A bit chilly today

The thermometer on my bike computer read -19*F the whole way in. That can only mean one thing, and I just confirmed it. That's as low as it goes, so who knows how cold it really was. It usually is about 5 to 10 degrees colder at mid-ride in the middle of the lowland farm fields. -19 is probably about right for home, judging by the other thermometers on the house (-9 on the thermometer against the house, -13 on the one 10 feet away, the bike was in the garage 30 feet upwind)

I was slightly overdressed. My nose got a bit cold for the first 5 minutes or so until I warmed up, but that was it. The limiting factor on days like this is that I can't get all that much air through the balaclava, and I can't ride with it off my face for too long at a time. This balaclava has a heat exchanger insert, but I've given up on it.

Random

Chelsea schools are closed today due to "dangerous" wind chills. On my way in a cycled past a couple of kids waiting for the bus. I had the fun of circling back and delivering onto them the good news: get thee back inside, no school, yay! I wonder though, what do 2-income households do when school's closed?

Also, if you don't have APOD in your daily routine, GO AND LOOK AT THIS:

http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap070205.html

JUST DO IT. F'in awesome. I can't imagine my glee if I took that picture and got all three to come out like that.