Ahhh, feels like spring

The overnight rain which was described as possibly changing over to snow did not occur. The storm system still seems to be coming but for the most part it seems to have skirted off to the north. With a southerly weatherly pattern prevailing today became the first day where it really, really felt like spring. At last!

I headed out shortly after noon with the temperature approaching the average for the day. It was sunny and nearly still, a pretty nice day. The predicted storm was still looming and the prevailing wisdom was falling temperatures with gradual change over to the bad weather. Instead it got warmer, eventually reaching 52!!, although looking outside now in late afternoon it is starting to look like the storm may make it here yet.

In response to light variable winds I headed out to the north. I got across I-694 for the first time to Grass Lake. I think for this picture I probably could have just gone ahead and used a similar photo I took last year but I didn't, this one was taken today.As I was approaching this spot I met a guy riding my bike. I have only on I think one other occasion seen another Bianchi Axis and that one time it was a completely different color scheme than the Axis I have. This bike today was the same year, same color scheme, exactly the same bike. Seeing someone else riding my bike is obviously a pretty unusual experience. I have had the experience one other time when I was riding the Look, although to be fair, on that occasion the frame was the same but he was riding Shimano DuraAce. I, of course, ride Campagnolo Chorus.

Today was the day that occurs once each spring where the weekend arrives, one of the days is nicer than expected, and a bunch of people decide they need a new bike. I rode past the bike shop and the parking lot was jammed. I stopped briefly and spoke to Joe and Scott. I told Joe I just wanted to be in the store on a day when they were selling a lot of bikes. Joe replied that today was definitely the day. It happens once each spring.

I achieved another milestone today, going over 3,000 on the Axis. The milestone yesterday was not the one Santini guessed, it was actually that I surpassed in March 2008 the mileage total for March 2007. So I guess I should stop complaining about how awful the weather has been. Obviously it must be, at the least, no worse than last year.

Last evening a crowd of near capacity of 80,000 were in attendance at Stade de France in the Paris inner suburb of Saint-Denis for the final of Le Coupe de la Ligue between RC Lens and Paris Saint-Germain. Presumably a goodly number of those in attendance were fans of the Paris team. Those fans were rewarded when a foul was whistled on Lens in the penalty area in the 93rd minute, 3 minutes into injury time. PSG converted the penalty kick as time expired to win the Cup by a 2-1 score.