You know what really...

...sucks: When you get up early to squeeze in a bike ride before your sisters wedding activities only to get set up and start pedaling up the trail and your perfectly tuned bike won't shift. Then you look down and see that the derailleur ate through the cable. And while I want to be mad at the derailleur, or more importantly the engineers who designed it, I have be upset with myself because this is not the first time said style derailleur has done this. Granted it has not happened in months, but still I am at fault for becoming complacent and not checking it periodically. I would like to say lesson learned, but we will see.

two remaining strands, but not enough tension to shift.

...could be irritating: When you rush home, grab another bike to ride because you could still fit some kind of ride in, and it is walk your dog down the middle of the road day in Mapleton. Granted some areas don't have formal side walks, but still the middle of the road? 

...makes you understand why motorist don't care for cyclist. When you see two "roadies" (I use that term loosely as they were on road bikes and did have helmets, but I am not sure they really were roadies) blow a stop sign while making a left turn when the car to their left was there before them. It started to roll into the intersection and then had to stop again in order to not hit the two of them. Seriously! Seriously? I will roll a stop sign, but not if I am not the first one there. C'mon guys. 

...is ironic. When your husband tries to squeeze in a mtb ride on his sister-in-laws wedding day between the activities only to have it cut short when his derailleur eats through his cable half way through the ride. So then he as to ride it as a single speed back to where the family is hanging out between activities--luckily it was mostly down hill as he was stuck in his 11t cog. As he too had become complacent as it had not happened in a while.

cable was completely severed

 ...makes you feel bad. When the morning after your sisters wedding reception where you did not get home until late, you make everyone wait for you to start riding because we had to replace two derailleur cables at 5 am in order to try and make it to PC for a 7 am ride. Seriously, sorry Adam, Keith, Bill, Karl and the gang.
...makes you itchy. The weeds! And while you have "weed armor", sometimes you don't know you need your "weed protection" until too late. There are some pretty weedy sections on the way to deer valley on the P2P course.  

Chris modeling his weed protection-arm coolers and long socks

...makes you think. When your brother who is in town for the weekend, questions why you keep getting up at 5 am on your days off and the only explanation is to explain you want to ride your bike.
...is a lot of fun. Seeing your brother and his family from California for the first time in a long time and watching his cute little girls play with their only boy cousin. And having the whole family together--five sibling, now four in-laws, three nieces, one nephew, and grandma and grandpa together. So much fun! Welcome to the family, Jay.