My Bainbridge Island Ferry alternative for this year's Chilly Hilly

I volunteered this morning at 6:30am as a cashier for today's Chilly Hilly ride. I made it until 9:30am, but had to quit as I'm too damp and frozen from this morning's 5:30am bike to the start to even think about riding on BB when my shift is done. The temperature is hovering at freezing here and it's icy rain falling near the Mariners stadium so it won't be any warmer over there. So I left early to defrost in a Starbucks. Not an issue as "day of ride" registrations are going to be a bust for the bike club this year, My preferred ferry for today is the cute drawing on this insulated coffee mug. I really like riding on BB, but today's the most miserable CH I've tried. Just yesterday I started planning the logistics for another of my top 10 once-in-a-lifetime trips. Last year I managed 3 "I" country trips: Italy, Iceland and India. This year I'm looking at "E" countries. My spring quarter break from ESL teaching is the last 2 weeks of March and there are a lot of moving parts. So getting pneumonia or skidding on icy roads less than a month away from this one would be totally idiotic.
Bainbridge will be lovelier in a few months.

Friends on snow shoes at Mt Baker

Something different to do this weekend.

Imagine what the cat is thinking

I guess this is as ridiculous as those baby strollers designed to push one's miniature breed dog around.

Wagashi valentines

My preferred valentine treat from Japan.

6:30a to 9a on the Burke Gilman trail

I volunteered with Cascade Bike Club today, soliciting these postcards from bike commuters to give to the Seattle City Council for tomorrow's installment in the "Please Finish the BG through Ballard" saga. As a 20-year resident of the area, I see both sides of the "old light industrial Ballard vs. new urban growth village Ballard" impasse. I like the scrappy side of blue collar businesses, plus I benefit from the gentrification of Market Street. Both are economic drivers and it's not an "either/or" decision. Let's get past the fighting, please.

Here comes a Hallmark holiday

These look enticing but the only place I'd eat one of these valentine themed cakes is in Germany. They know how to work with chocolate. If the weather on Tuesday is decent, dry if cold, I'll be volunteering on the Burke Gilman trail in Ballard, collecting valentines to biking from any commuting cyclist who cares to stop. I'm not exactly sure what I'll be doing, but when I show up at 6:30am I'm sure the Cascade Bike Club person will have it all figured out.

From today's Wall Street Journal

Encouraging news. Bullying is tiresome and accomplishes little. Here's to more heat and less light. I am pleased that the legislators here in the "other" Washington aren't buying it.