In a bid to make you forgive my appalling lack of posts this week, please enjoy this video from the always excellent Monty Python. Bicycle repairmen truly are my heroes. Especially the ones talented enough to change a bike from blue to red with the twist of a wrench! Hope everyone has a terrific weekend!
read moreFresh falling and rapidly accumulating snow on Monday and Wednesday caused me to abandon Oma for the L train. I simply don't like riding in fresh snowy conditions for safety reasons. Smushed and standing up on the train, I was not a happy camper, but I'm grateful to have a public transportation option that takes me door-to-door from home to office. On Tuesday, Thursday and Friday (looking ahead a bit), I stayed with my love, Ms. Oma. Not surprisingly, I had more energy on those mornings. Hey, why is ...
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How to make a mess: mix snow, rain, sleet, and some more snow. Vary temperatures wildly. Add a heaping dose of cars and a dash of city grit. Voila, a mess. The stage is set for cyclists to become victims of the unattractive skunk tail. If you want to avoid this fate (and you do), make sure your bike is outfitted with fenders. Mud flaps are great, too, and keep your shoes clean. Once your bike is outfitted with those classy and utilitarian accessories, you'll be ready to take on all sorts of...
read moreToday I've been singing forlornly, "Sunshine on my shoulders makes me happy..." The grim gray skies try to beat it out of me, but John Denver prevails. The lyrics and mood reminded me of this post from last year. I remember I felt like I would never, ever be warm again. Looking back, the date surprised me - January 13, 2009. I got beat down much earlier last winter. Now I feel better about my cold weather despondence. I made it all the way to late February before slumping, and spring will be he...
read moreThe weather is warm enough to wear fun boots instead of snow boots. Riding home from guitar class, I sang in my head the song we played, with a twist: "These boots are made for biking, and that's just what they'll do, one of these days the boots are gonna bike all over you."
"Are you ready boots? Start bikin'!"
I know I am a geek
And with the return of sun, and above-freezing temperatures in Nashville (at least for the past two days), I am ready to indulge. The wind in my hair was exactly what I needed. Other things this week that have helped chase the winter blahs* away: Charlotte Gainsbourg's latest album, IRM. Beck co-wrote and produced it and it is delightful. Watch the video of the album's first single here. Delicious Thai food from The Smiling Elephant. Scarf month on Academichic--so many fun ideas! My fave so far,...
read moreI love the feel of wind in my hair. Wearing a helmet robs me of that joy. There. I said it. I'll spare some time and energy by saying for either side: 1) You won't feel so good with your brain splattered on the pavement; or 2) Stop wearing the silly foam hats, then. Now that the generic stuff is out of the way, let's talk for real. Springy weather (40 degrees!) has me yearning for the feel of free flowing hair. This yearning is nothing new. My desire is less prominent in the winter, when the helme...
read moreAs an addendum to the last post. My fellow Southerners will understand how extreme a statement it is when I say that I am not even surprised anymore to look out the window and see this: What a winter. At least the sun is out and melting the ice! It might be a bike day after all.
read moreWe have had more chilly, wet weather this past week or so. And while I know it's nothing compared to the rest of the country, it makes for treacherous biking conditions! The other day I took a few snaps of my own Lake Michigan-style ice installation. And yes, I had to walk it through. It's snowing, again, today, and I'm trying to decide how I'm going to get to work. Like Dottie mentioned earlier, last year I probably would have ridden just to prove that I could. Now that I don't feel that pressure, I may n...
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