Warm enough Sunday to entice me into a 27 mile bicycle ride. Not being in regular-season shape, and still getting over my bronchitis, it wasn't at any record setting pace... but still a nice ride. I just need to charge my headlight to be ready for a ride to work - 15 miles each way.

Another sign of global warming:
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Last Three Months Warmest on U.S. Record Books-NOAA
Thu Feb 21, 5:54 PM ET
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The last three months were the warmest on U.S. record books, and January was the balmiest in the 123 years temperatures for the month have been recorded globally, government scientists said on Thursday.
A preliminary average of the nation's temperature measured from November 2001 to January 2002 was 4.3 degrees Fahrenheit above average temperatures gathered between 1895 and 2001, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the government's climate study arm. The same monthly period in 1999-2000 held the previous record, NOAA said.
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Today was the second day in a row we haven't gone below freezing at any time. Lots of fog and gloom, though.

OK -- no more skating rink comments, other than to say it probably didn't matter that I killed it last weekend, after all the warm weather that we continue to have. Tough to skate on slush.

Just getting over a bad case of bronchitis. Thought I was going to die last Monday. When I was out two days in a row my manager suggested to everyone that it might be a good idea to fumigate the area, seeing that I never get sick. I don't remember taking two days off being sick since I had my appendix taken out in the mid-80's!

Almost back to normal now, though. And almost time to get bicycling again.

The skating rink is dead. I give up for this year, at least. Draining the water down caused the ice to cut a hole in the plastic, which causesd way too much water to leak out. I now have ice that slopes downhill, with a big crack, and no way to fix it (that I can think of). Can't even make use of the rink for fish because of the hole.

Wasn't meant to be.

Wasn't the opening ceremony of the Olympics visually stunning last night? I switched from NBC to the Canadian channel during the commercials, since there was *way* too many. I enjoyed the colors, use of lighting, and of course, the skating. Not sure about the 1980 hockey team lighting the torch, though. Didn't seem to be especially creative.

Spring seems to have arrived in New England. I guess I should just give it up and start getting ready to ride my bicycle to work. I have already gone for a 20 mile ride this year (last weekend in January!) and I'm ready to ride again.

On the skating rink front, I've been able to remove the layer of ice/snow/crap that was on top of much of the rink, but since it's been so warm it still isn't usable. I've also started to drain off some of the water in anticipation of rain on Sunday.

I'm ready to put fish in the water under the ice and start ice fishing.

Cold winter day. Still haven't gotten the ice rink in shape, though. It was much nicer last year even though I had to clear the snow every couple of days. Not this year, though. Just ice and slush.

Spent over $150 for 3 days of skating so far.

How about those Patriots! They certainly got all the breaks this season. It's nice to have a more or less local team on top of the heap for a change. I'm not holding my breath for the same to be true for the Celtics, Bruins, and of course the Red Sox.

Well, the ice wasn't as bad as expected, and we didn't lose power at all. The skating rink is going to be a real problem, though. Snow topped by sleet and rain will be very bumpy. I can't clear it yet without the risk of cracking the thin ice.

We'll see how it looks in the morning, after the temperature drops well below freezing. It's not supposed to get higher than the mid-20's for the next 5 days, at least!