Headlines

My momma always said then bicycles will only lead to trouble: Girl's new bicycle leads to fatal accident.

And then there's the kids. They can be a frustrating lot, eh? Mother accused of bumping son off bicycle. Perhaps she was thinking this sort of thing happens all the time. It's part of the risk of riding a bicycle.

Report: December 3 – December 16

Like the butcher who backed into his meat grinder…I’m getting a little behind in my work. I’m going to combine two weeks in this report.

Trips -
MinusCar: 9
Multi-occupant Auto: 17
Single occupant Auto: 4
Destinations: 57

Not much for MinusCar trips, but at least they’re still twice the single occupant trips. I remained in a pretty un-motivated state these two weeks.

My Car Miles: 86
My Bike Miles: 45

This week’s low temperatures: 12/5 | 9 degrees, 6mph wind, -1 windchill

Merry Christmas

"A lighter lifestyle is the smart, cool, intelligent and healthy way to live. Don’t be tied to outdated and dangerous 20th century ways of living. Live light because it will make you feel complete and free.

When you choose to live light you are setting the pace for the 21st century. You will see the people all around you trying to catch up. And when they do we can all work together to build a world that is cleaner, fairer and happier and that you will be proud to leave to your children."

-- George Marshall, Don't Save The Planet

or...as No Impact Man says: "Don't Waste"

There's Still Time For You

Fatty's broken but you still have a chance. Forsake your car. Ride to the ride.

Happiness is...

a dry base layer.

Don't forget to dry your fundies under your desk during work today.

Peaking Influence

Welcome dear reader. It’s been a pretty special week in Minuscarlandia. Two things occurred that prove the multifaceted and remarkable influence this blog has had both on world politics and corporate progress.

First, there’s this widely reported piece regarding the UN climate change conference.

“But the road was extremely rocky. Talks stalled as Paula Dobriansky, head of the US delegation, signaled that America opposed calls from poorer countries for technological and financial help to combat climate change. It seemed any agreement was doomed. Then Papua New Guinea took to the floor and, in a highly charged speech, its delegate challenged the US: 'If you're not willing to lead, get out of the way.'

Minutes later, in an astonishing reversal, Dobriansky returned to announce, to cheers from the hall: 'We will go forward and join the consensus.'”

The Papua New Guinea delegate is Kevin Conrad, who is…as they say, Harvard educated.

What I wouldn’t do for a transcript of that speech - and the rest of the session for that matter.

---

Second, last March I wondered aloud, “Why aren’t DayQuil and NyQuil packaged together?” This week my dream was realized...and my cold ended.

Lots Of Little Things In A Longish Post

As I approached a locked door at work today I dropped my badge. As it fell I kicked it and watched helplessly as it slid across the floor and under the door, leaving me pathetically looking through the window at my only means for unlocking the door.

I have a friend. He's Irish. He wanted to be sure I knew that "Ireland yesterday became the first country in the world to ban the traditional lightbulb. Householders will be forced to switch to new long-life low-energy bulbs in 12 months' time."

My other friend. He likes bikes. He wanted to be sure I knew this...



It's a bike ride. On January 1. I bet The Dad is more tempted this year than any other before.

I took the bike to The LBS. I had them shift it up a couple gears and put on the studs. I was lacking the partially false confidence the studs provide. After reacquainting myself with the bus, I'm happier on two wheels.

The Boy 5 checked the following book out from his school library.



Yes, a picture book about a bike messenger.

The Triplettes de Belleville have been on my mind lately. I found a good chunk of YouTubular.



Roger Ebert said - "To call it weird would be a cowardly evasion. It is creepy, eccentric, eerie, flaky, freaky, funky, grotesque, inscrutable, kinky, kooky, magical, oddball, spooky, uncanny, uncouth and unearthly. Especially uncouth...and none of [those words] do the trick, either...the Marquis de Sade meets Lance Armstrong."

All that and it still lost the Oscar to Finding Nemo.

Last, and perhaps even least, Steve would like to remind me to learn from his mistake and check the lid on the salsa jar before shaking.

Traffic Control Innovations

Did you see the innovative bicycle traffic control device in Portland? CycleSD posted the You Tubular on his site. Sure, I could stream it here for your convenience but I already thefted SnakebiteTV. One theft a week is a great plenty, no?

Check it out here.

BTW - did you notice an increase of blog posts lately? If you did it's because I've stopped reading your blog and resumed writing mine.

I'm kidding. I didn't stop reading your blog. I stopped reading everybody else's blog.

Nap Time

Sometimes when I drive to work I start to get sleepy. I stop at a red light and put my head back on the headrest, close my eyes and think about how I could just fall asleep right there.

Today I hitched a ride downtown with The Wife, then caught the bus to work. I put my head back, closed my eyes, and did fall asleep. I slept good too. I woke up to that really strange feeling of not really knowing where I was.

Thankfully I hadn't missed my building.

I Remain An Idiot

As I exited work today the CEO’s wife asked me if I was riding my bike home. I responded no, I dress like this because it’s comfortable. I’m headed straight to the top with answers like that, don’t ‘cha think? I think my last evaluation I got dinged in the works and plays well with leadership category.

My accountability partners are killing me. I’ve got Snakebite selling his car and getting his own reality TV show. The Dad, who sold his car this summer, works on the same block as I; he knows when I’m being bad or good, and I’m not so good right now. Then CycleSD wants to know how my not so studded tires are working out.

You want the truth? You can’t handle the truth. I don’t know how the tires are working out because I haven’t ridden them yet. Not Monday. Not Tuesday. I don’t know, yet.

So I went long today. 17 miles. The sun set 15 minutes into my ride. The wind stayed at 0. Temps stayed at 13. I was a bit chilly by the time I got home but not overly.

All went well.

I think I want my studded tires back.

Snakebite TV

Report: November 26 – December 2

Winter has arrived. Be prepared for less MinusCar performance.

Trips -
MinusCar: 5
Multi-occupant Auto: 4
Single occupant Auto: 4
Destinations: 21

While we were taking pictures of the ocean the temperatures here dropped from the 40’s to the 20’s. I find it lots easier to keep riding in the cold if I keep riding in the cold. Visiting the tropics is not generally hepful. So Monday and Tuesday, after returning home from a seven day vacation, I couldn’t find proper motivation ride to work. Nevermind proper motivation to even work. I drove.

Wednesday I managed to ride, but still decided to allow The Boys the luxury of an automobile ride home from school.

Saturday, ironically, as the snowstorm hit, I drove to a bike related meeting. Could it be, the first ever South Dakota Bike Summit? Perhaps.

As you can see almost as many single occupant auto rides as MinusCar trips.

Even with all that I still rode the bike more than I drove my car.
My Car Miles: 20
My Bike Miles: 34

This week’s low temperatures: 11/30 7 degrees, 7mph wind, -5 windchill

If I can keep my car under 92 miles this month I'll have driven my car less than last year. Probably won't happen but I'll be close enough.

This Is How It’s Going To Be?

Winter has arrived. I rode home in light snow Thursday and then headed downtown with The Family for our second annual Brule’ Red Nativity concert. As we began to look for parking outside Mama’s Ladas we discovered Snakepants stopped at an intersection on his way home from work.

Sioux Falls police responded to 54 collisions that night.

The temperatures stayed low so the light dusting stayed light and dusty. Friday morning’s 7-degree commute included the beautiful sound of bike wheels squeaking through crisp unmolested snow.

According to the old man pushing carts through the parking lot at my Friday fritter and latte stop it was too cold for bike riding. I displayed my disagreement by mounting up and finishing the route to work. The latte seemed extra tasty on the way.

Saturday the real storm arrived. While CycleSD was realizing (and then overcoming) the futility of riding bike in deep snow I was sitting inside trying to justify putting off shoveling to Sunday. Sunday I shoveled.

Tomorrow’s commute could be interesting. I’ll switch to my snow route…hopefully I’ll remember how that goes. I’m going without studded tires this year, opting for lower pressure in my very wide Maxxis Hookworm tires.