Wimp

When I got up today, it was colder.

Colder in the house. Sometimes things can look cold, too, but I couldn’t look outside to see as everything was quite black.

So I wore clothing a bit warmer than I have been for my morning rides.

It was cold. Heavy dew everywhere, and the sheen of frost in some of the corners. Every parked car I passed had windows so fogged that couldn’t possibly have held even one tiny drop more.

My exposed face instantly went into, “you didn’t remember this feeling” mode. My gloved hands went numb.

Not a breath of a breeze, but riding a bike at 20kph generates its own wind chill.

This isn’t even quite the mid point of October. It’s going to get ridiculously colder.

For the last two winters, I’ve ridden to work every single day. Weather made no difference. Rain, cold, ice; I just pedaled on.

Maybe this year it’s time to get that second car.

We’ve gotten away with out one for quite a while.  Helen and I have evening activities that should make dual cars mandatory. By luck, we haven’t had to yet.

Nothing ever happens in our neighborhood. Karate classes started....in our neighborhood. I walk. No second car needed.

I go to Jiu-Jitsu 25km away from home. On those two evenings, by some miracle, Helen the in-every-musical-activity lady has nothing happening. I get the car.

It can’t last. I need to go to Vancouver sometimes for Karate. Sometimes Helen can’t go. Who gets the wheels? Also, she is bound to get something happening on Jiu-Jitsu nights soon. Who gets the car?

And it is cold sometimes in the mornings. I can never wimp out. If we get a week-long dump of snow I’m screwed. Bike plus snow equals a run-over me on the side of the road.

Have a few models of car in mind. All are super gas stingy. An electric like a Nissan Leaf would be cool, but wouldn’t work for me going to Vancouver.

Sadly, out of the four cars I’m thinking of, only one is currently available. Two from Toyota are SUPPOSED to be available in 2012. They seem to be destined for limited roll out, which probably means not available in Canada at all. Bastards. The third is a Scion, which also is really a Toyota, and is also not quite out yet. Bastards. It is very like a Smart Car in size, but with Toyota engineering and design rather than Fisher Price.

I’m waiting a bit to see if any of my dream cars hits the dealers in Canada soon. If not, I might buy car#4, which is available now.

A car for long trips, and voyages to the city, and snow days.

A car for wimping out when it’s just too miserable.