Biking to work

I have decided that one way I can not only save lots of money on gas but also improve life on plant Earth is to ride my bike to work. I invested in a good bike and made my trial run yesterday. My initial plan was to ride twice a week but it went so well that I thought, "Heck! Why not try this every day? I don't know how long I'll keep up my momentum but day one is in the books. I was so excited about this new leaf that I kept waking up during the night last night and thinking about it. Finally morning arrived. I did all my before school things and then put Jack outside. He was quite surprised to see me follow him and get on my bike with my backpack on! I took off down the street with a smile on my face. I was cruising along down Homestead, stopped at the stoplight and watched carefully as a guy was turning into the intersection. Evidently he thought he could beat me. As I put on my brakes he looked up and waved me on with a rather sheepish "I'm sorry" grin on his face. Note to self: I must remain completely aware of what everyone on the road is doing. My life depends upon it. There will be no early morning cell phone conversations with Christine any longer. A few blocks down the street I was suddenly struck with the fact that my arms were getting very cold. This is slightly comical because just last night Bill and I had discussed the need for a jacket in the winter. No! There is a need for a jacket now. My next observation was how friendly everyone is when you're on a bike. The dog walkers all greet you with a robust "Good morning." Is it because they are slightly embarrassed with their attire - robes and slippers? I arrived safe and sound at school within 15 minutes and got several approving smiles from my co-workers. My favorite one was the lady who said, "That's great. I rode my bike to school once." Funny! Then people started questioning me about whether my bike was safe locked in the bike rack. Good grief. What will they think of next to worry about? Yes, my bike is safe and sound. I am in one piece. I have appropriate clothes to wear that will take me from biking to teaching. I put shoes in my backpack for school. Yes, I was a little chilly but I did not freeze. And it seems that I have the energy to ride home. It feels great to be getting some easy exercise that didn't need to be planned or paid for!