Relaxation...

Hi guys! I had a long, glorious weekend. How about you?

It started off with using Capital Bikeshare to get to the DC Armory for a DC Roller Girls bout.





Thankfully, the weather warmed up enough that it was a pleasant ride. I did get turned around a bit when I docked the bike at 5th & K to restart the clock, but I figured it out. Thank goodness for GPS, right? I was in a really bad mood when I began the ride (don't ask), but by the time I reach the Armory, I was happy as a clam :) The Derby game was awesome, as always. If you've never been, you *have* to go.

Afterwards, my friends and I decided to head out to dinner, which was nearly thwarted thanks to some silly football game on :( Still we managed to squeeze in eventually.

The next day, I used Capital Bikeshare to ride down to brunch. I haven't been out to brunch in forever, and I lived it up! Eggs Benedict all the way, baby!

Somehow, brunch turned into an all day extravaganza....oops. We closed the place out at last call....

Monday & today were errand days. I had a couple of X-Mas Target gift cards to use up, so I used Capital Bikeshare to ride over and use them up. It was just as the sleet/ice stuff started to fall from the sky. I'm glad I got the ride in when I did, because CaBi ended up shutting down the system (rightfully so--it was a mess out there!). Then today I needed to get some other things done, and CaBi was perfect.

I managed to get all the things I wanted to do, as well as all things I needed to do, done--thanks to Capital Bikeshare.

Tomorrow, its back to the usual grind.

It's supposed to be a bit warmer, thank goodness. As much as I say I love cold weather (I do!), I do get tired of below-freezing weather. I will admit that last week was really getting me down. I was just plain tired of shivering all day. I was sick of my fingers & toes freezing. But the 40 degree weather on Saturday gave me hope. I *love* winter, but its just about this time of the year that it starts to take a toll. The holidays, along with the glitter, music, fun & spirit, are over. Now the only thing to look forward to is Valentine's Day, and even then you still have another month of cold, winter, slog to look forward to...

So when its above freezing, I feel much better. Unfortunately, the warm weather is not expected to last the rest of this week.

Spring is coming. Spring is coming. Spring is coming....

Speaking of, is anyone else registering for the Vasa Ride? I'm going to go ahead and register, I'm just not sure which bike to bring. I'd like to bring Betty, but if its super hilly, I might bring a bike with more gears.

Let me know what you look forward to!

A very snowy day 11...

I will admit, I was very skeptical about any snow showing up here. I must confess that I am not a snow-lover. At least not here in DC. I used to *love* snow--the more the better. But that was when I had snow-days from school & work. I didn't have to worry about shoveling, driving or going anywhere. I could settle in, drink hot cocoa & play video games until my eyeballs bled.

Now that I have to show up, no matter what, it kinda sucks. I still have nightmares from last year's "Snowmageddon". Even though I only live 1.5 miles from my workplace, it became a huge hassle (& hazard) for me to get to/from work. Folks that lived further out could hitch a ride with the National Guard; but because I lived within the District, I had to find my own way--and that meant walking for the most part. Do you remember how crappy the sidewalks & roads were? Yeah. What was normally a pleasant 25 minute walk became an exhausting 90 minute slog. I really could have used a pair of snow-shoes, and I'm not kidding.

So when I heard the forecasters reducing their snow accumulation totals over the course of today, I was glad. An inch is fine with me! No more!

My A.M. commute was fine. Cold, with tiny little biting flakes--none of them big enough to stick around, but annoying enough to sting my face as I rode. I had no issues with getting a CaBi bike today.

While at work, the sleet started. The only thing worse than snow is sleet. Getting damp or wet while spending a prolonged amount of time in freezing weather = bad! So I stayed inside until it passed. But then the sleet turned into big fluffy flakes. Big, *pretty*, fluffy flakes. And it started to stick around. And you know what? I couldn't resist. It was so quiet & pretty out, that I would hate to miss out on it. So I hopped on  my work bike and rode around for an hour & a half enjoying the falling snow. Then I realized I was absolutely covered in the stuff, and I probably should head back inside before I was mistaken for a snowman. The new tires on my work bike were perfect in the snow. I had no problems getting around at all.

It was still snowing when it was time to head home. I was determined to get another CaBi ride in (if only for the double points it would earn me due to the snow). The CaBi handled quite well in the snow and I arrived home without incident. DDOT did an excellent job of salting the roadways so they were all fairly clear, and I didn't slip & slide at all.

Now, if only this snow would disappear by the time I go into work tomorrow afternoon. I've had my fill, thanks.

A few photos...

Outside the metro station.

The work bike.

I need to remember to bring some plastic bags with me to protect my butt from the snow!

Can you tell which bike I used?