I haven't posted in several weeks. It's been a royally messed-up summer. After the two falls reported earlier, I lost a couple of weeks in July to a severe case of food poisoning (campybacteriosis). I lost 14 pounds and most of my strength. I got back on the bike and back to work, but have intentionally stayed away from the Internet so as to be able to catch up with my work (a major renovation to our museum's auditorium is in final bid stage) and my family obligations (getting my son ready to move to North Carolina, where he's starting a year with Habitat for Humanity).

But nevertheless I've been back in the groove for about three weeks now, doing the 26 mile RT 5 days a week. The first few days after the illness were rough, but not as rough as I feared.

Commuting in Philadelphia has been mostly very hot, almost entirely dry, air full of ozone and allergens, but strangely peaceful. Seems like everyone's on vacation or taking a nap; traffic's been light, drivers have been reasonably agreeable.

I've been riding my steel touring bike (the Novara Randonee) almost exclusively because I haven't had time to service the Airborne. This weekend, for sure. But it's given me an opportunity to renew my appreciation for that basic, reliable, solid machine that may represent the best $500 I ever spent. For the last year I've only been riding it in adverse weather, giving all the nice-weather rides to the fancy $2k bike, and so I'd started to forget that once you get above a certain minimum level, it's all good. The ti bike is a dream, but the steel bike is really just the same dream without the violins.

Anyway, it's nice to be back and it's always great to be riding -- the cure for just about everything.

RichC