le tire, she is la flat

So today the Contraption Captain and I are on our way into work and we are swoopity-swooping downhill and I hear this loud pop and Captain says something to the effect of "oh shit" and I scream "AHHH!" because I'm kindof paranoid about cars and the pop makes me think that one of them shot me.  We stop bicycling and I notice that stopping has a different feel than usual but I still am a little confused and that's why it's Contraption who has to point out the obvious.  My back tire is dead flat.

We begin the bicycle walk of shame.  It is the walk that says "yes, although I do a lot of bicycling, I don't generally bother with a pump and tube and tire."  It is a walk that says "When my tire goes flatter than old roadkill I must turn and walk back to my house or on to the nearest payphone."  The cars drive by and they all look very smug and self-contained because cars do not get flat tires.  Captain texts my boss to say why I will be delayed.  Boss (who understands these things and if you see this, boss, I love you man) writes back with a single sad emoticon.

We get home and Captain takes the wheel off and then takes the tire off and hands it to me.  I love this part!  I feel along the inside and the outside.  I find a big wound in the tire itself and a smaller mouth like wound in the tube.  While the Captain checks the rim and installs a new tube and a new tire I have a little silent conversation with the hole in the old tube.  I make a frowny face.  "You made me get a flat tire" I then pinch the tube so that the hole in it makes a smiley face.   The tube says "You will be sooooo late."

The tube is right.  I pull into the office at 10:30am.  Boo.  

What was good.  I did get a lot of work done and ended up having a nice day even though I had to make up lost time by skipping lunch.  What was also good.  The area bicyclists came by to commiserate and talk about flat tires.  The one of them got a fork stuck in his tire.  The other couldn't get his wheel off his bicycle at a critical juncture and was mocked when he got into the bicycle repair store.  These are the war stories of the 2-pedaled kind.

In totally other news, the weather has been mostly lovely.  Last night on the way home from work I saw this very cute pair on their way somewhere and asked if I could have a picture.  The friendly lady tells me that the dog is her training partner.  Nice, yes?

By the way, do you see all the cars in the background?  These are some of the most disgustingly behaved cars on my route.  They squabble for space like meth addicts for a hit.  They block the entire intersection and stare stonily ahead when the cars coming from the other direction start honking.

Onwards.

Further along the road we met this nice gentle man or gentle lady.  He stood quite motionless in his grey morning coat and allowed us a picture before we continued on to hearth and home.