I gave blood and all I got was.......

a stinkin' awesome bike ride!! ha ha HA!

Today I was scheduled to give blood at the American Red Cross near Reactor Field. I was working at school all day and kept trying to think of an easier way of getting to the ARC donation site rather than cycling back to the trail and going in that way. I ended up cycling down Maryland Ave and crossing Stadium to get onto Champion drive. Then I followed Champion down a truly awsome hill to the light at Providence. I crossed there and took a right to the ARC where a lovely bike rack awaited me. Sweet.

While I was giving blood I talked the nurse into signing up for a bike class with PedNet I kept hearing myself saying things like..."It's ONLY twenty dollars!' "It is so much fun!" "You will meet cool people!" She wrote down all the information and kept saying, "I can see me buying a bike". I told her how great Columbia was for cycling, etc. and more importantly, how much fun it was. Everyday is an adventure on a bike. Even when I have a 'bad' day, cycling just resets my mind and I feel better regardless of what has been going on. (The nurse said my blood pressure was excellent as well which just goes to show you....)

I biked home on the trail from there. It was really beautiful....scores of wildflowers and everything so lush from the rain. I was looking around as I ambled home and came upon two deer in the trail. I don't know who was more startled--the deer or me. I rang my little bell and they sort of loped off....it was an awesome ride home.