Errandonnee, Third Time = Success!

After freezing my toes the last time out with unlined L.L. Bean boots, I popped warmers into favorite all-around shoes, snugly on top of my toes. I've learned from past commutes that foot warmers do not work underneath feet, at least inside tight-fitting bike shoes. I wore a warm pair of mittens, as opposed to gloves, also with hand warmers. With the right accommodations to battle cold and wind, I set out with a few errands to tick off my list.

I took advantage of a coupon for free lunch at Chipotle, which is 2.5 miles from home. The restaurant does not have a designated bike rack, but an outdoor railing provided ample space for a cable lock where I could keep an eye on my ride, yet unobtrusive to pedestrians. Chicken burrito with usual rice and beans plus corn salsa and green salsa filled the belly. I always plan to try a new entree, but I fall back on my favorite. I doused the open burrito in Green Tabasco sauce, which happened to sit on the table next to mine. It lit my palate on fire, but the taste grew on me. I'm a fan of salsas, always looking for adventurous alternatives to flavors I often buy, like Green Olive Tomatillo (I'm salivating just thinking about it).

Maglianero's signature mug. Purple mittens kept me warm.

I left Chipotle all nice and toasty. Because of that blessed artificial warmth I headed to the south end of waterfront path, braving whatever the frozen lake front might throw or blow my way. Wind wasn't too bad, fortunately, forming icy peaks where lake shore ice met open water. Amazingly, I only walked a short stretch; otherwise the paved trail was mostly ice and snow free.

Outside Maglianero, I took off my mittens because my hands were sweating—yay! Toes remained well-heated too. I pushed my bike inside—one of the wonderful things about the place: indoor bike parking—however, I was disappointed that a table with two patrons sat beneath the suspended pipe rack, rendering bike parking useless. Instead, I parked my machine against the wall near the community bike tools, wondering about the change. I did not see any other bikes. The place looked busy, so busy that when I got my coffee, I stood at a counter, because tables were full. Must be accommodation was added, filling in the open space normally taken by parked bicycles—hopefully a temporary fix.

I was very pleased with the coffee, a medium-dark roast, served in their signature new mugs. They are thick pottery with supple finish that feel good in your hands. The rear lip of the cup is taller, and as a barista explained, "let's the aroma filter to your nose". I like the mugs a lot, but with my usual curious nature, I wonder if they'll eventually disappear like the A&W mugs of old (I confess, I have two root beer glasses in my cupboard). Also, what if you're left handed?

Every girl should carry a blender and ping pong paddle in her panniers!

Afterward I stopped at ReStore, not looking for anything in particular. I found a Cuisinart blender (top portion only) for $3.00. After having just spent $25.00 to replace the gasket and blade, I picked up the extra parts. For the price it was worth having a replacement for future mishap. I also found a ping pong paddle. My boys and husband play against a basement wall until we locate a reasonably priced second hand table.

I stopped by the library but it was closed due to President's Day. Rats. I'd planned to check on what other book titles they carried by Louis de Bernieres, author of Birds Without Wings and Corelli's Mandolin. I highly recommend both books, especially if you like a little history thrown in with a captivating story.

On the way home, I stopped by school to escort my youngest son home. Later, I set out on my own needing to pick up returned items at the police department. Go figure. They were also closed due to the holiday. I'm counting that mileage though. Seems only fair.

 Four errands complete, six attempted, totaling 11 miles:

1. Breakfast or Lunch - Chipotle
2. Coffee or Dessert - Maglianero
3. Wild Card - ReStore
4. School pick up - I did not count this errand twice on the control card.

5. Library - closed

6. Police Department - closed

For the Errandonneering Challenge, I completed 10 errands total out of prerequisite 12. Neither did I ride at night. I did pretty well overall, riding 31 miles in only three days of errands. The best part and my measure of success: I found how to stay warm.