fix up look sharp

Sigh.

This post is a post of regrets.

For I was not meant to be here, sitting at my computer, listening to the traffic passing by, and feeling foggy and sorry for my silly self.

I was meant to be here:

And I was, in all honesty, quite looking forward to being so. There had been an early call to try and encourage as many women as were interested to ride and I did want to do my part to answer that call. Though after following eight pages of pre-race man-heckle, I kind of remembered why I always thought the whole alley cat thing was just that bit too boys-own for me. And I say that with a great deal of affection, having met and liked quite a few of these young fellows. I guess it just reminds me that sometimes boys/men do thinks differently, and if I’m a bit touchy that things are not that girl/lady friendly, well – sometimes it’s because they aren’t. Inadvertently or otherwise.

I’d gone along to the previous Fix Up Look Sharp and had a whale of a time, despite serious reservations about the whole alley cat thing to begin with. In the end, the ride had been fun, I’d teamed up with some friendlies and I couldn’t say that the whole experiences was half as intimidating as I had once worried it would be. I figured that same logic should apply and it was best to just ignore the “my bike’s faster than yours” bravado and consider it a good opportunity to ride hard with a big group.

It was not to be.

Today’s giant failure though is entirely my own fault. “One quick drink” last night spiraled into “one giant bender” and though I wrestled with the desire to lie down on the floor in a dark place this morning, I almost made it there, at least to spectate and say hi to friends and to find a few new/cute helmets.

In fact, I was dressed and ready at about 12.45pm, holding my little bike computer in my little hand wandering about the house when I realised the flaw in my plan.

I had no bike.

How did I get home again?