By now, you've all heard of Bill Widnall's Wednesday Wheelers,, or W3 as they've come to be known. Bill's is a somewhat elite group, being that the rides start at 10:00AM Wednesday morning. This narrows the field considerably to the unemployed, retirees, the non 9 to 5 workforce, or 9 to 5'ers with very indulgent bosses ("another case of that 24 hour flu").
Bill's Wednesday rides are always larger than life. The tales of their adventures are recounted on the CRW e-mail list each week. If you're not connected, it's worth buying a computer just to hear Bill's stories ("the next best thing to being there").
Bill rides invariably involve points of interest that I've probably ridden by dozens of times but never noticed. They are wont to stop at these points of interest, and do, well, interesting things.
Unlike the typical CRW ride where a major goal is to leave all others in the dust, Bill's group actually stays together, and I've heard, engage in conversation.
Food features prominently in these reports, and we're not talking a new flavor of power bars. Just as there are descriptions of the natural wonders encountered on the ride, the description of the apres ride repast is equally detailed.
After reading these glowing reports, I'm thinking "Me, Monty, sign me up." I can be a participant instead of merely deriving vicarious pleasure from reading the reports after the fact. Sure, I've got a 9 to 5 job now, but who knows how long that will last.
But, upon sober reflection, I decided I wouldn't make a very good W3 candidate, for the following reasons:
- The only scenery I notice are potholes, the wheel in front of me, and menacing dogs.
- My witty repartee on the bike consists mostly of phrases like "Car back."
- The only time I get off my bike is to pee or when I fall off.
Maybe someday I'll become more mellow, and less of a troglodyte, but it hasn't happened yet.
Errata Part II
or
The Return of the Plaid
Well, after casting aspersions on Ken last month, I've been proven wrong yet again. As I was inaugurated the new Prez at the board meeting this month, Tom handed me a tattered package containing... You guessed it, the one true CRW plaid, complete with stapled pockets. A touching moment, there wasn't a dry eye in the room.
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