~ hate me, but I'm still right ~

Cover story on today's newspaper, The Valley Crosses Ozone Line delights me. And I quote:

The day of reckoning has come for air pollution in the Treasure Valley. Levels of ozone, the colorless gas that causes lung and heart damage and is the main ingredient of smog, crossed a key threshold Friday - all but guaranteeing the state will have to take painful new actions to reduce air pollution in the coming years.

Another thing that absolutely delights me is the price of gas. It gives me great joy to see all of those single-occupancy SUVs driving around town, knowing that they're paying over $4 a gallon to power their ridiculous vehicles. Hah!

I've been walking around lately saying all kinds of pompous things about how the recession hasn't been affecting me - - except, of course, lowering the interest on my savings account - - GAR! Gas prices can go up to $6 a gallon for all I care - - since I fill up the gas tank in my car MAYBE once a month, but more like every five or six weeks, it's not a big deal to budget for gas. Hah!

But yes, air pollution, as with all pollution, really pisses me off, especially since I feel that I have a very low carbon impact on the world, I don't see why I should have to breath in everyone else's SUV fumes.

The air here has been pretty crappy - - it's always crappy in the summer because the entire West is always on fire (exaggerate...me?). So crappy, in fact, that it has sometimes been impossible to see much of the foothills. Gar. Anyway, on Sunday Joshua and I went on a road ride. I haven't been riding all that much (because of both the heat and the air quality) so it was nice to get out and pedal...sorta. I did not have the opportunity to look up what the local Air Quality Index was for Sunday, but my guess is that it was pretty bad. About half an hour into the ride, I developed a screaming mad headache. I've actually been getting a lot of headaches recently that I attribute to the bad air. Anyway, eventually the headache went away and was replaced by various migraine symptoms: dizziness, nausea, tunnel vision, disorientation. These symptoms took over my entire being during the last 15 minutes of the ride when I was peddling home, and it took all of my concentration to not fall over. What is noteworthy is that this has never happened to me before in all of my life. And I place full blame on all of those assholes who continue their single-occupancy SUV driving.

Yesterday, however, I went on a road ride and it was wonderful. There were a bunch of high clouds in the sky blocking much of the sun's rays. And the Air Quality Index showed the area to be in the green. I made full use of the opportunity and took my bike out for a spin. I was under some time constraints, what with a lovely scheduled social interaction with Leah, but managed to put in exactly one hour on a glorious bike ride. Besides the fact that I really really enjoyed myself, I suppose it's worth noting the little game of chase that I tried to play with another cyclist on the road. At some point during the last half of the ride, I had turned a corner and noted that way far ahead was another biker. I decided to try and catch up with him. Several times, I put in a huge effort and would get really close to him, but would then feel so pooped out that I dropped way back. Once I caught my breath and energy, I would resume the chase. I felt pretty accomplished whenever it was clear that I was gaining on him - - as it was evident by his sculpted leg muscles that he was in much better shape than I. I should also mention that I suspect he wasn't on a very serious ride - - (lowering my eyes in shame), as he was carrying a large backpack and appeared to be commuting home from work. BUT STILL, I totally caught up with him (sorta) several times. At the end of my final chase, I did catch him and was riding right behind him, drafting to rest my legs and lungs. I couldn't decide if it was psychotic to draft a total stranger, so I 'let him go' and mosied on home.

Posted by jennifer at 8:27 AM | Permalink | Comments (3)