I've really been enjoying commuting to work on my bicycle. It takes half the time as driving, it's much cooler in the afternoons, and I'm finally getting some exercise. There are a few pitfalls, though. Have you ever swerved in your car to avoid an indecisive squirrel? It's more unnerving on a bike. I had one run out in front of me today, then run away chattering vehemently. I wish I could understand squirrel. I'm sure it said something like "That's right - you'd better be scared of me. I've run entire SUV's off the road. Don't you know I could turn your bike into a pretzel and give you a concussion?" Of course, I thought "yeah, but unlike a car, I can chase you down and turn you into a faux rabbit fur scarf." But I actually like squirrels. Many people think of them as pests, but I think it's fascinating to watch them move through the tree-tops. I've long thought that if I could build a robot squirrel, the world would beat a path to my door. Our neighbor shoots at them with an air pistol. When our dog was alive and healthy, our best fun was to let her out the back door in the morning and watch her chase three or four at a time up the trees. When she had them treed, she would dance and twirl on her hind legs , barking with great excitement. The squirrels would busily shuck pine cones and hurl them down at her while chattering vicious squirrel invectives. Ah, well, the good old days.