Riding around just now, I noticed that my bike light had been stolen, too.

I can't even bring myself to be the slightest bit upset about this. After all, they were stupid enough to not steal the mount, which costs like $10 on it's own, and is dead easy to remove (it's a thumbscrew, no tools required).

Someone stole my bike out of the yard sometime over the past few days. How irritating. At least they took the normal bike, not the recumbant and trailer. The most irritating thing is that it had my decent lock (which wasn't in use - I'd intended to put it back on the other bike but forgot) and expensive seat on it.

I'm half hoping I'll find it abandoned somewhere nearby. It's a 3 speed (and I'm pretty sure two of the speeds don't actually work) with coaster breaks, and I can imagine someone discovering what a pain it is and just dropping it.

I shouldn't have gotten another book at the library today. Now I want to read it, even though I'm in the middle of three others. One of those (The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini) was a Christmas present, and it's just a little too depressing to be top priority. Two are library books that are due in a week or two. Of the library books, one (Waifs and Strays by Charles de Lint) is a bunch of short stories that should go pretty fast once I start reading it again, and the other (The Protector's War by S.M. Stirling) is one I want to read in theory - it's the second in a series, and I enjoyed the first book, but I'm having a hard time getting into it. I'm hoping it will get easier once I get past the first chapter and back to familiar characters. The new one (Goodnight Nobody by Jennifer Weiner) is brain candy mommyfic that I know I'll enjoy and get through within a day or two. I feel bad shoving it to the head of the queue, though. Especially since it isn't due for three weeks.

I suppose I'll keep plodding on The Protector's War for another chapter or two, and switch if it doesn't get better.

I think Leif is sick. I just asked him if he wanted to go out to the toy store and for ice cream, and he said no.

Today was a lovely day, one of the few we've had in the past month and a half that was below 95, so I went out for a nice long bike ride with Leif at around 5.

I headed out west of town about six miles, as far as the bike path goes. Shortly after turning around to head back, my rear tire went flat.

I knew it was dumb to go out without tire changing equipment, but I love that ride. I can go the whole way on bike paths, and all the farms are fascinating.

So I started walking the bike back. Occasionally someone would ask if I needed help, but all they could really offer was a cell phone, and I'd already done that much myself. Leif got bored of the slow pace, so I let him ride on the bike seat, which slowed the pace even further.

Finally, a woman who actually had some repair tools offered to help, which would have been great, except that the trailer hitch blocked the quick release on the rear wheel, and it just wasn't coming off, so we hooked the trailer back up.

Then Leif peed. He's been in cloth diapers or training pants most of the time lately because it's just been so hot that I feel terrible for him in disposables. He's about half potty trained anyways - he'll pee in the potty if given the opportunity, but won't tell me ahead of time. In any case, he peed, and I didn't have a change for him because he doesn't pee in the trailer and I hadn't anticipated him being out.

Fortunately, there was a towel, so I was able to wrap that around his waist.

Leif was starting to get really upset because he wanted to be carried, but I couldn't both carry him and handle the bike, so he just had to cry, and I felt terrible.

Then I heard a loud mewing from a bush. Searching around underneath, I found a tiny black kitty, probably about 3 or 4 weeks old. No evidence of any other kittens or adult cats around. It fit in my shirt pocket, where I carried it for a ways. At first, Leif was enchanted, but then he went back to crying because I wouldn't let him hold the kitten.

We finally got to the Unitarian church, and locked up the bike there. The trailer doubles as a stroller with a conversion handle and wheel. I'd considered taking the handle off before I left, but thankfully I'd left it on. Leif was still upset, but it was much easier to handle than the bike+trailer together.

Then the kitten peed on me.

We walked the rest of the way home. I was tempted to offer either the kitten or the toddler to everyone who passed.

So now I have a tiny black kitten curled up on me. It's eating breastmilk until we can get it some kitten formula or food (not sure if it's old enough for solids yet) - as far as I can tell, it isn't going to kill it as a short-term solution, and the next best thing we have on hand is yogurt. I plan to call the SPCA or the vet school's orphan kitten program tomorrow. We just can't keep it - koyote is too allergic and Leif is too rough.

It's tempting, though.

I have a feeling this is going to be a very long night. Anyone nearby in need of a very tiny kitten?

I still haven't submitted that EC article. I need to rewrite the introduction so that it will catch the interest of male geeks who aren't parents, and who may have no real intention of ever being parents, as well as a few other minor changes. But I'm being lazy and procrastinating.

I have things I need to do for all three classes. I really need to finish all work I'm behind on before I leave for vacation, since the final due date is while I'm gone. That's not till the 20th, but time will fly.

koyote has me converted. Recumbant bicycles rock, even if people do look at you funny.

Every so often I realize how weird we are. This happened again today, as I stepped off the bike trail, where koyote waited with our stoller jam-packed full of groceries and a recumbant bicycle, to take my 4 month old baby to the bushes to pee.

I got sunburned today. In November. It was like 80 degrees. And it's snowing on the fires in the mountains.

http://www.wavy.com/Global/story.asp?S=1504519&nav=23iiIpQt

It's odd running into people on LJ that you know, or at least know of, in real life. Especially in a context utterly unrelated to anything else we might have in common.

I upgraded to Panther the other day. The appearance changes irritate me somewhat, and I can't figure out how to switch it back. Not that I've tried all that hard.

Ginger People ginger peanut chews are good. They remind me of Thai food. Next person I know who gets pregnant gets a bag of Ginger People chews, though not peanut. Probably spicy apple.

I just realized I bought both ginger chews and gingerbread at Whole Foods today.

I gave in and ate two more of them. The person who first told me about these damn things warned me they were addictive.

I really must sew more. Writing stupid LJ entries like this and pining over things I don't have and probably will never get (at least not for Leif) is distracting me, though.

I should stop babbling, post this, and do something useful. Or sleep.