XC-mas

I got in a very nice ride on my hardtail 29er this afternoon. It's my newest bike, so I was pretending it was a present. Actually, I felt like I'd just unwrapped a new set of legs, because I had strength like I haven't had in a long time. It turns out that I'm finally on the mend from what's most likely a weeks (or month) old case of walking (pedaling?) pneumonia. Apparently, one's ability to get on and stay atop a gear is adversely affected by having a leaking, pus-filled cavity taking up an appreciable portion of a lung. Having de-biked myself for a couple of weeks after a year of hard-core bike commuting may also have been a factor.

And though an X-mas Day ride isn't exactly a tradition for me, the wearing of my most-festive cycling socks is. They're wool and feature penguins and snowmen wearing Santa hats. This is curious because, as an atheist, I don't believe in any of this stuff. Well, I do believe in wool, just not in being a sheep. Furthermore, as a zoologist, I know that penguins are Antarctic species that don't occur at the North Pole. Oh well. My next confusing bike apparel event will be when I wear my "Happy New Year 2004" socks later this week. Perhaps I'll complete the look by wearing shorts from a team I'm not on and a jersey emblazoned with the logo of a beer I don't drink.