This is very handy for for social small talk when you need a gently snarky comment. And it is handy when you need to describe a ridiculous experience without blatantly whining.
Take a bike ride we took this week.
It started out as long, easy ride on a beautiful morning. Near its end we treated ourselves to a couple of big blueberry muffins and cafe con leche. We sat at an outdoor table enjoying the restaurant's pleasant garden. We fed muffin crumbs to the sparrows living in the shrubbery. We were having such a great time we didn't notice the rain clouds coming in.It started to drizzle.
We quickly rolled our bikes to the street, clipped in, and pointed them towards home. Which was about 8 miles and two bridges away. Al took the lead. He set a very brisk pace. It was getting darker. The drizzle was now a light rain. Al kicked the speed up. We started taking turns pulling. The speed kept inching upward. It was about this point that I told Al I had to get on his wheel. I was at my maximum down-the-road speed. I couldn't hold this effort without drafting. He lost me going up over the bridges, but I caught up by pedaling wildly on the descents.
Two miles from home the rain notched up again. Al, not one who enjoys getting wet, pushed the speed up yet again. My heart rate was soaring, my breathing ragged, but I stayed glued to his wheel. I got absurdly happy at intersections, traffic circles, and traffic lights since they briefly slowed us down so I could recover a bit. I unclipped rolling up to our building, hopped off my bike, and pushed it across the slippery painted sidewalk and up the handicapped ramp to the side entrance to our building. We dripped through the elevator lobby, squeezed us and our bikes into an elevator with 6 other people, and headed up to our floor and home.
When the elevator doors opened on our floor, we said goodbye to the other people, and rolled the bikes out of the elevator. The elevator doors closed.
"Well, that was a fun ride," Al said smiling widely.
"Yes, our sprinting is apparently improving," I said, feeling water dripping off my helmet and down my nose.
Apparently.
