The View

It was a beautiful winter day in San Francisco. So beautiful, in fact, that I felt it was absolutely imperative that I leave my office early. And I thought I should don some spandex. And some funky shoes with the word, "Shimano" written on them that make walking ridiculously hard. So hard, that the only thing left to do is hop on a bike, and ride.

Except it's not that easy.

Because hopping on a bike involves getting onto the seat. And while I love to brag that my legs are long for a girl of 5'3", my bike seat is high. I mean, you're not supposed to be able to touch the ground when you're sitting on the seat of your bike. And that makes getting started on your bike ride a little difficult.

What also makes it difficult are your pedals. Maybe the pedals aren't difficult. But the combination of the pedals and the funky shoes are effing CRAZY. No, I can't always clip in. Yes, I tipped over a time or two. And hell no, my bike is NOT scratched. Although my knee is a little bruised. You've seen My Bike! Do you really think I'm going to let something happen to her?

Despite the frustration - of stopping - of going - of uphills - of downhills - of clipping in - of clipping out - I persevered. Because cycling is pretty sweet. And I I fucking LOVE my bike!!! And because San Francisco is the perfect place to ride. Across the Golden Gate Bridge and down into Sausalito. Then back up out of Sausalito. And back across the Golden Gate Bridge. Peering out to my right at the sun setting over the seemingly endless Pacific Ocean.

A view so invigorating you can forget the frustration of your first REAL bike ride.

By the end of my ride, my friend JB (who was so patient with me!) said I was starting to fall a little more gracefully. Starting to start a little less stutteringly. And of course, he said I was kicking his ass up the hills. So maybe these lyrics are a little too extreme, but as I sat there, perched over my handlebars, huffing and puffing from both exhaustion and delight, I sang to myself...

"As life gets longer, awful feels softer.
Well it feels pretty soft to me.
And if it takes shit to make bliss,
well I feel pretty blissfully."

"The View" by Modest Mouse, from the Album, Good New for People Who Like Bad News.