Man, I can tell I'm getting old.

Well, first of all, I lied. I truly thought I'd work out my BHFTF post in my head, liven it up and bestow it upon all of you. Yet, here I am writing something completely different and more than a week later too. Oh well. Maybe I'll finish it up before the next BHFTF.

Tuesday nights are kinda a ride night for the Ramblers. The group ebbs and flows depending on what we're riding, where we're riding and what is happening in everyone's lives. We've had Tuesday rides with 30+ and we've had Tuesday rides with 3. This last Tuesday was scheduled for the Centennial Trail starting at Pactola Resverior. I was NOT looking forward to it.

I wasn't not looking forward to it because of the ride, but because of the moisture we've had lately. Yes, I'll say it again, we've had too damn much rain. Hell, I had to mow my yard TWICE in the same day just to get the grass knocked down to a manageable level. I can tell I'm getting old 'cause I don't want ride in the rain or mud anymore, but it isn't what you think. I could tell you I don't want to because I'm a good IMBA member and I don't want to tear up the trails. And I could tell you I don't like getting all muddy, but I always jump in the shower immediately when I get home from a ride anyhow (prevents monkey butt and saddle sores the size of globe grapes) so it isn't that either. The real reason...I don't want to spend all that time washing my bike.

I am a bit of a bike snob when it comes to a clean ride, but that is why I rarely have a trailside mechanical. So, riding for two hours to come home to spend 2 hours cleaning my bike doesn't appeal to me anymore. Hell, I rode on the road on Thursday morning and hit a stretch that was wet from overnight rain and got pissed.

This isn't to say I categorically ride in the mud or rain, I just prefer to not do so.

Regardless, the ride at Pactola was an absolute blast. It is a sweet stretch of trail, rising and falling just right, twisting in and out of trees and grassy meadows. Plus, it is so green from all the rain it felt like a scene out of Return of the Jedi. You know you've done it. Blasting down the trail, pretending you're Luke (or Leia if you're a bit weird or a girl) on a speeder bike, chasing

down the Stormtroopers. The only bullshit part of that was those fucking teddy bears called Ewoks that beat the Empire. What the hell? So, let me get this right, the Rebellion, with all their X-Wing fighters, blasters and lightsabers couldn't defeat the Empire without the help of 2 foot tall teddy bears with sticks and rocks? Maybe we should round up all the sticks and rocks we can find, give 'em to all the midgets and dwarves (oops, not PC, I mean little people) and send 'em over to Iraq and Afghanistan. Then we'd win.

Whew, sorry about the tangent. Water on the brain or something and I've officially outed myself as a nerd, geek, dweeb or whatever we're called now, but you probably knew that since I write a sissy blog. Anyhow, the ride was great and I am glad I went. This Tuesday is Crow Peak, a top 3 ride of all time for me, so I am looking forward to it. Even if I have to kick a teddy bears ass and clean my bike.