A better day

After a 45 minute noodle over to the Arb I was let down again. I must be later or early because at 5 there's nobody loitering. So off I went. Southbound for an hour until I found myself just outside Belleville. I rescued the southern-most MBM sign by Hwy 69 which is now displayed proudly with my other cycling pictures and memorabilia. I side tripped to Observatory just west of Paoli and was dissapointed with its lack of steepness. Pine Bluff Observatory is nastier. Anyway, I played cat and mouse with a few guys on the way into Verona before finally digging deep and making a move stick on a flat. The headwind home started to leach the warmth from me but as I turned onto Seminole a backhoe pulled out in front of me from the underground construction site. It was rolling along at a steady 24mph so I ducked in behind him and easily drafted him until he turned toward the MBM trail. Feeling slightly warmer I started picking off cyclists on the way back to the east side Arb entrance. I crossed Park St behind a familiar rider, Steve Silverberg, so I sat in behind him and 3 others until the east side of Brittingham Park. He finally saw me and wondered aloud how I could be comfortable in a sleeveless jersey and bibs when he wanted a parka. He turned back to his office and I took off down John Nolan and home. 3:15 in the saddle, average HR 145, 54 miles and 750' of climbing.