Bike Commute 2011 - Day 53

IN -

Skunk!

A skunk ran across the street ahead of me this morning. I gave him as wide a berth as I could seeing as he seemed to be startled before I even got there. I didn’t' smell anything so I guess I didn't scare him any worse.

It was about ten degrees warmer this morning than any other this week. In fact, this morning was about as warm as Monday and Tuesday afternoons were. Because of the heat there were big patches of ground fog all over the place.

My knee is still aching, but at least today I didn't have a head wind.

I got started late because I had to finish a load of laundry, load the dishwasher, make my lunch and make coffee. I did make it out two minutes earlier than yesterday.

Along Atkinson I smelled something very sweet, almost like Kellogg's Pop Tarts, then as I was turning into Abbott I smelled a skunk.

I took a slightly different route today. I went straight up Saint Mary's Road to Atkinson instead of cutting through the Oak Springs subdivision. I don't know if it was any faster, but there were fewer turns this morning. I don't know if that and the smother pavement makes up for the longer route (through the subdivision I pretty much cut the corner by traveling in curves and diagonally compared to St. Mary - Atkinson).

I made it to work at exactly 5:00.

HOME -

HOT!

It was in the 90s today. I decided that I would try to limit the impact of the heat by taking it easy. It worked pretty much.

I pedaled lightly all the way and it didn't really cost me much time, even with a slight headwind. I got home in 48 minutes.

I train passed in front of me on St. Mary's though it didn't slow me down, and then I passed under another train in Mundelein. That's the second train I passed under this week, strange.