Home ... And Immediately Out Skating

Veronica pretended to munch on popcorn while I took this picture of her and Julia.

I got a text message from Julia when I landed in Omaha asking me if I could take her and Veronica to a school (roller) skating party. I'd only been traveling for the past 19 hours and had been awake for nearly all of them, but what the heck, right?

So within two hours of walking up the jetway at Eppley Airfield, I was lacing up a pair of roller skates and taking laps around the rink with Veronica. Julia was impressively gliding around (on single blade skates), which strangely reminded me of the way the officials skate at UNO Maverick hockey games.

I asked Julia where she learned to skate so well. "At home," she replied. Huh? She roller skates at home? Uh, ok. Guess you need to be good to navigate around the kitchen table or make your way across a carpeted living room.

We've Been Lucky

Pit stop at the recently re-opened Haworth Park in Bellevue.

The weather has been unseasonably warm this November. And that's been nice. Particularly since I'm home this entire month. What would normally be mid 30-degree days temperature-wise have been mid 50s and even low 60s.

View of the Missouri River.

I have it down on what to wear when it's above 50: Hincapie Sportswear arm warmers beneath a long-sleeved jersey, shorts, a Hincapie Sportswear e-vest and a cap beneath my Bell helmet. Gloves are either thin long-sleeve or conventional short ones and aero shoe covers are good unless it's warmer than 60. I haven't been out when it's much below 50. But if I did, it would be with tights since it's not good to have your knees exposed at that temperature.

Some long afternoon shadows.

Getting out on rides has been a regular afternoon ritual. I try to leave by 12:30 p.m. or 1 and ride at least two to three hours. With a south wind blowing, I'll ride the Keystone Trail to Bellevue's Haworth Park, then double back on surface streets. The climb up from Old Towne Bellevue to Bellevue Boulevard is rated as a Category 5 by mapmyride. No other climbs are long enough or steep enough to be rated. But there's still a fair bit of climbing here and there - including the one up L Street from the Veteran's Memorial Bridge.

Possibly darker than August.

I also like to pass the time on these rides listening to my portable transistor radio (using just one ear piece, not two). At that time of day, the "Jim Rome Show" is on, followed by "Unsportsmanlike Conduct." It really helps take your mind off things, listening to sports talk radio.

All this riding has led to an usual November tan, particularly on my legs. Well, really only on my legs since everything else is pretty well covered. But who knew you could get such a deep, dark tan in the middle of November? We'll see how long it lasts.