Building Character with Quantum Tailwinds

1.16.2014 24m #214 25F

Somehow I was surprised that it was cold today. Started in 23F at the Bastille, riding south-east along the Ohio into a headwind. Stopped to take this picture of my fave koi pond, even taking my gloves off to take the picture because there seems to be a rule nothing works with gloves on.

I really liked this picture because some of the moss was just starting to freeze over, and some of it still looked quite warm and wet, and the fish were all congregated under the waterfall.

Continued across the Ft. Duquesne and Ft. Pitt Bridges and road south-east along the Mon River, still into a headwind toward Thick Bikes, looking for a new rear-view mirror. Happily, Thick Bikes had the mirror I wanted. Took a tour of their basement oogling fat bikes.

Came out of Thick and went a block down the street to Fresh From the Farm Juices, a nice place with very nice people at 1330 Bingham We each got some Restless Red to have there and some Limey Green to take home. It was very good, I'm going to go back for lunch sometime.

Worked across the SouthSide to get back on the trail, and rode the trail past Keystone Metals and Sandcastle to Costco to do some shopping. You can make a decent snack-stop out of the samples: I ate a date, a slice of kielbasa, some sort of spinach-and-cheese thing. Still no bike racks at Costco, after they'd been taken away to make a space to Christmas tree sales.

The whole ride down to Costco, we travelled into a headwind. Then we went into Costco, and came out of Costco. When we came back outside, the flag on top of the adjacent Whemco plant had completely reversed and now showed a headwind for our ride back to the cars.

This happens all the time, too often to be a random event. Then I realized: it's like than quantum effect where you face a choice, Yes or No, and what happens is you really take both choices - and you split into two new quantum universes, Universe-Yes and Universe-No.

I think what happens is, everytime I go inside and eat something a decision is made - Headwind or Tailwind for the next segment? And both of them happen. It just so happens that the string that I'm on always gets the Headwind.

Anyway, after facing a headwind on the outbound leg, we faced a headwind on the inbound leg. Took Hot Metal Bridge and the Jail Trail. The sun was out, and lots of blue sky, and I think it warmed up to 30F. From the Jail Trail you can see the wind sock up at Mercy Hospital and it was showing a strong north-west wind. Bastards.