ugh .. note to self: when being vaccinated for polio and yellow fever, do your best not to get bitten by bugs a few days after the fact. Complications arise, and the immune system can only handle so many nasty bits of venom in the bloodstream.

Traffic into downtown was hella congested due to preparations for the Celtics victory parade. Packs of rabid fans were already camping out behind barricades. Wound up lane-splitting the length of Cambridge St. from the Longfellow to Gov't Center to get through the morass, finally climbing into a break in the traffic at a yellow light just outside City Hall Plaza. I heard one of the Celtics fans up ahead of me yelling out , "Go, Lance!"

So, of course, I humored the kid and put up both my hands in that classic, hands-free cyclist's victory pose. Crowd went nuts. Not a terrible way to start the day.