no love for team social security

Laura OLPH and Tom H (I forget who was first, and I'm too lazy to look it up right now) sent emails around about a ride for today, the day after Thanksgiving, when many of us are off from work, and many of us are regretting the overindulgence in empty calories we indulged the day before. They agreed on a ride to Etra this morning from Tom's house, to join up with the usual Team Social Security ride, the guys who go out three times a week on weekdays for morning rides (you don't HAVE to be retired to ride with 'em, but you do have to have the available time, and retirement is one of the opportunities that offers the time).

I had commitments this afternoon and couldn't do the extra time, so I drove to Etra.

Not afraid of color, is he?

The regular parking at Etra was locked; we parked in the athletic lot across the road. One of our number was baffled by the locked gate, and didn't turn around to see us until another went over and rapped on his car window. (I'm always pleased when I'm not the one who does dumb stuff like that. I do enough dumb stuff that I don't usually tell youse about.)

Shortly before departure, Tom, Laura, and Robert N rolled in.

Team Social Security splits into a C and C+ ride these days. Al P led a ride of 18 on the C+. I think overeating guilt and acceptable weather helped to bring out the peloton.

It was only a bit above freezing when we started out, although it warmed into the 50s by the time we finished. Some of the guys seemed to be struggling, and I'm blaming it on cold weather.

The one cloud on this otherwise sunny ride was that three times, we had drivers pass and yell at us to get off the road, or express their displeasure that we slowed them down. I've ridden with Team Social Security on a number of occasions, and it's true they're often less than careful about keeping right and sharing the road with traffic. But there was nothing today that earned the poor treatment we got.

Perhaps the drivers in question used up all their thankfulness yesterday, and only had ingratitude and grouchiness left in their personality baskets today.

At the stop in Jackson:

As far as the guys struggling, the ride page shows we were near the top of the C+ range...

As for me, I got the chores done after the ride; the last of the laundry is rolling around the dryer as I type this. Tomorrow, we'll see what devilry Laura has in store.