Did you ride today?

"Did you ride today?" with that slight rising pitch at the end of the question straining against the situation of it. "Well yes it was a bit chilly (23 degrees) but I went with the extra layer and was fine. " At 23 degrees if I start feeling at all too warm from heavy pedaling up a hill all I have to do on the down side is lean forwards and down slightly and the small opening of my jacket in the front creates a cyclone blast of cold air that exits out the bottom of the jacket. At 23 degrees three glove layers (outer nylon/vinyl lobster shell, extra large fleece gloves and three season snug gloves) provides enough warmth so the tingling sensation goes away in 30 minutes. Same for the toes. At 23 degrees it's tricky. If I start out warm I will start sweating and then get quite cold. If I do it right and start out cool but then build up a little heat I might sweat a little (no rivulets) and that's enough to send some heat out to my hands and toes. If I don't have enough insulation I start out cool and sink into cold with added muscle stiffness and the tingling turns into burning (not pleasant) as soon as I get inside. Why do it?
I have learned I can handle some fear daily. A little excitement is a good thing. A few unexpected rocks and potholes are like spices added to a bland dish. A flat makes me pay attention. But I can't handle two hours a day of fear without it taking over my brain leaving me unable to think about anything else. The ride is the tail and my work is the dog and I want to make sure the tail is the complement. Riding for an hour in 38 degree wet weather and returning in the afternoon similarly cold and wet is just too much but a light rain in the a.m. and a clearing afternoon can create beautiful wind driven clouds and spectacular expanses. Like many other activities there really isn't that much theory to it; it's mostly in the doing and building up an experience base so you can just feel your way through it. I've done it wrong enough times to create some memories. Now, I just want to have fun.