So this week I’m out riding my mountain bike instead of the road bike. It had a flat and I didn’t want to take the time to fix it. Anyway, I’m out close to Morrison Colorado and riding up the hill toward I-70 but I’m going to turn right before I get up there. It’s about a 3 mile climb on a narrow rode with plenty of car traffic. Who could not love this scenerio. As I’m pedaling up the hill I’m thinking about this blog post and writing it in my head. I’m thinking that riding my bike is very close to building something with hand tools in my shop. I am providing all of the power, getting stronger and better everyday. It was one of those ah ha moments, not quite a V-8 moment but close. When I’m riding my mountain bike, I’m free to go a lot of places that I can’t go on my road bike. That is freedom. I can do things with my hand tools that I can’t do with power tools. It is also easier to do things in different places with the hand tools. If I want to work on my back porch or out in the yard in the shade, I can just take my portable bench out there and work away. I don’t have to worry about stringing a cord or getting a hernia carrying heavy power tools out there. Then, there is the “green factor”. I had no idea how environmentally friendly I was for all of these years, either by pedalling my bikes or pushing my hand tools across a piece of wood all the while consuming “Little Debbies” oatmeal cookies for fuel.

So not being tied to an extension cord or a gas pump is pure freedom to me.

Thanks for perusing,

Gary