As none of you probably know, I picked up a new bike over Memorial Day weekend.  I tooled around on it a little Saturday, Sunday, and Monday just to knock the considerable rust off my bicycling skills, and then Tuesday the adventure began.  I started biking to work instead of driving.

This was helpful since my car broke down Saturday, so I had no other easy way to get to work.

The morning commute wasn't too bad.  Nice, cool weather.  Not much traffic.  Lots of down-hill stretches.  (That should have been a warning of things to come...)

Then it was afternoon, and time to bike home.  The return voyage was not quite so fun.  It was hot (something like 95 degrees F.).  There was more traffic.  All those nice, down-hill sections were now torturous up-hill sections.  And instead of being refreshed from a good night's sleep, I was tired from a full day's work.

The trip about knocked me out.  I was a panting, exhausted wreck when I finally got to my door and reached for my car keys...

...which weren't in my pocket... or my backpack... or my other pocket... or the other pouch on my backpack... any of the three times I checked each place.

Damn.

Fortunately, I'd left the garage unlatched, so I could at least get into the shade.  And better yet I keep my box fan out there since I don't really need it inside much.  I had water from the hose.  I was able to call someone at work to rescue my keys for me.  And in the end my little brother came to save me since he was picking me up to go get my (now repaired) car from the dealership.

So I suppose things could have been worse.

I'm biking again today.  Depending on how it goes this afternoon, this may be the last time for a while.  The heat is really killer.  Instead of trying to do the commute to work every day, I may do some weekend and evening riding to build more endurance and take up commuting again in the fall.