I'm back.

This morning when I woke up the news lady said that it was plus 5 degrees outside. Now that, my friend, is biking weather. I got a used mountain bike off of craigslist, and it has big knobby tires and, well.. it weighs about 6 thousand pounds (OK, maybe not exactly that much). I figured it could keep it on the road on ice, snow and slush.

Mostly, I was correct.

The bike path was really excellent for a while, and I thought to myself that I could have easily ridden my road bike. In time though, the path was covered in packed snow, and I was busy congratulating myself on my excellent choice of vehicles.

That was before the slush.

Excuse me, but CRAP that's a tough slog... At some points I was trying to make it through up to 4" of slush and ice and frozen tracks. Next time I'm taking myself back to HOME ROAD and, traffic or not, it has to be better than what I rode through today. We'll see.

The good part? I saw geese, I smelled the river (most of it is still open) and trees and one person's breakfast joint. I breathed fresh air, and although I'm not in as good condition as I was 2 months ago (we'll call that PRE-HINIE), I got that 6 gazillion lb. bike up hill and dale, and I arrived at work without falling.

Win.

In other win-ish news, I spent a few nights over the weekend working on the Miralda triangular shawl. I'm mid-way through the diamond charts (which means I have knit 6 quadrillion nupps). The yarn is Bison, handspun on Donna's Rose and is absolutely perfect for the project. Gosh it's soft.. and beautiful. This is the year of Estonian/Orenburg lace, afterall, and it's about time I got serious about it.

Last week I finshed spinning the Qivuit and I have about a thousand yards (I estimate). My plan is to knit an Orenburg shawl (ie: no nupps), and I have what I think is the perfect pattern. We'll see...

I've been juggling Fleece Artist merino socks with fingerless gloves for Jim... there's all kinds of knitting going on these days.

My 1st anniversary with TKR was Jan 5th; gosh time flies.

Life is productive.