winter wrap-up

ok, so techincally winter is still going strong. in fact, it's barely started. the title is mainly in reference to the fact that my winter commuting is done. at least for now. and a good thing too. it's fricking cold right now.

i actually got a respite two days early. i found out that i was able to drive to work new year's eve and new year's day (yes, i worked both days. yes, both days were slammed at the store. people never stop shopping). and it was a good thing i could drive, because i woke up the 31st to find it hovering in the mid-20s with frost and ice all over. and it hasn't let up since. not good riding weather. in fact, that qualifies as weather i don't ride in if i can help it. so, i'm done on the bike for a while.

a few final thoughts though, after the last week of commuting, and looking back at the experience as a whole.

one: it still wasn't nearly as bad as i thought. sure, i had a few harrowing experiences, and yes, my mother tried to steal my keys so i couldn't ride anymore, but it was a lot of fun most of the time. i actually enjoyed my commutes, as opposed to dreading them.

some observsations i made the final week. the last piece of inclimate weather i had yet to face, i faced: wind. wind sucks. especially gusty, strong crosswinds. not fun. also, people never expect you to be nice when you're on a bike. think of it as a holdover from the outlaw biker days or whatever, but people never expect you to slow down, or yield to pedestrians. ever. and they're surprised when you do.

also, when you only commute on a bike for a month, and then get back into a car, you have to get used to it again. yeesh. silly mistakes. and it's really easy to zone out in a car. i've really noticed that this past few days. in a bike, you are focused one hundred percent all the time. any slip, you get jolted back into it. over the last few weeks, i've made a few stupid mistakes. i would occasionally shift out of neutral forgetting to pull in the clutch, which would kill the bike (this did not happen often, but more often than i care to admit). things like this immediately pull you back in, and you realize you have to concentrate on the task at hand. not enough things in life are like this, i think. live in the now, man.

anyway, i've rambled enough (and i have to get to job numero dos), but that's about all there is to say for wrap-up. hopefully it won't be too long before my next post, although i can't control the weather. i may be getting some new gloves soon, maybe i'll write about that.

until next time, rftc,

scott

ps- here's a reposted picture, so i can use it as a thumbnail on facebook. enjoy!