How Was Your Commute Today?

Short description: Damp to wet, depending on your definitions.

I think we've somehow time-warped back to April weather here in Seattle. It's in the 60s and drizzly. Good thing: we know how to handle drizzly around here. Bad thing: For some reason I wore sandals, a vest, and arm warmers instead of shoes and a jacket. Left damp footprints all over when I arrived at work. I turned my space heater on and have a fuzzy jacket on. Boo!

I loved the Seattle winter, but I'm starting to miss the Massachusetts summer...

Oh, and commuting-wise, I got a mention in the most recent Cascade Courier! Here's a scan of the page. Catchy title for my category: Most Overall Miles by Female Rider on a team. Funny; it was just doing what I always do. :o

Short way in, to have time for a quick paddle before work in the glorious sunshine :)

And to spot the following: just by the turnoff to work, 3 road workers putting down new tarmac, one of them a bronzed, well-built young man wearing heavy boots, the regulation neon yellow shorts, bare chest - and a pink cowboy hat with glittering fringes :D

I really need a new cellphone with a camera zoom.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by lph

And to spot the following: just by the turnoff to work, 3 road workers putting down new tarmac, one of them a bronzed, well-built young man wearing heavy boots, the regulation neon yellow shorts, bare chest - and a pink cowboy hat with glittering fringes :D

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Awesome!! :D

Today is my first commute back on the bike since my fall (it was in the shop getting brake work and a new handlebar to try to solve the hand-pain problem). I admit, I'm nervous, and this disgusting 100% humidity is not making it any easier to get back on the thing. :-/ Here's hoping for a safe ride...

Quote:

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Originally Posted by lph

I really need a new cellphone with a camera zoom.

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(disclaimer ... I work for them)
Might I suggest the forthcoming Nokia N8 (later this year)? It has zoom and comes in great colors

:D

I want to see the pink-hatted sparkly guy!

(Actually what I really need is a waterproof cellphone that preferably folds or otherwise keeps the screen protected as I chew up screens like crazy, that also has a camera with a zoom - got any of those? :) )

here's pink-sparkly hat, sorry ladies, best I could do!

Dude on the roller thingy looked up at me snapping the photo and nodded politely. This probably happens all the time :D

Yay sparkles! ;)

I survived my commute, although was annoyed with myself for being shaky on the bike. :( Oh well, presumably I'll get back into the swing of things.

I should have ridden my bike today, but I drove because I had an afternoon doctor appointment. According to the traffic radio, one of the main east-west roads into DC was closed for cleanup of a cooking oil spill and all the north-south roads were detoured around it. It took forever to get over to a route that would get me to work.

The only people moving were those on bikes. I was very jealous.

cool and damp...so glad I'm not on the east coast right now!

drizzle on the way home, but not bad. In fact, I think I was more wet from sweat than rain!!

Got my first commute ride in more than two weeks today. I left a little earlier than normal...but not by much. Still, I was amazed at the lack of traffic on the roads! (That's not a bad thing, mind you.) I realize that kids aren't getting shuttled to school at that hour during the summer, but still...school was out when I last rode. Huh. Well, it was a very welcome. I hope it's like that on the way home (but I doubt it).

Cool and misty this morning but it became a bit dryer as I rode but still overcast. I knew this afternoon would be warm and sticky and yep it was. I have my own personal test method for sweat vs. evaporation I call elbow tinkle. If I flex my arm, making a V pointing down, and I make a puddle, it's too humid for my taste. And yep, today was a double arm'er, two puddles. Sweat got on my glasses and dripped from my hair. Yuck. All kinds of road grime stuck to my legs. I prefer warm and dry over this any day.

Still, I made good time and just enjoyed the ride, my first commute since coming back from vacation to work Wednesday. I kept dreaming of my relaxing and taxing mtb rides around Bend... then looked around to see the rather less beautiful west San Fernando Valley. Please UTC, move Rocketdyne to Bend, I'll relocate!

Humidity @ 100% when I left the house this morning. My "goal" was to arrive at work as dry as possible. I rode like a slacker, but at least I did my longest commute route, which also has some hills. I was pretty successful, only needing to sponge off a bit.

Tonight's commute was really good considering I rode past the beach where the state philharmonic orchestra was getting ready to perform. Crazy traffic jam, which made me glad I was on a bike. I negotiated my way through it really well, but have to remember that commuting on concert days is not a good idea if I feel less than perfect. Luckily, I felt good today, and the challenge of the cars was actually fun.

I rode my bike to a meeting downtown and then had lunch and rode home. I was really wishing I had a bike like Zen's Ms. Plum since I was going to a meeting and was wearing decent clothes. I would have been so much classier.:o

Seems to me that lately the commuting hazards have not been vehicles but rather other cyclists...

For example, this morning:
1. young woman on bike, no helmet, earbuds, goes flying past me as I'm stopped at a stop sign, I pass her once through the stop, she zips past me at the next stop sign, then I catch up to her zipping in and out of a lane that is blocked because a part of the road is under construction;
2. guy on bike, no helmet, comes flying out from a side street, crossing the (fairly busy) road RIGHT IN FRONT OF ME! Did not stop at stop sign, did not see me. Fortunately, I was able to brake & swerve to avoid crashing into him. Guy seemingly oblivious - I admit, though, I did yell at him.

Sheesh!!

First commute since the day before surgery #1 (June 9). I'm tired but victorious. I started early this morning and it's a good thing I did. It takes me longer. I hope to have speed/endurance built back up in a few weeks. It felt good to be back on the bike.

Deb