Q & A, Part 2

A good friend wrote me a personal email with a whole batch of new questions. She said maybe I wouldn’t want to answer them publically, but as I have no shame, I’m going to address them here in any case. Here goes:

She began by suggesting that perhaps the romantic notion of chasing spring feels more like kicking winter’s ass.  There are days when this is true, but sometimes winter is kicking our ass. Less and less, though. Cold spring rains have hard kicks, too, incidentally.

She also said she was “glad to learn the Mean Value Theorem didn’t join the pack and cause harm or damage” in the dog post. I went back and read about the Mean Value Theorem, and was stumped as to how to answer. Hmmm. I will keep my eyes open for the dog that fits this concept.

Here are her other questions:

• Is the sex better after 800 miles?

You’d need to try it for yourself!

• What article of clothing can you not wait to throw away and never see again and never ever think about wearing again?

For Jerry: Brown wool socks
For Shelagh: All of Jerry’s clothes

• How are your socks holding up?

Jerry’s brown wool socks are not doing well!!

• What has become a luxury?

Crossing our legs when sitting in a booth at dinner time. Best moment of the day!!

• Have you guys played the state license plate game yet?

No – good idea! Except that would require focus. Also, we’re too busy trying to come up with blog ideas.

• I suppose punch-bug is out?

Out. Yes.

• Do you sing while riding?

We both do.

• If yes, what songs and can anyone else hear you?

Shelagh can hear Jerry. One recent selection: From Hair, Manchester, England. He blames this on his friend Rob Steinberg and his insidious act of earworm implanting.

Shelagh sings more loudly sometimes. One recent funny one was as I came around a corner, loudly singing Flaco Jimenez’s Siempre Quiero Estar Contigo (had it on the mp3 player – great song, always lifts my mood), and was caught unexpectedly by an Amish family outside doing yard work. Awkward. But I didn’t stop.

• Have you shed any tears?

Jerry has not (unless he kept it from me…)
Shelagh, yes. At the end of the headwind/rain/dog day. BUT not until the hot shower had the adverse effect of giving my freezing cold skin a rash for the next hour.

• Blisters?  Got any?

Nope. Knock on wood and all that.

• Can one hair wash completely remove helmet-head or are there permanent (no pun intended) alterations to your hair style?

We both got big haircuts recently, so it’s easier now.

• Have you written any poems?

I (Shelagh) tried one day, but couldn’t remember anything later. I have no brain after a day on the bike…

• Have you smelled any roses?

Not since Savannah. However, I did discover a patch of the thorny bushes, with no blooms, in a recent emergency trip into the woods in North Carolina.

My friend closed her email by saying “Godspeed.” Which really surprised me. She used to live in Vermont, now she lives in Texas. And her signoff fit with a salutation thing we’ve picked up on. Southerners were all like “God bless!” and “Be safe!” whenever we started to bike away after speaking with them. We’ve passed through “Be careful!” territory and are now mostly in “Take care!” and “Have fun!” land. Interesting, to note this change. (By the way, any and all good wishes have been much appreciated.)