Another Ho-Hum January

Think of January as a warm up for a better year. It’s had it’s ups and downs so let’s review.

Biking: I managed to ride 726 miles this month. Most of my riding, 666 miles, was on the Cross Check. The other 60 was aboard Big Nellie. My longest ride was 40 miles. All of this activity was out-of-doors which is extremely unusual. The Cross Check got some TLC. I swapped out a huge saddle bag for a lighter rack bag. I replaced the chain and cassette. The finishing touch was new lighter. The Cross Check is nearly three pounds lighter now. Whee.

Weather: It was another abnormally warm month. It cooled off these last few days. Today it is snowing for the first time in over two years. Yesterday in a fit of pessimism, I moved Big Nellie into the basement.

Politics: Insurrection at the Capitol. A second impreachment. An inauguration attended by 25,000 National Guardsmen and A-Rod, Garth Brooks, and Lady Gaga. An inaugural address upstaged by Aa poetry reading. Line of the day: “I’m walking to work.” Unbelievable fireworks. Miles and miles of security fencing remains in place. Mr. Biden, tear down these walls!

Pandemic: My state decided to reduce the age for Covid-19 vaccinations to 65. Yay! Two days later they announced they had thousands fewer doses than they thought they had. Boo! I doubt I’ll get jabbed before March. So much for riding to the ballpark in April. I do know a few people in the area that have received the vaccine so that is encouraging. Meanwhile the virus is mutating. Are we having fun yet?

Reading: I have been burrowing through my pile of gift books from Christmas. All four are keepers.

• Conversations with Friends by Sally Rooney
• Just Like Us by Nick Hornby
• The Cold Millions by Jess Walter
• Anxious People by Fredrik Bachman

Viewing: The viewing month was pretty busy. Some keepers

• The Queen’s Gambit
• Luther
• Midnight Sky
• News of the World
• Wandavision

We watched two old Robert Mitcham movies.

• Out of the Past
• The Night of the Hunter

Out of the Past was an interesting film noir if you’re into that sort of thing. The Night of the Hunter is regarded as a cinematic masterpiece. I thought it was amateurish crap barely a step above Plan Nine from Outer Space. Your mileage may vary.

Yesterday I watched Project 11, a documentary about a football injury gone horribly wrong. A compound fracture became infected with flesh eating bacteria. The documentary shows the progression of the infection; it is not for the squeamish. Suffice it to say, I may never look at the barbacoa in my Chipotle burrito again.

The Baby Race: I watched on social media as four women I know carried their lockdown babies to term. Congratulations to Claire, Megan, Liz, and Malina.