Day 190: Fondon't

Ready to bolt out the door this morning and head to the beach before the latest series of storms hit the coast, I was delayed by the realization that all of my cycling shorts are worn out. The pair I wore down the coast, are gray with wear, and the spandex within is beginning to unravel; so, I carefully removed the chamois and made a new pair, placing the old chamois in the new short. Reality: They are far shorter than I initially planned and I need to do some finessing to remove some of the extra fabric at the front. Not bad for a rough draft.

This afternoon, I took off toward the coast, facing into the wind--seemingly every direction was into a headwind! A large storm cloud sat on the horizon with streams of downpour visible in the distance. It was moving fast, and headed right for me. Cycling as hard as I could, trying to get past it before it came ashore, I very nearly missed it at Newport Beach. Nearly missed=wet through. I tried to duck under an underpass to get out of the rain, but the wind was whizzing through and was so cold, I couldn't bear it. At Huntington Beach, I ducked under a shelter and waited for the storm to pass. Enough was enough. After that storm blew past, another was zooming in; I headed home. Total ride: 34.5 wet and wild miles.

All week, I had been looking forward to our fondue dinner, tonight. On the way home by bike, I stopped in at Boudin to pick up a loaf of good bread. Double dark, sourdough, means an amazingly good, crusty bread. Once home, we prepared our meal and sat down to eat it. Reality: I don't like fondue--I knew that, but I always forget it! I want to like it, that is the problem. Is there any other dish on the planet that sounds more appetizing than really good bread wrapped in cheesy goodness after a ride into arctic winds and rain? Perhaps steamed potatoes with toasty raclette, or really good mashed potatoes and a nice gravy? How about cioppino and good bread? Unfortunately, fondue, or at least the fondue I made, was icky. I ate the last of the tabouli and hummus--with really good bread.