Biking to Nowhere

4 min readApr 5, 2020

Pandemic Diary Day 12

April 5, 2020

It isn’t easy to come up with something to write in ones diary every day while you are Sheltering in Place, so I am always asking friends for ideas.

I saw this chart the other day and thought it really is true. It is hard to continue to keep your mind moving forward when your body is seeing the exact same thing everyday.

My friend Jasmine wanted me to write more about my bike riding, which is coincidental since I wouldn’t be riding if she didn’t do me a huge favor. I am of the age where the Governor asked us to Shelter In Place one day, and my bike had a flat tire due to a bad stem. I couldn’t go out to get it fixed and was panicked that I wouldn’t have any form of exercise.

I texted Jasmine, she is much, much younger than I, and the kind woman that she is, she took my bike tire to the corner store, got it patched and voila, I now can ride as many miles as I want all the way to nowhere and back again.

Many people ask how can I stand riding for an hour or more while going absolutely nowhere. For me it is easy, I set my bike up in front of the television set and just go.

I try to be good about what I am watching, business shows and the news are my priority. But, I have to admit, after now being under SIP for over three weeks there is seriously no longer anything on the news that I haven’t seen already or is so utterly depressing, I can’t watch it.

I don’t have a fancy TV so I can’t bring up Netflix or other streaming services, so I am pretty much forced to channel surf until I find a mindless something to keep me going. At this point, the Hallmark Channel has been probably one of my most often go-to.

I would normally be horrified to admit that, but during this period of time, it is actually kind of nice to have a show that is absolutely mindless and you know will conclude with a happy ending.

The next question is why don’t I ride outside? The real reason is I am a long distance rider, and I live downtown, so to get to a place where I can ride long distances requires I ride through streets that I have never felt safe on. The reason for that is automobile drivers, which instantly defeats my argument because traffic is so down due to SIP that its a pretty crummy excuse.

My second argument is that if I break down I don’t have a way to get home. No, no excuse, but I am using it anyway.

Although there is this: San Francisco, is advising people: “Get fresh air, but please stay in your neighborhood. If you have to drive to a walk or hike, it’s too far.”

I am not gonna try to justify myself to myself, I am just going to pat myself on the back that I am doing anything at all.

And maybe that is the point, in normal times we would have schedules and agendas and to do lists, now it is catch as catch can, so be proud of each and every accomplishment no matter how small because this is not normal and whatever we do to make a new normal is good.

Trivial Things

My Horoscope for today: Tuesday’s Full Moon beams directly on you. Something regarding a partnership. Maybe it’s love, maybe not. Whatever. At the same time Jupiter is smiling on your home situation. Spring looks highly promising.

The NYT Crossword Puzzle: Sunday’s so it was fun, and rather easy. Cogito ergo sum — was my favorite answer of the day.

San Francisco weather: 53 degrees and raining heavily as I write this

NYSE DOW is closed for the weekend

Italian word of the day: standardizzare (standardize)

Spanish word of the day: el clima (climate)

OED word of the day: broigus

Days under Shelter In Place: 23

Reading: The Clancys of Queens: A Memoir by Tara Clancy

A Special Something: Lazing in bed with the Sunday crossword while listening to rain come down.

My Black andWhite Picture of the Day