Ninja Time 2012!!

I woke around 11:30 today. Looked at my phone and saw a message from an old co-worker asking if anybody wanted to go for a ride today. Oh yeah, today is supposed to be pretty nice out! It was already above 50 so I responded back and quickly got dressed. I headed over to my parents house to get the bike ready. The battery was dead so I had to charge it but it started right up after that. I met my friend at a gas station where we fueled up and headed south. We took some back roads, jumped on the highway for some nice s-curves, and made our way toward the beaches. It was noticeably colder as we neared the water but it was well worth it as the ride was fantastic. Riding down the coast with the ocean on our left made me realize that this is one of the most beautiful spots in Rhode Island and also that I need to ride this route more often! Joyful was off at a baby shower so she didn't get to experience it and she loves the beaches! I'm not sure how much riding I, or she, will get to do once the baby is born, but it was nice to start riding on January 7th! Usually, even if it is warmer out, there is snow on the ground and sand everywhere, which makes riding a lot more dangerous, so you don't ever get to ride this early in the season. Fun times!

Beautiful RI Coastline

The Ninjas - 500 and 650

 

Goddard Park



Goddard Park at Sunset

My brother and I went for a little bike ride last night and we ended up at Goddard Park. We headed over to the beach area and it was pretty as the sun was setting. There were a lot of people there though and 2 girls came over to us, they were maybe 12, and wanted to get their pictures taken on our bikes. Whaaaaaaaat? I said, well you can take a picture next to it. So they had their friend (or brother) take their picture while they stood next to my bike. Totally random and totally weird.

Well we got a busy week lined up. Hopefully camping and hiking up at Monandock Monday night into Tuesday, visiting my Grandpa on Wednesday, then a backpacking trip up in NH for the 3 day weekend (at least in Rhode Island it is a three day weekend!).

Killer Bees

The past three months most of my days have been spent like this:


wake up
eat
break camp
hike
eat
hike
setup camp
eat
sleep


Most of our time was spent hiking and free time was practically non-existent. These past few days I have had an overabundance of time and I thought I was going to get bored pretty quickly. But it turns out taking naps and doing nothing takes up a lot of time! Well it has not been nothing, I have been amusing myself with many a things from video games, reading, watching movies, eating, playing on the computer, etc., but I guess I have not been really active. I would like to do some light hiking up at Blue Hills and perhaps camp up at Monadnock so I don't lose this awesome physique I have. Ha, awesome physique, like being overly skinny with long hair and a gnarly beard is what people want. I just want to keep my stamina and trail legs. I can't let 3 months of exercise go to waste!


Anyways....


I got to take the bike out for a ride yesterday with Joy. The first real ride with insurance and full gear on. I was to drop Joy off at her friend's house in Lincoln, then pick her up later. But of course I could not really remember a good way to get there so I ended up going through Providence...where there was plenty of traffic. Nothing like going on your first real ride and being in stop and go traffic with a passenger. Then on my way home I start seeing dark clouds everywhere. Then the rain starts. Then I see lightning and even hear thunder. Yes, I get a little wet, but it doesn't pour and I don't get zapped so I figure its all good. Riding is like hiking I think to myself. It could be beautiful at the beginning of your hike/ride but the weather could change in an instant. And you can either stop and wait it out, or just keep moving, because you are going to get wet anyways. Although I suppose on a bike you can always park under an overpass or run inside a business. When we were hiking we had trees, but when it started to pour or hail, they didn't protect you for long. If we were lucky, which was almost never, there would be a shelter in sight. But that is the way of the true traveler and you have to learn to enjoy the road (or trail) under all circumstances.



So the bike was out for the return trip. I pick up Joy and head to the gas station before jumping on highway. I swipe my card, open up my gas tank, and see a wasps nest. Yes, yes, for some reason these insects love making their nests in dormant cars. And although my car has been driven a few times, it obviously sat long enough. I immediately flash back to my latest wasp encounter, a week and a half ago, and do not want to get stung again. But my car needs gas so I arm myself with an ice scraper and start the dirty deed. My ice scrapper is the really short one so I lunge at the nest and jump away so as not to get stung. The people at the gas station must think I am an idiot. After a few lunges the nest is still in there, but a wasp emerges. He appears to be in a stupor and is not protecting his nest very well. I stab him with the scraper and he goes down hard. This may be easier than I thought. Another emerges and he joins his comrade on the ground. I finally get the nest out and do some reconnaissance. I don't want any surprises while pumping gas. Sure enough, there is one left, but he soon meets the same fate as his friends. Phew! I pump my gas, happy that they didn't put up much of a fight, and hope that Joy's car doesn't have the same issue...