March Bad-Weather Case of Crabcakes

I'm all kinds of crabby. Tired of being cold. Tired of not being able to feel my face. And desperate for some sunshine. Things that have added to my mood?

1. Able-bodied pedestrians hogging the elevator (I am required to use w a bike) when I JUST missed it (making me wait 5 more minutes in the cold) and no one moved to reopen the doors. After I wished I had yelled, "You are all going to HELL!" but alas, that's a little too mean for me.

2. The elevator at my arrival station broken and wouldn't open on my floor so I had to go up one floor and carry my bike down the stairs.

3. I can't feel my face!

4. My hands are cold 95% of the day. 

5. My CORE IS COLD!! (Kramer reference)

6. "Well-meaning" but nosey individuals that tell me I can't bring my bike on the Metro (oh yes, I can and I WILL)

7. Pedestrians with their noses in their phones that walk in front of me and my bike

8. Motorists. 'nuff said.

9. The freshly smushed rat I had the sad displeasure of nearly stepping on this morning when leaving the station.


How about you? Anything making you all kinds of crabcakes? 

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Permalink Reply by Ernesto Lube on March 7, 2019 at 5:27am

Solutions:

2. The elevator at my arrival station broken and wouldn't open on my floor so I had to go up one floor and carry my bike down the stairs.

Use or craft one of these contraptionmagigs:

https://walnutstudiolo.com/collections/bicycle-accessories I made one when I lived in a building with no elevator. No struggle. 

3. I can't feel my face!

Balaclava, or one of these scarves to pull up below your nose or past up your nose: https://www.uniqlo.com/my/store/men-heattech-fleece-neck-warmer-400...

4. My hands are cold 95% of the day. 

Invest in some mittens and glove liners. And these come in very handy also. Don't toss them after you're done riding. Keep them on your desk for all day warmth when you need to get your hands warmer: 

5. My CORE IS COLD!! (Kramer reference)

Wear something fleece-lined and windproof, and this thing... I swear by it. I bought five because I use one a day (I don't do laundry until Saturday, and don't want to wear stinky, and they're a good price): https://www.uniqlo.com/us/en/women/heattech-collection

9. The freshly smushed rat I had the sad displeasure of nearly stepping on this morning when leaving the station. 

Be thankful you were not barefoot.

Permalink Reply by Yasmeen on March 7, 2019 at 5:32am

I have good mittens. It's my office. It's cold. I have a space heater (her name is "big mama") but when I turn her on, my eyes dry out and burn. So I have to decide how important it is to have warm hands. 

Normally I can feel my face. Today I wore my warm scarf but my glasses fogged up. :-)

Basically, just a hot mess waiting for the weather to warm up. And in two days it's supposed to be in the 60s for a day here.

Permalink Reply by Ernesto Lube on March 7, 2019 at 5:40am

Then wait it out, we're almost there - we been waiting for warmer also in Chicago. Many of us have. Will be in the 40's this weekend, and most of next week finally. 

I don't have a space heater. Not allowed here in my office. I did try to put a candle on the back of this fan, but no, I'll cause a fire with my luck.

Hang in there, warm weather is coming!

My crabcakes:

1) Rideshares on bike lanes

2) Inattentive pedestrians at crosswalks - especially when they're face down on their phones

3) Clerks who speak Spanglish at government buildings

4) People who leave unwanted groceries in random shelves at the store

5) Drunk people screaming outside my house at 4AM 

6) Ghosts

Permalink Reply by Yasmeen on March 7, 2019 at 6:09am

I like #6. Ghosts????

Permalink Reply by Ernesto Lube on March 7, 2019 at 6:27am

Yeah, some times we hear things that go bump at night coming from the kitchen/living room.

Since I don't use the bathroom in the master bedroom, I go down the hallway to use the other bathroom, normally at 2AM. I am still waiting to see "something" floating or standing there, like the ghost from The Grudge, or the Librarian from Ghost Busters. I'll just say "hi" and go back to bed.

Permalink Reply by Jim Reho on March 7, 2019 at 5:48am

You might try a small humidifier in your office.  I've found that it makes a difference.  Hang in there!

Permalink Reply by Yasmeen on March 7, 2019 at 5:51am

On it! The little bunny in the middle is a humidifier. I keep it going. 

Permalink Reply by Tom A.K. on March 7, 2019 at 6:18am

Great, now I'm real hungry and lenten lunch is two hours away. 

https://www.mccormick.com/recipes/main-dishes/old-bay-crab-cakes

In this endless winter of 2019 I've recently;

*hit the edge of a pothole, gone down, dropped the chain, blackened fingers. 

*blew out the rear tube and tire on my winter mtb going over snow-encrusted ice very late at night on a cold 17* night, thankfully it was near my destination. 

*front tire slid-out on ice patch, gone down, dropped chain, blackened fingers.

Ernesto, do you think the dropped chain is a sign of too much lube or the need of a LBS tune-up?

Hang in there for June 15, 2019, World Naked Bike Ride!

Permalink Reply by Ernesto Lube on March 7, 2019 at 6:24am

Tom, what kind of drivetrain do you use? Newer 1x setups prevent chaindrop. All my bikes use the narrow-wide setup now: https://www.worldwidecyclery.com/blogs/worldwide-cyclery-blog/narro....

It is not a guarantee that the chain will drop, but the design keeps the chain snug within the teeth of the chainring.

Thanks, Tom, for infuriating the hunger within - I clicked the link and the stomach growled thereafter.

Permalink Reply by Ernesto Lube on March 7, 2019 at 7:10am

Looking at the pic, yes, putting it down would cause the chain to fall off. 

As for the tire... what's that's from? YIKES! One of the deep fears... a flat when its cold. Having to touch ice cold metal is not fun. 

BIKE LANES ARE ON THE STREET! ON ASPHALT! JOIN THE BOLSHEVIKS! wait... forget the last one, that happened a long time ago. 

Permalink Reply by Tom A.K. on March 7, 2019 at 7:20am

Ok, it's crabcakes mascot time!

Permalink Reply by Ernesto Lube on March 7, 2019 at 7:41am

If you insist! Here's my mascot in a chainlink frame! As a Master Lord (specializing in time travel and the para-abnormal), I obtained this frame and picture of the Devil back when I visited Japan in 2014. It is supposed to ward off mediocre spirits, the bends, and the shivers.

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