Remember This Day

A couple of weeks ago, I had dessert after dinner -- a rarity for most cyclists, who live and die (at least on hills)  by their power-to-weight ratio. It was white cake with lemon pudding between the layers, and a very light but sweet frosting on top. I had ordered coffee with the cake, but they had to make a fresh pot. I could have gone ahead and had a bite or two of the cake, but I waited for the coffee.

The bite of a hot cup of coffee brings out the sweetness of cake.

We like contrasts such as this in our food and drink, as well as visually. Have you ever noticed drooping wispy cirrus clouds in a deep stark blue sky after a high pressure cell moves in? We don't seem to like contrasts in other senses, however, which is probably why nobody makes satin pajamas with Brillo piping, Bach played by scraping fingernails on a blackboard has never caught on, and there are no colognes that smell like hyacinth and baby poop.

I was reminded of my cake-coffee moment this morning while watching the news, and anchorman Neil Orne said something to the effect that he was tired of the cold, snowy weather we've had for the past few weeks in Nashville. Now, we've all said this, but it's kind of shocking to hear it said by somebody whose job description includes "Be Cheerful." It's probably number three for all on-air news people ... right after "Look Good" and "Be Clear" (with apologies to Don Henley).

Neil ("Couldn't Stand the Weather") Orne

If this guy -- who usually comes off as sharp, informed, and upbeat during the newscast (which is probably why I watch it) -- is getting grumpy about something, then it must be something worth getting grumpy about.

This was going through my little mind as I went outside and started to drive to work. Obviously, since I was driving, I was in a car. And if I'm in a car, I'm not on a bicycle. And that puts me in a grumpy place, too.

So here I am, getting on the interstate, thinking about Neil, watching the icy road, driving a stinking car. The iPod is plugged into the stereo, and "Arnie" by Primus comes on. The song ends with Les Claypool saying, over and over, "Remember this day."

Of course, in the song it's the last words of some self-immolating schmuck, but that's not what appealed to me (as the Frankenstein monster said, "Fire bad"). Instead, watching the crummy weather outside, I took Les's words to heart and decided to remember this day.

In a few months (please!), warmer weather will come. The world will bloom, the snow will melt, and we will all be riding bicycles outside without fear of frostbite.

This time of year, it's easy to look back and remember some of the great weather from last summer. Do you remember early July last year, when we had that week of low-humidity days with highs in the mid-80s? Just as we need those memories now to keep us sane, we should also hoard memories of how lousy the weather is now, and pull those out this summer.

Remember this day. It will make the good days to come even sweeter.