sunday before sunset

never finished this...
much like the last ten posts
I am just hitting PUBLISH AND POST on some drafts that never made it to the page

sunday before sunset I saw a window of opportunity
I had spent a good part of the day shuttling the boys to and from soccer clinics
the loosely guided direction for ten year old Dean and his Hooverville diarama went well
although seven year old Grant did not get the playdate he desired I felt that we were pretty much moving along nicely

I asked my wife Lisa if she minded if I got on the bike
she was fine with it so I suited up

interestingly enough the night prior I had taken the old SPD pedals off my very crusty and somewhat rusty Surly Karate Monkey and put on some Ergon pedals

funny...
the ride downtown to catch King Face at the Black Cat had me stoked to get out and play on this bike with its new pedals

I suited up in gear that was closer to casual than cycling
more wool than lycra
definitely more denim than I usually wear on a Sunday ride

the night prior I was pleased how comfortable I was pushing the pedals with my Blundstone boots
it was not just the comfort but also the performance
knowing I would be riding a little further, a tad faster, and perhaps a hair more aggressively I selected some keep shoes that laced up rather than the slip on boots

with a wax coated Timbuk3 messenger bag on my back I crossed town with the camera
crossing paths with a number of cyclist
but not pulling out the camera for anyone
sure I skidded to a halt to make conversation with a cyclist or two
but I was not feeling it with the camera
so I pedaled on

the sun was setting fast
I had enough blinking lights on the bike that when I ran into a friend walking his dog I heard that ever popular "you look like a Christmas Tree" remark

looping back from Capitol Hill I approached Union Station on Massachuetts Avenue
as I passed the gas station before what I believe to be 2nd street I saw a woman with a cane
she was taping the sidewalk in a way that gave me the indication that she was blind
the concrete sidewalk had a patch of red brick where the gas station driveway fed into the street

with her cane she felt her way forward and started walking into traffic on Mass Ave
as I passsed I tried to be loud and clear, " you are stepping into the street.... if you are looking for the corner you need to walk further down the block"

it was clear that she did not hear me
she shouted back
so I looped back... and repeated myself with some modification
"if you are trying to get to the corner... go straight another 20 yards"

the woman was a tad defensive
sh