This morning i went for a nice mtb ride up to Dog Lake with a dear friend (who will remain anonymous at her request).
It was a great end-of-the-summer ride. Perfect temperatures, clear blue skies, not too much traffic on the trail (even for a sunday morning). Not far into the ride, however, my anonymous friend was having troubles with her mp3 player, which kept sliding down her arm (she wears the kind that you velcro strap to your arm). We stopped for a minute for her to take her sleeves off (it was getting warm) and readjust her mp3 player, at which time she shared with me that she doesn't even care if music is playing or not, she really wears the headphones just to keep the bugs out of her ears.
In all my years of riding, i have never had a bug fly into my ear (bees in my helmet yes, but not bugs in my ears), but evidently they are drawn to my anonymous friend's ears because she also told me how the other day when she was riding she stopped to talk to someone, and then forgot to put her headphones in, and almost immediately the bugs started to swarm and threaten her very hearing (i may be taking some poetic liberty with the retelling, but not much).
It was a great end-of-the-summer ride. Perfect temperatures, clear blue skies, not too much traffic on the trail (even for a sunday morning). Not far into the ride, however, my anonymous friend was having troubles with her mp3 player, which kept sliding down her arm (she wears the kind that you velcro strap to your arm). We stopped for a minute for her to take her sleeves off (it was getting warm) and readjust her mp3 player, at which time she shared with me that she doesn't even care if music is playing or not, she really wears the headphones just to keep the bugs out of her ears.
In all my years of riding, i have never had a bug fly into my ear (bees in my helmet yes, but not bugs in my ears), but evidently they are drawn to my anonymous friend's ears because she also told me how the other day when she was riding she stopped to talk to someone, and then forgot to put her headphones in, and almost immediately the bugs started to swarm and threaten her very hearing (i may be taking some poetic liberty with the retelling, but not much).
Then she told me she couldn't believe she had said that out loud and made me promise to not tell anyone else. I'm sorry dear anonymous friend, it's just too good a story (I have, however, followed IRB protocal to conceal your identity. All files linking you to any identifying information will be kept in a locked cabinet accessible only to the primary researcher).
Anonymous friend taking in the view at Dog Lake
Of course this helps explain why a perpetually messy person like me gets nervous when a perpetually clean person like my anonymous friend comes over to my house to visit. "Oh No!" i think, "she's going to realize i'm really a very cluttered, messy person." She was impressed recently when I cleaned my house and she could actually see my table top and didn't have to pick a pathway through my front room.
This same anonymous clean person had a towel handy at the end of our ride to wipe down my water bottle mouth piece so that i didn't get any dust in my mouth. Very clean and very considerate. Thank you clean, anonymous friend for a great sunday morning ride (and keeping my mouth free from dust-borne pathogens).
Anonymous friend taking in the view at Dog LakeOf course this helps explain why a perpetually messy person like me gets nervous when a perpetually clean person like my anonymous friend comes over to my house to visit. "Oh No!" i think, "she's going to realize i'm really a very cluttered, messy person." She was impressed recently when I cleaned my house and she could actually see my table top and didn't have to pick a pathway through my front room.
This same anonymous clean person had a towel handy at the end of our ride to wipe down my water bottle mouth piece so that i didn't get any dust in my mouth. Very clean and very considerate. Thank you clean, anonymous friend for a great sunday morning ride (and keeping my mouth free from dust-borne pathogens).
1 comment:
Such considerate friends you have... bugs in your ears are the worst!
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