Just into this one car experiment and I had some errands (shopping type stuff) to do. I had time and figured that I would do it all and turn it into a 25 to 30 mile ride by adding a few extra miles that would partially avoid some of the tougher traffic areas. So I set out on my road bike with a backpack/etc.

First I needed some onions and peppers to mix in with my planned dinner ('fry-steamed' with chicken sausages). So my first stop was a convenient Harris Teeter (large grocery store). This is a full service, quite nice store. I knew this full well going in the door, but I had to walk clear back to the deli area before I realized that they don't have a salad bar. I had no use for a whole onion, whole green pepper, and whole red pepper. So it will be off to another grocery story which isn't only somewhat out of the way, but from here will drag me through some of the worst traffic areas. Well done, Clark Griswold.

Next I rode a short distance to the optometrist that I use. My Garmin Ant+ HRM sensor battery seems to be getting weak. Despite owning a 1.4mm flathead screwdriver and a 2mm phillips head screwdriver, I simply cannot get the screws out of this thing. So I figured that the optometrist might be able to help (surely, given how much money I had spent there on new glasses recently). So I roll up and 'unzip' the small backpack pocket where I had put the sensor. Except it was already unzipped and there was no sensor.

So I moved off to the side where I could completely empty (it was an outside pocket) my back pack just to be sure - no sensor. And the Clark Griswold shopping adventure continues.

Next I headed up the street a half mile to Lowe's hardware. I reach up to take off my helmet to be put into the backpack while I went inside and I wasn't wearing a helmet! I did have my Halo sweatband on, so it wasn't obvious to me. So back through all the crappy traffic to find my helmet most likely left near the optometrist. No helmet to be found. The optometrist didn't have it. I was about to ride off when I looked carefully at where I had searched through my backpack looking for the lost sensor. There was one other place of business near that spot and I went in. Sure enough they had it. Clark Griswold gets a break.

So back again through all the crappy traffic and Lowe's doesn't have the wrench thingey (unrelated to biking) that I am looking for. They will be back in stock next week. Swell, says Clark Griswold.

Next I dropped by the bank to deposit two checks that I had gotten in the mail. I got the two "checks" out of my backpack and found one check and one check statement (I had torn off the check, but put the non-check portion in my backpack). Clark is really outdoing himself on this trip.

Final stop was the other grocery store with a salad bar. I just assumed going in that they would be re-modeling or something and the salad bar would be closed. Strangely enough that actually went OK - EXCEPT I had not brought the change purse that I usually carry on these trips for some reason. And the bill came to $3.01. So I had 99 cents in change to carry home somehow.

I have no idea why Clark Griswold (who carries a single inner tube and no tube patching stuff on local trips) had no flats instead of two flats. Some things have no explanation.

Clark Griswold

And THIS is what cycling is all about. Had you been in a car, this probably would have been a pissed-off, expletive-filled disaster. Instead, it's a fun story that makes me want to get on my bike even more.

Are you saying that riding a bike made you this ditzy?

My non-biking golf buddies have a totally opposite view. They feel that because I am ditzy, I am riding around town on a bike

dave

Last time I had a trip that was kind of like that I just walked home with a flat tire and drove to work, congratulations of persevering.

+1 on the perserverence. When I have days like this I realize I'd rather have a day where many things go wrong, than many days where one thing goes wrong.