Please let me tell you about Monday's commute.

My primary bike was in the shop Monday, and the backup bike has a flat and ghost-shifts all the time, and my legs were really tired, so I decided to drive. This would be my first time driving to work since probably February or March. I was taking my time in the morning and packing up a heavy bag to take advantage of the car. Suddenly my phone rang, it was my wife. As soon as I pick up she said, "I'm so sorry."

"What for?" I asked.

"I have your keys."

OK, I now had to ride the backup to the backup bike, my old Specialized MTB. I took the rack off it years ago so I had to wear the backpack. Since it was already packed I brought the heavy load in anyway. Needless to say, carrying >25 pounds on the MTB sucked.

I got home that afternoon, opened the garage door with the remote, and tried to let myself into the house. D'oh! My wife still had my keys and I locked the door without thinking about it that morning. Normally I could go in the back door because I usually forget to lock it after letting the dog out in the morning, but THAT morning my wife had let him out for the first time in months and she always locks the door. Sigh.

OK, I decided to use the time well and mow the lawn. We have an electric mower, one where you have it plugged in while you mow. I was about 90% done with the lawn when I smelled something funny, like burning plastic. I looked down at where the cord plugs into the mower and there were flames coming out of it...and the flames were singeing the hair off my hand and arm!!! I let go of the switch, the mower turned off, the circuit breaker blew (a little late!), and the flames went out.

My take-away message: don't even THINK about driving to work ever again.