This morning I think I met my limit. The temperature said it was -5°, but felt like -12°. Seriously? So, I left the house and soon realized why. A nasty, brutal headwind (gusty headwind, not steady) made the brisk air feel 2x as bad. By the time I got to the Juniper park, I pulled into the parking lot with full intentions of heading back home and calling in sick or something. The cold absolutely hurt, and it was only -5°! As I stood waiting for traffic, the wind stopped and it didn’t feel so bad so I continued on instead. However, I got to the top of Qu’Appelle and said “Screw this!”. My face was already hurting from the wind, and that wind was cutting right through my thin sport jacket making it feel like I was wearing nothing at all on my chest! So, I did turn around this time. I rode back home and grabbed some change and picked up the bus instead.
It meant I got to work about 20 minutes early, but I wasn’t a popsicle at least. I’m hoping the wind will die down by tonight. At least, I hope it doesn’t change directions like it typically does! A tailwind with -5° will be very much like no wind at all, so I could handle that.
Therefore, I now truly do see the end. I think without the wind, I could ride for a bit colder yet, but with that wind factor there’s no way. I don’t have the gear. I need a full face/neck/head cap thingy… I need proper shirt/vest/jacket. I need actual winter shoes (NOT summer vented shoes with a mere little toe cover). After all of that, my legs were fine! As long as I was moving that is… Standing at the bus stop for 5 minutes they got pretty cold…
Speaking of the bus, I’m a bit “out of practice” for sure. First of all, I put my bike on backwards. Not a big deal, it still works. But, really, what was I doing? The J-hook goes over the front tire! Then, I got off the bus at TRU and in my hurry to make the connection, I forgot to put the bike rack back up and started riding away before I realized and turned around just as the driver was about to get up and do it himself… Sorry! And then I got onto the Pineview bus only to realize I didn’t pick up a transfer… Thankfully, the driver believed me that I just got off of the Juniper bus and had forgotten my transfer and let me ride!!! Not that the ride from TRU would’ve been too bad, but still… 
Rookie mistakes!
The bus driver of the the Pineview bus was pretty cool. He’s been driving bus for 41 years!!! Wow. When he was younger, he used to bike to work and back from Rayiegh. That’s a pretty good ride, really, as it’s about a 20 minute drive I think? He said he also used to leave his bike with a friend on the Westsyde side of the river and then canoe across, and then ride his bike in (the bus station is over between Batchelor and Brock I think). He had some pretty neat commuting stories for sure! Anyways, I imagine I’ll be getting to know him better over the next couple of months…
However, I did realize this morning that the bus tickets will be a bit more expensive than I was thinking. I was thinking about just buying the $30 pack of 20 tickets, which lasted me about a month before. However, that was when I was riding home on the bike, which I won’t be doing meaning that I’ll need twice the tickets. So, I will have to buy the $45 unlimited pass. Not that much more, but still! This month, as it is almost over, I’ll just buy the $30 pack (they still charge the full $45 even if I only have a week left in the month) but next month I’ll have to buy the full $45 pass…
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