From Worse to Bad

So today was rough. It started off on my way into work. I knew my company was having layoffs today, and after being reassured by all the powers that be that my department was safe, some late-breaking developments suggested otherwise. I found out 1 or 2 people would be let go from my already thin department. I really wasn’t looking forward to getting in the office.

Within about an hour of being at my desk, I found out that a good friend and very talented colleague was being let go. It was disappointing, but I found that he had actually volunteered to take the hit so none of the rest of us would be let go. He was already looking for some other career opportunities and thought he should just take the severance pay and hope for the best.

The company cut about 25 percent of its workforce today. However, I am safe. I still have a job.

As you might expect, things were pretty dreary around the office. So, I decided to go for my favorite bike ride during lunch. I thought getting out into the beautiful fall weather we’ve been having would do me some good. The beautiful fall colors up Provo and Southfork canyons did buoy my spirits.

But, then it happened.

On my way down Southfork canyon road at 25mph, I hit a rock. A big rock. A sharp rock. Both tires over that rock. I somehow managed to keep from crashing, but I knew my tires were in trouble. I slowed, watching the front tire closely since it took the worst of the impact, but I soon felt my rear tire give out. I had a flat.

Flats are no fun. Flats on your back wheel are even less fun. Flats where you are stranded along the same stretch of road where you’ve recently seen a cougar are really no fun at all. Especially when no one stops to help. Not even an offer of assistance by several cars who drove by. Thanks a lot, jerks.

Thankfully, I was prepared with the right tools. However, I don’t have the expertise of how to use those tools. I was a little worried that the unthreaded pressurized CO2 cartridge was going to blow up as I inserted it into a threaded pump nozzle thing, but it worked like a charm. So, I figured it out, got the wheel back on, inflated the tires and successfully rode the 10 miles back into work. Just a little late, but who cares. All the uppity-ups were too busy laying people off to notice.

The best thing about fixing the flat was that it moved me out of the newb cyclist category. I’m no longer a wannabe roadie either, so I guess I’m a full-fledged cyclist now. Yeah for me!

I know the actual phrase is, “from bad to worse,” but today just started out so crappy that I thought it should be flipped around. Dealing with your first flat on a lonely stretch of canyon road prowled by cougars is bad, but today actually could have been much worse. I was lucky.