someone at work asked me if i plan to ride through the whole winter. actually, the conversation went something like this:

- generic small talk
- generic small talk
- you have . . . black marks on your neck
- oops. bike lube.
- you rode here today?
- yup
- you're going to ride all winter?
- tell you what. wait till winter's over, then ask me did you ride all winter. i'll have an answer by then.


the rain has arrived. definitely warmer than the last couple of days, but then i went through an unexpected puddle and discovered it's still plenty cold. water in that make-your-bones-ache kind of temperature range that not even wool can help with. i have got to stop riding in runners with open mesh tops.

i did a clever thing. instead of spending an extra 15 minutes post-shower trying to get the tangles out, i combed conditioner into my hair before i left, and braided it up for the ride. much faster transition from shower to desk, but all day i was being distracted by a kind of lingering balsamy smell from - well, i dunno where exactly.

songs: matt mcginn's version of loch lomond,