One of the MOST important things in leading a cycling life style is...

... HAVING SOMEPLACE TO GO!!!! I got off my 24 at 7am, went home, and un-wound for a bit. I couldn't fall asleep but I certainly didn't have the energy to go for a ride. I went to bed woke up, got organized and brought the dog to his training class 12 miles away. Although I was rushed I DID take a moment to envy those "Car Free" people and the time, advance planning skills and ingenuity it would take them to haul a 60 pound dog 12 miles in 20 min without a motor! Then I snapped back to it, loaded his little but in the Jeep, got a cheeseburger and and we hit the books, so to speak. On the way home I contemplated "going for a ride" when I got there. Somehow a "fitness" ride in the freezing cold and dark didn't seem, well, any [I]fun[/I]. I started to look for "excuses" to ride. Go visit friends? Well, if that was something that grown, married men with a pack of kids in the house randomly did on a Wednesday night that would be a great excuse. But it's not. I could got to the pub for a few pints. There is a Bike Blogger that got his bike stolen and then crashed it out engaging in this sort of activity. I commend him! Sadly, that's not the type of activity that one engages in with said pack of kids, a wife, a girlfriend and a 7am on-the deck time to start another 24 hour sift. Not on a Wednesday. Errands! I can run an errand. At eight thirty on a Wednesday night. If I were a drug dealer or I needed something from CVS or store 24, which I definitely do not. Even if I wanted to get drugs, or even some beers but then we get back the that whole "Family" and "Responsability" thing. Truth to be told, I don't run many "errands" any way. "errands", I have found is just a fancy way of saying "spending money" and I don't spend a lot of money that I don't need to, other than on drugs and beer, and my lovely wife is in charge of spending the money that we DO need to so, ipso-facto: no ":errands"! BAM! (I just threw that in there. I don't know why but probably because I feel that I am on some kind of "roll" or something). So, in the end I squandered hours and hours of time that could have been spent dodging cars and frostbite out there in he darkness. OK. Sure. There are things that I can "get". I can get lights, or special socks or blinky things and a battery that looks like a water bottle. Truth be told, I am SO over the "getting things" part of cycling. I don't want any more "things" other than maybe a "modern" road bike or MTB next season. I don't want to spend any more money on cloths or gadgets or things that heat my undies or flash or blink or strobe. What I want is motivation. What I want is opportunity. What I want is freedom. What I want is SOME WHERE TO GO!