Where did all the snow go????

Today was one of those days that gives hope that spring is really coming. The last few days have seen temps in the forties and either sun or rain to help get rid of all that snow. It is not completely gone but the roads are clear and for the most part pretty dry. I checked my log before I went out today and discovered it has actually been six weeks since I have been on the road. And I felt it very soon into the ride...The first hill, the first sustained run with no traffic lights - what happened to my legs and lungs? Wasn't I faithfully riding the indoor bike? Doesn't all that snow shoveling count for something? I ended up doing 46 miles but it truly felt like the first ride of the year. Or maybe after doing the XC last year I think that all that fitness should be a permanent part of my physiology - ha, reality strikes again. In any case it was a truly beautiful day - blue sky and sunshine and temps that reached 54 by the time I rolled back into my driveway. And the number of cyclists out on the roads of Mercer County was like a summer day - great to see a few kindred souls bundled up and moving. Riding solo I also had plenty of time for the thinking of great thoughts. And while I cannot lay claim to any truly profound conclusions I did come up with a couple of more mundane and practical conclusions. I've been going under the assumption that I would be completing the cross country trip at the first opportunity - actually my plan was to go back and join the Crossroads gang in Champaign. They are terrific people and offer the advantage of taking care of all the logistics and providing a great bunch of people to ride with (although, honestly, I cannot imagine finding another group anything like XC09). But life has a way of interfering with our best laid plans. In my case we have a couple of family weddings that cannot be missed in June and July. And to complicate matters we are seriously considering putting our house up for sale...We found a perfect house in an over 55 community a couple of weeks ago and it killed me that I could not make an offer without some reasonable certainty of selling our house....So, tough call but maybe I just need to get my world in order so that I can do it next year...Maybe in 2011 Barbie and Darrell will also be doing that last leg and we can have a reunion.