California Dreaming

"All the leaves are brown,
And the sky is grey.
I've been for a walk,
On a winter's day.
I'd be safe and warm if I was in L.A.
California Dreamin' on such a winter's day.

Stopped into a church,
I passed along the way.
Well, I got down on my knees,
And I pretend to pray.
You know the preacher likes the cold,
He knows I'm gonna stay.
California Dreamin' on such a winter's day."

~1979, The Mamas and The Papas

I was five when that song came out. Even growing up, until now, I personally never have dug anything about California. But in the soul, the song makes total sense.

As cycling here in little home town La Grande is picking up, I am in the cold. Everyone I knew who was into it here, have changed all their venues, as it were. I have always rode by myself due to either my lack of being able to gain friends, or the inability to be good enough for anybody else. My TT bike is the biggest Frankenstein I have--it should be alive by now, and be able to accelerate me to the moon and back in record time. And I have the APC of TT bikes!

It is a little past mid July here in NE Oregon. The temps are starting to show instability in raising the mercury levels, the afternoon winds are terrible--it's almost as if we were living (without the poisonous clouds, though) on Venus! Road construction is everywhere. Chip seal is going everywhere. It's almost as if a nuclear, anti-cyclist storm has hit Union County! A good snowy winter will set most of the chip seal, but it will be four years before it will be almost smooth.

Even though it is hot outside, the soul of this dreaming cyclist is cold. Califonia dreamin' on such a summer's day!