Artkansas 

Well, today was an adventure. I rode to a job interview. I didn't ride all of the way though. Temperatures were freezing, so I took the bus as far as I could and then rode the last 3+ miles on my bike.

The interview was set up just yesterday afternoon, so I didn't have much time to prepare. I ended up using both of my panniers and my backpack held my laptop. I put the interview clothes in one pannier and used the other for riding clothes. It was freezing cold, and the water bottle that I left on the bike when I got on the bus was frozen with a solid bead of water coming out of the spout and going down the outside. It was snowing when I got off the bus. I thought that if the employer had any questions about wether I could get to work on a bike, I'd use today's ride as case in point.

The ride wasn't that long, but by the time I arrived at the jobsite, I couldn't feel anything with my fingers. I poked my head inside and saw what looked like a generous sized bathroom. I had taken the bus before the one I needed, so I could spend some time warming up at a Waffle House just around the corner. I was glad for the bathroom at the jobsite, because the alternative would have been changing at Waffle House.

The interview went well. They are in a hurry to get a crew together, and I'm supplied by a headhunter. So it was more relaxed than usual. And it looks like I'll get a spot if temporary.

For the ride back, I debated just riding home directly, but chickened out, so I rode to the bus stop 3 miles away. The job site is very car-centric that way, miles away from any kind of public transport, but right by the freeway which is flanked by automobile dealers on both sides. But that also allowed me to check out an apartment complex near the bus stop for possible habitation.

I hopped on the bus and rode it back to the transit center. Apparently I had just missed my connections and decided to try riding the rest of the way home, about 10 miles. It went okay. I was slow because of the cold, and I've never had to deal with drinking from a frozen water bottle before. It wasn't solid, but the spout was clogged and there was about 1/4" of solid ice around the inside of the bottle so I couldn't squeeze it. After swapping out the top with the bottle I had carried inside the bus, I was able to suck some of the water out if I tried hard.

The manager was positive towards bikes, though I never asked him where the parking was, that's a discussion for another day.