Bike Forums - Back into the commute groove (little long)

Soo.. I finally got off my duff. Last night, I get the bike ready, clean it up, pump the tires.. charge the light.. etc. And off to bed, not to late. So, should be a wake up, get on, ride type of deal.. right?

but nooooo.. things can't just go smoothly
Get up when alarm goes off. Realize that alarm wasn't reset for 415, but left at 5am. @#$#@. Run down, grab fruit, eat. Get to bike. Look for shoes. No shoes. Run to garage. No shoes. No shoes on shoe rack inside. Open closet. Eyes start watering, burning sensation in nose, no shoes. Almost pass out from weird odor in closet. Wake up wife. "where shoes?". "Their in the closet". "Closet make eyes burn". "Oh yeah, I put a couple of packages of moth balls in there.. 6 or 7 I think". "We have moth problem?" "If we did, we don't know. I just thought it was a good idea". "Ok, enough moth, where my shoes". "Oh, I put them in the trunk of my car" "Why did you put them in your trunk?" "Because the closet was gonna be a little intense for you in the morning".
Okay...

Get shoes on. Get on bike. Go out side, careful to lock door. Check door lock. Ride for about 10 feet. Forgot helmet. Go back, un lock door, get helmet. Ride about 20 feet. Go back, lock door. Ride.

First 2 miles is down hill. Brrr. Did I say brr? Brrr.....

Pick up speed. Notice that there is a truck parked IN THE BIKE LANE. Look back, cars are coming. Judge and find space between truck and traffic.

Truck driver opens door in
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Grab both brakes at about 24 MPH (it's down hill, remember). Realize that bike hadn't been ridden and while and brake pads are alittle hard.

Impact to door in

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Stop short of door by about 3 inches. Look startled truck driver in face as he spills coffee all over him self. Watch as he goes through emotion of burning sensation on crotch, anger about almost being hit by bike, and embarrassment as he realizes that he's parked int he bike lane. (As evidence by sign in front of him that says "bike lane" and big white line). Say nothing and leave.

Hit familiar marks on route.
Redemption hill. (there's a church in the middle, not at the top. Heaven isn't found by going to church.._)
Encanto express way (long flat section, very quick)
Freeway fun (2 cross overs and one cross under - has a lot of merging traffic that you have to play with)

Thinking everything is cool.. until I hit the camel humps (3 miles of up down hills). Because it's later, I'm hitting tons of traffic, and more red lights. Not a big deal, but I'm starting on up hills and stopping on down hills. This sucks... my thighs are telling me that I've exceeded their normal capacity and are going to melt down. My knees are just about tired and are screaming.
Ah.. Adaberto's Mexican taco shop. Top of the last hill for the ride to work.

My biggest "sin" on my bike is running red lights. In the morning I do this. I can see traffic both ways most times, no big deal.
Today, there's traffic, so I don't attempt it except on one stretch, I can see the street is blocked off on both ends due to construction or something. Cruise through red light and
Impact by trolley in
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WHOA!!! I think I may need to change the chamois pad in my shorts after that idiotic maneuver.

Make it through down town with no more issues. Get on ferry and relax. Come to work and people look at me like I'm crazy.

"It's no big deal, nothing hard"

Yeah,. right.

Get call from wife "you left your little plastic lunch thing here"...
DOH!

Stay tuned for the sequel to this story "Ride home" AKA the obituary section