What Really Bugs Me

Springtime weather in northern CA is great on the bike.  It's finally time to ride without a base layer or a jacket.  Maybe you can even lose the arm warmers.  And, it's time to wear the sunscreen again.  But, it's not so hot that you sweat it all off.  It's perfect, right?  Almost.  Except for the bugs.  Lots of bugs.  I wish I could say I ride so fast that the bugs die upon impact.  But in reality, it's more like they get stuck to the sunscreen and are trapped or poisoned by the chemicals.  Sometimes bugs manage to fly right in the small opening between your face and sunglasses.  Or into one of the holes of the your helmet.  Or worse...right into your mouth.  The other day I could literally feel one grabbing both sides of my lip.  Not fun.

I remember last year making a comment about riding into all those little light-colored gnats that swarm together.  Nick's nonchalant response was, "Oh those?  I eat those for breakfast."  Lovely.  

But, what's worse than bugs?  Bees!  A few weeks ago, I happened to be watching the news (an activity I rarely do thanks to DVR) and there was a segment about all the bees out.  They mentioned something about the queen bees just had their babies and all the bees are looking for new homes.  

A few days later, I had to run to Target and I felt like I was driving through a swarm of tracker jackers.  What was happening in that picture above, was happening in the Target parking lot.  It was crazy.  Because the news said it was "normal" this time of year, I, thankfully, did not have a panic attack.

I know bees are good.  But, bees freak me out.  I have an irrational fear of them.  I've gone ballistic when they've landed on my arm or my leg.  But, I learned pretty quickly that I was putting my life in jeopardy with all that flailing while on a bike.  I've since learned to stay on my side of the road and politely ask the bee to leave.  I know several people that have been stung by bees while riding.  I don't even know what I would do if that happened to me (besides cry).  But I will gladly take the innocuous bugs over the bees any day.