goodbye toy store

I read that KB Toys is going bankrupt. I'm not sure why this set off something in me that made me notice it. Maybe they're kinda iconic. Mostly they symbolized overpriced flashy plastic crap that my parents would never buy for me as a child. Maybe I can run in to some of those going-out-of-business sales and find mechanical toys that could be repurposed for autonomous robot platforms.

Biking at 37F in the rain

Last weekend I got some waterproof bike pants and I've put them to good use the last couple days. I've arrived at either end clean and dry. They're pretty expensive. I guess it's a matter of how long they're good for that will determine if I'm overall satisfied. I'm kinda expecting some of the material to break down eventually. If the pants last six months I will be disappointed. A year might be ok, and I think two years would be good enough.

I continue to over-bundle in reaction to the cold snap of a few weeks ago. 37F and rainy wearing jeans, outer waterproof pants, sweater and heaviest winter coat is nice and comfortable to start with but too warm and sweaty a mile or two into the ride. On the plus side I feel confident that I could go down to 20F comfortably if I just bundle my feet up well enough.