Today was rough – I punctured – I will never forgive the hippo.

I don’t puncture; I’m the envy of my cycling friends. It’s not that I don’t ride either, in a good year I routinely put in a couple thousand miles and knock out a half-dozen centuries.

I can even climb Alpe d’Huez faster than Cheryl Crow (64 minutes; I’m in yellow).

But today, a block from work, I nailed a pot hole and knew instantly I was done in. I’m unable to accurately articulate the emotional stress my puncturing caused – I was distraught at work for at least an hour. It’s a point of pride for me. I felt rejected: “What my precious little tube, you no longer want to ride with me?”

Since I’m so confident in my puncture-free streak I don’t carry a spare tube, pump, tools, anything, so I need to bring a full complement tomorrow to fix it. When I told a friend over IM I had punctured, his response: “FINALLY!”

The hippo in happier times – stupid, happy hippo.

Leaning on the bike, waiting for the boat to dock in Seattle – moments before my fateful meeting.

Lunch today at Chuck’s Hole in the Wall – it’s ok, but I long for the South.