Rode my scooter to work

Well, winter is over! It was nice enough (just barely) to ride my scooter to work yesterday. And, to prove it wasn't a fluke, I rode it in again today. I put it away for the "winter" in November. I started it up a few times during the cold weather to make sure the battery hadn't died but after a string of really cold weather, I couldn't get it to start. I moved it from the shed to my mother-in-law's unheated garage where it is a little warmer (it's attached to the house). Even then, it took about 20 minutes of cranking to get it to start on Saturday (March 5). The temperature was in the 50's and I took it for a short ride to make sure everything was OK. It was so much fun. I couldn't wait for some nice weather during the week to ride it to work. Finally, after a return to cold temperatures on Monday and Tuesday, it warmed up to the 30's on Wednesday and I was ready.

But, except for my short ride on Saturday, I hadn't been on the road with it since November and I was a little worried. Not only had it been a long time but I was still a little nervous after the spill I took early in November (I wrote about it as A Little Trouble). What if the roads were still icy? What if sand was still on the roads from what the snow plows had used to help during the snowy winter? What if it was colder than I thought it would be? It turned out to be no trouble at all. I did take it very slowly - never going above 35 miles per hour. I kept pulling off the road to let cars pass me. I got to work about a half hour late but I made it safely. I think I was smiling the whole way. I had forgotten how much fun it is to ride my scooter.

A number of people came up to me yesterday remarking about how they know spring is coming now that they see my scooter in the parking lot. That's how I feel, too. It won't be long before the Red Sox start to play regular season games.