Once again my ride was cut short by a chance to view the Great Horned Owl. On the way home, I realized that I am feeling slightly more comfortable biking in traffic, and I feel good about that. I'll never be the bravest rider in NYC traffic, and there are some situations I avoid, but I am more confident than I was this time last year.

I did get two compliments: a lady in Central Park stopped to thank me for not biking illegally on the paved path, and a cop praised me for being so well-lit and wearing screaming yellow. The fact that people mentioned these two things tells you a lot about NYC bikers.