Time off the bike.

So I have not been on the bike at all since I messed up my knee last weekend. In some respects I probably needed some time off the bike, at the same time I would have preferred to be more mobile to get other stuff done. I have forced myself to sit and watch TV with ice on my knee, so the spousal unit has been doing intervals on the trainer. It may sound crazy, but even the whirring of the trainer in the next room makes me wish I was DOING something... even if that something is as sucky as riding on a damned trainer!

Today I saw this quote from a VeloNews interview with Tyler Hamilton:

"... Your friends are your friends, and your acquaintances are your acquaintances ... A lot of acquaintances are there in the good times, and not there in the bad times, but you know, that’s normal, that’s life. I’m not bitter about it, and I’m not bitter towards anyone, but tomorrow I’m probably not going to be going to dinner with them, either."

I consider myself lucky to have a few friends. It is interesting to note that it is often the stupid things in life (like a drunken joke, for instance) that causes someone to dislike you. While your friends either don't care or will laugh at what you did in a 3 minute window while intoxicated on vacation, your acquaintances might act like it's some huge scandal. Add to that the fact that often people make dumb assumptions based on second hand information and some silly thing can really snowball! I would be willing to bet that the individuals who are the best at blowing up and pointing out someone elses mistake have themselves made much bigger mistakes (especially when intoxicated!).

You know what the coolest thing is though? All that crap, all the lame people, all the stupid problems, it all goes away when I am out there on my bike. The things that really matter come to the forefront and the joy, the freedom, of riding my bike is all that matters. It is like pressing the reset button. So cool.

Fuck the haters! They can suck it.