matching tracksuits

fun in threes, sometimes fours

cycling

Here and There Friday

I rode my bike for a couple of hours today. I went up to Kiczory first–road to the end of the road, to the point where the road became someone’s private drive. Babia loomed in the clear sky; her peak was visible for the first time in weeks: it was covered with snow. After that I rode out toward Lipnica Mała. I thought about going on to see LM, but I decided to save that for another day.

All over this area people are out in the fields today. Either taking up the rotting wealth or the water-logged potatoes, people filled the fields. Some were working with horses, others with tractors of various ages and conditions. At some (rather, many, even most) places whole families were working: grandparents, children, grandchildren. I felt a little strange riding around sight-seeing while everyone else struggled to get the crops in — a matter of survival in some sense, I’m sure.

I talked to Roy for a little bit today: I asked him how one goes about meeting people around here. “You don’t,” he laughed. “Besides, most people our age [ what is “our age” anyway?] are already married with kids.” He has a point — but it does seem possible that I could meet some folks, someone I could spend time with, do something — anything.

As I rode around today I encountered several students — my students. It was a nice experience.

First Bike, First Ride

I was supposed to go to Mike’s in Jabłonka tonight – well, I told him I might. But I was simply too tired, for I rode my bike back from Nowy Targ today: a 40+ kilometer ride that I did in two hours, forty minutes. It was an utterly exhausting experience. Just after you get out of Nowy Targ there is a long stretch of road which is straight with slight hills, most of which are slight inclines than ever really present the welcome downhill slope I was seeking. I must say that I felt a little like Sysyphus, for each time I got to the top of one hill, another loomed in the distance.

I felt such astoundingly intense pain in my legs at some points. My thighs burned for the last hour and a half and my left knee began aching after a while. Yet I knew there was no way I could stop. What choice did I have? Yet the utter necessity of the journey did nothing for my legs.

Of course that was not enough pain for me – I went to Danuta’s about an hour after I got back home. I did not know that the whole six kilometers are a gradual slope . . . upwards. The pain in my legs returned and only intensified as I went along. The advantage is that the return trip was much faster and with a little less pain.

Consummer

Today has been quite a day for me. I bought a bike (even though I told my folks I would wait), bed clothes, and spices (including basil and soy sauce). And I finally got my bank account set up. I do think Danuta was getting tired of worrying with that whole mess. I am glad it’s over, too.

I had a brief talk with Roy this afternoon, rather evening. He told me my lighting problem will not get fixed until I become really upset about it. Such cynicism – it is quite, well, not depressing but a little disheartening. I don’t know what I would expect, but not that.