My first spill

I debated quite a bit whether to bike or drive today. I was very tired, and I knew that there was fresh snow on the ground. Laziness/the desire for comfort warred with the desire to work out and save money. I finally decided to compromise by biking to the light rail station and taking the train in.

It was 21 degrees Fahrenheit when I left, but I had my heavy coat on so that didn't bother me. I took it slow, testing the brakes at the first stop sign. All seemed fine. It's about a mile ride to the light rail station.

The station was in sight when I started slowing for a red light--and I hit sheer black ice, probably from car exhaust. I had started leaning just a little to put my foot down when I came to a stop, but the bike skittered out beneath me, falling sideways, and I fell underneath it.

Fortunately, there were no cars behind me.

A woman was standing at the corner bus stop. "Are you all right?" She came over to help me right the bike and get to my feet.

I swore. It hurt, but nothing seemed broken. "I guess I am." I looked at my bike and swore some more. The handlebars were torqued about 30 degrees sideways. "Oh, no."

My first instinct was to reach for the cell phone and to call Rob, to ask him to pick me up. How could I finish the ride with the handlebars wrenched sideways like that? I fished around in my purse and then remembered--I'd left the phone with Rob because he wanted to do some job hunting calls during lunch. I was on my own.

I opened my big bag and pulled out the 3-in-hand torque wrench the nice young man at the bike store suggested I buy. God, I hope this works. I have no idea what I'm doing. I squinted down at the handlebars and then decided, rather desperately, that if I loosened the whatchamacallit there at the top, maybe I could straighten out the handlebars. Fortunately one of the ends of the wrench fit, and even more fortunately, I had guessed correctly. I had the handlebars back in the correct position very quickly. I re-packed my bags, mounted the bike, and rode the rest of the way to the train station.

All went smoothly after that. I had no further spills; I was careful. And yet, dammit, I was being careful when I spilled, too. I hadn't been doing anything reckless at all, just slowing to a stop, not even abruptly in the least. It has rather shaken up my confidence, although I'm rather proud I managed to get the bike back into working condition on my own.

I have already taken some aspirin, because I'm hurting all over.

I suspect I'm going to have a big, glorious bruise on my ass in a day or two.

The benefits of blogging for writers

Interesting article here detailing some of the considerations for authors who are trying to decide whether or not to blog.

In case you haven't figured it out in the five or so years I've been blathering here, I rather like blogging. And it's pleasant that at least some of you seem to enjoy reading what I have to say.

(Seattle) meme

This meme is making the rounds of the people on my friends list in Seattle, and since I'm going there this weekend to visit kijjohnson, I just have to join in, don't I???

We all have things about our friends that make us slightly envious.

Not in a bad way, but in a "Wow! I wish I had that person's hair/eyes/money/relationship/toenails/whatever."

So tell me what about me makes you envy me... then if you feel like it, post this in your LJ and see what makes me envious of you.

Bicycle benefits

Saw this in bikecommutetips.

From the Burlington Free Press (Vermont).

TThe benefits of bicycling are many: improved physical fitness, zero carbon emissions and reduction in road congestion. Now, thanks to a new initiative called Bicycle Benefits, discounts on coffee, clothing, shoes and food can be added to the list.

Bicycle Benefits began in Saratoga Springs, N.Y., and is the brainchild of brothers Ian, 29, and Dillon Klepetar, 21. The program is simple. Local businesses reward cyclists in the form of discounts for riding bicycles instead of driving cars. Discounts are no less than 10 percent and can go up to 25 percent.

As long as cyclists have a Bicycle Benefits sticker on their helmets, they are entitled to the discounts at participating businesses. Having to show the helmet with the sticker is a way of promoting bicycle safety, Dillon Klepetar said.

"I think we need to re-evaluate the convenience and impact of driving a car. Biking is healthy on many different levels," he said. (Read more.)

How can we get this started in Minneapolis??? I just e-mailed the bicycle commuting coordinator for the city to ask.