I realize it can get a bit trite to discuss weather too often, but when you stop and think about it, weather arguably has the biggest impact of anything on our lives. It affects our decision-making, which has an effect on our circumstances, and so on. This process had a profound effect on my day, in particular my afternoon.
I hope you weren't enjoying the Spring-like weather too much, because we've reverted back to Winter-like conditions for at least the next few days. Yesterday was a pretty dreary day to be outside, but if I'm looking for silver linings, I guess the conditions were ideal for the Stay at Home order. There are also other bright spots to be found for those of us who are venturing outside:
I stumbled upon this interesting piece at a bus stop on my not-so-usual afternoon. It's painted on plastic (or vinyl) sheeting that's been stretched between trees:
Pretty clever, right? It looked all that much brighter with a backdrop of overcast skies. I had plenty of time to stare at it while I waited for the bus (more on that in a moment).
I enjoy my tradition of taking a longer route home on Friday afternoons. A longer bike ride is kind of my reward, you might say, for making it through another week. I also enjoy not taking the same route every time. I decided not to take the same westward path I took last week, and instead opted to head east towards Downtown Columbus via the Scioto Trail:
There was also a weather-related motive in that decision: brutal headwinds from the west that had been plaguing me all day. Facing all manner of outdoor conditions is part of my job, but I wanted to enjoy my afternoon ride. I can say, I did enjoy the riding part. On days like yesterday, there aren't normally many people on the trails (more space), and with the current situation, the trail and the city looked exceptionally desolate:
Taking this route, I'd still be able to pick up the same bus that I usually do every afternoon, just a little further east than normal. I made a quick pause a block away from the bus stop to support another of my favourite Columbus microbreweries, Land Grant Brewing in Franklinton:
Like many others, they're open for modified service, including takeout beer. No pints or bar service of course, but you can still tip on takout orders and support the bar staff. I'll probably pass through this way another time in the near future, as BrewDog is right across the street as well. Or maybe not, because of what happened next.
I grabbed a six pack and proceedeed to wait for the bus. And I waited. And I waited some more. Finally, after texting COTA for bus times, checking their website for updated schedules, repeatedly checking the Transit app, and waiting more than 45 minutes without a bus showing up, I called COTA. After being on hold for about 10 minutes, they said that particular bus just "wasn't running today" and I'd have to wait for the next one that was due in about 15 minutes. Very bizarre, because the original bus showed up on all other platforms as running on schedule. In any case, at least I knew there was another bus on its way, right?
Mind you, it was windy, and I've been standing outside waiting for close to an hour at this point. I probably could have pedaled the 8ish miles home by that time (albeit under dangerous circumstances). The expected bus eventually showed up...but it had a message on the sign board that read "NEXT BUS PLEASE" as it slowly trudged past my stop. I flailed my arms begging for the driver to stop and explain, but the driver kept going and shrugged me off. This whole thing is just weird, but it gets weirder...
Understandably I was a bit angry, but I know the bus route. I wasn't going to be denied. So I rode through the neighborhood to a stop further down the line. The same thing happened when the bus caught up to me. I was LIVID by this point. In a moment of defeat, I called my girlfriend and asked her to pick me up near the intersection where I usually catch the bus and started riding that way. Wouldn't you know it, the same bus eventually caught up to me, AND IT ACTUALLY STOPPED.
By that point, I was just grateful to have a solution, so I popped my bike on the bus and got on my way back to Grove City. I called my girlfriend to cancel the pickup. I was so emotionally exhausted that I didn't even bother saying anything to the driver. Not even thank you. I know that seems rude but after the peculiar BS I'd just gone through to get on the damn bus, I was out of gas.
I had left the shop at around 3PM. More than two and a half hours later, I was finally home, having spent only 30 minutes of that time on my bike. Let's just say, that six pack came in handy:
I'm not going to bemoan this any further. Instead, I'm hoping for some more pleasant conditions next Friday, when I try to take the long way home again. For this weekend, I'll probably be keeping the bike riding very close to home. It is still 30 Days of Biking, so I can't NOT ride, right? Have a good weekend, everyone, and be well.
30DoB Mileage Total: 119.9
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