Friday Afternoon Interlude (Good Lord It’s Cold Edition)
Deep, too.
Yesterday it dropped into the low 20’s, and the wind chill took it down into the teens. That was pretty cold, but it didn’t take more than an extra base layer and a balaclava to make the ride toasty and pleasant. The only difference was that the rear brakes and derailleur were a little sticky.
This morning, it was 12 degrees, with a wind chill of -1. Someone remarked that it was freezing outside, but of course “freezing” was 30ish degrees warmer than that. It was Kelvin cold. I’d be must less bitter about all this if there was 3 feet of snow on the ground, and I was sipping on a bourbon spiked hot chocolate after a long morning of sledding with the kids, but it’s just cold, hard, and mean out there.
For the ride in, I layered myself in Capilene, and covered that in wool. Then, I busted out the snowboard pants and pegged ‘em. The bike had been sitting outside for about 5 minutes when Ruby and I started off for her school, and in that time the rear brake and rear derailleur had both frozen. The brake was just wonky, but the rear gears were set, so I put it on a lowish-medium gear by hand, and used the front. It was like my own little 3-speed tour, except instead of a bucolic country road, mine went through a Himalayan Hell.
Okay, not a Hell necessarily. But certainly a Heck. My own personal Himalayan Heck. Those of you from Minnesota, Wisconsin, or either Dakota that are searching for a certain word or phrase to convey your contempt for me, allow me. “Ohhhhhh, pobrecito!” Yeah, I know, until the snot-cicles hang below the bottom lip, I ain’t seen nothin’. You got me there, I salute y’all, you’re gnarly.
Anyway! I’ve been on a Gram Parsons kick this last week, what a helluva troubador that guy was. So much skill as a singer and songwriter, and as much presence and star power as Marc Bolan. On the way through YouTube’s stacks of visual wax, as I sought some footage, I ran across this really sweet cover of “We’ll Sweep Out The Ashes In The Morning” done by John Doe and Kathleen Edwards, and I think that’ll do the trick nicely. Howsabout we meet back here in 5 minutes with hot drinks and enjoy it together. Go ahead, I’ll wait for you. I mean, ya know, don’t dawdle or anything, but g’head.
Back? Okay, sing along if ya know the words, and don’t care what your cow-orkers think of you.
Mmmmm sweet. So, I don’t know what you’ve got in store for your weekend, but mine’s going to involve picking some choice films for the kids, spiking hot drinks, and staring at flames in the fireplace. It’s gonna be awesome.
And that’s it for the last Friday Afternoon Interlude of the Bush Administration! By the time we share a tune again, it’ll be the dawn of a new day. A new day in which you’re a helluva lot poorer and can look forward to working until the day you die (if you’re lucky enough to have a job), but I have to believe that there’s a whole slew of issues and problems that we’re going to be a lot better at dealing with than we have been for the last 8 years. Even if we have more to tackle and less in the toolbox with which to tackle them.
Fingers are crossed, both hands. Hard to type? You bet.
Enjoy the weekend, remember Dr. King on Monday, get weepy and overjoyed on Tuesday, and I’ll see you bright and early for the first day of the second presidential administration of the 21st Century.
Tags: Entertaining Interludes
