Nearly 6-month update:
I continue truly to enjoy commuting, and have begun planning a first commute to my farthest-flung worksite--120 miles away (I started a thread on the touring forum about it). Even better, my wife went nuts for Father's Day and bought us a gorgeous Co-motion tandem bike. With crank shorteners and the seat all the way down it can fit our 8 year old girl too. We all had a wonderful time in Maine on this bike (Acadia Nat'l Park) a couple of weeks ago. I'm looking forward to tandem group rides and rallies. My poor car spends almost all its days now parked in the driveway, as I increasingly do errands and shopping by bike too.
I take to heart that advice about pedestrians--poor Rivendell! Those are awfully pretty bikes, though the Vanilla website makes me drool even more.
Thanks again to all those here who encouraged me when I was nervous to restart biking. It's once more assumed its place as one of the more joyful parts of my life. As a nice side effect, the leg and hip strength I've gained from pedaling has improved my comfort and performance in my primary sport (kayak ocean marathon racing), and my knees actually feel better than before (I'm hardly running now, but continue skateboarding). Hurst's book remains my bible, and I've given copies to several friends.
NuCommuter