Enough about the weather already!

In looking back at the past couple posts I’ve noticed that I dwell on the weather quite a bit. If you farm or your livelihood depends on the elements, than the weather forecast and daily predictions becomes a key focal point of your day. Everyone talks about when it will rain or when the rain will stop. I think the same principle applies if you ride your bike to work: the forecast means everything, and the weather takes up a significant portion of one’s attention. Today the weather folks are calling for a chance of snow, potentially starting as early as noon. I really don’t like forecasts like this. I don’t mind riding in the snow or rain, but honestly must say that I almost prefer not to know that it will rain or snow and just be surprised. With a surprise at least you don’t anticipate it and you just react and deal. But now that I find myself armed with the knowledge of what might befall the afternoon I’ll start checking the windows more often and invariably will hit the news site more frequently to see the mercury drop. Well, why watch the weather then? That’s a good question, especially since I paint it in such a painful light. But you have to know. You need to be able to plan for what’s in store in order to be prepared in case it happens: it’s the Boy Scout in me I guess, that wants to “Be Prepared”—damn Boy Scout commonsense brainwashing. If I need long underwear, rain jacket or bus fare I want to have it and not risk missing it desperately later. The unfortunate side effect of this readiness is the resulting pall cast over the entire day in anticipation of bad weather. Maybe it is just my Seasonal Affective Disorder kicking in…I’ve been moody, just ask my wife...but we’ve had cold and snow now the past two weekends which has limited some team rides, kept clouds overhead and made it less pleasant riding in each day (though today’s 28 wasn’t bad at all.) For a February this should be expected, and I really have nothing to complain about. But I guess that never stopped me before. For the record its still only 28.