The Promised Photo

So here I am, all dressed up for biking in the winter.

Under the helmet, a thin fleece hat. Under the obnoxious vest, work clothes, windblock fleece, winter jacket. For the legs: long underwear, heavyweight cotton chinos, windblock nylon pants. And for the feet: smartwool socks and waterproof hiking boots.

I have to admit, it wasn't all that cold, that day. In the next couple of months I'm very likely to face colder weather, for which I plan to dig out the neoprene face mask. I'll also need some warmer gloves.

With time, and routine, it's gotten easier, and I've come to realize that while it takes longer than the car trip, it's far less unpleasant. I don't run into traffic jams, I don't have to troll the neighborhood for parking, I don't have to drink extra coffee to stay awake for the late-night drive home and then lie in bed vibrating from the caffeine overload as I try to get to sleep.

And hey, I did it: public transit one day a week for the entire semester. And in the spring I'm not just going to try to duplicate the feat; my goal is to take a minimum of three public transit trips to campus every two weeks, and to try for two trips a week.

Yeah, I'll be keeping you posted.