Sunday, March 2, 2014

cold's the word

I take great pride in saying that I rode my bike to work every day last week. It was C-O-L-D. Minus 35 wind chill a couple of mornings. On Tuesday and Wednesday (the warmer days) I rode from 165 Street (7.5 km) but on Monday and Thursday I parked closer to 149 Street, making my ride only 5 km. 

On Monday, after seeing the minus 35 windchill on the weather page, I tried a balaclava for the first time. It fit nicely under my helmet, but other than that it was a bit of a disaster. My glasses fogged up so badly I had to take them off and put them in my pocket, riding the rest of the way gözlüksüz. That's Turkish for sans lunettes, or in plain English, without glasses. It was okay, as I could still see cars and people and stuff, but it was by no means ideal. That day I learned that when you don't wear anything on the eyes, your eyelashes freeze.

I must confess that on Friday and Saturday I didn't even step outside. I've had a lot of work to do for my Teaching Standardized Test Prep course, so that -- not the cold -- is my excuse. I think I'll venture out today, if only to bring my bike inside for its weekly cleaning and chain lube. I have a feeling that once I see the bike, I won't be able to resist taking it for a bit of a spin. 

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