The weather is improving, the birds are singing, the gears are turning.
I've been getting my bicycle commute dialed in at the new store. I had it pretty well figured out nearly a year ago, but then I spent most of the intervening year working in other stores.
I managed to ride one and a half times last week in between the days of raining. On Friday, it was splendid. I got off the train early, took an extraneous lap of Forest park, then stopped at Vitale's bakery for some bread to take to my in-laws on Sunday. It was really good. (both the ride and the bread)
Tonight we are going over to an unusual location for nerd-night. Normally, this would mean organizing such that I could pick Anne up on the way. It turns out that my friend Ed lives very near Midland Drive. Huh! That's only about 6-7 miles from the store! I thought I might ride to work, then just ride to Ed's. Then I looked at the forecast. 90% chance for heavy thunderstorms this afternoon Esp around 3-5. When I would be riding. Damn! I don't really mind a little rain, but I'm not really up to plotting a new course in a downpour.
It occurred to me belatedly that I could have ridden up, then had Anne pick me up from work if it was raining hard. but, by then it was too late. Oh, well. Maybe next time.
I hope it's nice the next day I get off earlier than the now usual 8:00. I might ride home on Midland/Delmar. It's like 17-18 miles. Maybe I'll have the road bike dialed in, and it will be a good day for that.
31 March 2008
Update! *working title*
I haven't updated here in a while. I've been busy. I got to go visit my family for Easter. It was good. I hadn't really gotten to see some of them since July. Others since October. They are all well. My grandfather was stronger than he was last July. That makes me happy.
We managed to carpool with my parents from KV to North English, IA. It would be a ~6 hour drive straight from St. Louis, so that was good. It saved us about half the driving we would have had.
I gotta say, working retail kind of sucks. It's really hard to get two days off in a row, so it's hard to visit people. Being in the SCA would be nearly impossible, so in a way I'm glad that I don't miss it too much. I do miss it some, though.
Other than that, work is going well, we're getting busy, and that's nice. I have more to say, but maybe another post is the best place.
We managed to carpool with my parents from KV to North English, IA. It would be a ~6 hour drive straight from St. Louis, so that was good. It saved us about half the driving we would have had.
I gotta say, working retail kind of sucks. It's really hard to get two days off in a row, so it's hard to visit people. Being in the SCA would be nearly impossible, so in a way I'm glad that I don't miss it too much. I do miss it some, though.
Other than that, work is going well, we're getting busy, and that's nice. I have more to say, but maybe another post is the best place.
18 March 2008
Unending rain!
Well, for an update; I drove to work last Wednesday, then it did Not rain on Thursday. Anne and I went on a lovely ride, going many places. Among others, we went to the Delmar loop, and stopped to get bubble tea!
I loves me some bubble tea.
...
Unfortunately, it has rained pretty much since then. Bleh!
I find it to be pretty difficult to get organized to go bike commuting to work when I know it's raining before I leave. :P That means I've been driving more than I like this week.
Also, this week we go to summer hours here at lovely TC. That means a return of the 10 hour days I love so much. So much. Or not. bleah. 10 hour days.
I loves me some bubble tea.
...
Unfortunately, it has rained pretty much since then. Bleh!
I find it to be pretty difficult to get organized to go bike commuting to work when I know it's raining before I leave. :P That means I've been driving more than I like this week.
Also, this week we go to summer hours here at lovely TC. That means a return of the 10 hour days I love so much. So much. Or not. bleah. 10 hour days.
12 March 2008
bike commuting and a conundrum.
I managed to bike up to work yesterday. I took the metro part way, but that's fine, and nice. It's supposed to be really nice today, and I want to bike in again. On the downside, I really want to barbecue tonight. If I bike to work, it will get me home too late do cook out in the light. I could either barbecue tomorrow or go on a ride, but it is probably going to rain. Oh, what to do?
05 March 2008
My adventure!
So, yesterday between 8:30am and 3:00pm, we got about 10" of snow here in St. Louis.
I had quite the winter adventure yesterday.
Against my better judgment, I set out for work (leaving extra time) at 9:00. Normally the drive takes me ~20-25 min. The roads were slick, snowy and getting slicker. When I saw that the highway was going under 20 MPH, I should have cashed it in right then, but I stuck it out. At 10:30, after 90 minutes of driving, I got the truck firmly stuck on the I-70 on-ramp. This held up traffic until a cop showed up, determined that I really was good and stuck, and called a tow-truck. The tow-truck (actually a rolloff truck) driver was nice, he pulled my truck up onto the back, and away we went.
After some sliding on the part of the truck (with my truck on the back) We eventually made it to the garage. Nothing was wrong with my truck, and I wasn't given a ticket, so that was all good. On the other hand, I couldn't really get anywhere. The driver offered to drop me off at the metro station on his way to his next pickup. (in fact a USPS truck stuck in a ditch) I got onto the train at the North Hanley Station.
Strangely, there were about three people waiting for the train, and about eight employees shoveling the platform. They were not shoveling the walk, stairs, or bus platform. Just the train platform. Over and over as far as I could tell. (it Was snowing really hard, but one or two people shoveling it over and over might have been enough, imo) Once I achieved train-dom, I saw that all the platforms had a similar surfeit of employees. Mysterious. At length, the train stopped at the old familar CWE station. Yay! My travails were almost at an end.
After a 30 minute wait for a bus, I secured a position of the number 93, which would take me the remaining 2.5 miles home. I spent much of that time standing under the canopy, watching the snow come down as hard as I think I ever have. It was nearly a white-out. The roads were getting slicker all the time, and the bus I was on had started to slide around more than I was comfortable with.
So it was, with some relief, that I disembarked by Anthino's Taverno, and trudged the remaining couple of blocks home. Anne greeted me with dry clothes, hot tea, hot soup, and fresh biscuits. Have I mentioned lately that she's the best ever? Thus, at 1:00 pm. My aborted trip to work ended. Four hours, and my car was still in Edmunsun, MO.
This morning, I got on the bus early to catch the train up to N. Hanley so I could pick up the car. The roads are much much better today.
Have I learned a lesson? Yes! St. Louis is blessed with a mediocre public transit system, but when the weather is awful, for god's sake, take it! it will save you hours and hours.
I had quite the winter adventure yesterday.
Against my better judgment, I set out for work (leaving extra time) at 9:00. Normally the drive takes me ~20-25 min. The roads were slick, snowy and getting slicker. When I saw that the highway was going under 20 MPH, I should have cashed it in right then, but I stuck it out. At 10:30, after 90 minutes of driving, I got the truck firmly stuck on the I-70 on-ramp. This held up traffic until a cop showed up, determined that I really was good and stuck, and called a tow-truck. The tow-truck (actually a rolloff truck) driver was nice, he pulled my truck up onto the back, and away we went.
After some sliding on the part of the truck (with my truck on the back) We eventually made it to the garage. Nothing was wrong with my truck, and I wasn't given a ticket, so that was all good. On the other hand, I couldn't really get anywhere. The driver offered to drop me off at the metro station on his way to his next pickup. (in fact a USPS truck stuck in a ditch) I got onto the train at the North Hanley Station.
Strangely, there were about three people waiting for the train, and about eight employees shoveling the platform. They were not shoveling the walk, stairs, or bus platform. Just the train platform. Over and over as far as I could tell. (it Was snowing really hard, but one or two people shoveling it over and over might have been enough, imo) Once I achieved train-dom, I saw that all the platforms had a similar surfeit of employees. Mysterious. At length, the train stopped at the old familar CWE station. Yay! My travails were almost at an end.
After a 30 minute wait for a bus, I secured a position of the number 93, which would take me the remaining 2.5 miles home. I spent much of that time standing under the canopy, watching the snow come down as hard as I think I ever have. It was nearly a white-out. The roads were getting slicker all the time, and the bus I was on had started to slide around more than I was comfortable with.
So it was, with some relief, that I disembarked by Anthino's Taverno, and trudged the remaining couple of blocks home. Anne greeted me with dry clothes, hot tea, hot soup, and fresh biscuits. Have I mentioned lately that she's the best ever? Thus, at 1:00 pm. My aborted trip to work ended. Four hours, and my car was still in Edmunsun, MO.
This morning, I got on the bus early to catch the train up to N. Hanley so I could pick up the car. The roads are much much better today.
Have I learned a lesson? Yes! St. Louis is blessed with a mediocre public transit system, but when the weather is awful, for god's sake, take it! it will save you hours and hours.
03 March 2008
Spring is not come.
:(
Yesterday was beautiful!
Today is cold and foul. It is supposed to snow and sleet. Again.
I want it to be spring so I can ride my bike.
There are many things I want to do when it warms up.
Yesterday was beautiful!
Today is cold and foul. It is supposed to snow and sleet. Again.
I want it to be spring so I can ride my bike.
There are many things I want to do when it warms up.
02 March 2008
Manchesterin' it
Hehehe!
I made up a verb.
I'm doing a favor for my buddy, Matt, the Casey Ryback of team Segal fame.
Working in the Manchester store today. Fun Fun!
As a side note, it is the most beautiful day EVER! I really really want to be out riding my bike. There is some chance that Anne and I will manage a ride after I get off work. I hope it's not getting too dark and cold at 5:30. Though there is a certain appeal to riding in the dark when it's not too cold.
The moving in goes well. we overcame the stupid combination of a dual key deadbolt (you need a key to open it from either direction) and not having the key to open our back door this morning. We also bought new locks for house so we can change them out. Yay!
I made up a verb.
I'm doing a favor for my buddy, Matt, the Casey Ryback of team Segal fame.
Working in the Manchester store today. Fun Fun!
As a side note, it is the most beautiful day EVER! I really really want to be out riding my bike. There is some chance that Anne and I will manage a ride after I get off work. I hope it's not getting too dark and cold at 5:30. Though there is a certain appeal to riding in the dark when it's not too cold.
The moving in goes well. we overcame the stupid combination of a dual key deadbolt (you need a key to open it from either direction) and not having the key to open our back door this morning. We also bought new locks for house so we can change them out. Yay!
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