tucked safely in the back of my car. I was headed for the cashier booth to demand a refund when I noticed a dozen cars already in the cashier line. Principle would have to wait. I paid the stupid dollar and fumed all the way home.

In spite of my unexpected delay, I still got home well over an hour before my original flight was set to arrive. Not too bad.

Now I look in the bottom of my laptop bag and notice I’d inadvertently carried my Leatherman tool through two security screenings without anyone noticing. Whoopsie! Nothing says “airport security” like a four-inch knife in your carryon bag, does it?