Fearless

I drove my car to work today, only the third time since Saint Patty's day I believe. It was weird, strange and tense. Yesterday I rode home in the rain which was just fine! I really pumped hard as I was in between huge downpours and made it home wet but no worse for the wear. I wiped my bike down and felt happy to have braved the storm. 750 miles for the year commuting. I canceled my parking privileges as it felt criminal to pay for parking I don't use just to preserve my place in the structure. But with a few days still left before my privileges end, I took the path of greater resistance, today, and drove. Errands and appointments scheduled for this afternoon prompted this departure from my usual blissfully routine. It did afford me the chance to visit the Buzz Cafe and get a coffee for the drive. Whoopee.

Ryder is fearless. On Sunday at the pool, he was waiting in line to go down the water slide and two big African American teenagers, part of a big group of boys, butted in front of him in line to join their friends who were ahead of him. Ryder stepped up to the boys, who not only towered over him and were quite rowdy, but were on the steps above him, and told them not to butt in front of him, to take their proper place in line. Unflinchingly, without fear, he faced them down, and they laughed and were outraged at his courage, but then left the line to him! What a stud! Ironically, one of their friends who had been in line in front of Ryder, and who stayed, ended up needing rescuing by the lifeguard after he slid in to the water. He just panicked evidently and got disoriented, but the young teen guard leapt into the water and shoved her float under his arms. He was more embarrassed than anything, and the boys whom Ryder chased out of line really yucked it up at his expense. Ryder was completely unaffected by this and continued to enjoy his new found thrill of falling 10 feet through the air into the water. That's my boy!