See you in the A.M.

We rode a double-paceline and Jessica began to struggle a bit keeping position until she fell off the back.  I backed out of the group and gave her my wheel up the hill, but she wasn't keeping up.  The other woman, sorry, I don't remember her name, was waiting at GAP for us, so I rode back up to the group to report, and Erika and Kayt dropped back to join them.

Thierry, Josh, Jay, Joel and I kept a spirited paceline for a few more laps and Josh kindly let me talk his ear off.

Were these newly minted members I haven't met, or riders thinking about joining?  I feel bad about dropping someone during a training ride in the park, especially since today I had no plan except to ride in circles, but I'm glad Kayt and Erika regrouped to give some good old Team Support.

Then I ran into Thierry on our commute, nice to see you again, and found I couldn't ride over the Brooklyn Bridge because of a demonstration.  It's about time they stopped bikes on that bridge, it's too damned crowded.

I waited a minute at GAP as hearty joggers (wearing all black!  Why do they do that in the pitch dark?) passed me and then Kayt showed up!  

We rode in circles, muscling our way through the wind that started picking up, chatting, being pelted with on and off drops of rain.  It was a pleasant enough ride with a teammate, quiet in the park, few people out.  When, from the very depths of the coldest parts of the Lake, a monster crossed my path, a veritable Ork with shoulders made from muscle, clawed hands that made me wonder at their chill if they were wrapped about my neck, eyes as black as bottomless pools in caves.  I cried out Look Out, Watch your Wheel, my God, get your guard up! 

Kayt said it was an opossum.