Satisfying an Addiction

OK, I admit it. I'm addicted to Dairy Queen, specifically Moolattes from Dairy Queen. Where else can I combine my love of chocolate, coffee, and ice cream? I know they are bad for me, but sometimes I just need a fix. Last night was one of those nights. I blew off the gym because it was sunny and gorgeous out and drove home, intent on one thing...finding the closest Dairy Queen and downing a Moolatte. To offset the ensuing calories, I decided I would ride my bike there rather than drive.

After I located the closest Dairy Queen (999 Howard, Evanston...in case you were curious) and changed into shorts and a tee-shirt, I started off on my 5 mile trek north. It would have been a beautiful ride up if it hadn't been rush hour and I hadn't been riding on Ashland, Clark, and Ridge. When I ride my bike, it's as much for the enjoyment of riding as it is for getting the exercise. There was nothing enjoyable about my ride last night. Two cars made left turns into me as I was riding through the intersection on a green. I stopped before they hit me (obviously), but seriously how dense can you get? If bikes are considered vehicles (and they are by the city of Chicago), then shouldn't drivers be aware that a person on a bike has the right of way if they're going straight and you're turning left? Granted, the one was busy talking on the cell phone, but I'm sure that wouldn't have been a consolation to his BMW if he had hit me. Then, there were the inevitable car doors opening. Truly, a bicyclist takes their life in their hands when they ride the streets of Chicago, especially if they're like me and don't wear a helmet. If it weren't for my desperate need for a Moolatte, I wouldn't have ventured out.

But I did venture out and I did get to Dairy Queen, the Mecca of ice cream desserts. I paid my $3.25 to the teenager behind the counter and awaited the refreshment I had worked so "hard" for. These days I don't eat much more than a piece of fruit or a muffin if anything at all each day, so the tasty goodness of a Mocha Moolatte really hit the spot. So much so, that I decided to take a longer route home. I rode my bike (on the sidewalk this time) to Western and turned south. I rode through neighborhoods I've never seen before. My goal was to connect with Lincoln Square at some point. I've only been that way once, and I thought it would be a fun experience on my bike. It was. I'm going to have to ride up that way much more often, minus the choking bus fumes this time though.

All in all, it was a successful trip...I got exercise, I got dinner, and I got to sightsee. Not a bad way to spend an evening I must say :-)