public service announcements
fair warning
The weather has been crazy around here. Now it's super warm, but not too long ago it was super cold, and I expect it'll be back to cold again before too long. I don't mind (though you know I like the cold!) except that the rain and melting followed by freezing left a bit of ice, which last Thursday was covered up by a teeny little bit of snow. Which was treacherous. I fell, as pictured above, right where at least one other person had fallen before me (I saw the marks in the snow and thought someone had been kicking it around; after I made my own set it was all clear!). Since I had to get to work I couldn't stand around and warn everyone else personally, so I did the next best thing.
Of course, my warnings probably didn't last long, since it was still snowing as I continued on my way. When I got to work a coworker commented on the snow in my hair—there in some quantities because I don't wear a cap under my helmet, just ear-warmers. "You should wear a cap!" she told me. "You'll get sick!" When I demurred politely, she repeated herself, and I answered plainly, "no I won't!". I hope it didn't come across as rude, but I was hard pressed not to pull out Leah's "I break that curse in Jesus' name!"
Five days later and sickness hasn't laid me low yet, so it may be that this time I dodged the bullet that is wet hair in 30° temperatures. Or maybe getting an hour of outdoor exercise a day is healthier than not, and exposure to the elements on a mild winter day isn't the end of the world. Either way.
Yes, I'm a little sensitive, because now that I'm on my fourth school year of biking to work consistently I've pretty much heard all the comments that folks can come up with. Of course I try not to take it personally; just like when they see someone with a Saint Bernard, people probably can't help it. And the upside is that it gives me even more sympathy for what Leah has to deal with these days! Yes, we'll survive; but maybe as a society we could work on checking our off-hand comments for annoyingness before we let them go? You do that, and I'll keep marking ice hazards for you—does that sound fair?