I'm so special

Birthdays. I don't make much of them. Haven't for some time.

The Pie asked me what I wanted to eat for dinner on my birthday.

"Whatever we're eating Wednesday."

The night before my birthday, I noticed a loose chain on my tarck bike. It's been awhile since I changed it, so I broke out my chain wear indicator...

Win. Caught it at 75% and not the "you shoulda changed it some time ago" mark. So, I'm putting on a new chain, remember that I've got a 17T cog up on the pegboard, put it on... because, burrito.

Next morning, getting ready for my before-work ride. Think about how the 48X17 would feel on that one STRAVA segment near my house... the only segment I've ever done. Strap on my Mavic Furies (the stiffest shoes I got) and head out the door. Start with the normal loop, get to the segment, hurt myself.

The last time I did it (and the only time I did it knowing that it was a segment and the second time I ever STRAVA'ed), I think I topped out at 1:10.  That was the hardest I've gone for a minute in some time, and also made me realize I never do what one might call a "real interval."  That was an interval. REAL.

So I gave myself a KOM for my birthday, although it should probably be called a KOSU (King of the Slight Upgrade).

Only a 3% average grade with a sweet spike of 9.3% to kick you in the balls near the top.  My balls were kicked in.

So I've experienced this novelty in my life.  I only hoped that I would keep it until midnight so as to complete my birthday happy times, so it was nice when I got this:

Instead of this "Steve" coming at me and shaving a few seconds off my time to ruin my birthday, he gave me kudos.  Such a gentleman.  I look forward to that last STRAVA experience I have yet to have in my life, the "someone stole your KOM" email.  I expect it within the next month or so.

Keep in mind, this is just some random hill in some random neighborhood that nobody on a "real" road ride would ever do.

Further going down the rabbit hole, and with nothing better to do Wednesday (before the work stuff started really kicking in for the day), I looked at this:

The wattage information confuses and confounds me, so I guess it's a good thing I don't have access to such knowledge of mine own data. 

As soon as I got home, I took that stupid 17 tooth cog off.  48X18 is my happy place in the non-winter months.  Great for climbing, perfect for slowing down before hitting those two pesky 90° right hand turns that come at the bottom of a descent on my regular loops, awesome for helping me build up a quick spin for single speed flat gravel death.

I went to work, did my job, rode home in the disgusting, brain-melting heat, showered, ate, and went out with The Pie to see Mad Max.

"Sorry, we're sold out."

"Sold out?  This movie's been out for weeks."

"Yeah, some corporate gig.  Bought all the seats.  Sorry."

The fucking man, always sticking it to the little guy.

Back in the car, drive to the nearest theater, get there in time for the previews...

"My name is Max."

and from that moment on, I was peeing my pants for the next two hours.  It was everything I hoped for and even molar betterer and did someone say sequel cause I'll make sure I got a full bladder for the next one.

So my birthday... everything it needed to be.  I lived and will try to continue to do so for another year.

Since you read through all that vane babble #mememedicky, I will reward you with these:

both photos cred: A.E. Landes

There are lots of things you can do to ruin a group photo, but there's only one way to make it the best group photo ever.