Hot Air Balloon Ride!

HOnestly, that’s what Tuesday’s cruise home reminded me of, except for the temperature.

I’d come in with 46 degree temps and extra clothes in the bag… except I forgot the bag. Went to bookstore to buy the “storm duds” pants which fortunately were *the only* item of clothing there in my size.
Cruised to bike shop to peek at Dahon catalog at lunch. Wind blew me back but it was only 15-20 mph. Returned 2:10, temp. 52 .
Severe thunderstorm warnings with the real thing arriving … then at 5-ish I peek out and dang it, the yahoo has turned on the light of the Trek that is parked out there with mine. I go out nobly to turn it off; the batteries are pretty worn down. My light’s out because of this dingbat. It’s the third time s/he/it’s decided to turn our lights on (tho’ when I’m on the red bike with the generator it doesn’t matter). Welp, it shall inspire me perhaps to request on the grounds of Sustainability (“a priority” this year for the college) that we get bicycle lockers. I duly note that there’s a sheet of ice over everything and check to find it’s 26 degrees now. Winds picking up.

But that hot air balloon thing…
6:00 makes its inexorable appearance. Winds have picked up more. Snow is horizontal and moving fast. I didn’t bring my spare head lamp, but actually, because of all the white suspension (that is, nonetheless, not too heavy ’cause of course, there was a break between squalls when it was time for me to leave) the ambient light is ‘way above normal.
I hop on the Gazelle, again appreciating the built-in lock that never requires contact between my hands and metal. Take off across the parking lot and all the lights go out. I consider whether taking off in this is foolhardy. I notice that I’m not pedaling, and my 50-pound bicycle and I are coasting… up hill. I turn south and I’m *not* blown around. There’s snow and ice but the studs are simply happily munching on it. While waiting at the light a splotch of liquid from somewhere spatters my face and I look around… and realize it probably sailed from some vehicle long gone, ’cause the spray could have been airborne for half a mile.
Eastward again, then South down Country Fair. Cars are giving me plenty of room, and they’re not sliding, either; guess the pavement is still warm.
Cross Springfield – bank says it’s 13 degrees. Sheesh!
The rest of the route is mostly Eastbound, and I’m mostly coasting in near silence because if you’re with the wind, you’re just with the wind. It’s only that horizontal snow going just a tad faster that tells me just how glad I should be that things aren’t in reverse There’s never anything overtly scary… but I definitely didn’t feel really in *control* … but hey, that’s probably true more often than I think.

Today’s forecast has all of the Snow Phrases: showers, giving way to steady snow by evening… and then the so lighthearted-sounding “snow, heavy at times” through the night.
I can truly laugh at the argument that kept me from getting the studs at first: “So what do we usually have in a winter… two days where studs would be needed?” I believe we’re goin’ on 14..

Sweet lumps of delight! Seems the traffic light at Church and Mattis is going to “walk” on every cycle, so I don’t have to be poised at the front and charge forth to make it through. This is one of those intersections where, yea verily, I go to the front on the right of a car (there is, however, a dedicated right turn that merges off, which I am beyond and to the left of), because that’s what it takes to get across all lanes of traffic.
Forecast for even more wind today… I’m on the Gazelle in case it’s snowing by the time I leave.

Hot off the presses… safety is more than wearing helmets!

The good news is that it *is* in the press and includes getting off the sidewalk *and* out of the gutter and out into your lane: http://www.thecampuschronicle.com/features/articles/080125d.cfm

From the Netherlands (via Rob on our email list): bike stand with built-in pump (to foster neighbors chatting while pumping)

Back from San Francisco. Felt chunks of the brain reactivating on the a.m. commute – that whole thing about paying lots of attention to what’s around you. I realized that I have to almost consciously shut it down for being an urban pedestrian lest every last panhandler sing me a song. They wouldn’t have time if I were on the bike, I suppose…

“Power to the pedal” bicycle accessory design contest:
http://www.design21sdn.com/competitions/11
C’mon you gals& guys at bike shops with a bit of a lull in workflow… make me some turn signals! That would have global appeal, even.

Hippo Hands might be a good idea, too, for the chillier days, bicycle style. A person could slip a potato in there for warmth…

Yesterday I waved cheerfully at the yahoo who felt compelled to honk both from ‘way back (which I don’t mind at all) and next to us … but my greeting wasn’t that amicable. C’mon brain… “Blessings on you and everyone you endanger today” would be much better than “Hello, a*****” and maybe eventually I could say it without a snooty attitude Habits, habits. Last week I was greeted by someone with something I swore resembled an undeserved reverence …and I realized that all humans are due such reverence… we all bear light. And happily on several occasions that respect and reverence came to mind in dealing with people it’s a little too easy to feel sorry for, or disdain towards (they’ll be different people for me than you but we’ve all got ‘em, eh?). It reminded me of Mary Ann, our student and preacher who had somehow converted a dismally low sense of self-worth into “I am loved anyway… and everyone is as unworthy and worthy of this love” – including some pretty arrogant and hostile people.
Gotta remember that people driving SUV’s (yea, of course, the honker was) bear the light along with the horn.

The Gazelle is the bike to ride in the cold
Tang Dynasty is not the restaurant to go to. Last time we went the wait-staff guy was asked about the ingredients in a dish and was wrong (as in “is there ___ in this dish?” “No.” It was full of it. Or *maybe* “yes.” and there wasn’t.) This time I had a bit of coughing which sometimes happens when this little allergic canary has, oh, chocolate or a spice or food I’m not used to… no biggie… except… no, there was something *back* there. Inhale slooowly, c`ough hard, be glad I”m in chorus and know what happens back there. Third time, wthat spiky thing hat I assumed would be vegetative material came clear… only when I discreetly pulled it back out from under the plate I realized it was metal… looked like school binder wire only a whole lot thinner… so I simply handed it to the waiter and said it was in my food and I had choked on it. (I had coughed enough to attract a little bit of attention, I believe.) Welp, I got the eggplant for free… they were most apologetic and explained it was wire from the wok cleaning brush… and I was suspending judgement as is my wont. Paid for my beer with a 5, thinking “yes, I”ll tip.” Except.. you know, I like to decide. THey never brought me my change, nor my neighbors (who’d also *intended* to leave it as a tip). About the only thing tackier than “do you need change” is not even asking, IMO… and while I can be the utter queen of tacky…. welp, that’s why I don’t work in a restaurant. It was off the rota but the Four Seasons HOuse is gone and I needed soemthign at the last minute, and I figured it could stand another chance. Welp, it had one.

15 degrees this a.m. but warmer than last night’s 20 ’cause I’m on the Gazelle and get to pedal more Tailwinds and dark and ice patches and a smooooth drive train mean… not enough pedaling! This a.m. it was totally toasty. I successfully put the warm layers in the wasy, told myself to wake up in the middle of the night and toss the laundry into the dryer, and did so. Confused the cat a bit.
Yesterday I was heading down Church Street and reminded myself to scoot out in the lane ’cause otehrwise cars don’t move over to the other lane even if nobody’s there and it gets a little cozier than 3 feet. It’s cause of teh sporadically used parking (this might be a good street for the creative lining that makes it look smaller) … it’s a little hard on the psyche when I can see the lightcycle clot of cars approaching from the rear… but when that door opened out and the driver kinda jumped when he saw me… I haven’t been doored yet and I would rather limit that experience to vicariosity. Today representatives of two light cycles were impelled to proceed behind me for an extra 9 seconds or so but door memories are inspirational, and whilst one revved the engine the rest didn’t show outward signs of impatience. (I was impelled to recall, after gaily waving and smiling at the revver, that it would better behoove me to honestly apply the Mary Ann Bridges treatment to every soul and recognize their inherent if hidden-to-me miracle of their existence, at least until far more evidence of scalawagness.)

OH… and time to get back in to the haiku rhythm.

Scoot out in the lane
Beyond the reach of car doors
Love my new drive train!

Treehugger is looking for paid writers. Starving grad students, take note!

Got the Xtra back from Champaign Cycle with new just about everything. It’s awfully smooth and quiet now! Weekend agenda: FIND the bag with the camera in it for pics.
Smooth quiet ride in at 20° (that would be ampersand d e g semicolon to get the degree symbol) . It’s good to have cargo space !

Felt very good this a.m. – early to rise and knew where the laundry was. Alas, when i put my speedo in my pocket Friday (rather than leave it out on the bike) it reset entirely and now it’s on km/hr. MIght just leave it there for the brainwork.
Left early enough for a gratuitous lap, but stopped at one ’cause it’s the first da;y of classes and there was stress in the air. Coming down Church Street I heard sirens and two police cars came by at prayer-inspiring speed.
News-gazoo noticed what I did – lots of those Very Big Cranes in town.