The six- block commute

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By Daryl Empen, Rock Island | Monday, May 12, 2008 11:53 PM CDT | () comments

First, I must make a confession. I work only six blocks from home, so I should have been biking to work a long time ago. I just always found an excuse not to — it’s raining, I have a meeting during the day that I have to drive to, I’m late, etc. I do walk sometimes and enjoy it when I do. But why not bike more? My challenge will be to look at my schedule and see whether I can bike to my meetings. Or worst case scenario, bike back home to pick up my truck.

I do enjoy the short commute, especially in the spring with a cool morning breeze to wake me up. With such a short commute, I may even leave a few minutes earlier to ride around the neighborhood. The Broadway Historic District where I live is gearing up for its annual Tour of Homes, and it’s neat to see everyone get ready for this event — getting their lawns mowed, sidewalks swept up, flowers planted, and sprucing up their homes to make the best impression on our visitors. Plus, I like to see what is going on in the neighborhood — who’s painting or repairing their homes, adding a new fence or retaining wall or making other improvements. Hopefully this week will be the start of biking to work more regularly for me.

Daryl Empen

Rock Island