Will you join me on my commute?

Once in while, I take Bud to work. Today was such a day. I had occupational therapy on my thumb after work, so I couldn't take the train.

Thus, I donned my armor and loaded up Bud for the journey. Google Maps tells me the trip is 26.5 miles one way.

The first step was to load up Bud. I had to bring a 4 lb. tub of sugar to work for my tea, but the underseat storage was already full of my lunch, a cable lock, first aid kit, dark face shield, etc. So it went in the basket. The bungee net is to keep it from bouncing out when I hit a particularly nasty bump. (I lost my umbrella last week in this manner)

At 6 AM I took off. It took an hour to get there, so the average speed was just under 30 mph. I was supposed to leave at 5:30 AM, so I hit this log jam after only 10 minutes of riding. Shitbag.

Finally thrugh that and getting nearer to work, the sun was shining across the tree tops, and it was a pretty nice view.

About 20 minutes later, I arrived work, and parked among the other bikes. A brand new Kawasaki Ninja 500, a Harley, and two Yamaha cruisers. Can you find the bike that doesn't fit?

After work, I went to therapy to have Jennifer work on my thumb, which still doesn't have its old flexibility after the crash in late May. Curses. I should be exercising it more. I left at about 5:15, right into the worst part of rush hour. It wasn't long before I hit another log jam:

Bored out of my mind, I was looking for a shot that would tell a story. Waiting for the light & trains in the photo above, I noticed the shadows were getting long. So here's the shot of me (not) enjoying the sunset from my vantage point within the huge traffic jam.

Finally, about another hour later, I got home. My wife snapped this shot of me to finish the story. Your favorite crossing guard is now off duty, complete with lumpy hair from his Shoei.

Although this is kind of an adventure when I do it, I am damn glad I take the train most days and avoid all the traffic. I feel sorry for the poor chumps who have to do this every day.