Entries this day: skate_perfect_timing

skate perfect timing

16 October 1997

I just got back from my latest Wild Skating Adventure!

I tossed my skates and stuff into the back of Wende's truck and drove to UH Downtown as she was getting off work. She stepped out of the building as I was in the back of the truck putting my skates on. I offered to take her mail to the post office, since it wouldn't take me as long to get there, but she declined the offer. Fine. We hugged and smooched and were just about to leave when I heard a train coming!

The main entrance to University of Houston Downtown is three stories from the ground. Fortunately, Main Street helps make the entrance more easily accessible. Underneath the Main Street bridge at that point one can find Buffalo Bayou winding its sloggy way to merge with another bayou, and not one but two sets of railroad tracks that merge near the jail across from UHD.

The train was traveling southeast at 20 miles per hour and the wind was blowing from the north at 5 miles per hour. If I were to jump off the bridge into one of the 10 railcars carrying gravel, where would I end up?

This question begs to be answered one day, but not today; I'll keep you posted.

The train passed, and Wende was still there watching me watch the train, I guess to make sure I didn't try anything too outrageous..

I went to check out an aluminum framework pyramid that is apparently going on top of the roof somewhere. Hmmm.

Then toward the street to speed down the three story hill to the intersection below. The timing of the traffic lights is different during rush hour than normal, so I wasn't sure if it would stay green for me or not. I felt like it would, so I hauled-ass down the hill, passing a dark sedan and almost passing another car; I could see that the driver was watching me through his rear view mirror.

I pushed up the next hill and turned right onto Franklin (ya know- one day I'm going to turn left onto Franklin, because there is also a hill going down that way!) toward the road-blocking construction at the bottom of the hill, and I made a wide left turn onto the street before the construction, and look up and there's Wende!

Ha! I passed her and we each waved, (though neither of us saw the other wave) and headed toward the post office passing all the traffic in which she was jammed. One more intersection to go, and I got stopped by traffic going the other way. There was no crosswalk toward the post office, and I had no easy way of getting across with two cops there encouraging traffic to keep moving, thereby preventing me from crossing the street. Wende drove by and into the parking lot. Dang. She won.

I didn't see her as I went back toward downtown, with no particular goal in mind. I ended up at Jones Plaza, where on Thursday nights they have Party on the Plaza. The guards wouldn't let me in because the band wasn't there yet so I went to play in traffic.

Up Louisiana street to go car surfing during rush hour traffic I went, and paused by a construction barrel to catch my breath. The lights were just turning green to allow traffic on Louisiana Street the right to careen toward home after a hard day's work, so I waited for the next cycle. After a few moments the cross traffic had the right of way. Once their light turned yellow, I took off.

My takeoff wasn't as fast as I had planned; I forgot quite how trapped I was by the construction barrel and barriers. Too late to turn back, though, so I pushed hard down toward the Plaza. Rush hour traffic patterns are quite different than what I'm used to. These guys didn't want to turn left before the Plaza, but were intent on going straight toward I-45. (Didn't someone tell them the road is blocked down at Franklin?) I sailed down the hill without a problem and turned at Birraporetti's, where it was fairly packed with people, many of whom looked up as I went by. (Maybe at night they can't as easily see out the windows..)

Into the valet parking exit I proceeded, breathing hard yet politely nodding HI to the few well dressed people standing in there. This time I used extreme caution when exiting toward the next street; I assumed cars would speed toward home on it as well. I was correct.

I was fairly pooped, and sat on my recovery wall for a while to determine my next move. Turns out my next move was to go home. I was really tired.

Up Louisiana Street toward Walker, which leads to Allen Parkway using a hill down which I hadn't skated in a long time, I cruised along the sidewalk, being careful of professionally dressed people and a car that poked its nose out of a garage as I approached. I would have been careful of non-professionally dressed people, but there were none in my way.

Cars fairly packed Walker, which was blocked by construction down to two lanes. I eased up between the barrels and traffic, knowing the light would change just about as I got to it. Light turned green, and I took off across the intersection and pushpushpush down the hill and I can hardly see because of the sun but whhheeehhheeeeewww!!! zinngg!! I fly down ahead of the traffic, right along the striped line so they can pass on either side if they want. No one passed, and my striped line turned into a median as the road split. I grunched slowly to a halt on the sharp gravel surface, wincing at the thought of my new wheels getting chawed by the rocks. No time to cry though, as the traffic has all but stopped at the yield sign to get onto Allen Parkway. I hop onto the smooth street beside them and push my way toward the top of the hill and turn right onto the asphalt sidewalk.

I leisurely press forward up the hill along Allen Parkway, prepared to offer a friendly HI to any joggers or bikers with whom I make eye contact.

Apparently I can save my HIs for another day.

Soon I am approaching Taft, and I hope to cut across Allen Parkway as soon as there is a break in traffic... I keep looking over my shoulder, but the traffic never stops. I have to turn around and try again. This time is actually more fun, because I am facing oncoming traffic as I haul across the street to the not quite so sharp median. Then the traffic light helps me get the rest of the way across and I head up Taft Street.

"Ya know... I wonder if I can get the hang of this intersection?"

That was my exact thought I a pushed up the hill. I had my watch with me, so I could easily time it. Cool!

So I sat on the side of the street a moderate way up the hill and watched the light. After a few cycles, I see that my light turns green for about 5 seconds, and then yellow and red until green again about 45 seconds later. Unless there are cars trying to turn left onto Taft and it turns green about 55 seconds later. No problem.

I waited until 40 seconds after my light turned red, and then pushed down the hill. "Turn green. Turn green. turngreen turngreen turngreenturngreen." My light didn't listen, and didn't turn green until I had already stopped all my momentum. Back to the top of the hill let's try this thing again.

I changed how I approached the problem. The cross traffic got their green light for 40 seconds each time. Didn't matter if traffic was trying to turn left or not. So I waited until they had the green light for about 33 seconds and then started down the hill. I approached the bail-out point and the light turned happily green for me. Yesss! I sped through the intersection and turned right onto Allen Parkway, where the cross traffic was waiting to go. It worked a little too well! I was too far up the street to have much time to jump onto the median and plan my path across the other half of Allen Parkway! So I just jumped onto the median and stopped. I turned back around toward the cars who now had the green light. I waited for them to pass, then headed victorious up Taft. Excellent.

From there I just went straight home and here I am.