Trains are a big nuisance sometimes. I was almost home from my ride this morning, with just a mile to go. I rounded the curve and saw a LONG freight train just sitting there.

Such a sight invariably elicits an inward groan. How much longer might the train sit? How far might I have to ride to be able to cross the tracks in front of the lead locomotive?

I was down to a quarter-mile to go when I heard the metallic creaks and groans that mean a train is getting under way. That meant that I could wait it out at my usual crossing, but it seemed to take an awfully long time for that train to get by.

A lesser nuisance today was the wind. It wasn\’t strong, but as always I could really feel it. My left ankle is behaving itself much better, which is a good sign. I actually feel that I\’m pedaling more strongly than I used to. At one point I even got a bit over 19 mph! It was only for a second or two, but I guess it means I\’m making progress!

Also a big nuisance is fixing a lunch. Today I bit the bullet and did some work in the kitchen for a change, and made a real lunch. In fact, I went Mexican. I cooked a pot of brown rice. When it was about done, I got out some of the canned stuff from the salvage store: refried black beans and green Mexican salsa. I heated some of the beans; stirred in some Cheddar cheese; put the beans over some rice; and put some salsa on top. Ole′!