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Well, let me explain: On Monday, my beautiful wife, my two impossibly handsome and charming sons, two of my co-workers and their respective dates, Joel, Kenny, Wildelice (sorry Wizzy, but I don't know how to spell your name), and I went to see free jazz in Bushnell Park. It was great. The weather was perfect, the music was good, etc. Enthused by this, the wife and I vowed to go to as much free outdoor stuff as possible, and tonight there is free jazz in Middletown, which would seem like a long way to go for a concert, except for the fact that she's already there ('cause she works there, see?). So weather permitting, we're going to do that, and you, dear reader, should go too, because it's fun.

Now here's the wagering part: As I often mention, nous sommes une famille de seule une voiture, and today my wife is in Middletown with said voiture, having used it to drive our younger son to daycare. I, on the other hand, am in Hartford with the velo, having used it to take our older son to camp in the trailer. So rather than make ma femme drive la voiture au Hartford to collect me and the boy then drive back to Middletown, I'm planning to tow the boy to Middletown. But here's the thing: On a fast-ish, road-ish bike like the (5-speed) Special Tour de France or the (8-speed) Xootr, I can cover the distance to Middletown, sans trailer, in an hour and change. Today, I need a folder so I can return in the car with the fam, so the STDF is out, but the Xootr is having chain-skipping issues since I replaced the chain, meaning that it needs a new cassette, meaning that it, too, cannot make the trip (using a skippy cassette with a new chain prematurely wears out the chain, allowing the terrorists to win, plus riding with chain skip is annoying). This leaves me with one option: Tow the trailer to Middletown with the Raleigh Twenty. Now understand this: The Raleigh Twenty is a fine bicycle with three fine speeds. But it is not a fast bicycle or a light bicycle. You might even say that it is slow and heavy. Another thing that is slow and heavy is a trailer with a sleeping five-year-old in it. So here's the question: How long will it take me to get from 335 Bloomfield Avenue in Hartford (Max's summer camp) to the Wadsworth Mansion in Middletown? It's 21 miles of mostly flat terrain, I am 6'5" of pure, slow-riding bike muscle, and you, dear reader, will earn yourself two beers if you can guess my travel time to within ten minutes. I promise to be honest about the time and not to throw the result with purposeful delay or hurry. I cannot promise that I won't get a flat, need to stop for coffee, or get caught in the rain and stand under a tree till the storm passes. You just have to account for that in your guess.

UPDATE: Well, just as I was picking Max up from camp, the skies opened up and it rained a wicked lot. Then I called Anna and had her check the internets, and it said thunderstorms in Middletown around 7:30, so we bagged the whole trip, so no one wins, until I attempt the trip again next week, weather permitting.