New Years

I remember my first ride of 2012.  Cold.  Felt like I woke up in Antarctica.  The ride before was relatively warm.  70+ miles to the High Trestle and back.  Stop for libations in the East Village and bed before midnight.  Mary joined us at the Locust Tap.  Eric Crabb and his lady were downtown too.  What a wonderful way to end the year.  Could not ask for a nicer December 31st in Iowa.  The high was 55F.  Woke up hung over and cold.  The new high was 35F but the powerful Arctic blast from the North made it feel below Zerex.  The Switch was flipped.  And I bitched about that?  We were not used to cold back then.  Mild winter to that point.

I rode the Raleigh to Mullets to start the 2012 season.  For some reason I think I had a few days off so that bike became my main horse for the New Year until I had to return to work.  Then the red FX.  I put 1800 miles on that beast til I pulled it offline until December.  The Raleigh was used for pub crawls and neighborhood jaunts until Joe took it in July when he moved out.  I traded it back for a Trek 830 in October.

Last night, December 31, 2012, I rode to and fro work.  I planned to push nit all the way to the store for the 3 bottles of champagne we needed but the wind was bad and I felt cold.  Fuck it, take the vehicle and bring more groceries home.  Perhaps go out to eat.  Dropped Dora off at Shelby's, hit Hy Vee and taco Bell for a snack (Rancho Allegre was closed damnit!).  Around 7pm I took the Red Phoenix out for the last spin of the year.  Court Avenue Brewing Co for my 2012 mug.  I controlled myself and only had the mug filled once.  Salisbury House Stout.  The woman seated next to me had the same plus a bag of mints to enhance the hint of mint in this delicious stout.
A brief scan through my Bike Log is called for.

January 1, 2002--Take the Trek 520 and ride to the Cumming Tap with Mike Lamb.  17F.  Need lights on return.

December 31, 2008--Trek FX 7.5 to work.  Comments "fucking single digits".  8F in morning, 21F on return

December 31, 2009--Cannondale SM800 to work then CABCO.  10F/15F.  Pick up mug and help Dori save seats for ISU's first Bowl Game in memory.  Need to loop Gray's Lake to get 3600 miles for the year.  Rode straight home and passed out on couch while watching the ISU game.  Missed 3600 by 1.9 miles.

January 1. 2010--Open the year by pulling the Burley with the FX to Hy Vee.  5F

December  31, 2010--19 miles to end the year on the FX.  Work and then stores.  Freezing rain while at work created chaos in Des Moines, no problems riding. 24F/34F

January 1, 2011--16F with 20 mph WNW winds.  Ride to Dalhs and stop at Yacht Club to see Craig Lein and Bob Skidmore

December 31, 2011--The epic ride to the High Trestle on the 520 with Craig Lein.  party Favors at the Saddle but Mary and leave for home early.  Barefoot champagne at home.

Today I am waiting for the little warm up we will receive.  I probably will ride to Hy Vee for supplies.  Perhaps Mullets for lunch.  Tomorrow I have to ride to work.  Looking forward to a January thaw and Spring.