Biking

As I mentioned in a prior post, I am not used to city commuting, and I'm not sure I'm really built for it. My bus commute to work is usually smooth, but going home on the bus has been rough. It takes me almost an hour to get home taking the bus, and by the time I get home I have generally been gone for 10 hours (8.5 hour work day, plus commute time), and by that point I do not feel like exercising. Lack of exercise makes me feel sluggish and cranky, and makes me resent my job and hate my bus ride (even though lately I have been careful to always catch the bus driven by a specific particularly good driver). And so I have been coming home all grumpy every day, which is not so nice for anyone, particularly Jeff.

Something had to change, so after some careful thought, planning, and safety equipment acquisition (lights, orange reflective vest, reflective tape/stickers), for the last week I've been taking my bike on the bus with me in the morning, then riding home from work. So far, it's been great. I get home about 15 minutes faster, and the exercise feels good. The timing of the exercise is perfect, because after a sometimes frustrating work day, I have the chance to shift focus, be outside, and use up any pent-up frustrations getting up my hill, before coming home to Jeff. So far I've had two fairly wet/rainy commutes, and it's been fine. We'll see how I do once the days get shorter, wetter, and colder, but I think with a few more lights I will be able to pull it off.


Here are a few additions to the list of lessons learned from work:

Addendum to #1: Even if the gun is decorative, and/or you never had any intention of ever firing the gun, the no guns in the house rule still applies. No matter how safety-conscious you are, accidents happen, for example while cleaning the gun.

18. Daily intake of 4.5 gallons of beer can lead to occasional loss of footing and subsequent falls.
19. Relatedly, ground-level falls (like from a standing position, or off of the toilet) can have serious consequences.
20. Activity involving gasoline near your face + lighting a cigarette = surefire disaster.
21. Also, as a general rule, gas cans don't belong on the coffee table.
22. Aprons are, in fact, safety equipment. Best to wear one when cooking with hot oil.
23. If your clothes catch fire, do not try to put them out with your bare hands. Stop, drop, and roll really is a better option.
24. Don't do IV drugs-- you probably know about some of the risks, but did you know about the increased risk for osteomyelitis, or necrotising soft-tissue infection? Because those are nasty.
25. Just don't do drugs in general. Especially meth. Especially in combination with other drugs. And alcohol. And guns/weapons/sharp objects. And fire. Because three or four of those together add up to one big mess.