Summer is definitely here. From all the Twitter and FB rumblings today, I don’t think there’s anywhere on the East Coast that’s below 90 degrees. The real-feel is definitely around there here in Toronto if you factor in the humidity. Heat, I don’t mind. Humidity can go screw itself in the butt.
So it’s summer and guess who partook in summer activities this past weekend? Instead of fearing the outside world on the 4th (of July), we planned to finally take the bike out and ride it on the island. Plan was almost thwarted when we realized the bike seat problem was worse than expected. I was warned about it before I got the bike, but hey it was a free bike. The latch that allows you to adjust the bike seat height crapped out completely so whenever you sat on it, the seat would flomp (my word!) down to the lowest tier and thrust (sexy) itself under the back basket carrier. While the bike probably would have been ride-able like this, it wouldn’t have been comfortable. So we decided to leave the bike at home and just go to the island anyway.
As we were leaving the apartment building I started to get really upset about not biking. Almost irrationally upset. Then I realized, I can still bike, I’d just have to rent one! And hello? A bike rental place right across the street from the apartment? For cheaps? Problem solved.

So we walked the bike to the ferry terminal because I wasn’t quite comfortable riding on the street after not biking for nearly five years. When we got to the island, I stradled the seat and hoped to god I remembered how to ride. I nearly toppled over a few times, and at one point landed in a bush, but then it all came back to me and I biked around the island while Pete walked around (he opted not to bike with a heavy camera bag, he was there for photos). It was really nice and I remembered my 12-year-old self who used to used to bike nearly everyday – good times. The rental was perfect for me too although my ass felt really sore towards day’s end. I think I’d get used to it were I to bike regularly. My bike at the apartment is a monster compared to the rental and probably double it’s weight. It’s defintely not a messenger bike, but more of a cruiser bike. I loved my rental so much, I considered buying a new bike just like it, but I think I’ll get the seat properly fixed on the one I have now and see how it goes. I just hope I don’t lose the inspiration and stop biking again for an extended period.
Yesterday, I was a little sore from the biking but I expected it. What I didn’t expect was a blackout in the afternoon for nearly all of downtown. Did you know I work in the tallest office building in Toronto and work in one of it’s uppermost floors? Well, with no powered elevators we had to walk down to get home. The firm does this anyway once a year during fire drills so I knew after I walked down I’d proably endure a week’s worth of sore leg muscles. I was okay with that. But couple the descent with a walk home, then a walk UP to your 17th floor apartment. You should have seen me in the stairwell on those last four floors up. Clutching the handrails, pulling myself up on each step and hyperventilating. It was pathetically hilarious. Did I mention it was probably 90 degrees out?
When I finally got thru our apartment door, there Pete was laying all relaxed on the couch talking on his mobile. He was able to make it home before the blackout. I didn’t have the energy to curse him out and all I could say, drenched in sweat and breathing heavy, was “waaaater!”.
I wanted a cold shower badly at that point, but with no power, there was no water pressure being pumped up to our floor. So yeah, no running water either. We still had water in the Brita pitcher (and it was still cold! Yehey!) and a fridge full of drinks so we were okay on hydration. In lieu of a cold shower I took off most of my clothes and laid out on the living room floor sucking on a freezie (they were still frozen!). The power came back on about an hour later. All is normal now in the Brockie household.
I’m a bit amazed I’m not that sore today. I am sore, but not as much as I thought I would be. Sometimes my body reacts slowly to intense physical activity so this just might be one of those times. There’s a chance I will be cursing everyone tomorrow due to excrutiating muscle pain. I will put you on notice if that happens.






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