I've taken a couple days off of blogging, but I've still been biking. I commuted by bike two days last week, ran some errands another day and took a fun bike ride on a fourth.

While others bike everyday I'm feeling comfortable with what I've been able to do. I can tell that I'm getting stronger and faster and my endurance is certainly increasing. However, I'm not ready to bike 5 days a week. That's okay, I'll get to that point soon enough.

I had a busy, exhausting weekend (critical mass, rock climbing, hiking, pulling 80 pounds of kid) so I didn't bike today. Wednesday and Friday are going to be this week's commuting days and the weather is looking good.

As for milage, I did about 50 miles of commuting and running errands, so I guess that brings me up to 175.

Errands

On Wednesday it was so windy I knew that I'd have a hard time going straight home on the Lakefront trail so I decided to run some errands and make some purchases.

I went inland and found that it was much less windy. First stop was Chicago Popcorn Works. I got a couple of bags of popcorn and they fit pretty nicely in my pannier. Then I biked over to Target to get some laundry detergent and pick up my prescriptions. I took my panniers in the store. They fit pretty well in a grocery cart. I also got a new bungee cord. This one is pretty cool. It's flat so it doesn't get in the way of my panniers and it keeps things on a little better. I'm a big fan of it. Anyway, I put my purchases in the panniers and bungeed the detergent down, turned on my lights and I was ready to go.

I almost bought some of those Firefly lights that you put on your tire valve, but the ones they had seemed be be kind of crappy. I'll wait untill I can get a better set.

Today, I wimped out on riding. I know, I'm ashamed to admit it. I was out late last night and just needed to sleep in. I know, I'm a bad example. However, the weather is supposed to be nice this weekend, so I'm hoping to take a nice long ride tomorrow to make up for it.

Okay, maybe I'm not as much as a badass as I'd like to be. I wimped out last week and didn't ride at all, except for one Sunday, which really don't even count.

Well, I'll count it anyway cause I had fun doing it. I have a second job as a mentor to kids with special needs. Most of the kids I've worked with have mental health issues, so it makes me a little nervous taking them out on a bike. However, I recently acquired a used trailercycle and I enjoy it a great deal. I love that I can go a lot faster and have all the control when it comes to taking inexperienced kids biking. Also, it's much easier and lighter than a trailer. Yay for trailercycles!

As for my ride today, it was gorgeous!!! I'm certainly getting faster. I made it to the bike station in 50 minutes. And on my way home I was having such a good time that I was wanting to go for a longer ride, but then I changed my mind since I need to do laundry (which I'm not doing...silly me).

I'm also really pleased about the fact that I'm getting stronger. I'm using a higher gear with ease and now that I'm home I'm not even tired. Maybe I am a badass...or at least I'm pre-badass.

Mileage: um...I'm not really sure. I'm doing to say 126...and i'm going to stick with it!

I am officially a BADASS! It's below freezing, windy and there's even a little bit of snow. However, I bundled up, put on my balaclava, my gloves and biked to work anyway. Booya! However, halfway to work I took off my ear warmer and my coat cause i was sweating buckets. I guess I'll save the real warm clothes for when it's closer to zero.

Oh yeah, and I'm getting faster, though that may be because I had a little wind assistance. I left way later than normal because I didn't put together my pannier the night before, so I didn't have my bike out and ready to go until after 7:30. Oh yeah! I made it to the bike station by 7:25. I'm cool.

Of course, it was nice having the wind at my bike and that might have contributed a little to my faster time. I'm not really sure how I'm going to get home this evening. It's really, really windy. I may take the bus when I'm heading west. Naturally, it will be after the cycling workshop that I'm going to tonight.

In addition, I need to profess my undying love for cycling at night. I love being out in the city when its quiet and mellow. Oh, it is my favorite. When I drive at night I just feel lonely, but biking I feel so peaceful and alive. What a wonderful feeling!

My Favorite Weather

I don't know if there's anything that can make cycling more enjoyable than having perfect weather. This morning was a great case in point. The temperature was in the 50s, cool enough that I was able to feel comfortable in my light windbreaker and gloves and headband, and not so cold that I felt like I needed to be wearing more. The sun was shining and glittering off of the lake. So beautiful that it makes me just feel soooo alive.

Some day when I'm faster I'm going to have to take my camera with me and take pictures of my commute. Once I get to the lake, it really is beautiful. Mornings are definitely better than the evenings when the trail is so congested. When the weather is nice I may start taking the streets home instead of the path just to avoid all of the people, but the mornings remain very clear, which I love.

Tonight, I'm going to a Seder, so I'll be taking the streets home. Hopefully my lights will work adaquately, I haven't really had to use them yet.

I also realized that I was a little off in my mileage count, so I'm actually at about 90 miles. Yay!

I'm taking a bit of a rest today. Last night I was biking home and just go so utterly tired. I don't know if it was the wind or if I was just pushing myself too much, but I felt like there was no way I'd be able to bike both ways today. So...I'm going to be missing out on Critical Mass, which is unfortunate.

I'm thinking that I'm going to really need to pace myself to work up to five days a week. I did 2 and a half days this week for a total of about 50 miles. I just don't think that i would have been able to do it today. So, next week I think that I'll bike Monday, Wednesday and Friday and then take the train Tuesday and Thursday.

As always, the scale is discouraging. I stepped on it today and it didn't show any reduction. I don't know if that's because I'm gaining some muscle or what. I track all of my calories and exercise at fitday.com and I've been running a 500-1000 calorie deficit for every day this week and yet I haven't seen any weightloss this week. Grr...I'm not going to be concerned until I've been doing this whole biking thing regularly for a month, but if there's still no difference after all that time then I'll go over it with a doctor.

Okay, mileage: about 70 total commuting miles

Spring is coming! Today I saw little leaf buds coming out. I also saw some crocuses coming up. Yay for greenery!

The weather was gorgeous again today. However, it's supposed to get kind of nasty tomorrow and last for the rest of the week. I must admit that doesn't bother me that much. I'm a Seattle native and I've always wondered why people here in Chicago seem to get so upset when they get splashed with a little rain. It's just water after all.

Anyway, the ensuing rain will hopefully clear out the Lakefront path. Last night it was like a madhouse. Everyone and their dog and their mother was outside. I've discovered why other people so dislike rollerbladers. They are usually wearing headphones in both ears, they take up a lot of room and they don't go all that fast and they aren't predictable. Grrr rollerbladers! I can't really blame everyone et al for wanting to be outside yesterday, it was beautiful...ah well, I'll have to learn to live with them.

Mileage: approximately 50 commuting miles

Into the wind

Biking into the wind is tough. Today was my first day having to ride against the wind. It certainly is harder and requires more effort. However, the breeze was nice once I got off the bike.

I find that being on the bike really lets me enjoy the weather so much more. If I had taken the train today, I would have just had my outdoor time from my apartment to the station. Riding along the Lakefront trail is a great way to start my morning. Today, the sun was shining, the water was glistening and if it weren't for the headwind it would have been a perfect morning. Now I'm just going to hope that the wind doesn't shift before my ride home. It will be super easy then.

Oh! And today I didn't get lost! Yay! That was nice. I'm also going to start logging my miles. Last week I biked about 30 miles. As of this morning, I'm up to 40. It still takes me an hour to bike the 10 miles. Hopefully I'll get that time to go down soon.

The Lakefront trail seemed pretty empty this morning. It was kind of a dreary AM, but since I'm from Washington a little bit of precipitation doesn't bother me.

I'm still pretty slow and I was definitely very tired halfway through the ride downtown today. It's about a 10 mile ride, and since I'm here in the Midwest it's flat.

However, I got lost today! Somewhere around Navy Pier there were two trails and I took the wrong one and found myself underground! So, I figured that I could find my way out and let me tell you! That is certainly easier said then done. So, after wandering around all of these freight loading docks and delivery entrances and going down a couple of dead ends I finally found the entrance to the Millennium Park Garage. So, I went around the gates, walked to the elevator and went back topside.

I did get a map at the bike station so hopefully I can figure out how to not repeat this adventure.

Well, this blog has been on a bit of a hiatus, but I am going to resurrect it now. Spring is here, that time of renewel and new beginnings. I just started a job working downtown so that means I don't need to drive 300 miles a week for work. I am extremely pleased about this, especially because I am going to being biking to work on a regular basis.

On Tuesday I signed up for a membership at the McDonald's Bike Station in Millennium Park and biked to work for the first time. It was great. I was able to get downtown in the same amount of time as it takes to ride the train, plus I could enjoy the weather and get exercise at the same time. The Bike Station was quite nice too. They have indoor bike parking, changing facilities, showers and lockers, all for affordable daily, monthly or yearly fees. To be honest, it was actually nicer to shower there because my shower at home goes cold after 2 minutes before going scalding hot.

Since I hadn't biked in a few months I'm a little out of shape and just biked the one-way on Tuesday. I hung out with some friends after work and took the bike on the train for the way home. Damn! It's nice that the Chicago Transit Authority allows that during non-peak times for no additional fee. I'm going to bike to work again on Friday and will try to do both ways. Lets hope that I can do both ways!

I took my bike in to get it fixed enough to ride around. The guy fixing my bike was actually from Seattle, so we talked about the Northwest and about how we're both kind of crazy to have moved to Chicago from Washington and how it's so weird to look at Lake Michigan and not to smell that salt-water scent. Good thing I was wearing my Gonzaga sweatshirt.

I'm excited to go bike riding again. I now have a new chain, a new front tire, higher handle bars, a new seat and well, that's about it...but I'm looking forward to riding about again.

I was thinking that it would be really cool to have a bike car. It would be kind of like a car, four seats, enclosed and all that, but it would also be kind of like a moped, and be battery or some other kind of fuel. Okay, so I googled "bike car" and I found this: http://www.rhoadescar.com/jumpfeat.htm and that's kind of what I'm thinking, though, that thing looks pretty hideous. I think I should go to some Cycling Sisters workshops so I can learn bike stuff and create a the minivan of bikes.

night biking

The amber-steel sky of an overcast night lights my way down Lincoln Avenue. From the suburbs into the city, I ride in the muted darkness of the metropolis. Street lights provide oasis's of yellow pools in the grey night. The headlights of cars warn of their approach like a brash predator. Ahead of me I see a tapestry of lights: tails of cars, neon shapes proclaiming "open" or "beer", green and yellow traffic symbols, creamy-speckled high-rises, and pastel curtains of family homes.

My legs pump up and down on my pedals, and the cold wind brings rouge to my cheeks as I feel the release from a dependence on steel and petrol. These two tires, a light aluminum frame, gears, screws, bolts and all the pieces of metal and rubber combine with my body to propel me over distance. It offers me transportation and doesn't pretend to protect me from air, or entertain me with a radio, or comfort me with a soft seat. I'm responsible for my own safety, no seat-belts or airbags. The exhilaration of holding my own life in my own balance keeps me alert and wary of the the heavy vehicles speeding by, just feet away.

I feel the pavement. Every bump and crack reminds me of my connection with the world. I feel intimate with my route home. I expect the change in grade, and my tires caress the cement-clothed shape of the land. My breathing heightens as I reach the peak and calms as I coast on. Unused train-tracks scar the landscape, and potholes pit the smooth pavement. I experience it without leaving as a stranger enclosed within a metal box.

Scents assail my nostrils from the open air. Greasy, fast-food meat and fries is dank in the night. Some people still burn wood in the fireplace and the rich, sentimental aroma greets me and follows me for a block around its home and lingers as I pass. A chinese restaurant beckons with the sweetness of plum sauce mixed with rice. Diesel trucks remind me of the present with their black scented-smoke. Donut shops, hotdog stands, sweet kettle corn and more, present a menagerie of experiences, each with a story.

My mind is free to process the stories of my surroundings. I don't feel a need to drown my thoughts with the conversation of DJs and lonely singers. I'm at peace as I travel. The wind is far more soothing than the rumble of a motor. My minimalist symphony is composed from the contributions of other commuters in their cars and trucks, percussion-ed by the the brief arrival of a booming bass system or honking horn, and under-toned by my own steady, familiar breathing.

Familiarity leads me to appreciate my journey home.

versus

So, Illinois is really different than Washington.

In Chicago you can buy liquor IN THE GROCERY STORE. Yes, I could go to the store right now and buy hard alcohol. No going to some lame liquor store (though we have though), and having to go before they close and going out of your way. Now, when I go to the store to buy carrots, gardenburgers and popcorn, I can also buy vodka. Yes, Vodka in the store.

Oh, and we don't have Fred Meyers.

Safeway is Dominick's

Albertons is Jewel.

Butter is shaped differently when you buy it in the store.

There are toll roads in Illinois.

Driving an hour is a really long way to drive.
Unless you're stuck in traffic, and then it's just like Seattle.

Bars can stay open til 4 am.

Public radio doesn't suck in Chicago.

Chicago is two time zones ahead of Washington.

There are more thunderstorms in Chicago.
But it rains less.

There are actually really cool things in Chicago. A world-class art museums. Plays/musicals that run for weeks, a natural history museum with REAL dinosaur bones, and don't forget the international museum of surgical sciences.

BUT....

In Chicago, I can't look up and see a mountain.
In Chicago, I look at Lake Michigan and it looks like the Ocean/Puget Sound, but I can't smell the salt.
When I'm in Chicago, I call people and they are two hours ahead of me.
The sun doesn't set over the water/mountains.
An Asain grocery store has to pretend to be all touristy, instead of just real.
Since democrats are so entrenched, they aren't as friendly to volunteers.

Oh, Chicago, my new city, why do you have to be so different, and yet remind me of my old home?

I happen to agree with the Ninth Circuit court ruling that the Pledge of Allegiance is unconstitutional. Well, I do believe that if students want to say it, they should be allowed to, but to make it an everyday part of school life makes it very uncomfortable for students who don't want to say it.

Case in point. When I was in 12th grade, I took a photography elective. It fell during the period where we had the pledge of Allegiance. For the first few weeks of the semester, the teacher would be very adament about ensuring that EVERYONE stand up for the pledge. While he didn't make us actually recite it (that would have been really tough), he thought that it was important to "show respect" for the flag, and he also claimed that was the law.

I knew this wasn't the case. I was feeling very disillusioned with the US at the time, and also really chaffing under the wording of the pledge, especially the "under god" part, and I didn't want to stand up...and I also wanted to preserve my rights, as well as those of my class mates.

So, once I looked up the supreme court case: http://caselaw.lp.findlaw.com/cgi-bin/getcase.pl?court=US&vol=319&invol=624 that said that it was unconstitutional to force any student to "show respect" for the flag. And when the time came in class, I remained sitting. The teacher was outraged. I told him my reasoning, and the legal precident, and he continued to claim that it was the law. So, he sent me to the principal's office.

The principal agreed with me and said that I didn't have to stand. The teacher really didn't like ths decision.

Now, prior to this incident, the teacher had said he was nominating me for this student leadership thing. The day after I did this, he told me that he wasn't going to nominate me anymore because he didn't think I was a leader.

He also wasn't very nice to me for the rest of the semeester, and I felt very uncomfortable in that class.

So, as my case illustrates, when the pledge is recited the way that it is in the schools of the United States of America, it still provides a kind of coercion, and puts a lot of pressure upon students who don't share the beliefs of the mainstream to participate and keep their mouths shut. Teachers need to be educated about the fact that the pledge is a voluntary act. However, Even if it continues to be done in a group, as a class, it still serves as a dividing point for students and that's not right.

Leaving home

These past weeks have brought about a huge change for me. Graduation came and went with fanfare, long lines and the goodbyes associated with such a momentous occasion. Sentimentality isn’t my strong suit right now, so I found myself more excited to get out of Washington than tearful about the farewells that I was giving to all those whom I had known for years.

After graduation my roommate Michelle, our friend James and I decided to go and enjoy the temperate May afternoon. Spokane may have its issues: it’s dull, limited and republican. But for all of that it really is a beautiful city and I think that I had taken for granted the kinds of opportunities that I have enjoyed these past four years. The three of us first ventured up to Manitou Park to go and feed ducks and walk around the gardens. We went into the greenhouse for the last time, fed the snobby ducks and then left to go to one of my favorite places in Spokane.

It’s called The Islands Trailhead, and there’s a parking lot where one can leave behind the confines of mechanical monsters for the simplicity of human powered locomotion and travel down the Centennial trail. The trail itself is nice, but what makes this area special to me is the presence of large rock formations in the river. These rocks invoke the climbing, fearless and childlike spirit in me, and it’s something I cannot restrain. We climb one rock and from our majestic perch seek out ducks, who hopefully will appreciate the gift of bread left over from the snobby ducks of Manitou Park. Seeing none, we figure there are fish and we wad up the bread, like squishy paper that oozes through my fingers and pitch the balls of dough as far as we can into the river. After the bread is gone, we still are hankering to throw things and we climb down our rock to the water level and try to skip stones. Skipping stones turns into throwing rocks and then throwing bigger rocks until our arms ache from exertion. Our throbbing limb signify that it is time to leave and we do.

This Spokane adventure really let me live out some of my fondest memories of Spokane. For me, being at college was kind of like Never Neverland. We were grown up, but in our minds that could be ignored while we went sledding, ice blocking and had other fun associated with hills and the great outdoors.

No, Spokane wasn’t a utopia situated in the flat waste of Eastern Washington, but it was the kind of place that stretched one’s imagination. Thinking outside the box was essential in a town where ready made entertainment involved alcohol or costs. One’s inner child had to be let out to play occasionally, if only because it was the only thing to do.

I’m now two time zones away from Spokane, discovering something new. Chicago is a place where my imagination probably won’t be challenged as much, but I hope I still remember to exercise the right side of my brain as I discover things to love in this Midwest jewel.