Outside
 

Living indoors. Four walls, climate control, electricity, hot water,
and a fake window: t.v.

Get me outside. Something about the bike that makes me exhilirated whether it's beautiful, "perfect" weather or a challenge. Heat, cold, rain (but not always ;)), wind, humidity, hills, trafffic, whatever. Somehow, no matter what I face on the bike, it's a thrill.

Inside is for "chilling" after riding. But staying indoors all the time is insane!

(Don't you get tired of flourescent lighting? Fake sunshine...)

I have banned myself from using air-conditioning at home for the last six months for that very reason. I prefer the outdoors myself. Of course most people think I am insane and they are right. Euthanasia was made for sane people to put them out of their misery :D

Chris

You're right again, Pete! I don't have air in my present home nor in the one I'm moving into next month, although I expect my SO to put the pressure on to change that, and I rarely use it in the car.

Fortunately I work in an environment surrounded by glass, it's as close to being outside as you can get without being there!

Wind in your hair, bugs in your teeth....it's great!:D

Thirty years ago I was a letter carrier with a walking route (and luxurious hair down my back--where'd all that go?). I did that for seven years and revelled in it even on the wet, nasty days, the 110+ days, and the days when every mean dog out of the 200+ on the route were out and looking for trouble. When I did finally move to an inside job in hitech, it took years to get acclimated to being out of the elements rather than being out in the elements. Unfortunately, acclimate I did, and it was only twenty years later when I started to bicycle commute that I got in touch again with all the excitement of just being outside. My old weather prediction sense, honed by years of being outside as a letter carrier, slowly came back, so I became pretty good at choosing the right clothing before swinging a leg over the bike. And just like I enjoyed the fresh feeling of walking in the rain for hours delivering mail, I now got to enjoy swishing down wet streets with my face being battered by raindrops (and how to get the shoes as dry as possible before the ride home).

In any event, now that I have reconnected with the life outdoors, I sure mean to hang on tightly this time around!

Yeah, being inside all the time sucks. ;)

Chris

I work in a (...scary music in the background...) basement. NO WINDOWS.

I step outside and I imagine myself as the first man on Mars.

"The sunlight on Mars is exceedingly bright, but strangely inviting..."

:)

You're probably the only one there with a tan :)

Kevin S.

Of course, a house is only as climate controlled as one makes it. We don't own an air conditioner. I think there was maybe one day this summer where we looked at each other and said, "God, i wish we weren't so stubborn." But that's one day out of the summer. The rest of the summer we're quite happy with fans running in our open windows. No television here either. We don't miss that at all. In the winter time, the wind rattles the windows on this drafty old house. To me, this is somehow comforting. We keep the thermostat low, about 62 degrees. I figure, it's winter, I'm supposed to be cold. In summer i'm supposed to be hot. It's the natural order of things. Is there any place on the planet where it's 72 degrees all year round?

Anyway, I love being outdoors. In addition to cycling, I garden. I also just hang out in the back yard. The preferred post-cycle chill spot is not indoors, but rather in the back yard in the hammock, under a shade tree.

If I get too hot in summer I just walk outside and pour some water over myself. Of course, I could just head to the 42km of golden beaches I have to choose from as well. Decisions, decisions :p

Chris

Here, here. I totally agree, last night I had a beautiful moonlit ride while the rest of the family was getting dumbed down by the 'idiot' box. I just can't imagine choosing the television over the outdoors or anything else for that matter.

Sorry, the 'idiot box' thing was probably a bit harsh, one of my pet peeves. There are still some books in the world that I haven't read, how can I possibly take the time to watch TV.

I can't either, but then, I've given up trying to understand what goes on around me. I would have been driven mad by now if I hadn't.

I don't think so. The sort of stuff that's on TV most nights now... I'd sell mine if I thought I could get any money for it.

Chris

Chris- when we sold ours, we got $50 for it and it wasn't even a particularly big or fancy tv. That would buy you a bike accessory or two probably. :D

Ain't it the truth...

One day I came home from cycling, stepped indoors for a few moments, then darted back outside to warm up!

:eek:

;) Oh, well! :)

Oh yeah, I forgot to mention the other reason I keep it. The English Soccer highlights programme. It's the only way I can keep in touch with my beloved Manchester United. But for that, I'd sell it for sure!

Chris