I had an early meeting. Rode my bike through the snow on the Jones Falls Trail. Got in early and happy as hell. Only almost got doored twice and didn’t really slip around much. It was a fantastic ride.
Watched the Inauguration in my office online alone, which is extremely depressing now that I think of it.
Dropped my bike riding the elevator with my boss on my way out yesterday. Appeared that I only smacked the back of the stem and dinged it a little, and all was well. But it was loud and scared the shit out of me, since I don’t make a habit of dropping my bike.
Went to the Chillage to run some errands for Mrs. P’s birthday (yesterday). Riding up the access drive on Charles Street, going very slowly, I hit some black ice with a backpack full of birthday stuff and a roll of wrapping paper strapped to my back like a sword. More or less stopped and tried to keep myself upright with my left leg, but there was ice there, too. I went down, with my bike on me and with me on my bike. My leg must have knocked the frame pump into the downtube because there’s a gash there in the paint, and Mr. Pump was on the ground. Knocked chain off chainrings but got it back on with a stick I pried off the frozen ground. Shaken up a bit.
Rode to Hampden to pick up a package (new camera). Found out later that it’s broken. So was my printer when I tried to print an Amazon return label. I kicked said printer/scanner. Yelled at it. Still didn’t work. Apparently angry enough to forgot how cause and effect actually work.
Enjoyed wrapping presents at night, though, and having Beamish Stout and pasta. Much better mood. Good enough to keep me awake until 2:00am when I had to get up early.
I learned later that hot pixels are a fact of life, and I know that scratches on a bike you ride everywhere are part of Bike Life (and easily covered up with a sticker). That in fact it’s just stuff/shit anyway, so who cares? Taking photos and riding are what’s important, and nothing’s gonna stop that.
So then I felt better.
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I think you have uncovered the essential truth – that while some material possessions make life easier, they are but mere possessions, and thus, it isnt worth obsessing about them. Yup, I do take care of my things and try to maintain them , so that they last a long time, but, I dont worry myself too much if stuff gets dinged up a bit or get scratched.
have a friend, who saved up and bought a few very nice guitars. He obsesses about them to the point that he almost wont play the wonderful instruments he now owns- because he is worried that they will get scratched, or look “used”. But, he doesnt seem to realise that musical instruments are made to be played and bring joy, not to be packed away in a closet, locked up securely in their cases.