Today, during my ritual escapade around Lincoln, everything seemed to be going well. I wandered around Southeast near the Humblik Zone, stopped in a park to read for a while, got some delicious french bread and a transfat-free brownie at Open Harvest for afternoon snacking, and then, right near the corner of 17th and K St, a minor disaster struck.

Serenity's rear tire began to deflate. When I could feel the metal brushing the pavement on the bumps, I knew for sure something was amiss. I had my pump along, so I attempted to reinflate it, but it quickly lost any air I gave it. Then I realized that, unlike my last flat, I could even hear the hissing, and then I saw a tiny tear in the exterior rubber.

The next few hours were spent trudging up O St pushing Serenity. I started feeling really hot under the late afternoon sun, and suddenly realized why the heat that seems to have been plaguing everyone else wasn't bothering me up until now. (Coworkers I've talked to about my jaunts have wondered how I manage stand the heat.)

While riding on a bike with any degree of speed, the breeze is constantly blowing against the skin. Sure, I sweat a lot, but hit a nice downhill stretch where I can rest my legs while the wind hits me staight in the face, and it doesn't matter what time of day it is. The hot afternoon sun is no match for rushing air when it comes to comfort.

Trudging block by ugly block, it's a totally different story. (<rant>Why is O St so damn ugly between 17th and 33rd? You'd think that for such a major route, the city would at least take some care to give it the tiniest modicrum of dignity. But there's nothing but run down shit, payday loan sharks by the dozen, littered sidewalks, and eyesore billboards for that whole stretch. Much of the city of Lincoln is quite beautiful, but not that part. Why not move the crap to an area where nobody ever goes, instead of what might be the most traveled spot in town?</rant>)

I stopped a couple times to rest and read again, and did eventually find a park to refresh my water. (My bottle seldom runs out of water while roaming around Lincoln, including during this walk. But it doesn't take very long for it to get super-warm, to the point that my mouth rejects it unless I'm really thirsty, so I like to find drinking fountains for a fresh supply of the cooler stuff.) With that, my mood gradually improved.

By the time I found myself trudging up the final stretch to the Mideast Base, the sun was low in the sky. And I was exhausted.

I had entertained thoughts of immediately setting about patching the tire upon arrival, so it could be dry and ready tomorrow, should I desire to take another journey. (I've decided that I would indeed like to volunteer at the coop, but I forgot to bring my form along today.) Upon arriving, I immediately abandoned that idea, wandered downstairs to my abode, and virtually collapsed on front of the computer.

At least this didn't happen at a time when I was scheduled to be anywhere. Had the same thing occurred Monday, I almost certainly would have been very late for work. (Maybe I should come up with some sort of standing contingency plan in case such an event occurs in the future.)

So, that's today's excitement. Who knows what tomorrow will bring?