I finally had Johnny at Brave put a dynamo hub on my AWOL so I decided to go for a ride til the sun went down, I wanted to see my new, self-made light. As it sometimes goes, I wasn't sure how long I'd go, having just gotten over the flu last week. Being sick was a grim, viral cleanse. Both ends. I took off in plain 'ol shorts, no chammeeee. It's hard to believe that I really only started to wear padded shorts again within the last year or so. I did the Grand Loop last year in Riptons and boxer briefs. Apparently I've gone soft, this mileage left me a lii tender. Without a real plan, I left myself open to by ways. If there was a single track shooting off the bike trail, I was gonna take it. I rode some nice little side trails along the Big Thompson that I'd never ridden before. Cycling is a roller coaster of emotions. These peaks and valleys are made that much more acute with blood sugar variables. I hit the Dam Store in calorie debt and gathered up my haul. I'm not really the best at surveying price tags when I crash a convenience stop during a ride. I scoffed at the $18 ask at the register, paid it anyway, and stomped out to the parking lot to gorge. I was so pissed, especially when I got into the $6 chocolate bar to find it sucked. I secretly wanted Trump to win for the tariffs he plans to slap on China. If this type of policy goes through, lame, uninventive stores full of crappy tchotchkes, like the Dam Store, will eat it. The price of the metal "Bigfoot Crossing" sign will be untenable. Good riddance to bad rubbish. Adding to my general distaste for the Dam Store, they post "no running water" in other words fuck off cyclists. Still fuming, I peeled out for Eden Valley. As I was cruising past the Emissary of Light my attitude lifted. The divine dumpster light hit me. I could visualize the sugar from the crummy chocolate bar rushing into my blood stream and my needle slowly coming out of the red. Ride, eat, drink, repeat. Never forget. Outside of Masonville, I ran into DK riding his motorcycle home to Lyons. It was good to catch up on the shoulder. In lieu of the garbage ride on the road, around the south end of the reservoir, I went into the mountain park at Soderberg. There was a running race which made a bunch of traffic. I had an on your left'r coming up my butt as I was slowed by a runner in front of me. As I've thought so many times before, "You have no idea, mr. 10 miles into your ride". Instead of getting mad I jumped on to the road to ride out of the north end of Lory. A little chapped, I dodged Bingham for the chill Laporte by way. A quick stop by Thai Pepper gave life sustaining sustenance. With my to-go thai, I jumped back on my bike as the sun was going down and my light revealed it self, illuminating my way.