I got a little comedic morning start as the wind rips my last twenty from my hands while trying to get change for parking.

I needed a little gas and some money for parking. If I paid for gas with cash, I could make sure to get change enough to pay for the bike to sit in the lot all day.

Trouble was, time seemed to be getting tight, and there aren't any convenient gas stations near the downtown traffic zone. I decided instead to go through the bank drive-through for change and get gas on the way home instead. After all, I still have the fuel reserve to let me know I'm really out, and I'm just at 115 out of my anticipated 180 mile tank.

I pulled up to the drive-through window, pulled the twenty out of my wallet, got a cheery confirmation from the guy behind the glass that I could swap it for fives, and hooked it under the catch in the drawer that popped out. The drawer pulled back in, and the inertia on the rolling-pin catch caused it to roll off my bill. This was coincidentally timed with a gust that took the bill, straight up the hill leaving the drive-through area. I turned back to the guy behind the glass, who was also looking stunned in the direction of the fleeing bill.

I muttered something like "gotta catch that one," fired up the bike, and took off up the hill. Then I realized I'd lost sight of it when I turned to look at the guy behind the glass. I waited for traffic, resigning myself to the idea that I'd fly around the block and get another twenty from the ATM, and try to get more change. Hate losing a twenty like that. Heck, hate losing a twenty anyway...

While waiting, I caught my twenty spinning in a whirlwind to my right. As I saw it, it seemed to notice it'd been seen, and it shot down the block. It didn't get far before dancing in another whirlwind in another corner of the building. Traffic was light, and stopped at a red light, so I turned the wrong way into traffic, riding on the shoulder for the half block to where the bill was dancing in the wind. Like a child busted for sneaking out of the yard, it fell to rest on the sidewalk, twitching just a little in the wind. I kicked the stand on the bike, propped it up, jumped off and strode to the bill with authority. It gave one little tease of shooting off in the wind again when I stomped on it. I tucked it in my pocket, returned to my bike, u-turned in the lane (try that in a car) now freed of traffic by the green light, and circled around back to the window.

Someone else was there first, so I waited my turn. I pulled up to the window and the guy behind the glass chuckled with me as I put the bill in, this time more carefully positioning it under the catch. I hovered a little as he withdrew the window, the inertia pulling the rolling pin not far enough to free the bill, and the wind relaxed at the moment. He had already tucked some fives in an envelope, which returned under the catch. The envelope, with its four bills inside, was thicker, and the pin didn't roll at all. I tucked the envelope in my pocked and continued to the parking lot.

I'm trying to embrace this as a humorous start to the day, not a sign to come of little difficulties plaguing me. So far, so good.