Newspaper Ride

Already the third ride this year, not counting commutes and other transportation rides that also count toward the annual mileage total (counting everything, I'm at seven right now, and just over 200 miles). After yesterday's moving ceremonies at the Capitol, it seemed a nice idea to get today's International Herald Tribune. So I called a bookstore in Hilversum to ask if they could put one aside, and around 1:30--let's call it my lunch break--I made my way over there the usual way: Horstermeer, 's-Graveland, Spanderswoud, past where my old high school no longer stands (het Nieuwe Lyceum), past what used to be the VARA building. It was mostly cloudy, chilly but not cold, with very moderate winds out of the south. The paper was there, and tonight I'll reread the inaugural address. The ride home was part of the standard newspaper ride also: Loosdrecht, Loenen, Vreeland. 21 miles, and they all count. In some canals and lakes there was still ice, but in most places the ducks are in charge again, and the forecast says we'll be riding a lot more than we'll skate, the coming week.