The flu can kiss my ass
I’m just finished with the worst flu bug i’ve had in years, a solid two weeks from first symptoms to the last coughing fit. No, i don’t get the flu shot, but yes, i’m considering it for next year (although people i know who did get it also got this particular bug). Now that i’m feeling almost normal, we get hit with snow and subzero windchills, and i’m smart enough to stay off the bike a few more days, and not just for the lack of studded tires.
A quick administrative note - thanks for the few comments, i appreciate hearing feedback and other ideas. The comment spammers found me, so i was moderating everything until i got the spam filter in place (i love WordPress!). That’s running now, and most comments should appear quickly.
One of the things we’ve been working on in the new year, in a Nyquil haze, has been our household budget. An interesting thing about having driven exclusively for 3 whole weeks in a row (including the holiday week, though i rode on Christmas Eve) is that i can’t help but think about the price of a car trip. Sure, it’s normal to work out the cost of a weekend of driving to a place further away, but i mean everyday driving. Cycling, i don’t think twice about jumping on the bike and heading to the store for one thing, because it’s fun and practically free. When i’m driving, I tend to put off errands and then do a bunch in one day - more efficient and less annoying.
One day this past weekend, we spent the better part of an afternoon running around returning movies, getting groceries and a few other things. Overall, the day probably involved 80-90 miles of driving, which cost $7-8. If i were comparison shopping for these errands, i wouldn’t buy the thing that cost $7 more than another thing, but the extra $7 was the price of being a consumer who shopped by car.
In a way, it’s part of the cost of living in a cold climate, because it’s not practical or safe to do this by bike with small kids in single-digit temperatures. I have a feeling that my mental taxi meter will be running every time i jump in the car for a while now, extra incentive to get back on the bike.
2 Responses to “The flu can kiss my ass”
I agree, even walking can be hazardous - someone a car drove slowmo through a fence a couple of blocks from my house yesterday. When there are big metal boxes sliding around in the street, the only safe place seems to be inside another metal box. Hopefully the streets clear in a few more days.
Glad to hear you are on the mend.
I have been feeling more than a little guilty the past few days driving to work vs riding but given the snow and temps, it is probably prudent.
Cheers