Cuidado

Lots of ice out there today. I'm favoring very sparsely traveled roads or those with very wide shoulders. Riding in the middle of the road really pisses people off and I'm tired of getting into foolish road rage matches with crazy ass people. This stuff should go away tomorrow - which will be a full fender day in a group. I'll admit that I was uncomfortable with some of the road conditions. RT. 152 wasn't bad, Henderson bridge sidewalk was awful & unrideable, Pawtucket was awful - not just icy but wet as well, Woodward and Pine were OK but still somewhat hazardous. Lets hope is gets warm and rains - although since I'm in grad school half time I could use a crippling snowstorm and have some time to catch up and the stuff I got to do. I got some good DVDs to watch with my trainer - including Paris-Nice 2007.
This ride was the first time I played an audiobook. Predictably Irrational by Dan Ariely. It is quite thought provoking. I got through Outliers by Gladwell on the trainer and in the house. I think audiobooks are something that I suggest everyone try at least once. Now I can at least be somewhat intellectually productive during my rides instead of thinking about nothing important - like food, racing, what I'm going to do, my bills, and assorted other stuff. Emphasis on somewhat in the preceding sentence.
For the record I did wake up at 6:20 AM with the intention of going to the Arc-en-Ciel ride. I did indeed motivate and get dressed for this ride before coughing up green/yellow shit. I'm not ill with fatigue/fever just having some chest symptoms so its EZ stuff until this goes away. So in lieu of this ride I did my own. In other riding related stuff I now own a wicked piece-of-shit mountain bike converted to a single speed. I love it - the simplicity, leaving it outside and not caring, and riding to everything around. Its good for a few miles - yeah its slow and heavy but it gets me to the store, to work, to Thayer St., downtown and a few points further.