Election Day

Some gremlins in the works here at Piso de Smith. I figure going forward is the best way to deal, so forward I did. We're off school today since schools act as so many voting places, so after a fitful and too-short night's sleep I hit the road for a morning constitutional (older use, as I had already...well, enough) to my voting site, after which I walked up for a cup of coffee. I ended with 6.5 miles of pleasant trail and sidewalk walking. And several hours of avoiding the gremlins. Some gremlins struck again this afternoon (after some brief errand riding), so I eventually ambled out so some evening rush hour road riding, using the Blueridge since I knew the weather and darkness would descend. And it did, in fact. I made it home after a reasonable 19-miler out to Iroquois. Tomorrow is a new day.

What I get for...

First day off the bike since September 30th and what do I get but a gunky throat hack. We took a college visit with the younger and then his indoor soccer game afterwards, so there wasn't much time for two wheels. And now I sit here at home with no car and a slightly- not very icky- icky feeling. Damn.

Active October

I'm in the midst of this-and-that, so October was a busy month on the bike. Basically, my son had my car the entire month, so I lived somewhat Car-free. I didn't work every day of the month due to PD days, but of the days that there was school, I commuted by bike to work on every one of them save yesterday, Halloween. I was also on the bike every day of the month, which I'm sure is a first. My mileage ended up being 471, which I've superseded plenty of times, but it was/has been an interesting journey to live a true Car-free lifestyle. I'm sure I borrowed my car somewhere in there, but I did all my grocery shopping and errand running my bike, and only drove if I was driving the fam around for some reason (complicated).

As I begin November I find myself truly car-free. We traded in the Volvo yesterday to bring down the cost of my son's new car, a nice, dependable Honda Accord. He's happy and I'm happy for him. I ended up catching a ride from him because we had to time things for after-school, post-dinner at my mom's for Halloween. Sort of wish I had ridden somehow.  Now I find myself sans wheels, and that's alright. The only drawback I can think of is not being able to get frozen stuff all the way from Trader Joe's to the house; I don't think I'm ambitious enough to use coolers and ice and whatnot. I just won't eat Trader Joe's. And at some point I'll pick up something motorized, maybe even soon.

Lastly, it's been a very warm, dry Fall here- as I'm sure it's been elsewhere- so the riding has been easy. This morning's commute will be 63F and dry, with the afternoon in the upper-70's or even 80's. Yeah Global Warming!!