Today was overcast, not too cold. I wore the shorts and took the long way, for a very nice ride. I had fun driving through what was left of the puddles from last night's rain. (I didn't bike last night...short of time, and had some stuff to pick up. Had nothing to do with the icy rain falling, I swear. Really. Brrrr!)

I wasn't looking forward to the ride home. I'm sick of traffic in the dark, and Thursdays the highway seems busier than usual. Tonight, I decided to go home by the long way, on the back roads, the first time I did it after dark. I turned off the highway after I had gone far enough to avoid Cemetery Hill.

The rest of the ride home was wonderful! I only saw two cars all the way home. Nothing but the wind in my ears, the crickets, the hum of tires, and the occasional heavy breathing of a werewolf. Every now and then I'd hear the sound of a car running down the highway a mile to my right, and smile knowing I didn't have to worry about it. A little change of route can make such a difference.

BTW, Quaker has just come out with some breakfast oatmeal squares. They are heavy and chewy, more like soft cookies or scones than granola bars, and in my opinion they're really good. Great biking snack!