3rd ride

Both weather and schedule have conspired to keep me from riding for over 3 weeks, but I was able to get out this afternoon. I had hoped to ride a 6.5-mile route I was calling the Avis Big Block, down State St./Rd. to Avis Farms, an industrial park south of the airport to where I've had to drive customers from work several times. I thought I had scouted out a route through it over to Lohr Rd. on the west, which I could follow back home. But I was unable to find the way through, and had to turn around and come back the way I had gone, completing a ride of about 8 miles in 59 minutes. Here is a map of the route I had hoped to ride.

The ride was not without a couple of (minor) incidents, however. I am developing a cold, and the 43-degree temperatures and mild breeze had my nose running freely, so a few minutes into the ride I pulled well off Ellsworth so I could pull out my handkerchief. However, I lost my balance when trying to stop, and tumbled over into the grass. It was nice to know there are helpful people around, though, as a woman stopped, circled back to me, got out and said, "Sir, are you OK? I saw you fall." I gave her a thumbs-up and a smile, though, and was soon off again. Then, down in the industrial park, I heard a faint clatter, felt the side pocket of my pullover, and realized my cell phone had fallen out. ("Why does a man who can't speak carry a cell phone?" you might well ask. A fair question - but it isn't quite the case that I can't speak at all.) So, I turned around, rode back about 50 yards, and found it, grateful for both good hearing and for the fact that on a weekend the area was absolutely deserted.)