A Good Day

When I rolled down the driveway this morning I knew that today had potential. There was a faint glimmer of hope on the horizon. No, it wasn’t the fact that Joe Biden is in town today – it was the fact that I could almost – almost, If I turned my head just right – see sunlight on the horizon. Spring may get here yet.

With that little nugget of joy in my heart I rode to work. The thermometer read 26 today, not too shabby – definitely getting warmer. I saw Mr Beaver frolicking in Veteran’s pond as I spun past, yup almost spring. I said ‘Nice beaver’, and kept going. I knew today was going to be good.

A little further down the greenbelt I detected the unmistakable odor of someone smoking a non-tobacco product. I knew today was going to be good. I kept riding, and kept detecting. Like a mile later I come up behind a dude on a bike, enjoying a non-tobacco cigarette. Skinny guy riding fast and smoking at the same time. Nice. I buzzed by. He didn’t want to race. I knew today was going to be good.

Feeling good now, I am almost to work. There is a deer standing by the greenbelt. It has little antlers and looks jumpy. I think he wants to race. I shift and accelerate. He jumps the gun and starts running in front of me. I shift again and accelerate. I catch him. Faster than a deer, that is pretty good – especially for 7 a.m. I hang behind and a little to his left, I think he is setting me up. I have been kicked in the head by a deer before, so know it isn’t good – and I don’t want to repeat it. I pull left as far as I can and start inching up. Just when I was going to complete the pass he jumped into the brush on the other side of the greenbelt. I knew today was going to be good.

I hopped on my bike and rode to the store at lunchtime. On my way back I am on the sidewalk about to pull into work. There is a deer running down the sidewalk the other way – running away from a car, but right towards me. I have tackled deer before, so I know this is not the way to do it. About when I am deciding to run into a car, a deer, or a fence the deer turns and jumps the fence. I knew today was going to be good…