Stardate -- 313356.96.  Your mission:  Drive to Mammoth Mountain Resort and assist in setting up a WatchGuard demo, then continue the drive to Los Angeles.

So, I start this day at 4 a.m, waking up, packing up, and getting on the road by 5.  I needed to be in Mammoth by 11 a.m., but since it had stormed the night before, I wasn't sure of road closures or delays, so I left a couple of hours early.

I'm back!

Okay, that's a cheesy song reference, but it is still true.  I rode 21.5 miles yesterday, average speed 15.8 mph.

I was far more nervous about this ride than I thought I would be.  I rode through corners and on even the slightest downhill with a tentativeness that wasn't normal.  Teresa wants me to continue to ride like that, but I know that riding like that actually causes accidents, so I'm hoping that all of my confidence comes back soon.  Towards the end of the ride, I got more confident.  I'm taking today off (it's Easter), but will be back at it tomorrow.  As most of you know, I had a spectacular crash, and it's taken me a lot longer to come back from that, psychologically, than I ever thought it would.  I need to really ride now...the DeathRide is approaching, and I am rider 2787.  I will complete it.  I WILL.

Some of the things I missed about cycling were:

• The sound of speed.  This includes the hum of the tires on pavement, the wind whistling past my ears, the ever-so-slight mechanical snick of the gear change.
• Wildlife viewing.  I saw 4 deer, 1 coyote, and more birds than I can shake a stick it.  Including this little guy.
• The shared friendliness of almost everyone on the American River Parkway.  Lots of "Good Mornings" and "On Your Lefts."
• Passing another cyclist.
• Drafting off of a stronger cyclist for as long as I could. I asked first, so I'm not a wheelsucker.

Some of the things I didn't miss:

• Soft tissue soreness.  It's not because the saddle is hard, it's because I'm soft.  Gimme a couple of weeks.
• Kamikaze squirrels.
• People with headphones in.  Honestly?  You are on one of the most beautiful multi-use trails in America, surrounded by the sounds of wildlife and rushing water.  Leave your iPod at home. Plus, you don't get to say "Good Morning" to me.
• Starting uphill with clip-ins.
• People who don't pay attention.  You don't just wander across the path without looking.  I expect it from kids, not adults.

That's it for today.  Time to check the dinner I'm making for everyone, and the computer I'm working on for the Corbin's.

Peace.