More touring stuff—I think the promise of spring combined with lots of time at home chasing kids across unseasonably icy ground has got me thinking about spending long hours on a bike . . . preferably somewhere warm.

One of the nicest things about my job is that I get to hear about other peoples' touring adventures. One of the worst things about my job is that I get to hear about other peoples' touring adventures. Not because they aren't interesting—they are, always, and there's often some bit of useful advice that can be passed on to a future velo-nomade. It's just that the enjoyment is tempered with . . . something. Envy, I suppose. I can't help feeling like the house cat who looks outside and sees the free-range neighbor cat out roaming the streets, stalking squirrels and sleeping in the sun.

(As an aside: if you ever thought of your family as an impediment to bike adventures, you could use the Byers family as an inspiration.)