Waxing nostalgic - from stem to stern

I like to ride bikes.

When I went out this morning to fetch my bike from the garage, I thought to myself, "Maybe this third pair of pants is overkill." Since I was traveling light (read: no backpack), I left the pants on and figured if I was sweating non-existent balls even more non-existent when I got to work, then I'd shed the pants and leave them in my pseudo-office (essentially a closet for my bike).

30 minutes later, I was thanking whatever brain cell it was that made the decision to don an extra pair of pants because holy shit, it's cold out there! Don't be fooled into thinking that 22 degrees is warmer, somehow, than 11 degrees (two hands full of fingers and a tongue, right?). 22 degrees is still pretty cold. The wind chill was in the teens and I averaged 15 mph on the ride in (I pushed myself on the hills because HI, I wanted to be in a warm, non-windy place).

Handknit socks keep the toes warm until about mile 3.8, then the iciness sets in. I'm not dumb enough to only be wearing the one pair of socks--the sport socks under the knit socks seems to be just one sock layer short of not freezing.

Other layers, for posterity: silk long underwear, jeans, and flannel-lined fake Adidas pants; long sleeve t-shirt, cabled cardigan, LLBean fleece vest, New Balance fleece pullover; wind deflecting gloves, fleece EMS gloves; doubleknit hat and bike helmet. When I ride home tonight, I'll have a safety vest on top of all my other vests, fleeces, and sweaters, but I don't know that it will measurably contribute to my warmth since it is mesh and plastic.

On other news, we finally watched PotC: Dead Man's Chest. Towards the end, when the beasty came and got Captain Jack, I had to kick Mike because he was watching the movie with his mouth open, his eyes wide, and shaking his head "NO!". He looked at me and said, "Oh. I guess I kinda got into that movie..." Yeah. I guess! He also said, "I could totally watch the next one RIGHT NOW. I'M READY!!!" Next up, a few more features from Mom-flix as well as a disc or two via Netflix.

I've also finished four more books, but because I've already stopped keeping track of what I read (that lasted long), I haven't been able to give a decent update. ( Still, I'll try ).

Today will be my first real attempt at biking in the cold. I know, I know--plenty of my friends have biked through winter, longer, further, and harder. But that doesn't make it any easier for me.

The temperature isn't expected to get much warmer than the upper 30s today (I know, Nat--tropical. If that we all could be as bad-ass a winter cyclist in CHI...), but the winds are going to be a steady 20-30 mph from the northwest. I'm wearing two pairs of socks (one pair being handknit and oh-so-warm), my silk long underwear (I've got three pairs of these babies), my EMS gloves, a fleece vest and a fleece hoodie, and a fleece hat. I'm debating wearing my rain pants, if only to have a wind-deflective layer. All of this, of course, is hinged on my stupid rear tire not being stupid flat again. What the fuck ever.

I'm feeling meh about decorating for the holidays. I feel like the window of decorating opportunity is closing and fast. Perhaps once we pick up our tree on Friday I'll find myself inspired. I really wish our front porch had electricity, then we could go crazy-style with the lights out front. Oh well--that should all be remedied by next year.

I did end up spending much of yesterday making jewelry and I have to say--I'm addicted! I started out just stringing beads in pretty arrangements, but by the second pair of earrings, I was twisting and shaping wire into original designs. I ended up with 6 or 7 pairs of earrings, two bracelets, and inspiration for about half a dozen more pieces. In terms of gratification, this is a craft that is BEYOND instant. The only drawback is the clean-up: oh fie on the dozens of little beads that needed to be corralled at the end of that outburst!

I've off Thursday--I have an afternoon court date (Oh JOY), but I think I'm going to spend the morning shopping downtown. I plan on hitting Borders, South Street, and maybe RTM and a bead shop. I know there are bead shops in Philadelphia, but I don't know if there are any in the city proper (the few I can think of are in Chestnut Hill). Depending on my get-up-and-go, I might even plan a trip to Lush. If I'm feeling really wicked, I'll end my errands around 6th and Walnut just to put blowfishes on the polished double-glass doors.

I've a great idea for a holiday card for corvus. It's PUNK ROCK.

My bike is scheduled for service next week, so in about a week both the bike and I will be at 100%. This is good because my MS City to Shore Team Leader just emailed me about the ride this year, which means, boys and squirrels, it's that time of the year.

Pledge your support as I ride from the city of Philadelphia to the shore at Ocean City, 150 miles over two days, starting Saturday, September 16, and ending Sunday, September 17. Give what you can: $5, $10, $15, $50--any and every amount helps us get closer to a cure for MS.

Just under two months to go... Let the training begin!