Our MS150 team captain, FLJ*, had proposed that interested parties ride out with him to a fundraising ride for a no-kill shelter in West Virginia. As soon as I found out that I'd be free that day, I said I'd go. I said this on a bright and lovely Thursday but by Friday night the weather had turned much cooler and much wetter. I figured if FLJ was game, so was I. Plus I wanted to meet him and I was also eager to meet whimmydiddle's bike, as she was coming, too. And muzikmaker21 was planning to be there. A wet ride isn't always awful.

The scheduled ride was 37 miles and I needed more than that for my Big Plan, so I rode to FLJ's place. We live practically in each other's backyards, so that didn't help much. I rode around his neighborhood a little, but I didn't want to get too soggy before the car ride up. Then I met FLJ (I am certain we've met before, how could we not? He seemed familiar, anyway.) and watched in awe as he charmed an entire bicycle and everyone's gear into the trunk of his convertible.

The ride was better than good. I really had fun, even though the "rolling hills" were beginning to kick my ass by the end. The wet parts were really wet, and when you stopped you noticed the cold pretty quickly, but the course was just lovely and I was riding with fun people. The shelter is a real treat to visit, too. I think whimmydiddle will describe the cattery better than I could. It's a fabulous facility.

If I were to write a post exclusively about the mad contraption whimmydiddle rides, I would title it And Yet The Bumblebee Flies. From the cruel sweep of its bizarre handlebars to its unfortunately resolute rear hub, it is a creature you'd be wise to admire from a distance. And yet she hops on and makes it go. And go and go. I don't think she'll have any trouble riding in the June event--I was impressed.

So we dried off, played with kitties, drove back and got some dinner, and went home. I had called Brian to see if he wanted to join us for dinner, but he was planning to go to the 7pm showing of Ice Age II. My ride home was the wettest part of the day. The path was flooded in several places while the rain was like an open tap. The house was empty when I got home, yay! I left a pile of drenched clothes (along with a backpack full of more drenched clothes) just inside the door, then I went to the bathtub and turned on the hot water. The new Smithsonian magazine had arrived, so I was just easing into the ridiculously hot tub, looking forward to a quiet read, when Brian returned with Victoria. If you have been paying attention to any post regarding Victoria you will know why they came back so soon. Right--the movie was too scary.

Well, that was my Saturday. It was mighty damp. It was pretty chilly. It was a lot of fun.

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* This could stand for Fearless Leader J, but I think it actually stands for Future LJ. The dude seriously needs an account or else how will we ever communicate? Not to mention the fact that our little riding group knows of several infants & toddlers with their own accounts, and one reptile.