Wednesday, April 14, 2010

60 percent chance

I had lots of work still to be done on the taxes but two days without bicycling loomed and the weather channels said only (only he says) a 60 percent chance of rain. I checked the radar and it looked to me like 100 percent chance for Minneapolis and the western suburbs as the system followed a northeasterly moving pattern. I convinced myself that 100 percent over there meant only about 20 percent over here and headed out to try to get in a few miles.

I hit the four edges of section 16 without ever getting outside of it. A section is a mile square so that translates to a minimum of 4 miles ridden. Never getting outside of the section adds the benefit of never ever being much over a mile from home.

At approximately the moment that 20 percent became 100 percent I pulled back into the overhang of my garage, thankful for having been so close when those first drops hit me. Here is a look at my driveway showing the first drops.Tertiary geologists and those following the earlier discussion on this blog might like to note that to this point my driveway displays very, very few signs of spall.

The expedition didn't really get to the level of what I usually expect in a bicycle ride and I am going to use the Michigan explanation that even though I left my house on my bicycle this doesn't really qualify as a "ride".

It eventually rained pretty hard for a while and then intermittently for the rest of the afternoon. I spent the rest of the afternoon working to finish the taxes. Hard. I would take a 40 mile bicycle ride any time. But they are done. I kind of like the way they came out, we cut it pretty close to the line this year. We went just slightly over the line and owe a $4 penalty to the state and a $21 penalty to the feds. However, we have the basis for, and I have requested, a waiver of the federal penalty. It feels about right to have not loaned any money to government this year.

2 comments:

gfr said...

Pretty close to spall free. Gotta love good quality gravel.

It isn't a ride unless I SAY it's a ride, is my motto.

Good call on interest free loans to the government(s).

Older than the Hills said...

My theory is that it shouldn't count against you if you attempt to take a ride in iffy conditions and Mother Nature laughs at your efforts.