bike news

i bought a trailer for my bike, you know, the kind used to haul kids around in. my plan is to use it to get groceries, run errands, do the laundry. and so far it works beautifully. the pictures will follow, as i haven't taken any.

pro's: extra weight=harder work=better workout
cheaper than gas
people give you the right of way when they think there are kids involved
it is removable, and collapsible, and reasonably light

seemed like a good idea, everything i need is within a mile (school being the exception) and it will hopefully save some money and add years to my life(or subtract inches from my waist-which is better).

this is the mount that is permanently attached to my rear wheel, so i can take the rest of it on and off without tools.

some things i should mention...

meg and i went to "the latelate show with craig ferguson" last tuesday, it was neat to see how it works, but i have to say the show is better on tv. they did a pan of the audience (rare on the show), and you can see us in the front row center.

also here is my latest hair adventure.
(star and stripes)

about a bike

i admit to having peculiar aesthetic tastes, and i am a minor design snob. this coupled with my deep affection for my former bicycle presented quite a challenge when considering a replacement. i considered the folding bikes by dahon which offered portability but in limited configurations and at a premium (to me) price. maybe in the future when i can afford one of their better models.

i could have tracked down a later model of my old bike, but they were painted yellow and black, and glossy, which i couldn't stand, so i would have to have it stripped and painted. too much trouble and time for a utility bike.

so i went shop to shop from high end triathalon stores to shady "family" bike shops. in the last store on my list i found it. they were a high end mountain bike place, but they had some limited stock of "fixies" and a couple road bikes. i don't mind the "fixie" idea, but i want a coaster brake. (no simple task to find on an "adult" bike (even on beach cruisers)) the bike i found was a cross between a mountain bike, and a bmx bike. single speed, coaster brake (no cables)-it was set up for adding disc brakes (the new state of the art), big cruiser tires, and ridiculously light.

the down side was that it needed a lot of add ons, fenders, a rack, baskets/panniers, even a kickstand. not to mention the biggest lock i could buy.

the next day i went and got fenders, kickstand, and a rack. oh, and a lock that weighs as much as the bike itself.(not an exaggeration)

still holding off on the baskets/panniers as i might invest in a child trailer (don't take this wrong mom , that is not a subtle hint) the trailer is for groceries/hauling--so i don't have to take the car. and i need some lights, eventually.

the maker of the bike is "swobo" they have some really good looking utility type bikes, if thats your thing you should check them out.

here's woody...

my inlaws got a new bird, a hawk headed parrot. i have described it frequently, but here he is.

this is the business end, he gave me the worst bite of my parrot-loving life (so far) he gets a little schitzy

San Gorgonio

the tallest mountain in southern california is mt san gorgonio, at ~11,500 feet. mark and i had an adventure there nearly a month ago, but having been too lazy to post it, most of you know the story already. the summary is: it was very steep, mark kicked my butt up the hill, ( i take no offense, he was far more motivated to get to the top than i was), we had a great campsite near a creek, and we flew down and were home by noon. oh, and the first night, for lack of wilderness permits we slept in the scion--it was awkward, but we survived. (to clarify--as that last statement sounds "funny weird"--i slept in the backseat, and mark in the front passenger.

mark found this "fresh" banana at the top, not sure how it got there, providence?!

...one year later

mark and i at 29

my 29th birthday is almost over at this point. one year ago i started this blog, and it has at times been a useful means of communication and a nagging burden to maintain. i have not written as often as i wanted, and there are larger gaps than i would have hoped, but life is that way, sometimes there is little to write about.

this has been an interesting year, and the last week in particular have tested my mettle. (if you understand this, then smile smugly to yourself and let everyone else wonder) i had dinner with my best friend tonight, and he asked me some hard questions, which i am still processing. he also encouraged me to take stock of my life (usually he suggests i leave livestock alone). he asked me what made me happy. and i honestly didn't have an answer (not in a depressed way, just that i don't really sit around making that list). why not make the list now?!

1. my family/my past
2. my friends (male, female, old, new, alive, dead, flora, fauna)
3. being in nature, even just a backyard.
4. naps
5. a well crafted sitcom
6. fireworks/fire
7. technology/gadgets
8. feeling useful (in whatever capacity)
9. children (other people's, and potentially my own)
10. animals (not just the cute ones)

that's what i came up with. its not in any order, and there are some i have omitted (accidentally and otherwise) oh, and bamboo--i love that stuff, so useful. now i have a list.

What foul, cruel villainy is this?!

today, my beloved bicycle was stolen. i rode it to work, and when i came out to go home it was gone. someone had cut the "uncuttable" links of my kryptonite chain between 425 and 930 am.

i feel violated.

it wasn't a flashy, expensive bike. IT HAD BASKETS, FOR CRIMENY'S SAKE. i had had it for 8 years, since my last bike as stolen when i loaned it to mark to use at usc. it was a utilitarian wonder-meg just made me put lights on it a couple months ago for riding to work.

i just want it back- i don't want to get a new one.