Unsure if I somtimes walk on eggshells in my mind as a reminder as to what a beautifully crisp Autumn morning 9/11 was - it's strangely changed my perception of the weather since. Sometimes, I'm possibly superstitous if a nice day happens - something bad will ensue. This morning was similar to the weather we had on the morning of 9/11 - it strangely ruined the loveliness of it - I'm going to take a concerted effort to block that.
I dilly-dallied around the house doing domestic stuff and went to Sears to get new TIRES on my car - made arrangements in advance - the whole process was not as obnoxious as any car maintenance thing is - they did it in 1.5 hours while I culturally raped the Fair Lakes Mall with my critical eyes.
What a freaky place - I have not been in a mall in more than a year and a half - it's more than a culture, it's a capitalist disease. Maybe disease is not the right word, possibly "bombastic spending wet dream machine" is a better word choice.
I found myself at the Gap imagining myself in those manequin's clothes - but I didn't feel completely plastic, the whole thing seemed post-Radiohead critique.
Finally got the car back with new rubbers - or what them Aussies call
tyres and drove to Vienna to go on my 63 miler training session - but had to stop at Spokes to get some new tubes with long presta stems. While I was there - this cute sales girl (in her late 20s) cheerfully says "i remember you from the Reston Century..." (I was wearing the t-shirt that I got from last weekend's century) "you were riding the Windsor - you passed me back at the 60 mile marker.." I smiled. We chatted for about a 1/2 hour about that ride - how hot it was..then such...
Phone numbers were exchanged to meet up in Thurmont, MD (next weekend - which I was already scheduled for) - for the Century (100+ miler) then. I was grinning like a Cheshire Cat.
Biked from Vienna to Hamilton and back (31.5 miles each way)- was one of the most pleasant rides - cool, breezy, few weekend warriors/annoying tourists - was beautiful.
Came home, grilled bratwurst, had baked beans, fresh sliced tomatoes from the garden, steamed carrots & broccoli and some great paninni bread.
Carbed it up to watch
Passion of the Christ - wow! It was a little over the top. Dramatic slow motion filming, closeups of blood, drips, tears, bloodshot eyes - completely out of context. If you never read the bible, what was the movie about?