Friday, August 28, 2015

Mode of Transportation

Well, I have now been in Pocatello (and away from Rebecca and the children) for two whole weeks. It seems like so much longer than that! I have been able to get settled into a routine and now that classes have started, I am hoping that time will go by a little faster. Just 9 more weeks to go!

While I have been here in Pocatello my main mode of transportation has been my bike. That is partially because the only place I really go to is work (which I ride my bike to), and partially because the first week and a half here I didn't have a car. i am grateful that my parents have let me use theirs while I am waiting for Rebecca and the kids to arrive.

Riding my bike has actually been pretty fun. Over the summer I started looking around for a new bike, knowing that I would need something good to get up the hill we live on. My brother-in-law Bob helped me pick a road bike out from bikesdirect.com. At first I felt a little wobbly on it, but it is a lot faster and smoother than any bike I have every had in the past. Plus, it looks pretty nice - often when I am at a public place like the grocery store or the library, people provide me with compliments about it.



In the mornings I ride to work as the sun is just coming up. I often see rabbits run from the road as I whisk by. I also drive by a couple cemeteries and the air  is cool and fresh and it is a nice peaceful way to start off my days. In the evenings I am usually riding back to the place where I am staying in the dark. I drive along some neat rock cliffs (up about 20 feet, so not dangerous) and even though it is dark they are fun to look at as I ride by. In total I average about 15 miles per day (10 if I just go to and from work, but some days I have put 20-30 miles on it).

This is the back side of the cliffs. I ride along the other side where the base of them is just 5 feet away from the road.


One evening I was in my office and it was about 30 minutes before I was planning on heading home. I looked out the window and saw some really dark clouds and then started to hear some thunder. I decided to leave right away to see if I could beat the storm. For most of the 5+ mile ride, the storm was just to my left. I would see the lighting and hear the thunder almost immediately, so I new the storm wasn't too far away. I was pedaling at top speed the whole way. For the last mile I turn off the main road and start heading up a hill. That was when the storm caught up to me. About every five seconds lightning would strike in the air right above me. Luckily it wasn't touching the ground. As I passed one house someone yelled out the window "don't get hit by lightening!" Already worrying for my life, some unkind thoughts ran through my mind. Luckily, I was able to yell out a big "thank you" instead. When I finally made it, I had to stay on the porch for about 15 minutes catching my breathe and enjoying the beauty of the storm.

I wish I took this picture. This is what it looked like though as I was riding home. The whole sky would light up like it was mid-day when they were striking right over me.


Anyway, I have built a small bond with my bike over the past couple of weeks and I am trying to think of what I should name it. If you didn't already know, we give names to lots of our things. For example, the car that I had when I was dating Rebecca was a red SUV that we named Ruby. Rebecca's car was a black 2 door that she had named Jimmy. Our silver Caravan is named Silvia. And my mom's car that I am now using is a blue Malibu that I have named Marabelle. So here are some possibiliteis for my bike. Send me an email or leave a comment if one sticks out to you.

Jimmy II - since this bike is black and sporty, it matches Rebecca's old car pretty well.
Turino - that is the model name of the bike.
Nightrider - I know the black car in the show was named K.I.T.T. and the show was actually named Knight Rider, but Nightrider sounds so much better to me. Plus it is often dark out when I am riding to and from work.
Black Stallion - too bad it runs off man power instead of horse power
Hill Crusher - think Foe Hammer or Goblin Cleaver (famed swords from the Hobbit), but the enemies that my bike slays are hills.

That is all I have come up with so far. Let me know if you have any other ideas.

2 comments:

Talitha said...

David like night rider and Trino out of those options but we are both thinking of more ideas....

Rachel Helps said...

Nightrider and Hill crusher sound the coolest to me!