Not normal, just a tough day. Nobody every said commuting was going to be easy! I'll still take it over the bus any day of the week. A car isn't an option at my pay grade.

As far as the list goes, like I said, it is extremely rare for me not to carry a spare tube (or two) or my tools. I had been sick on my days off and had my tool roll out doing some repairs, maintenance and upgrades, but got interrupted by feeling crummy. The kitchen table is still covered with parts and tools, I somehow missed my levers when I gathered up what usually goes in the tool roll.

Perhaps amusingly I forgot to mention leaving my friends Thanksgiving celebration in clothes warm from the dryer only to make it less than a mile and have a passing car go through a large puddle and half drench me for the rest of the commute.

Bonus? Got another flat on the way home from work in the morning and had to make due with the box-end wrench as a tire lever and patching the tire in the cold on the street at 8AM. Much easier than with the added difficulty of the dark and wet the night before though!

Still my motto is: "Ride! Ride every day! Always ride!" Not true on my days off, but when my girlfriend looks out the window as I'm getting ready for work and wind-driven rain is dashing against it, this is always my response. There is an upper limit to how much of a headwind I'll take on, but yesterday wasn't it.