Here’s what i took on my bike ride yesterday:
Nalgene bottle
Camelbak bladder*
Lock*
Fruit*/balance bar
Dslr w/ polarizer in camera bag
Small towel*
Pen*
Small notepad*
Bike jersey
Sunblock*/chapstick*
DPOA (always)*
Wallet*
Invisalign case*
Bike seatbag w/ tools*

here’s what i considered adding to the aforementioned list but rationality won out and they were left at home:
Book
Bike pump
Tube
Journal

And here’s what i didn’t use:
The lock, the jersey, the towel, the balance bar, the nalgene bottle, and the sunblock (i pretreated and no further application was necessary)

Here’s what i wish i had:
A basket or rack to carry all my crap

* denotes items brought on today’s ride, along with the following:
Book
Large towel to keep my behind from getting sandy
iPod shuffle (because my iPhone just isn’t enough…)
Point n shoot camera
Flip flops
A nylon bag to keep my bike stuff from getting sandy and for the baguette i’m going to buy on the way home

I considered bringing sunglasses and realized that was overkill. And i again considered the journal but left it at home yet again.

Here’s what i wish i had:
The bike jersey (it’s chilly). Scratch that. I wish i had a jacket and some pants. And maybe my fuzzy squirrel hat.
A basket or rack to carry all my crap (always)

And here’s what i didn’t use:
the small towel (no big deal, it isn’t too big or too heavy and could be verrrrry handy in the right conditions, like, say, a bloody nose)
the iPod shuffle (ok, fine, next time i’ll leave it at home. sheesh.)

is this what they call the dog days of summer? i don’t know about dog days but i watched a small fraction of los angeles happily enjoying the place where they live. i sat at dockweiler beach for a while today to give my legs and back a rest and do some airplane belly watching. i saw people of all shapes and sizes biking. i saw cheap bikes and expensive bikes. i saw families and loners. and i watched quite a few families unpack their vans and trucks with coolers, tents, towels, chairs, and folding tables – getting ready to settle in for a day in the sun. that’s how i would do it…get a breezy tent so you have some shade, maybe take a nap. bring enough vittles for grilling and munching so you don’t have to leave. camp out close but not too close to the bathroom facilities so you don’t have to leave for that, either.

today is gorgeous. sunny. mild. breezy. i considered going to the beach. biking on the bike path. sitting outside with anna at the park. and going swimming at the gym. ultimately, i didn’t do any of those things. i puttered around at home. whereas this might leave me thoroughly unsatisfied, i was perfectly happy today. home is exactly what i needed. and instead of stressing about what i’m *not* doing, i enjoyed my day and decided to do some of the aforementioned things tomorrow, like the good procrastinator that i am not.

time made another impression on me today: i found an item that i packed away over two years ago when we moved to santa monica. this item isn’t special by any means (it’s the coaster to the ingenuitea infuser), but i did spend quite a bit of time looking for it two years ago. i kept looking in our picnic backpack because i vaguely remembered slipping it in a pocket. well, i slipped it in a pocket alright – a most unsuspecting pocket: my camelbak. i chuckled when i found it.