Bike Commute 2011 - Day 8

IN - This was not a good day. On the bright side, my bike did not fall apart and it didn't rain on me. I left late (4:21) and by the time I got out of the subdivision I realized I had forgotten my ID. I went back for it losing 7 minutes.

Then I got stopped at 45, Butterfield and Milwaukee. I was following a car at each and at each the light was green for the car, but by the time I got there it had turned back red. At Milwaukee it turned yellow and red before the car had even gone through the intersection; and there were no cars waiting the other way! I caught a red at St. Mary's too, but I had timed that one better and didn't actually have to wait or put my foot down. Then after I crossed the highway on Atkinson I was on the downhill really picking up speed and about 5 seconds before I got there the train gates lit up and started coming down. I didn't want to risk it so I waited for the freight train.

To top it all off, even though it was like 60o this morning my nose was running all the way. I had to stop three times to blow it.

It was a very comfortable temperature though and I didn't wear my long sleeve tee shirt, jacket and gloves. I wore a short sleeve tee only and was quite comfortable.

I saw a single deer at the Seminary and I shouted it back into the woods.


HOME - I wanted to see how long it took to get from my desk out the door. It took 14 minutes and that was with someone stopping and asking me a question, and with me changing into shorts, so not too bad. The overall Desk-to-Door time was 58 minutes.
 
Wow, I actually had a tail wind. The wind was out of the south and it was about 82o and mostly sunny. The fact that the wind was not in my face was so very welcome. I stopped to take several pictures.

Wind turbine and an Easterly

The first is a picture of a wind turbine I ride past. I'm not sure exactly where it is (some day when I have more time I'll try to ride around and find out), but I see it when I pass Culvers (which I will have to stop at one day when I have more time). It shows that I had a nice favorable wind.

Fellow bike commuter's ride and place of business

On my other side at the time I was taking that was a bike rack at Culvers and the bike of a fellow bike commuter. I see it there every day. I'm guessing 'he' works at Cluvers.  I should stop in and ask him while I enjoy some frozen custard.
 
I had a couple of funny encounters happen today.
 
Two important facts for the first one: I have a reflective vest, and everytime the North Shore Bike Path crosses a street it's a blind alley. I came up on one street and I was slowing down to stop because I saw a car. I guess she was looking somewhere else and when she caught that bright vest she slammed on the brakes and the car skidded and lurched to a stop. There was really no need. I let her pass and crossed the street. A lady supervising some day car kids playing nearby gave me a thumbs up.
 
Later I came to an intersection and stopped at a stop sign. A woman on the street to my right smiled and said something encouraging as I let her turn right. A half block away we were side by side waiting for the light. Again she smiled and nodded.
 
So I guess I get a 2 out of 3 approval rating today.