Monday night coming home from the grocery store I made Stupid Cyclist Mistake #37: making a left turn across two lanes, I took a gap left for me by a big van in the near lane. Oops--I *know* that's always an awkward position to put yourself in.
I thought I'd checked the far lane, but of course there was a car I hadn't seen. We were both going very slowly and we both braked with space to spare. It was no big deal. But it was embarrassing: I should know to stop and check before crossing a lane that I can't actually see (and from which nobody could see me). Duh.
I also managed to skid my back wheel a bit today when it started raining on my ride to North Campus for a seminar. I didn't hear or feel the skidding itself, just felt the bike fishtail very slightly as I braked. Actually, it was kind of fun, and not as dumb (or dangerous) as the lane-crossing thing. Still, the fact that I was braking that hard suggests I wasn't planning ahead as far as I should have given the freshly wet road.
I didn't make it to the seminar, either, thanks to the combination of the sudden change in weather, some confusion about where the building was, and my having left the trip to the last minute.
Bah.