I declare it officially SPRING!

Why? For many reasons, I say:

1) I got the first work email about putting together a team for the Bike to Work Month Challenge. May is Bike to Work Month and that = SPRING!!! Commuting is the easy part - now we have to think of a witty team name.

2) I got to ride into work this morning with Dave Hiller who never ceases to crack me up with his mix of cynicism and brilliant wit. The sun was shining and birds were chirping, so that meant a zillion MOMZ and their baby strollers on the Burke. He spent much of the ride quietly beoytching about them walking two abreast and told me about Asshole Dave's #1 Rule: If you don't have at least 6 punches in your punchcard from riding or walking outside in January, then you don't deserve to be outside on a nice spring day. Outta my way!

3) Springtime happy hour with my coworkers. Granted, we were inside a dark hole, but I got to ditch work early, ride in the warm sunshine to and from so that counts for something. And in addition to all the other random run-ins today, I saw Miss Michele looking mighty bodacious and fine with her friends and also enjoying the beautiful evening. I swear I'll go to my grave only being identified by the bicycle crap attached to my body.

4) Taking advantage of the warm weather and late sunset to finish the day's errands sans lights. Riding around town w/o looking like a spaceship reminds me of the careless days of being a kid when you weren't conscious of visibility or traffic rules, you just rode your bike to have fun and get around. More people need to embrace that. Bikes are not that complicated, people.

5) Watching dusk creep over the Ballard Bridge on the way home and turn the water different shades of blue and black with the loud hum of the cars vibrating around you. If you put your ear up to one of the metal beams it's like a thousand seashells calling your name. It's one of my favorite parts of living in this city.

Welcome, Spring, we've been waiting for you!