I Could Have

Nope, I didn't ride to work today.

But . . .

I could have. My side street would have been a challenge, but I've ridden on it when it was worse. I might have tried it if the Billie had been out of garage more of late. And if I'd been a little less lax in keeping my gasoline treated.

Tomorrow I'm off and on my list of things to do is get them both started and the gas treated.

For some reason when I downloaded this photo onto Blogger it got very pixelated. Oh well.

I went the freeway for a change and was rewarded with a nice view of the sunrise.

The view was even better for my walk from the parking lot. It was a nice true 0F/-18C. It almost perfectly calm.

In the evening the moon welcomed me when I came out of the Courthouse and kept me company on my way home.

Look how bright it still is at 5:15pm CST.

• 0F/-18C for the morning drive
• 18F/8C and crystal clear for the evening commute.

Once Again

Nope, I didn't ride to work today.

Once again, if I could have gotten out of my neighborhood and onto the main streets I probably would have been fine. I suspect the same will be true tomorrow.

It is obvious the days are getting longer even as it seems to get colder. Having grown up in the land of cold and gray it is difficult for me to complain when there is sun.

Wednesday is a Court holiday in observance of Lincoln's Birthday. Next Monday is a Federal Holiday called Presidents Day. I've come to like February very much since beginning to work for the Court.

• 6F/-14C and mostly cloudy for the morning drivetime.
• 14F/-10C with a few clouds for the evening commute.

Cold

Nope, still not able to ride to work.

And . . .

It is cold for these here parts.

The heated gloves are nice for the drive and for the walk from the parking lot. I'm suspecting they won't last more than three hours at 100% power before running completely down. This is about what I was expecting.

There was another wonderful sunrise this morning and another nice brisk walk.

More cold on the way. Hopefully this is a winter folks will be talking about for years to come and not the new normal. We'll see.

• 2F/-17C with a few clouds for my morning walk.
• 19F/-7C and overcast for the evening commute.

The Snow Squeaked

Nope, I didn't ride to work today.

And . . .

Today the snow squeaked when I walked on it. It seldom gets cold enough here for the snow to get the sound I remember from my growing up. Nor does it often get cold enough for the snow and ice to have a moment of sticky to it as you plant your foot. Today it was just barely cold enough and I delighted playing with the changing viscosity under foot. I even extended my morning walk from the parking lot a little.

But, I've had plenty of fun to last me for a while. It can warm up now.

• 1F/-17C with a few clouds for my morning walk.
• 11F/-12C and some clouds for the evening commute home.

Gearing Up

Nope, I didn't ride to work today.

And . . .

For some reason I was getting more of the, "You didn't ride your bike today did you?" type questions than usual. I think this has to do with me dressing for the walk from the parking area with the same care I take gearing up for the ride to work.

Some of the equipment is even identical. For example, I most often wear the same snowmobile pants whether I walk from the parking area or ride. And, now, I added a new piece of equipment over the that  will go both ways as well.

Battery powered heated gloves. Mike, my technician, owns a pair and loves them. They were on sale so I took a chance on them. I've worn them once while riding and  between the heated grips, hippo hands, and these gloves it was a toasty sweet ride. I've worn them on two days during the "walk of shame". I like the mobility these gloves give me by not being tied to the bike. A potential downside is the batteries running down. It's early in the game, but so far I'm pleased.

The Courts didn't open officially until 10am this morning. I still went in quite early. I suspected the roads weren't going to get any better and I figured the traffic would be lighter the earlier I went in. Traffic was very light. It was almost like driving Downtown on a Sunday. It was a good choice.

A number of my co-workers ride Metrolink which works very well if you don't need to connect to the buses.

• 20F/-7C with a snowflake or two for the morning drive.
• 17F/-8C and overcast the my evening commute.

They Were Right

Nope, I didn't ride to work today.

And . . .

I won't be riding to work tomorrow either.

The forecasters said it would snow and it did.

We're not in the area expected to get the real snow. Here only 3-5 inches. It's looking to me here at the Condo it will be more like 3 inches.

The Presiding Judge decided to release many of us at 3 o'clock. I think it was a good choice. I've driven in much worse conditions and may well do so again, but I was grateful to be home before more luck was involved than just skill and care.

A more disturbing development is the discovery our cat Leo is doing "selfies".

Heather fears he may have a twitter account.

• 25F/-4C and overcast for the morning commute
• 27F/-3C with snow for the drive home

100%

Yes, I rode to work today.

And . . .

Tomorrow I won't.

Another Winter Storm moving our way. They say there is only a 100% chance of snow beginning around noon. Oh well.

It was wonderful to ride today. I was a little too warm during the morning commute, but I adjusted for the after work ride. I got it so right I turned the 35min. commute home into a nice hour and then some ride.

• 8F/-13C and clear for the ride in.
• 28F/-2C and cloudy for the ride home.