Just kicking down the cobble stones looking for fun

In 1992, before I moved to Minnesota, I had a three-month temp job filling in for a lady who was on maternity leave after having a baby in the backseat of her car. Just to be clear, she's the one who had a baby in the backseat of her car, not me.

In any event, every day at lunchtime at that temp job, a guy named Herb would eat super hot peppers  - the kind that are currently in my fridge - out of the jar. Meanwhile, as many cribbage games as possible would be played in the 30-minute lunch hour break and cash would change hands. I watched for a couple of months, played one game of cribbage, pocketed the cash I won, and didn't play again until two weeks ago. 

This weekend, I met my former co-worker, cyclist-extraordinaire Ward, to give him my studded mountain bike tires, since I no longer need them for commuting. Over coffee, and then lunch, we played three games of cribbage. I lost all three. But not by much.

This rule chart doesn't list the points
for having a hand of the same suit.

Today, my most regular cycling companion Matt and I did a ride organized by a local bike shop. It was supposed to be totally off-road, but the warm weather and some eager riders a couple of days ago messed up those plans. (Some other day I might share my thoughts about what it's like to go to those rides with a bunch of dudes and my own desire - yet lack of corresponding skill - to hold my own.) Anyhow, the bike ride ended at a brewery, the bike shop offered lunch, and Matt had a cribbage board and a deck of cards. So it was a good, fun weekend.

The halfway point - cyclists wearing helmets
on playground equipment. That's the nice new fat tire bike
I got this fall in the lower corner.

We did a stretch on snow and ice. I'm the one
represented by that speck of red.

The photo that someone took of us as we began playing cribbage
perfectly captures my consumption of potato chips.

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Open Letter to My Atlanta Colleagues

Tonight after I rode to the end of the street, along the lake and the creek to the falls, and then followed a groomed, snowy trail along the Mississippi and through the state park, looking at deer tracks, spooking three deer, trying not to hit a bunny, debating what would be a good name for my fat tire bike and before I found a lost dog and, thankfully, a short time late, its distraught owner, I was thinking of you, dear Atlanta colleagues.

I know some of you don't like winter. You've lived in the north and, yes, I totally agree that Duluth in the wintertime before climate change got in full swing was pretty abusive. But even when you get kind of excited to build a snowman in Atlanta with your kids, or get to pull them around the backyard in a sled, you still have to have your schedules disrupted and your roads made impassible.

You don't get to see the good parts of winter. You don't get the reprieve from lawn mowing and bugs and humidity. You don't get the quiet that falls over the city. You don't get outdoor ice rinks and cross country skiing and snowshoeing right in your own city - sometimes down the middle of your own street. You don't get to see animal tracks and human tracks and get to walk on icy lakes. You don't get fleece-lined jeans.

I've been surprised by your snow and your cold this year, which isn't too far off from where we often are. You have a good sense of humor about it. But as much as I complain about the cold and yearn for warm sunlight, it's pretty great to get outside on a dark winter night and go for a bike ride. On a bike named... Jim?


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If You Can't Beat Them, Join Them

Well, that's not quite the right phrase, and I've overused the lemonades out of lemons phrase. How about simply, "Plan B"? (As in "Plan Biking is not feasible, go for pleasant walks instead.)

It's been kind of cold and until a couple of days ago, the snow has been pretty meager. It still is meager compared to normal years at this time, although what is normal anymore? In any event, the weekend before last, I got out for a nice cold, sunny walk at the wildlife refuge with a friend. [Beautiful photo of her in this beautiful spot along the Minnesota River not included due to not having her permission.]

The next day was kind of warmish, and I got my fat tire bike out in the snow for a short loop on an easy singletrack (single-track?) trail where I met the most beautiful Newfoundland dog. I was smitten. [Photos not included because I was too busy riding and then kissing and petting the dog. His owner didn't seem to mind. I have a feeling that 150-pound teddy bear of a dog gets a lot of affection. From everyone.]

This past weekend was cold again, so it was good that we had plans to go to our friends' cabin for the long MLK holiday weekend.

Saturday was sunny and below zero. We made a bonfire on the ice, which actually helped me warm up as we lingered and chatted on the lake. It was like a commercial for Minnesota.

After the fire, we saw some cool tracks in the snow and tried to avoid some of the wet spots that were lurking under the insulating snow near the site of cracks in the many, many inch-deep ice. Despite logically knowing we would not go in the water, it still was a little freaky. Plus, it was good exercise running through the wet spots as our boots turned to icy high heeled contraptions.

Speaking of boots, I got my booty handed to me in backgammon, played some respectable rounds of Blokus, and re-learned how to play cribbage. 

Sunday was warmer, and snowy. I went for a walk mostly by myself on the lake. It was still under 10 degrees, but I would get hot with my hood up, put it down and get my face whipped with snow, put my hood up, get hot, lather, rinse, repeat. It was a beautiful walk.

When I was standing at this spot and turned my head to the right, I could see the spot where I fell through the ice circa March 1995 or 1996. That was an interesting day.

Anyhow, that snow on Sunday delivered a nice few inches at home, too. We're supposed to have a bit of a warm-up, but I'm hoping it will remain below freezing so that the snow doesn't turn icy and will be good for some biking in the upcoming days.

I spent a good chunk of time updating some things for my #BikeMS team tonight. Before you know it, I'll be lamenting my improper winterizing of my road bike and planning spring training rides.

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