... coffee buzz ...

... buzz buzz ...

you'd think i'd have learned my lesson after the last time i enjoyed a late evening coffee, but no. on my way back to the southern part of the state, i made a stop for an iced coffee, which was, at the time, quite necessary. besides, i rationalized, it was early evening - it's not like i'd be buzzing into the wee hours of the night/morning again.

ha.

nevertheless, here i am, filled with exhausted energy. it actually works out rather well - that is, as long as i don't think about the fact that i have to be bright-eyed at work tomorrow at the ungodly hour of 8 a.m. i am choosing instead to focus on the fact that i have enjoyed a random and delightful day and i want to jot down the rambling thoughts before i go to sleep and they fade away ...

i'll admit that there was a part of me that grumbled this morning as i awoke bright and early to accomplish a few things before heading up north to cover the bicycle race. the part of me that wanted to spend my day going through the boxes of belongings i brought back from d.c., riding my bicycle and spending time with friends - as both beth and becca had the holiday off as well.

but the day wound up being quite enjoyable, if longer than i had anticipated. i woke to the sound of light rain but, determined to test out the new mode of transportation, braved the elements to take my bike on a spin by beaver pond and up the road towards florence. the rain actually died down once i began riding, falling on my face as a cooling mist. having not ridden a bicycle since sometime in high school (correction: i did ride a bike about a year ago when The Fuck Yeah Tour stopped by my apartment and christine and i rode blocks down wisconsin avenue on an unsuccessful search for sunday night alcohol - but that doesn't really count, now does it?), i had forgotten just how much it can kick one's arse. but it was a good arse-kicking - one that i intend to continue with on a regular basis.

after returning and preparing for the day, i headed up to burlington for the race. i had no idea of what to expect, but was very impressed with what i witnessed. a beautiful late summer day in downtown burlington, the lake beckoning in the distance, spectators lining the streets. riders zooming down the streets and around corners, demonstrating athletic ability that made my legs ache just watching (don't even get me started on the fact that they had ridden 64.4 miles up a mountain the day before ...), then talking with fans after each race was completed. i quickly made my presence known to the race committee so i could get any materials/results and then spent the day watching races, talking with spectators and committee members and interviewing the racers. following the men's pro, i headed back to the office, wrote my story and then headed back south to visit elizabeth, who had treats waiting for me. not half bad. add to the mix the fact that i gave into the temptation of pure pop records and picked up a couple of cds (more shortly) and you have one very content victoria.

there were two highlights, however. the first was riding in the pace car. watching the riders from the sidewalk is impressive enough an experience, but one of the committee members offered me the opportunity to watch the final five laps of the women's pro field from the pace car. next thing i know, i'm waiting for the car to slow down so i can jump into the backseat. there i am, wind blowing my hair all around, watching at least fifty women on bicycles race towards me as the bmw convertible i'm sitting in whips around corners and down streets. the driver laughed at the expression of glee on my face, saying, "i love being able to go 80 in a 35 zone, waving at the cops on the corners. this is the life." the pace car perspective gave me further appreciation for just how fast and fearlessly the riders take on the course - it was incredible. and, i'll admit, i got a kick out of hearing spectators ask, "hey, who's that in the back?"

the other highlight was spider-boy. as i sat in the park during one race, writing snippets of my story, a young boy ran up the ramp next to me, clawing his way to the top. he then sat at the top, immediately to my left, and began explaining to me that he was spider-man and could climb any wall. when i asked him where his other four legs were, he replied that he didn't need them for such an easy climb and then proceded to tell me about how he was in vermont to cheer on his father, a racer in one of the fields and how he had just purchased a computer game that he was looking forward to playing when he returned to his massachusetts home. he was so open and charming - it had been ages since i'd had a coversation with a small child - i realized that i missed it.

that sense of openness was the theme of the day - i felt completely comfortable and happy, chatting with strangers and laughing over the everyday delights that life can bring. the whole event was something that suited burlington so well - and being there, writing about it, it all just felt right.

on my return trip, i enjoyed my pure pop purchases - bright eyes' lifted or the story is in the soil, keep your ear to the ground, which i've been wanting to listen to for eons now, and josh kelley's for the ride home, which i saw on display and picked up, remembering how serena said he was someone worth checking out. initial thoughts: i already love the bright eyes album - conor's lyrics alone amaze me. josh kelley is pretty decent, but i kept waiting for a spark - it's a good, quality album, but lacks an intensity. perhaps i found it a bit bland because it was following up such an emotionally raw album like bright eyes ... i'll be giving it another listen tomorrow morning, we'll see what i think of it then.

and then there's the other highlight of my day. i've had a string of concert voicemails, which i've thoroughly enjoyed. chloe left me radiohead love, beth left me a whole lotta piano tour love (two ben folds, two tori) from boston. while driving home, my cell phone rang and i answered to find paul on the other end, enjoying the beginning of a mraz concert. i also was able to enjoy the first song, as he kept the phone on and i sang along.

i had a voicemail waiting for me later on - yes, paul, it came through. hi, mraz. paul, that was so sweet of you to get him to say hello to me - thank you!!!

yes, i think it's fair to say that this was a fine day indeed.

and now, despite the lingering bits of caffeine coursing through my veins, i attempt to drift off to the land of dreams and prepare for another day - hopefully one that can be as enjoyable as today.

sleep well.