New bike! New office! New life!

Ever since I interviewed for my new job I've been talking about how cool it would be to get a bike and commute the 3.3 miles to work.  I talk about eating local.  I grow some of our own food.  I now have a job that's local.  Shouldn't my commute be sustainable and healthy as well?

Well, Gene surprised me last night with a new bike.  Actually, he tossed a slip of paper in my lap and said, "I got something for you."  It took me a second to realize what he'd done.

The bike is a super duper, shine-y, silver one.  I was 18 the last time I got a new bike, a Huffy that weighed a ton. 

OMG.  I just realized that 18 is half a lifetime ago.  Holy crap.  I need a moment.

Anyway, here it is!  It's so pretty.  We've added fenders and a rack.  I'm getting fitted for it on Thursday when I pick it up, and they'll also give me a tutorial on how to use the various gears.  I've never been fitted for a bike before.

Now I'm officially committed.  This was not a cheap bike.  We stretch every dollar as far as possible, so the thought of having a bike that I'm not using is simply unconscionable.  I loved riding my bike in college and look forward to doing so again.

My new office is even big enough to store my bike out the elements and away from people with ill intent.

Speaking of the new digs, I went to check them out today.  I felt like a total dork exclaiming about the view and taking a picture in front of my future (and pretty amused) coworker.  I think I made things worse when I said, "it's not like I haven't had my own office before".  The exchange reminded me of the time in college when I crashed my bike on a dark Saturday night.  I swerved off the path to avoid some pedestrians and hit a boulder in the dark.  I went over the handle bars and blacked out, flat on my back.  As soon as I came to, I realized that my worried rescuers thought I was smashed.  My first words were, "I'm not drunk."  Theirs were, "riiiiiight."

Note to self:  Just. Shut. Up.  I blabber when I'm nervous.  I'm working on that.

But hey: swanky new office with a view that includes all of downtown Tacoma, Commencement Bay, Thea Foss Waterway, the Port of Tacoma, and more.  Here's a crappy cell phone pic:

Maybe better than the view is the fact that the office furniture all matches.  Seriously, people, this is a big deal.  No Army green hand-me-down furniture from the 1950s. 

My fellow government employees will understand.