On a Bicycle Built for... speed

The first year I lived in this house, I awakened one morning to the sound of... of... well, what can best be described as a flock of birds. Taking off. A large flock of birds. I opened one eye and thought. A minute or two later it happened again. A large flock of birds... taking off.

I sprang from the bed to see what was the matter. Away to the window I flew like a flash, Tore open the shutters and threw up the sash. When what to my wondering eyes should appear but...

Bicycles.

A bodacious bunch of bicycles. Right in front of my house, doing about.. oh... 50 MPH... or so.

Seems the annual Bike Race (now a Grand Prix) is held every year in front of my house. Seems also that someone neglected to inform me of the event, or of the fact that I would be imprisoned in my house for the remainder of the day.

It wasn't bad for the first few years... a bunch of bikes and some funny looking riders and a couple of friends.

It's a major event now, and they've been setting up since this morning (the race is tomorrow). There's only one problem. This weekend my little Beach city also hosts the BIGGEST Volleyball tournament ever. Both events are within a half mile of each other, if that. One is at the end of Manhattan Beach Blvd (approximately 12th street) and the other starts at 15th, a block or so up from the ocean. Each event on it's own merit could fill this city with more people than it can possibly handle, and they are both happening tomorrow...

One of them right in front of my house...

So, if you catch a glimpse of the Manhattan Beach Grand Prix (and it may have another name), that's me, waving from my porch...