A Little Ice

Nope I didn't ride to work today.

And . . .

It was probably just as well. After work this greeted me.

The ice was only forming on elevated areas like my car. The streets I took home were all treated with the exception of my street. It was still fine. It seems a good night to stay put.

Will Billie make it home tomorrow? We'll see.

• 30F/-1C for the morning drive.
• 29F/-2C and a light freezing drizzle for the drive home

I Was Bummed

Nope, I didn't ride to work today.

And . . .

The starter is all fixed on Billie. There is some welding to do on the sprockets and she'll be ready to come home. I suspect she'll be done just about the time the freezing rain gets here.

Today was an excellent day to ride and I saw a number of bikes, scooters, and cyclists out enjoying it. I'd like to think there will come a day when I feel confident enough in the Kymco to ride it on a day like today. I'm just not there at the moment.

The Yaris got to go to work again. She's half minivan and half go-kart and a hoot to drive, but it's just not the same as riding.

The sunrise this morning was spectacular, but because I was driving I couldn't find a place to pull over and get a photo.  After work I was walking into a pretty nice sunset again.

It was 27F/-3C when I left the condo and 45F/7C when I left work. Yep, I was bummed I wasn't riding.

In Its Own Right

Nope I didn't ride to work today.

And . . .

Neither did Vulcan Rider.

It was another beautiful day here in the Heartland. The temperatures rose to 35F/2C and there was sun.

On my afternoon break I found a nice patch of sun next to a radiator and just enjoyed. Growing up in Michigan I so appreciate how much sun we have here during the colder months. There was one year when I was in college in Southeastern Michigan when the sun disappeared behind the clouds in December and didn't reappear until early March. That is a lot of gray.

Here and now the days continue to grow.

This evening as I trudged over to the parking lot I caught a glimpse of the sun before it slipped beyond the horizon.

Today would have been a ride day and so would tomorrow. Instead we wait for a part and I have the opportunity to be grateful for having a wonderful little car that is a blast to drive in its own right.

Someone Rode

Nope, I didn't ride to work today.

But . . .

Someone else did.

I suspect if Billie wasn't spending some quality time with Mike over at Taylor Motorsports we'd been there, too.

It was 5F/-15C this morning and we reached a high of 20F/-7C. A nice brisk day for a ride. Supposed to be even warmer tomorrow.

In The Shop

Nope, I didn't ride to work today.

Billie is still in the shop and I don't trust the Kymco to start after being out in the cold all day. There is nothing seriously wrong with Billie. She is just waiting on a new solenoid to arrive.

I'm glad it didn't get as cold as they predicted today. It was 10F/-12C for my walk from the parking area and it managed to get up to 18F/-8C for a high. Add in the sunshine and it was a rather lovely day.

Sunshine

Nope I didn't ride to work today.

And . . .

I didn't ride to work yesterday either, nor did I post. My internet was down.

All the streets with the exception of mine are clear and dry. My street still has hard packed snow and ice.

There is going to be a major warm-up for the weekend and then frigid temperatures will return Monday. Hopefully by then I will have not only my kickstarter on the Symba, but an electric one as well. It is very nice to have both. I'm not real good at doing the kickstart if I stall in traffic. Sometimes on these cold mornings stalls can happen. I'll be grateful to have it back. There is a possibility of snow overnight which could change my plans.

It's been cold, but we've had plenty of sunshine. Sunshine makes all the difference.

The low was 6F/-14C today, but we warmed all the way up to 35F/2C by the afternoon.

Longer

Nope, I didn't ride to work today.

And . . .

The last few winters I've been able to ride nearly every day. This year has been different and I'm surprised at how often I need to pull my mind back on track while I'm driving. Now that the may streets are clear and dry I find my mind wandering all over the place. It is so difficult to stay focused.

On a positive note . . .

The days are definitely getting longer. I'm no longer leaving work in the dark.

I thought I might ride tomorrow until I got to my street. My alley is even worse. Oh well, one day at a time.

We're under a windchill advisory for tomorrow. Winter seems to be enjoying its stay here in the Heartland.

I Like

Nope, I didn't ride to work today.

More snow and cold, for these parts, temperatures. Today the high didn't get out of the teens Fahrenheit.

My Yaris has ABS and so did the Windstar before it, but during the time I've owned those vehicles we haven't had enough snow and ice around here for me to really get a feel for the difference. This season has been different. Today someone did something stupid and if I hadn't had ABS brakes I'm not sure I could have stopped in time. As it was, no problem. Yes, I like ABS.

Tomorrow it may make it above freezing and then the temperatures will plunge again. Both bikes got some exercise yesterday. Good thing. It may be a little while before either of them ventures forth again.

Hindsight Is So Very Accurate

Nope, I didn't ride to work today.

And . . .

Once again we had an overnight dusting of snow. It looked much like yesterday morning, and like yesterday I chose not to ride. The main streets today were all fine. They looked like I'd expected them to look yesterday. Unlike yesterday, I really could have rode today. Hindsight is so very accurate.

Also, I postponed Billie getting her electric starter sorted out. The forecast is for another overnight dusting. I suspect when hindsight kicks in tomorrow afternoon I'll wonder why I postponed it, just like I wondered why I didn't ride today.

I'm glad to have this week over and even more grateful to have Monday off. The Courts close in observance of Martin Luther King Day. Maybe this weather can sort itself out by Tuesday. We'll see.

And I was glad to witness nightfall here in the Heartland of America. A nice end to a tough week.

The high was 22F today. I notice more folks actually bundling up, dressing for the weather. I suspect the warmer temperatures over the weekend are going to feel downright balmy.

A Surprise.

Nope, I didn't ride to work today.

And . . .

Here's why . . .

Pretty, yes? Actually, the traction on my street was decent and I thought about riding. I assumed with the roads pretreated yesterday, they would be clear. I'm glad I decided to drive. The streets were a mess. Many of the intersections were quite slippery.

I left home a little earlier than I normally do, but arrived significantly later than I expected. By the time I did get Downtown the Sun was trying to make a show of its arrival.

There were lots of accidents during the morning drive. Many were rear end collisions. Nearly all were fender benders. It seems to me this is one of the dangers of riding a rig on a day like today. I was grateful to have the protective cage around me as I watched folks sliding through stoplights into intersections and plowing into parked cars.

By the afternoon all the snow was gone. The temperature made it all the way up to 47F/8C. During the drive home I encountered some sleet. It was was over quickly and, besides, the temperatures were still above freezing.

I wonder what tomorrow will bring. There could be some snow again. I'm certain of this: it's going to be colder.

Will I ride to work? I'm as doubtful I will as I was confident I was going to today. As usual, we'll see.

I Was Beginning To Wonder

Yes, I rode to work today.

And . . .

On my way in I noticed the streets and especially the overpasses had all been pretreated with ice melting chemicals. I was beginning to wonder if I missed something in the forecast. I will admit I was pleased to see Vulcan Rider's steed parked in the motorcycle parking area when I arrived at the Courthouse.

The day's weather played out as I'd expected. There are some flurries in the forecast for the next couple of day. It is going to get a little colder. There is nothing particularly threatening looking in the forecast, but here it is always, "We'll wait and see." Apparently, someone thought it best to be safe rather than sorry.

• 23F/ with some clouds for the ride in.
• 28F/ and partly cloudy for the home ride.

Completely Unfounded

Yes, I rode to work today.

And . . .

The rumors of rain early and snow later turned out to be greatly exaggerated.

Actually, they turned out to be completely unfounded. It was a little breezy on the ride home with wind gusts over 25 knots.

I was glad the weather turned out as it did. More changes at work. It was good to ride and let my mind return to the moment.

• 34F/1C with a few clouds for the ride in.
• 42F/6C, breezy and clouding over over the home ride.

A Lovely Day

Yes, I rode to work today.

And . . .

A lovely day it was.

Almost all of the snow is gone. A week ago there was 10in. of snow on the ground. Now all that's left is where the snow was piled up.

The streets were all dry.

If the Vulcan had been parked and awaiting Billie's arrival I would have assume Vulcan Rider was on vacation. Lots of scooters and motorcycles were out.

The plumping moon kept me company on the ride home. There is precipitation in the forecast for tomorrow, precipitation and wind.

• 51F/11C and overcast for the ride to work.
• 50F/10C with a few clouds for the home ride.

Nasty Night

Nope, I didn't ride to work today.

And . . .

The rain began early.

There was still enough slippy slidey stuff to keep the Symba in the garage.

Of course, the warming temperatures and the rain meant there was fog in the area, but it stayed up and visibility was good.

It pretty much rained all day.

The drive home was quite the adventure. Lots of water. There weren't puddles, there were small lakes on the streets. And for some reason it seemed everyone was going home at the same time. Heavy traffic with plenty of water means I've had many more delightful drives home.

A Little More Snow

Nope, I didn't ride today.

And . . .

They said we'd get about an inch of new snow. I expected it would be just a dusting.

The forecasters were right and I was wrong.

The additional snow made for an interesting drive to work.

Fortunately, the forecasters were wrong about the freezing drizzle.

The drive home was easy. The main arteries were all clear.

My street? Not so much.

Tomorrow is to bring rain and much warmer temperatures. The Symba may get on the road Saturday. She is supposed to get her starter worked on. I suspected it wasn't going to happen this weekend, but now . . .

Open for the Regular Business of the Courts

Nope, I didn't ride to work today.

And . . .

I didn't ride to work yesterday either. Yesterday the Courts were closed for a second day. Today we were open for the regular business of the Courts.

This was my street this morning. It was much as I expected it to be.

But I was a little surprised at how much slushy stuff I encountered on my way in. My friends who went into their work yesterday assure me the roads were much better today. They weren't bad, I just was surprised they weren't better.

This early morning hint of the sun was about all we got. It was in the mid-twenties Fahrenheit (-4C) for most of the day.

I could see signs of drifting here and there. I have always loved the way obstacles give the drifts character. I suspect there might be a life lesson there.

I guess the maintenance folk figured neither Vulcan Rider or I was going to ride today.

On the walk to the parking lot after work I noticed this bike locked up in front of City Hall.

The streets had improved greatly for the drive homeward.

My street not so much.

We may get a dusting of snow tonight and then perhaps a major warm-up. As you know, I have a pretty much wait and see attitude.

Nope, I didn't ride to work today.

There was no work to ride to. St.Louis is pretty much closed. I hear tell the main streets are okay. The City doesn't clear the side streets and it may be a while before the Symba can even get to the main streets.

It is nearly 1100hr as I write this and it is -4F/-20C. The forecast calls for a high of -3F/-19C. With the Courts shut this would give me a chance to get the car cleared off and ready for tomorrow. Complication: It seems I'm coming down with the bug that has been haunting Heather the last week. I ache, my throat is catchy, I'm developing a cough and I'm feeling more cognitive blurry than I normally do on an unplanned non-structured day. Actually, I've felt this coming on since last Thursday. It seems the balance is shifting and my immune system is tiring of the fight and is giving me the opportunity to befriend this unwelcome stranger. Oh well, as Roseanne Roseannadanna might say, "It's always something." 

Stay Tuned.

Nope, I didn't ride to work today.

And . . .

It was one of those on the edge days. It was one of those days when, yes, a third wheel would have taken all the guess work out of the decision. I've ridden on days like this before, but usually later in the season when there was more light. It just seemed it was wise to let it be a drive day.

I did see one scooter on my way into work. It looked to be a 50cc Chinese scoot. I, also, saw some places that looked very slick. I'm good with my decision to drive.

There are big weather rumblings. Stay tuned.

It was 6F/-14C for my walk from the parking lot to the Courthouse. It had warmed up to 28F/-2C when I left for home, but there was wind. I didn't feel that warm. Actually, they tell me it felt more like 7F/-14C. I can believe that. If anything it felt a wee bit colder tonight than this morning.

Can't Complain

Nope, I didn't ride today.

And . . .

I would be surprised if I ride tomorrow.

And . . .

While I'd rather be riding . . .

I certainly . . .

can't complain . . .

about the visual feast . . .

the walk to my car provided tonight.

• 16F/-9C and overcast for the morning drive.
• 18F/-8C with some clouds for the commute home.