ride report

did not ride today. the bike was left at work over the long weekend because i got picked up on the way to the airport.

it's going to be sunny in the upper 70's this afternoon, so i intend to ride a bit this evening after work.

quake me, shake me

back in my day..."internet" meant finding stuff that was only sort-of related to what you were looking for, was text-only, navigating with the damn arrow keys.

now browsing is graphical and it also seems that everything is online, even earthquake forecasts.

on another topic -- this one, bike related -- this "bike the drive" thing in chicago seems hella cool. adorable retro logo. a good thing to keep in mind for next year...

left coast time is screwed up

i love coming to the left coast. i can wake up rediculously early with no effort whatsoever. of course coming home's a bitch.

the time change has me a bit screwed up and on top of that, this sketchy hotel (we thought the pictures on the web looked good) has some crappy system where the a/c is powered by water and it sounds like there's a gnome in the ceiling taking a piss. therefore i'm up extra early.

so, i'm using the free wireless to scope local blogs to find the insider's guide on all the hot action the sac has to offer, since this is my first time and all.

not that velodiablo's help wasn't solid -- he's incredibly helpful -- but i'm always on the search...

so far i've found this father of 3's inner angst blog. funny but not so helpful.

to be continued...

bike report

mileage when i got to work: 1491.0

clothing excitement: the first day i wore shorts and short sleeves to work this year. no more sweatshirts and tights, i hope!

wish i could bring my bike: to san fran + sacramento this weekend. i think i'm still going to try to find a way. either that or i'll find a yoga place

non-bike related: separated at birth?

wonkette or martha stewart? they report, you decide.

Ride report

Mileage when I got to work: 1478.8

Most exciting moment: Drafting off a garbage truck

Best smell: Garbage truck, with the restaurant commisary baking yummy buns -- or so it smelled -- at a distant second

Second best obstacle: Small Bobcat-type earth mover swerving on the park road

Weather: Rapidly warming up throughout the ride, blue skies with streaky clouds

Regret: Eating too much Ben and Jerry's at our cookout the night before

ride report

today's smell: inside of car

today's mileage: didn't look

today's excitement on the way to work: changing the cd from elastica to cake, finding a place in the parking garage

it's a beautiful today (70, sunny) and i'm smarting because i couldn't ride to work today. i have a meeting and have to drive in the middle of the day to get to that meeting. oh well.

what to wear

this is the last post for the night, i swear...

i was just reading this excellent post (from another blogrouter) on wearing your work clothes on your bike commute.

i commend folks who wear their street clothes, but this post is full of excuses on why i can't do that.

i wear my tighty blackies on my rather short (4.25 miles one way) but pretty hilly commute because i have an "indoor" job and need to not only look presentable but smell presentable.

my work clothes get to work either in my bag or occasionally i'll do a run in the car during the weekend if i'm prepared enough, but that's usually a sunday for monday thing since i'm not that organized.

i keep towels and extensive toiletries (a full toiletry kit with makeup, hair stuff, shampoo, you name it) at work and take a shower in our very nice shower.

all i have to do is brush the ol' teeth before i leave for work. nice.

there are folks in my neighborhood - two to be exact - who dress in suits for their bike commutes, but i just can't bring myself to do that.

reasons why i just can't wear my street clothes on my bike commute:

yes, i need to race everyone and everything. that means traffic lights, cars, other people on bikes, to name a few.

my hair is large and curly and requires gelling WHILE it's wet. you don't want my hair to look "like a zulu" (as my grandma would say) at work, do you?

"outdoor smell" is hard to get out - even if i went, say, 10 mph, the outdoor smell still permeates the clothing. this is the same smell that indicates that my husband has been driving with the windows down

girl clothes are tricky - i need to wear pretty clothes and many of my outfits don't work on a bike

so there. those are my excuses.

Today's evil bike snottiness

Was eating dinner at burrito place up the street. (Yes, I ate WAY TOO MUCH and then went home and had THREE bowls of Rice Krispies. What's it to you?)

We saw a girl with chain grease all over her calf. I don't think that was permanent ink, folks.

Yes, there were snickers coming from our table.

papeles picados con bicicletas

i'd like to embark on a projecto de papel picado pero tengo uno problemo.

you see, i don't want to waste my time on a shitty papel picado.

noooo...i want snazzy. for example, check out this skeleton on a bicycle.

in fact, i didn't know until tonight that skeletons on bicycles are popular in dia de los muertos imagery.

for example, this dia do los muertos bicycle ridin' skeleton is pretty damn cool.

need more skeletons on bikes?

this one kinda creeps me out while this seems downright scary.

i need to end this post because my mind is now drifting to a more general topic: cute tee shirts with bike themes. for example, check out this coooll heart chainring shirt.

bike report

today's mileage when i got to work: 1470.2 (a little less than it should be because i hitched a ride home with husband after tennis yesterday afternoon)

today's scents: friiiiiiied chicken cooking at kfc. damn, that place SMELLS GOOD. i won't eat there, but the sweet grease smell sure makes me smile.

other stuff: i am #12 on blogroute:

bike report

miles when i got to work: 1465.8

excitement: took a back street during part of the route and i think it was less busy

more excitement: husband sherpa'ed my stuff today. that feels nice after a long weekend of eating!

bike report

miles when i got to work today: 1456.0

weather: muggy, sticky, like everything's covered in cling-wrap

scent o' the day: the bakery! what else? (found a gift certificate for the bakery last night while sorting financial statements at home. hurrah.)

off-topic

someone in my office just got a lavender plant in a can, sent by some pr company. the can has lots of japanese and no brand name or website address, so i set off on a web search.

looks like this is currently hard to come by in our area. i did find this site though.

bike report

today's weather: cloudy in the 70's. ride home will be rainy.

miles when i got to work: 1446.5

Ride report

Miles when I got to work: 1438.0

Scent of the day: Sawdust

To me, sawdust is more than the smell of a board sawed in half, which is how I encountered it today (addition being constructed on a home). Sawdust to me is a fresh stall, preferably with a clean horse inside.

No ridin' today

...but I WILL be riding tomorrow. Highs in the 70's again...In the voice of the Cool Aid Man...OOOoh yeaah!

On a totally different topic, I LOVE McV Chocolate Digestives. I'm mad that my grocery up the street now carries McV (plain digestives only) because it's now that much easier to procure them.

Tomorrow I plan to start up again with yoga. My little cousin, in town for the summer, said she'd go with me, daily. I wanted to go tonight but the last class started at 6 p.m. HELLO, I'm at work. Who gets home from work in time for a 6 p.m. class? I'd love a 6 *A.M.* yoga class (at the studio up the street, not on Oxygen).

In more news not related to bikes, I made maple granola this evening. I'm also using the food dehydrator for peaches and pineapple. I love the yummy smell the dehydrator makes.

funny - from my cousin's diary when she was young

I love daddy because you love me. Love L. I love you mommy for the things you do. Love L. I love you j. even though you hit me. Love L. I love you r. because you hit me. Love L. I love you G-d. Love L.

idea: podcast audio tours

I'd love to do: podcast audio tours for cyclists

This is somewhat like Adam Curry's invention (I think) of Soundseeing, but instead of stream of consciousness, this would be a well-produced audio tour, similar to the high-quality tours you listen to in museums.

Speaking of museums, the ArtMobs folks are endeavoring a similar project, asking for podcast tours of MOMA.

Mine would be FUNNY and irreverent.

My mom's would be fun but smart and sound like an former art historian/former NPR contributor wrote/voiced it.

bike report

miles when i got to work: 1413.5

wished i could have stopped: at that one bakery i pass every day. they are one of the "been here back when the neighborhood was good" businesses that looks out of place in the hood where packs of roving teens with white tee shirts and baggy jeans swagger nearby

sherpas are great: if i ever go to the andes or any high-up mountain range, i'm definitely hiring a sherpa. shit, i might just hire one for my next trip. my husband rode with me and actually admitted that my laptop is kinda heavy. see! i told you!

scent of the day: i can't seem to remember, though perhaps i will and then alter this post. i know it isn't bad emissions, though i do hold my breath for those chug-chug cars that puff out the silver smoke. i am definitely more observant/sensitive about smells than other folks. poor husband couldn't smell anything - allergy season. aw.

roadrunner: i am NEVER going to reset my computer now. current readout for maximum speed: 79 mph, baby! yeeyah! not sure how that happened, but it's AWESOME.

bike report

miles when i got to work: 1393.8

Nice morning for a ride - semi-humid (okay, 88% humidity, but I like it) and overcast. Husband rode to work with me. Aw, how sweet.

Most exciting aspect of the ride: Ran over a mostly squished ketchup (catsup) packet. I relished (pun) the SQUISH as my tire went over it. (Don't worry, I saw that it was open and wasn't going to explode upwards.)

bike report

mileage: 1369.3

the warmth is finally here, and hopefully here for good. i was at work a little late-ish and husband came to pick me up (on his bike). we rode home together, he carrying my heavy laptop on his back.

bikes seen on the way home: 7, i think, but i wasn't really counting

honkeys honking horns: one, a new porsche boxster driver who was incredibly impatient and honked JUST as the red light turned green. i was in the curb lane and actually took off before the person in the lefthand lane did. i wasn't in the mood to turn around and frown at the guy, but i should have, though on second thought perhaps he's a member of the happy horn honking club like my hubby, who seems to inadvertently honk ALL the time by accident.

Do you have a cartbike?

This seems to be cool...all except the stealing the grocery cart part!

What am I doing now? I'm listening to Adam Curry's Daily Source Code.

bike report

mileage: 1351.5

The ride to work was not as cold as expeceted. I looked like a moron, wearing my facemask as people wearing shorts walked their dogs. I must stop listening to the morning weather report. I should just, I dunno, walk outside!?!?!

ride report

Mileage: 1322.9 as of 2:34 p.m. Sunday

Today's ride: Went to watch a local race (running) a few neighborhoods over, rode home, rode to our friendly neighborhood movie store to return "Napoleon Dynamite", rode to work then home.

Best smell on ride: Has to be the KFC. It's on my ride to work. That fried/grease/chicken smell makes me feel like I'm currently eating it. I don't even need to put it in my mouth.

Best food option on ride: Could be the BBQ wagon on the side of the road. I can't smell it, so either I'm too far away or they cook it elsewhere. Either way, a ghetto food wagon is usually a good bet. I am going to pick some up for dinner some night soon.

Second best food option on ride: A WONDERFUL bakery up the road a bit from the BBQ wagon. They have the most amazing foccacia/roasted red onion/smoked turkey/goat cheese/etc. sandwich.

Hills: Yes. I don't have to use my loser chainring to go up the biggest hill anymore, so I GUESS that's progress, and I try to go faster than 10 mph on the hill, but darn it, that's hill's more than a mile long and the grade is not to my taste. I really dig the short steep ones, but the long ones are much, much harder.

Now: Laundry, get clothes together for next week, begin cleaning house in anticipation of in-laws' visit in two weeks, oh yeah, and buy a vaccuum online.