Barring vacations these last couple years, I can’t recall being off my bike for such a span of time. And certainly none so long when I’ve been able and available to ride. Until this morning when I pedaled to work, the last time I was in the saddle was October 31.

Twelve days.

I blamed going bike-less last week on a variety of issues, one of which was my workload. And that certainly didn’t get any better this week. But with the last hurdle overcome this morning, this is pretty much the first day in which sighs of relief are available to me.

One of those sighs of relief was the fact that I still have a job. On top of everything else I’ve absorbed and processed (to varying degrees of success and failure) this last month or so, the doozy came Tuesday when a mandatory all-staff meeting was called.

Historically, there are three things that have happened when we’ve been hastily congregated into the conference room — all usually having something to do with the losing of jobs. Tuesday’s was no different other than it being on a larger scale and driven by the state of the business.

Thankfully, my value as an employee was enough to keep me on the roster — which was cause for an extra sigh of relief for me, if from nothing more than a timing standpoint. See, it will be three years ago this week that the zoo showed me the door and you know damn well I’d be looking to kick November coincidence in the big fat ass if I suddenly became gainlessly unemployed so close to that still-stinging anniversary.

But it got me thinking or perhaps opportunistically rationalizing my somewhat inexplicable extended swap of two wheels for four. With the vibe at work being rather depressing these last couple months, I’m curious if perhaps I sensed a change a-coming and subconsciously wanted to be able to make a quick getaway if the bell tolled for me?

Hard to say.

But the bell didn’t and I’m back in the saddle.

Two good things.

Sigh.