Left Coast

They finally funded my project. Now I am in San Diego for the next three months pretty much 75% of the time. i shipped my bike over last week. then congress goes through the stupid fiasco of the budget, and it gets canceled (the trip). bike is waiting for me all alone. on monday, i get the green light. i fly tuesday afternoon and get in late last night. i get my bike. i just got a new bike case and it is TRASHED. the handle is ripped off, one of the buckles is also broken. the only reason they are still attached is that i wrapped all buckles with tape to keep them from popping open. UPS taped down the handle to put the label on it.

im pissed and email the wife. as i unpack it and begin to put the bike together, the bike is okay, but the case is all cracked around the wheels and there is a hole on the bottom of the case. WTF? this is ridiculous. what the hell did they do? i was going to put this in a cardboard box. thank god i did not.

i am about to file a claim this morning and the wife calls and said they are sending over an inspector tomorrow to look it over.

so, i am slow getting out today, getting my stuff ready for work later today and tonight. i downloaded a bike route and set off. i pumped my tires up with my mini pump and hit the road. after three miles, the route takes me onto the INTERSTATE!! WTF!??!!?!? Now i am lost. how the hell did this clown get on the Interstate? it clearly says NO BIKES, not that i would go on it anyhow.

i tool around looking at the garmin for a way to get around and decide to cut through UCSD. there is a ton of construction and i'm detoured. i end up at a dead end and take a side walk through two buildings. there is grass growing in squares on the sidewalks and i make a turn and there is a clump right there. BAM! Pinch flat.

cripes. i only brought two spare tubes. i only had one co2 and the mini pump is back in the room. in no time, i fix the flat and head back towards the room to get my other tube and pump. as i approach the room, i realize that i have a flat in the rear too as it is slowing getting soft.

is nothing going right? my handle bars are a bit loose too. shifting sucks.

1/2 hour to kill until the bike shop opens. it is a half mile from the hotel. i'll go buy a floor pump, get a written price for a new bike case for UPS, get co2's, tubes. oh yeah, i need to tighten my pedals as the TSA guy confiscated my adjustable wrench because it was a half inch too long. lucky my multitool was just under the limit.

still in my gear, need to change a tire and head to the bike shop.

joy.

oh yeah, the guy i am working with is sick. it just gets better...