And before that...

This is the last thing I'll say on the topic, cause there are some people you just can't argue with, but: It really, really, REALLY bugs me when people equate an interest in science with spiritual emptiness.

So anyway, I have a car stereo again! I can play any CD i feel like playing, and I like it fine.

My friend Chris just left on this insane jaunt that involves riding his bike from Seattle to DC. He has fifty pounds of equipment at the outset... we'll see how much of that doesn't get shipped back home during that first 5,000 foot incline. Most spectacularly though, he has this little spy thingy on his palm pilot so he can hold it up to a payphone and send email. So we'll be working together to update a trip diary for him. And for you! And for all of us! I am truly curious though how one's mind survive riding one's bike across Kansas. It's bad enough in a car.

Here's a fun secret for my top secret diary that you shouldn't be reading... I can't ride a bike. Not like "oh i haven't ridden a bike since I was ten years old! I don't think I remember!" More like "My parents didn't love me enough."

No, I kid. Though, they really never offered to teach me...

And my sister can ride a bike...

So I mean yeah, technically, my parents didn't love me enough. But who's counting?

I rode on training wheels til i was like 11 (cause i was really only riding to the shopping center, and pretty thoroughly lacked pride). Then my neighbor Catherine was finally like "this is ridiculous, we're taking off your training wheels and I'm gonna teach you how to ride a bike." So we spent an entire day with our 11 and 12 year old arms and wrists and fancy tooks like "screwdrivers" and "other screwdrivers" and finally managed to remove the training wheels. At which point we both got called into dinner. After which nothing seems to have happened.

One time a few years ago at thanksgiving dinner my sister tried to teach me, but I think we'd both had some wine or something, so that didn't go so hot. Plus.. it fucking HURTS to fall when you're in your 20s a lot more than it did when you were 8.

Oh, and one particularly brilliant time, I was living in Holland, where no one seemed to be familiar with the concept of "not knowing how to ride a bicycle"... I would try to explain and get looks in response as if I had just said "yes, I never actually took to chewing food, I've always just sort of swallowed it whole." So one night after a serious round of Brand Bier at Jos' bar, we all decided to bike it back to the castle (i lived in a castle. nyah.) and I suddenly stopped and was like "HANG ON their Dutchies! I can't ride a bike! I forgot!" And they were like "I don't speak your crazy moon language" and hopped on their bikes and were like "come, follow us" and at that moment, it made perfect sense, and I think I actually uttered the phrase, "How hard can it be?" and thought, if I just get on the bike, peddle, and keep my balance, I will be riding a bike! No sweat!

Don't remember much of what happened after that, but I think I bled a lot and walked back to the castle. The stars were nice though, so no big whoop.

So anyway, on the to-do list this summer is: Mount bike, while sober, on some grass, and learn to ride. Todd Levin did it at 28. I can do it at 26.