I'd love to see the day when Earth Day is a much bigger deal - the sort of holiday that inspires peer pressure. You did what? You drove to work solo? You grocery shopped and didn't bring bags? You left the computer on all night? Granted, every day is or should be earth day, but having that date on the calendar helps people to focus their efforts. I'd even be in favor of it being a national holiday from work (non-religious! OMG!), not because I'm a total slacker, but because it would be a real opportunity for everyone to shut down from the hullabaloo, and maybe spend some time in their yard, in the woods, or my personal favorite, on the beach. There are fragments of this idea in events like earthour, bike to work day, and turn off your TV week. Now let's put all of that and more into one single day. Can you hear the collective sigh? It's possible we're getting closer to that kind of day. Until then, here are two updates on the home front:
Adventures in Commuting
My boss and I have been half-joking about Fridays being Bike to Work day, but have found various reasons to postpone. Last Friday, the pieces finally fell into place for each of us. He took BART from Alameda to Fremont, then pedaled about an hour and twenty in to work. I got up plenty early, got my backpack ready, double checked the schedule, donned my new helmet, and pedaled over to the train station. I bought a 10-ride pass and had a good 10-15 minute wait. The train was already there, but was closed up until closer to departure time. Once on board, the train sped along on my short journey and I saw some familiar sites from when I used to commute by rail up to Palo Alto, including the bright blue storage units right by Hey that was my stop! Despite my careful planning, I had boarded a baby bullet train. Fortunately, it did make the next stop in Sunnyvale. Unfortunately, I'd left my cell phone at work the day before (first time EVAR), so I couldn't call in to say I'd be late. D'oh!
At the end of the day, the boss opted for Amtrak home. Can't say I blame him, considering his overall commute. My plan was to pedal the 11 miles home. I hadn't been on a bike that long in some time, but I figured on about an hour, and made sure to have a big breakfast and lunch, just in case. I have to say it was a pretty pleasant ride home. The weather was perfect, and 1st Street has a big, fat bike lane for quite a stretch. I work near Great America, so my route was Tasman over to 1st Street, then about 6 miles straight down 1st Street, then zig the grid through downtown San José on home to 9th Street.
As I pulled into the driveway, I checked my watch: exactly an hour. One thing that puts some people off (me included) from cycling/walking/public transportation is the extra time it can take. It's roughly half an hour for me to drive to/from work. By bike it's twice as long, but by then I've also had an hour-long cardio workout. I figure that means I've actually gained a half hour of time! Even the bike/train combo is waaay less stressful than sitting in traffic and gets my blood moving after waking up and after sitting at work all day.
Did I bike today of all days? Alas, no. Will I do it every day? Probably not. Some days, a car is the better option. And if it's cold, I'm just plain wimpy. But now I know it's totally doable and enjoyable. Besides, I bought that 10-ride pass which expires in two months, and my little bonus trip to Sunnyvale (into another zone, unpaid for!) was not marked off, so I still have 10 rides. Next step: complete tune up for the bike, and um, maybe a softer seat.
The Mug Front
I remembered my own damn mug for Fivebucks this morning.
