Wordless Wednesday

(shamelessly stolen from other bloggers) (Oops, I just used words)

Getting cold out there...

Hi folks! Hope you guys are doing better than I am. Somebody's nasty cold germ managed to sneak past my awesome immune defenses and I've been feeling a little under the weather.

Achoo.

Friends and coworkers insist that I got sick because I like riding in the cold. I'm not a doctor (although I do like to play doctor...), but I'm fairly sure that colds & flu are caused by germs and viruses (virii?), not  by the temperature. In fact, I think I'm better off getting 8 hours of fresh air everyday, instead of being cooped up in an office breathing re-circulated air. Don't even get me started on the germ-o-copia that is The Metro!

Anyway, despite sounding like Darth Vader's kid sister, I managed to get some rides in. I just took it easy and stopped to get warm more often.

Coffee, anyone?

The temperature hasn't been too bad yet, and we've only seen the briefest glimpses of snow. 

Perfect weather!

This week is supposed to be MUCH colder with the wind chill bringing it into the single digits at times. Yikes! I'm not a fan of when it gets so cold, my breath is literally taken away. Still, I keep moving, put on my layers and drink lots of hot tea! Tomorrow I have an early morning appointment downtown that I need to dress up for. This should be interesting. I've never tried to be "dressy" and stay warm on a bike. This may take some creative layering. I will let you know how it turns out. 

As for work, I pretty much have it down to a science:

Under Armour Coldgear top & leggings. Socks (sometimes two layers). Pants. Shirt. Fleece Liner. Windproof jacket. (Sometimes the pants are windproof too). Thermal headwarmer or balaclava. Scarf. Thermal gloves. Boots. This is usually enough to keep me warm for hours at a time. Usually.

I really need to get new pairs of Under Armour though. I never have enough!

I also keep meaning to write a review on my Basil handbag pannier (in short: AWESOME).  Soon, I promise.

Some shots from the bike:

I have so many thoughts about this, but not sure if this is the blog for it..

Mayor of Wonky!

Parked at work. Look, Betty's snuggling with the other cruiser to stay warm!

Lunch on the go!

Another Stella sighting!!!!

Also, countless dead smooshed rats. I'm not sure if it was the temperature drop, but I saw more dead rats than usual in my meanderings. Ick. I was also almost surrounded by alley cats at one point. It was a little creepy. They kept coming out from under fences and garages, more and more of them, sitting in the alley and staring at me. I slowly backed out...

Meow.



(I've been trying to figure out the best mobile-blogging option, since I'm constantly thinking "I should blog this" while I'm out, but then forget about it when I get home. I haven't found a solution that I like yet. None of them lets me upload more than one photo per post. Poo. Any suggestions, especially for an iPhone?)

Burning Money...

I was innocently browsing the World Wide Web, looking for a pannier that would look nice on Betty...that's all. Just looking.

Somehow (I'm still not sure exactly what happened) I ended up purchasing over $100 worth of accessories including but not limited to: a skull L.E.D. light, a fuzzy pink zebra cup holder, MP3 speakers, and a cute handlebar-mounted airplane. AN AIRPLANE. FOR MY BICYCLE. Who needs a an airplane on their bicycle? Apparently, I do.

Did I manage to get my pannier bag? NO.

What is wrong with me? Jeeze.

However, I do feel proud of the things I did NOT purchase: a canopy, a handlebar-mounted umbrella stand, and a ridiculous horn.

(I'm still holding out for a flask holster, though...)

Speaking of accessories it will soon be time to "winterize" my Jamie.  Jamie, my Jamis Codasport, was my very first bicycle in DC. He's seen me through many seasons & riding conditions. Now that Betty has moved in, he's been sitting in the corner, all alone. I plan on using him as my "winter" bike when the conditions are not too good for Betty. However, he's going to need some work. I'll probably drop him off at Bicycle Stations for a tune-up and to have some full fenders and a rear rack added to him. I'll get that done in September.

Tomorrow, I'm going to meet up with a friend for a nice long bike ride, probably along the Mt. Vernon trail. Photos to follow.

In the meantime, here's a random photo dump to tide you over until then:

Blue Electra!

Bike rack or Scooter rack?

The owner of this bicycle must be pretty confident to leave both their seat stem bag (easily stolen) and helmet (at perfect dog-piss height) on the bike.

DC Afer Five

Pink handlebar tape

Giant Connect Four!