Happy Zach Johnson Day!

The Master's Golf Tournament ended recently and somebody not named "Tiger" won.

How does that make me feel? Totally indifferent. Sorry, but golf never appealed much to me--not after the one golf lesson my father gave me terminated in a neighbor's broken window, anyway.

But Zach won the big tourney a few years ago and a street in Cedar Rapids was named after him. Oh happy day today! The daffodils are in bloom at MMU (those pictured are in Our Lady of Sorrows Grotto) and I found Zach Johnson Drive NE!

I'm not sure you understand. Well, daffodils you probably understand. But my commuting route has reached a zenith of perfect with the discovery of the drive, near Elmcrest County Club. It's existence at the end of Eastern Avenue means I don't every have to bike along any busy street south of Old Marion Road--the entire route to MMU is along very quite residential streets.

What, I've lived in Cedar Rapids 10 years and commuted for at least 5 and just now am finding the optimum route? In my lame self defense, exploring takes a lot longer on a bike.

Well, now my route home from MMU is like this: Take Prairie to 26h, 26th to Eastern, Eastern to Zach Johnson, then zigzag (the route varies along various lettered Avenues and numbered streets) until you're at F behind Kenwood school, then north of the school to Lennox to 40th to E to 42nd to F to Rockwell Collins to Blair's Ferry and C, and then home along C's sidwalk.

What a nice ride it was today. Very springy even if it I was leaving work around 7:30 and it was twilight. All in all, a wonderful day to ride on a street named after a hero of a sport that otherwise has nothing to do with me or biking !