FLAT TIRES AND DOG SCAT. Pt. 2

(Cont. from Pt. 1)

I pedaled north on Shadow Wood Drive, turned west on SR540, did a U-turn, pedaled several miles east on the same route, turned right at the red light, pedaled another few hundred yards, and stopped to check my post office box. It was only after I hopped back on my bike, and began peddling north on SR17 that I said to myself,

“Houston, we have a problem.”

My back tire seemed out of balance since with every crack in the sidewalk, the bicycle wobbled slightly. (I won’t peddle in the bike lane, as I value the life with which God has blessed me).

It occurred to me immediately. My tire was in the process of going flat. And thus, I brought ‘Old Nelly’ to a screeching halt, and explored the surface of the rubber circle upon which my journey depended. Yep. It was apparent that I’d easily lost 20 pounds of air pressure, and that the remaining 60 would not be long for this world. I had reached the halfway point in my quest for home. I was 5 miles in and there were 5 to go. 

In the volume, and movie, “Jane Eyre” the aged housekeeper, Mrs. Fairfax, is prone to say,

“What to do? What to do?”

Well, in so many words, I thought the same thing.

At that moment, I had at least four possible courses of action:

*Peddle the thing as far as the remaining air pressure would allow

(or)

*Wake my wife out of a sound sleep and request a lift

(or)

*Stand on the side of SR17 and stick out my thumb

(or)

*Walk the bike home

Well, my friend, if you have pedaled as long and as far as I have, it goes without saying you would have experienced the same dilemma several times before. 

While my wife has jump-readied and driven to ‘the scene of the crime’ in the past, I quickly discovered that turning my front wheel inward and storing it in the trunk ‘does a number’ on the gears. Beyond this, I simply would not think about hitchhiking at ‘O dark thirty.’ (Did I mention, I value my life too much)?

Thus, I was left with options 1 and 4.

I chose…both.

(to be continued)

By William McDonald, PhD. Excerpt from "(Mc)Donald's Daily Diary" Vol. 46. Copyright pending

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