I was stupid Saturday

If my sister-in-law ever read my blog, she would have a field day with the title of the post. Let me explain.

I went for an early (okay 8:00 am) 25 miler around Eagle Mountain Saturday Morning before everyone got up, and things got going. Okay, nothing too stupid there. After I got back, and got some breakfast in me, I sat down to check email/blogs. Still doing good. Kelly and I decided Friday night that we should call her sister and see if they wanted to go on a picnic, or do something else Saturday. So she called them to see what was up. They were planning a "Rash family fun day" (For those of you who aren't related to me, their last name is Rash - they weren't planning a roll in the poison ivy, or anything else like that) to go see Kung-fu Panda and asked us if we wanted to come along. Sensing a chance to go on another bike ride, I asked Kelly when the movie started, and if she minded if I rode my bike from home to Julie's. She agreed only if I left now.

Julie and Phil live in Provo, about 32 miles from our house - avoiding the freeways. I (for the most part) knew the route I wanted to take; State st. to Geneva rd. to their house, and approximately knew how long it should take me, so I was off. Everything went great, until I got to where I should turn to go to Geneva rd. and I made a wrong turn. When I went past the dump, and ended up down by the lake, I figured out that I must have made a wrong turn a couple of miles back (aaargh!) and turned around to re-trace my steps and find the right turn.

No, this is not the "stupid" part yet - although not one of my best moments. Keep reading.

So, I went back to the road I thought would get me to Geneva... Wrong again! About this time, Kelly called me to wonder where I was, because they decided to go out for lunch before the movie, and she decided that I was going too slow, and they would have to come pick me up if we were going to have time to eat before the movie. At this time, I has to confess that I was "lost" ( I wasn't really lost, I knew where Geneva rd. was, and I knew where I was. I just wasn't sure how to make both answers the same at that particular time) She started heading up Geneva rd. to my approximate location, and I continued my search for the elusive Geneva rd. - which was as it turned out, just over the overpass I was stopped on while I talked to Kelly.

Okay, you are probably thinking that this is it. No, it gets better...

We met up a few miles further down Geneva, and headed for Burgers Supreme. Then off to the dollar theater in Orem to watch the movie. I put my bike inside Julie and Phil's suv when we got to the theater, and noticed that my back tire was flat (aaarrgh!)

Skip forward to Sunday after church. I go downstairs to change my flat tire. While in the process of changing it, I notice that my seat bag is missing from it's usual location under the saddle. I at first start to panic, thinking that it either fell off mid-ride, or it fell off on the freeway when the bike was on top of the car. I looked over at the shelf, and saw it sitting there, where I had left it last weekend when I took it off because I needed to help a neighbor patch a tire on their bike.

So, here is where I was stupid. I went on a ride down an unfamiliar route on unfamiliar roads, without a spare, tools, patch kit, Co2 cartridge, or money. I could have had a flat - which I did!!! My only saving grace was that I had my cell phone, and I was riding to meet my family. Kelly also knew my route, so if there had been a real problem where I physically couldn't have called, she would have been able to backtrack and find me - except I made a wrong turn and got "lost"!

So remember kids, always be prepared. That story could have ended much differently.