Bee stings, tan lines - all in a day's bike ride

Even a bee sting couldn't keep me off my bike yesterday.

It was gorgeous. The sun was shining. There were a couple of puffy white clouds in the sky. Temperatures were in the lower 80s. It was actually a tiny bit humid. And did I mention I had the day off? I did and I wasn't going to spend it indoors.

So after lunch, I threw on some shorts and a tank top - yes, a tank top, in Wisconsin in April! I filled up the water bottle, grabbed a few bucks, my sunglasses and iPod and hopped on my bike and took off.

I got two blocks away from my garage and there was pain. With every peddle it felt like a needle was being shoved in the top of my foot. So I pulled over, parked my bike and attempted to take my shoe off while hoping the cars that were flying by me at 50 miles an hour wouldn't hit and kill me.

As I pulled off my shoe, a bee flew out of my shoe and almost into my face before he was blown away by the wind. He must have gotten trapped in my shoe at some point between my garage and the start of my ride. And apparently his plans didn't include a bike ride on a glorious spring day so he decided to let me know by stinging me a couple of times.

Point taken Mr. Bee.

While it hurt, I didn't really want to turn around and go back. My bike was calling my name. So I got back on and started riding.

Around the boarded up marina, along the lake through the park, past the grave sites in one of the city's cemeteries, along the river trail through campus and back to my apartment. When I was nearing the end of my ride, I did make a quick pit stop at Ardy & Ed's, a classic little diner about 2 miles from my apartment for a to-die-for chocolate shake. I deserved it. I just put 20 miles in on my bike, a good chunk that were directly into the super gusty southerly winds.

All in all, it was a good ride. Even the bee sting - the only evidence of the bee's unhappiness is two small red marks on the top of my foot - and a slight sunburn that left me with a nifty tan line from my iPod.