process improvement

Every time I put on a rally it's a little easier. Partly it's because I'm getting better at it, more familiar with the roads, more able to tell from a map which roads to even bother exploring, more able to recognize a good checkpoint location as I drive past it. But partly it's because each time I extend my automation a bit more. Today, for instance, I'm sending out letters to each of the police chiefs. I've got all their contact info in a database, and template letters to use. No more looking up information on who to notify. And I have a scanned-in signature (the legible one, not the legal one) from when I did the Arisia program book ad mailing, so I don't have to sign the things either. I love it when computers can learn things for me.

a pleasant surprise

I took a shovel to work with me this morning, expecting to spend an hour digging my bike out of a snowbank. But the folks who shoveled at work didn't bury the thing. And it was in the lee of a building and so only got about four inches, not even enough to reach the chainrings. Yay! And biking home was definitely more pleasant than walking from the T had been that morning. No black ice, and since traffic was for the most part moving slowly no one was annoyed that I took up a lane I wouldn't have otherwise.

Of course there was still a guy who was annoyed that I took a lane in a place that I always take a lane snow or not, but that's a side street and he can bite me.