Cycling and Mustaches

Well, I had an interesting couple of days. I spent much of that time wondering how to spell mustache (with or without an O after the U? According to some, there is no definitive answer).

So, I started Friday with a little brushing up on my rules of the road and then went out to Melrose Park (near western suburb, south of O'Hare). Ellen drove me out there, I did the whole driver's test, written and practical and finished in time to grab some celebratory lunch with pie on the way back. I drove us back, but we didn't take the highway back. So, my first licensed drive was very stop and go, lame. We thought it would be faster. It's sort difficult to say.

Then, I did Critical Mass, which is actually an anti-drivers bike ride. It's usually about a thousand to two thousand bikers blocking all traffic for a while as they drive around downtown areas and general feel the freedom of open roadways. That was fun except right before the finish I popped a tire.

It actually started with a one song promotional performance by Tom Morello (sp?) from Rage Against the Machine, which was pretty random.

He's somewhere in that picture. Even cooooler, though, was the various people taking part. I could have taken some pretty ridiculous pictures, but it's hard to take pictures with a camera phone while you're riding a bike. So, I only have one for you. There are some skateboarders and rollerbladers there, but I was not expecting this:

Yesss, awesome...

Then, yesterday was mustache day at work. No pictures... sorry, but not really. I looked pretty ridiculous.

While I was at work, I did get to see this attempt at a parallel park and laugh about how that wasn't a part of my test.