Wind, wiildlife, and gastrointestinal distress

Luckily I didn't stay up too late last night, and was able to wake up at a pretty reasonable hour and get my slow morning burn going. Around 11:15 I left for a jaunt to the North Branch trail. The entrance is roughly 7 miles west of me; there was a mean wind shooting out of the east, so I was able to use it to billow my sails and get to the trail head in record time! This also meant, however, that I was going to have to fight this bastard on the way back home.

About 10 minutes into the trail, I started spying wildlife: young, white-tailed deer (not totally sure of the genus/phylum/species, etc., but they DID have white tails) and they were off to the side of the trail, grazing. There was a French woman with a little dog, and this pooch was going absolutely batshit nuts with all of the deer around. I snapped a pic (I was hoping to get more of the deer, but just managed to basically capture the frenzy of the pup):



But further down the trail, I able to see more and get pretty damn close. I was trying to tread easily so I wouldn't disturb their repast.





But about five miles into the trail, I was met with a mean case of GI distress--was it the pizza of last night coming back to exact revenge? In any event, I felt that I desperately needed my home field advantage, so I scurried back homeward. Of course I was met with the devil eastern wind, and my lower regions were about to go critical mass. By the time I got home, I definitely think atoms were beginning to get split. And I was also met with more wildlife at home:



So, after I dropped off the kids at the pool, I still wanted to be outside (despite the fact that it was in the low '40's and windier than hell). I ended up riding to Performance in Lincoln Park and snagging an on-sale backpack--an item that has been painfully absent for years (HOW DID I LIVE WITHOUT ONE??)--then rode to Jewel and decided to make BBQ ribs at home. All the grocery store items fit wonderfully well into the new backpack. I am digging it. I just hope the ribs don't pound my guts like last night's pizza did!

Enough is enough

Wow. I think I was seriously sideswiped by seasonal affective disorder--I have been really bitchy and crabby, pretty depressed, and ready to argue at the drop of a hat. My Southern wiring is definitely not used to being overtaken by snow in April. ESPECIALLY after being blessed with a handful of gorgeous Spring-esque days not long ago. And enduring days upon days with no sun and High-Winter dreariness would be enough to make Gandhi kick a sackful of kittens into the Ganges.

In any event, I sincerely pray that the horseshit is over. Even with the typical brute winds of March/April, the "balmy" temps of the low/mid- 50's are enough to assuage my ire. I rode before and after work today, and felt sooo good during both stretches. I think I'm going to start taking the "long way" to work (Irving Park and Ravenswood) via the Lakefront Path and Ohio beach. I forgot how good it felt to take that long, cleansing, head-clearing ride before a day of toil.

P.S. I found out that it's not a ton of fun to ride through Wrigleyville right after a Cubs game lets out. It reminded me of pedaling through Mardi Gras. Just without all the booze, beads and boobs.