angry porcupine & marshmallow weight

It started as just another ride... a few hours after work to get out and relax before hitting the books... the ride started out smooth as i ascended laurel run. the goal for the day - make it up greenlee without stopping for air WITHOUT my inhaler. It seems any climb is possible, (at the right fitness level) without quickly going anaerobic to the point an inhaler is required. so up i went, pacing myself... and pacing... and then some more pacing... a good 4 miles of pacing in fact... i was just past the last switchbacks (where it quickly gets steep - ahhh my favorite part) and coming to the top when i saw, in the middle of the road - a ginormous porcupine.

He was just hanging out, enjoying time in his turf, but he was also seriously cramping my style. i stopped and looked.

our eyes met.

My game face was ON. (actually it was cool)

he decided to play badass - turned around and reared his quills - all 10 billion of them (you little jerk - i'm harmless, i swear).

OK, so this was my first, up close and person encounter with one of these guys. normally they're on the side of the road or off in the woods... he had NO intention of moving. I waited a little bit - hoping he would mosy on ... but quills up, he was standing his ground.

I looked at him, and politely asked him to move (the hell over motherfucker).

he read my mind - i think the left side insulted him. (the right side was wishing i had my camera, a hot cup of chai and a fuzzy sweatshirt)

I wasn't sure just how fast and far those puppies could fly and wasn't interested in finding out. As patience began to wear thin and an onset of chills arrived (always immediate body temperature drop after a climb), i threw some pebbles behind him hoping to encourage movement to the side of the road.

as showers of course gravel fell behind his spiny little ass, he finally began to move off to the side of the road - looking back at me STILL quills partially up. I have to admit, he was a cute little guy. it's just that I was cold, and didn't want to sit there all day as the sun was setting. i road on.

phew. I appreciate nature but come on guy... give a girl a break!

In other news, i've decided to gain back 10 pounds via the marshmallow diet. old habits die hard when up late night reading and studying. and they're just so darned good. marshmallows are fluffy so i figure 10 pounds of marshmallows will still keep me light and agile on the climbs... maybe that's why i often almost pop a wheelie on the top of the silly little washed out gravel hill in scotia that i clear maybe 10% of the time first try. yea - that must be it - no bike handling skills involved there. (keep telling yourself that)

and back to the books i go... too bad the marshmallow supply is depleted.