Cold day off

Well today was my "day off." Which meant doing whatever has been piling up during the week, and try to get some good work done on Marc's frame. Today I had to ride all around town running errands. Today never got out of the 'teens, so I was getting some good testing on my cold weather gear. I never stopped anywhere for too long, so I was outside riding half the day. My Lake shoes seem pretty good as long as I am riding. I think that the stepping down of the pedaling pumps the blood through my feet. But if I had to stop for a long light, my toes did start to get pretty chilly. But as soon as I got pedaling, they were OK. For some reason my balaclava (a light-weight Sugoi model) has been acting up. If I start going fast, or the wind picks up, a gust will come in between my eye and cheek bones, and chill the heck out of my ear. Also, if I pull it up over my mouth, it doesn't want to stay that way for too long. Maybe it's getting stretched out? Either way, it's good for in the 20's, but I may look into getting something warmer for at least the longer rides in the cold.

I did meet some interesting people out today. At one particular light, a guy in a car gave a quick tap on the horn. I look to see if he's angry that I'm taking up the last remaining two square feet of pavement, but instead he taps his faced in fist to his heart, then gives the 'atta go' uppercut in the air. I gave him a smile of appreciation and nodded a bit. Then riding away, I realized he couldn't see my smile through the balaclava. Oh well, maybe he still saw the nod. At another light, a cyclist was in the left turn lane, and a car turning left from his right. (should pass in front of him, then go down the road in the opposite direction that he has been going, yea you got it) So the car instead turns behind him, wedging his way between the cyclist and the car waiting in the non turn lane, pushing the cyclist further out into the intersection... It's stuff like this that make me want a helmet cam to catch that action and their license place, and mail it into the local authorities. (which would present another problem, as they don't give a hoot) I mean, there wasn't even a point for him to do that. I caught up with the rider, who told me just the other day, someone forced him off the road. He got more and more into the gutter until he had to try to get up on the sidewalk. But being loaded up (commuter) on a road bike, he got the front wheel, but slid along with the rear, blowing out his tire. It's this kind of stuff that makes the US suck.

Car - "This is my road, get off!"
Bicycle - "Not only is it legal for me to use this road, but I'm paying the same taxes you are to fund it. So really, it's our road. Not to mention there's enough room for both of us."
Car - "Roads are for cars, ya sissy!"
Bicycle - "Huh?"
Car - "Don't confuse me boy! Or I'll come down there and learn ya one with my size twelves!"
Bicycle - "That doesn't even make sense... I'm late for work now."

I got more miters done on Marc's frame, and did all the braze-ons for the main triangle. This thing is starting to come together. Another day off, and hopefully I'll have the miters all done for the main triangle, and for the dropouts in the chainstays. Another day off, hopefully I'll have the chainstay to bottom bracket miters done, and just maybe if that goes quickly (haha), I'd go ahead and braze up the whole thing. (minus the seatstays) But with one day off to do everything in the world, chances are that will be yet another day. I've decided that it just really isn't worth having one day off per week. I think the only way I'd ever want to do such a thing, is if I was single, didn't have any outside interests, and was very excited about my job. Right now, I only kind of have one. And with moving the store, and dealing with all that crap instead of working on bikes, the excitement factor is definitely waining. I just really need two days off.