Holidaze

It's morning on Christmas Eve, and for once, my family has not gotten spun into the usual holiday tizzy. Sure, we bought a few gifts, had a couple of nice celebratory meals, but mostly our lives go along as normal.
The weather in Madison has been warm enough that I rode my bicycle to work a couple of times last week. Once, I rode my customary route through the University of Wisconsin Arboretum. A low-lying fog made the ride a little spooky. The wet and the chill discouraged all but a small handful of the runners and cyclists that I regularly see enjoying this wooded island in the midst of the city.
Another time, I skirted Lake Wingra on its west side. This route is a mix of low traffic streets and bike path, but is marred by an uphill three blocks on Monroe Street, one of the main arteries into the UW campus.