Beach and BBQ

This weekend I realized September has rolled around and I haven't used my beach token even once. This seems to happen most years! It seems like I have either been packing for a race, driving to a race, racing, or being a blob after a race, on weekends. And it's so close! So I went to the beach today, for just a short visit, like an hour. It was late enough in the day that it wasn't crowded, except for the south end that was hosting a large gathering of seagulls. There were some really noisy families picnicking in the grassy area, but the beach itself was pretty quiet. The weather was perfect!!

This side of the beach had really emptied out, most of the people were behind me. The shadows from the trees were starting to make people move, as well.

For some reason there was an orange helicopter chasing a boat. That's what the people are looking at in the distance.

My ride was fine, I got a little over two hours in. In some ways it was kind of weird. I noticed roadkill everywhere, much more than usual. And all of them were squashed flat, just like in the cartoons, although they were missing the cartoon tire tracks. Then, at LakeCook, right before I was going to cross the tracks, the Metra train gates went down. The train came along and sat on the tracks, while a line of cars was piling up, waiting. And waiting. And waiting. People from the train started picking their way across the rocky railroad bed and tracks behind the train. I asked someone if something was wrong with the train and she said it was dead. So there was the dead train, not even all the way into the station, blocking Lake Cook Road between Sheridan and Green Bay. I picked my way through the rocks and over the tracks, feeling vaguely like I was doing something I wasn't supposed to, since the signals were still dinging. When I got to the other side at least there was an even longer line of cars. I was able to tell some of them to turn around. I wonder if that happens often to Metra trains?

Last night I went to a BBQ on the lakefront, in a park near the beach I went to today. I haven't seen my group of local friends all in one place all summer!! It was great to hang out and catch up. We missed Craig, Kristine and Lee, who all moved away in May/June, making the group feel a lot smaller. Wish they could have been there. Also joining the BBQ was Wendy's brand new roommate, who just came here from France to teach in a French school here. She brought some of her French coworkers, as well. I think the guys were captivated by them! Aside from the mosquitoes being too friendly, it was a really nice night out.

Both FS mountain bikes, the race bike and the back up bike are now in the shop. I know one will absolutely not be ready by this weekend, but I am hoping the other one is. I think I need a back up to the back up!!