Our First Ride

I took another lengthy ride last week, from our house, out east about 45 blocks, then north for several miles, then further east on the out of town extension of the trail that I had ridden earlier in the week when I was finding my way to my new school. I rode back home on the same trail I rode back on earlier in the week, too. The round trip was about twenty-six miles, I think, as I basically did a loop around town, with a little out and back spur through the eastern country side. But that was not the best ride I took last week.

My favorite ride of the week (and maybe forever), was a forty minute pedal through the neighborhood with Monkey. She just bought her first bike, and this was our first ride together. Not only was she on her first bike, but she was basically on her first bike ride! She just learned how to ride last summer, and is now confident enough to have bought a bike and to take it out for a spin. A courageous act, for sure.

But, it was so much fun to just tool around, with no particular place to go, with my favorite riding companion in the whole world. Hooray, Monkey!

A Bike Commute Quandary

Monday, after the morning gully washer had passed, after some R and R with the dogs, after soccer, lunch, and other trivial pursuits, I decided to pedal my wait out to my new work environment to see what the best way to bike there might be. Perusals of maps determined that it was possible to get from here to there using commuter trails, rather than on road routes, but the situation on the ground is always a little different than it is on the map, ain't it?

My new place of business is in the opposite diagonal corner of town, and at least twice as far. That alone will be a change that I am not looking forward to. In CoMO, my commute was ten minutes (on a bike). I was literally, around the corner from work. My last position here in Lincoln was about twenty-five minutes. I knew that I was looking at at least forty-five minutes of ride time, but I needed to know what kind of ride it was going to be.

In order to stay on trails, I had to ride away from my destination in order to pick up the trail that would take me the way I wanted to go. As far as I can figure it, there really isn't an equally safe, more direct way to go, so I am spending the extra time to ensure my own well-being. This trail, however, basically becomes a wide sidewalk just before it passes a major thoroughfare, leaving me to wait for the crosswalk. This is the same as waiting for a light, so no problem there, but I don't like riding on the sidewalk. That's not a trail, in my opinion, but I understand the dual-use idea makes all trails walks of some sort. I guess I just need to get over it.

Once over the major thoroughfare, the "trail" winds its way along a newly developed (and still being constructed) road with a trail beside it. At this point, the first trail connects to the second trail that takes me in an easterly direction (before that I was headed north-west), however, on the ground, the trails are not marked at all. There are the occasional arrows on the ground, but at this point on this ride, those arrows were few and far between. By the time I came (for the second time) to another major thoroughfare (one I would be crossing in the opposite direction from the one I had already crossed it earlier), I didn't know if I was on the trail, or just riding on a random sidewalk.

I looked to the south and realized I had been on a random sidewalk. There, a giant yellow sign with a bike on it indicated the trail crossing. Ironically, from a safety standpoint, there is no light at the trail crossing, but there is one at the random sidewalk...hmmmmm. I crossed at the trail and continued on my way.

My detours not withstanding, this was a nice trail. Wide, clearly marked, and lacking much in the way of hills. There were quite a few road crossings, but most of the roads were residential and not busy. I made my way east, until I came to another weird intersection and found myself crossing 66th Street. I was looking for 63rd. I must have missed it.

I rode up 66th, looking for a place to backtrack, and when I did, I easily found 63rd. My powers of subtraction are impeccable...up to three digits. I also noticed an apartment complex I had already pedaled through and marked that as a short cut back to my trail, since, now, I was leaving the trail and heading straight out 63rd.

I had to cross a few busy streets along this last leg, but nothing too hairy. A few hills on this little street were tough, especially in the heat of the day, but I managed. Once I arrived at my school, I had been traveling (not counting for back tracks, detours, water breaks, etc.) for exactly one hour. That's a long haul to make every day.

The ride back was quicker by about eight minutes, since I had a better idea of where I was going, but a fifty-two minute commute is one I don't know if I can make everyday. I don't know, yet. But, right now, I am leaning toward biking twice a week. Of course, I really enjoy biking to work, so I may just go all in. But a one hour ride, for me to be mentally ready for school everyday at first bell, means I have strive to be in the saddle at 5:45 every morning (which realistically means 6). That's awfully early, my friends.

--bike image taken from Biking Buck

New Things...Old Things

Tonight, I am picking up a new bike I just bought! Okay, it's not new, but the guy I am buying it from bought it in April, so it's practically new. It's a Giant FCR1, a flat bar road bike. I think I am going to love it! The guy I am buying it from is a friend whom I play basketball with. He is moving back to Philly (shout out!), and he is only taking what he can carry in his Jeep. So, I offered to lighten his load by one bike. I got a hell of a price on it.

And so, my bike history comes full circle, as I bought my current Giant Iguana from a friend (whom I never played basketball with) who was moving from Baltimore to Mechanicsburg, PA. I just love to buy bikes from guys who are moving to Pennsylvania.

Another thing: tomorrow is this blog's four year anniversary. That is cause for celebration, I guess. However, lately, I've been thinking about bringing it to a close. Honestly, any opinions? Suggestions? Donations? Coupons? Whatever.

Back in the Middle

A longish visit to the East is over. I'll miss the ocean for another long while. Spent a good amount of time with the family, and we managed to get in some time with Monkey's peeps, too, before flying out on Sunday evening.

We returned to a warmish house and a garden bursting with greens. The squash are growing like monsters and the beans are coming in, too. As well, the lawn took our hiatus as an opportunity to shag up quite a bit. After mowing yesterday, I decided to take a longish bike ride down to Roca and back, a round trip of about 24 miles.

The weather was not too warm and the terrain was extremely level. Still, my out of practice legs were burning on the way back. I took a short break at the halfway point to eat a sandwich, do a little writing, and watch a farmer mow a field. The rest of the day was spent reading and cooking dinner.

Man, it's a hard life.

Healing Up

Rode to basketball last night. I had to, since the best way to get over an accident is to get back up on the bike and ride it...isn't it? I hadn't played ball in at least a month, probably more, so, I was terrible on some levels, but, at least I didn't have any trouble keeping up. Usually, after a long dormant period, I feel like the first couple of games are strenuous--I am out of condition. For some reason, last night, I never had that re-acclimation period, I was good from the first.

This morning, it's back to work for Day Two of the Great Plagiarism Summit of 2009. Yesterday, we planned our agenda and began devising a statement on academic integrity. We decided to develop some department-wide strategies for instruction on plagiarism, what it is, how to avoid it, etc. We had a very interesting conversation about consequences and focus and decided that our focus in addressing these instances would be positive. We will have the opportunity to help students see the error of their ways, through discussion and consequence, and reteach some strategies that students may have missed the first time around. We also decided to have students sign an academic integrity agreement at the start of each term. Many of the examples of academic codes and plagiarism statements that we looked at successfully employed such "honor statements" successfully. We decided to incorporate that aspect into our plan.

Granted, we are simply drafting a document that will be brought before the department as a whole for discussion. Most likely, some things will change, but this has been a good process for the small group of us who volunteered for this committee. I am glad I was there yesterday, and I look forward to going again today.

And, as La Fashionista suggested, after our meeting, I just may go back and show that sidewalk what's what!

Please note: above screen capture borrowed from Context over Dogma.

Stupid Sidewalk!

I don't usually post twice in one day, but I thought I would get this news break out there ASAP.

On my way home from Day One of the Great Plagiarism Summit of 2009, I decided to turn right instead of left and do some exploring farther south of town. It was a bad choice. Not two minutes into my detour, a section of sidewalk reared up before me, perhaps two inches higher than the piece of sidewalk in front of it. On a stiff framed bike, that is quite a jarring bump. So, I decided to do what any fourteen year old would do. I hopped the bump. Unfortunately, I was going downhill rather fast, and as the bike regained the purchase of the sidewalk it shimmied and shook. I was jarred from the seat, but held on long enough to slow the bike considerably before I had to let go. The bike went to the right, and I went to the left, on my leg and my elbow. I think I rolled once or twice, and popped right back up (mostly from embarrassment).

My chain popped off, and one of the brake handles was scraped up, but, otherwise, the bike was fine. I reseated the chain, and the bike was as good as before. Me? Well, I have a nasty strawberry on my shin (it looks like I have been playing softball again), a big old burner on my knee, a mild road burn on my elbow (I was wearing long sleeves, thank goodness), and some rough skin on my right palm. I will spare you a picture, but full disclosure requires me to tell you that I am bleeding as I write this. How is that for timely journalism?

My first thought, after I checked myself and my bike for serious damage? I hope my leg scabs up enough so that I can play basketball tonight!

A Short Jaunt Around the Lake

The weather was weird yesterday. Storms threatened all morning, and, while I did a little yard work, I was prepared to take shelter at any moment. I managed to trim some shrubs and turn the compost without any weather-related interruptions. It got to be around lunch time, so, after Monkey and I enjoyed a meal, we went down to the basement to watch the previous evening's Daily Show and Colbert Report. While so engaged, it rained.

However, as we climbed out of our basement, the sun began to shine. I quickly checked the weather to see that the storms were planning to take a hiatus until the late afternoon. I decided to take the opportunity to hit the trails on the bike.

A 12-ish mile round trip that took me mostly east (and back) was a challenge at first, due to a stiff post-storm head wind, but, after the first twenty minutes, I was pedaling across the wind, which is a much nicer proposition. My "mid-point" was Holmes Lake, a popular spot for fishing, jogging, picnicking, etc. I took a five-minute break to enjoy the scenery, snapped a few shots (including one of my soon-to-be-retired(?) workhorse), and was back on my way.

About an hour later, I was hopping off of my bike in the driveway, with cloudy skies above. Funny thing, though...it never did rain again.

There's No Such Thing As Bad Weather

More rain this morning, which is great for the garden (snacked on some fresh baby arugula yesterday after school), but not so great for biking to work. However, I just purchased some rain gear this weekend, so I got the chance to try it out.

A pair of rain pants from White Sierra did a fabulous job of keeping me dry on the bottom half. The only draw back is they aren't quite as "breathable" as the label would imply. So, I was a bit sweaty at the end of the trail. But, I pedalled with limited intensity this morning, expecting that to be the case, so it wasn't too bad.

I decided not to wear the full-on rain coat that I purchased. It really is too bulky for biking. I went with the trusty old got-it-free-from-Sports-Illustrated zip-up wind breaker. It is surprisingly waterproof, and the zipper allows me to adjust the airflow, so the upper Monkey was dry and cool.

The only problem is my bag got a bit wet. It is sort of water-resistant, so the contents were safe (and it wasn't raining too heavily). My next bike will have a rear fender (or I will put one on quickly)--it has a lot of benefits in inclement weather.

All in all, I arrived to work in fine fettle. It was invigorating, biking in the rain--it was rain, by the way--none of those wacky Midwest thunder boomers--and I didn't mind the water-speckled glasses. I think I am figuring out how easy it is to do this in all weather (between April and October). I wonder what I will do this winter?

NOTE: Photo courtesy of Forest & Kim Starr

The Thespian Life

Just closed a two night run of the faculty play, EGAD, WHAT A CAD! Not a great name. Not a great play. But, it was short (which is good when you only rehearse for two weeks (off and on)), and we had a ball doing it. We went out last night (a school night!) and really had a good time. It was exciting riding home at 11pm along the darkened trails (I have a head light).

The folks who saw the show were very complimentary. I played a small role, but one with a great sensational entrance, since I played a detective who was undercover as a woman (shades of Tony Curtis, you know). The students especially had a great deal of comment both after the show and in classes the next day. It's fun to let them see another side of me!

I hope to be invited back to appear in next year's show, whatever that might be.

Old Man Down!

Cracked my ribs playing ball last night. Ugh. It is sore. It only bothers me when I am in bed and I try to lay on that side, or I have to roll over. You never realize how much you use your core muscles until you mess them up, somehow.

As a result, I have driven my car to work today. Here in the middle of Bike to Work Week. How ironic is that? But, after today, it's back in the saddle, partners!

Still in the Saddle

As much as I may seem mentally checked out during any given school day at this time of year, I am still hard at work, learning the churlen and keeping their parentals apprised of their progress (or lack thereof). However, there is still time for some fun and adventure during the work week.

As you may recall, last year, I had a part in the faculty play at my school. This year is no different. We play two nights next Monday and Tuesday, and we are hard at work trying to learn our lines and hit our marks. It promises to be a fun show for cast, crew, and audience all. I look forward to it.

Today's adventure came from my bike ride home, as I furiously attempted to make it back to base before the ominously dark skies opened up on me. The whipping wind made the ride a mild challenge, but the threatening weather kept the trail relatively free of dog and baby walkers, so that was nice. (Not that there's anything wrong with baby walking or dog walking. Their lowered presence made for fewer obstacles to dodge, is all.)

Pedaling and Planting Again

This week I've gotten back on the bike. The weather has warmed up enough that biking is not a terribly brutal endeavor most mornings, and I can layer up with just a base layer, a hoodie, and a fleece, and I am pretty comfortable. Afternoons have been in the sixties, so I just ride home in my work clothes.

I feel a bit of a weenie for not biking at all this winter, but I guess it's okay if I'm not totally hardcore. I'll leave that to the totally hardcore folks.

Needless to say, I will keep this up for the remainder of the year, save for those days when the weather is just too wet (or even cold--it could still happen). It is an enjoyable way to make it to and from work, and, of course, it keeps me active!

We also put some seeds in the ground this week, a bit behind schedule from last year's notes. This year, we are focusing on things that we eat a lot of: spinach, lettuce, beans, and squash. It might be about two weeks early for the beans and squash, but we'll take our chances. No tomatoes this year (maybe some small ones in a container). We'll let the squash and beans replenish the plot and grow some tomatoes next year.

Looking forward to riding home in early June and making a fresh salad from our own patch of ground. Maybe that's a bit early to hope for, but I am still hoping.

Miley Cyrus, You Put A Helmet On, Right Now!

Okay, people, I am no Tim Gunn. I have no real sense of what others should or should not be wearing, although I do really like what seems to be his mantra, "Make it work." These are truly words for all of us to live by. However, I don't know about his recent appraisal of Katie Holmes (sad, sad story) or Miley Cyrus.

One thing I do know: one should always try to be as safe as possible when riding a bike. Monkey will tell you that I don't always practice that "safety first" mantra when driving a car. I've been known to clock a few miles with no bandolier to keep my melon off the windshield--stupid me! But, with a few unavoidable exceptions, since I was old enough to know better, I've biked exclusively helmeted. Too many cars and drivers who think they are better drivers than they are make for the always present possibility of having your body thrown from your bike and your cabasa making high-speed contact with the asphalt. No thank you.

So, while I find it admirable that Miley and the Cyrus clan seem to enjoy a pedal around the sunny streets of whatever entertainment paradise they live in, I think she ought to set a better example by wearing a helmet.

I know what you're thinking. You're thinking, "What the hell has happened to ol' ATR? What's with this obsession with Miley Cyrus?" Well, calm down. It's no obsession. It's just a coincidence that two unrelated news items made it into my Google reader on the same day. Or, at least, I read them on the same day.

But, enough with Hannah Montana. The NY Times says James and Kirk and Lars (and Robert) are coming back from the artistically dead to kick all of our asses...80s style.

What's In It For Me?

After a full week of school, and five days in a row of bike commuting (not to mention the prior week in which I biked everywhere (except my guitar lesson)), I got to thinking about why I have chosen to do this. It all might just come down to something my grandmother used to say all the time: "As you are now, I once was. As I am now, you someday will be." I know this is a cliche that she probably heard a million times (and probably from her mother), but, it certainly made an impact on me. And the older and weaker she got, the more of an impression that trite turn of phrase made on me.

I haven't decided to ride my bike to save money, although the timing would indicate (and I may have even claimed) that I am doing it just for that purpose. When gas was $2.50, I drove to work. When gas was $4.00, all of a sudden , I was Mister Two-wheel Commuter. But, how much money am I really saving? Well, a ten-mile round trip every day adds up to 50 miles a week. If my Honda Civic gets 25 MPG (which it about does in the city), that is a grand total of two gallons of gasoline. Grand savings total between seven and nine dollars, depending on prices. Even if you run that out over a year, it's somewhere less than $500. Not a huge savings, but, it's something.

I haven't decided to ride my bike to save the planet. I am certain that someone has a host of statistics to show that my 50 miles of biking prevents the release of x cubic feet of carbon emissions, or what have you. Which is great. I am glad that I may be impacting the planet a little bit less than I have before. I am all about that. I recycle plastics, glass, paper, tin. I reuse my Ziploc sandwich bag, the cottage cheese tubs, the milk jugs. I make garden stakes out of old broom handles and sticks that fall from the maple out back. I compost. I don't water my lawn. I pack out my trash on hikes. I try to keep the climate control in the house at barely comfortable levels. Jimmy Carter would be proud of me. But, I am not pedaling into work every morning, beating my chest and yelling, "I am saving the planet! What are you doing?"

I haven't decided to ride my bike to be cool or unique. There are several people who bike into work everyday. Many have been doing it for a long time. It doesn't make me different. What makes me different is the 25-year old yellow and aqua Giant Iguana that I ride into work. You can see me coming a mile away, and you have to look twice to see if I have on one glove (a la the King of Pop circa "Billie Jean") or leg warmers (a la Jennifer Beals a la Flashdance). But I digress. Besides, I am already as cool as I can be and as unique as I care to be. How could I improve on that?

No, as I firmly entrench myself in the middle years of my time here on Earth(my plan for immortality notwithstanding), I figured it was time to stop thinking about riding and just do it. Enough with the excuses: "I have too much to carry in to work." "I don't know what to do about clothes." "My bike is too old." "It's going to get cold." Well, there are means to carrying things in to work on a bike, and the clothing situation does require some planning and forethought, but not too much to pretty easily pull it off. An old bike can still be a useful bike, with some tuning up. Now, the cold? Well, that's a different story. Yes, it will get cold. That one, we'll have to evaluate as Winter approaches.

But, why am I doing it? Well, one reason, which I didn't really discover until I started doing it, was that I get to see the sun come up, say hello to people, and watch a heron stalk the shores of a small pond everyday. Going a littler slower can put you in touch with your surroundings just a little bit more. But, most of all, I think I do it because, when I think of my grandmother, only in her late sixties, struggling for breath and wheeling a canister of oxygen behind her as she takes a set of steps one riser at a time (a state I don't expect and hope never to find myself in), I think that that is how I "someday will be;" I won't be able to ride. I do it because I can!

A Week in the Saddle

Well, after one week of dedicated bike riding, I am still going strong. We've been back to work since Wednesday, and so far, I am two for two on commutes! Tomorrow should make it three days in a row! As a matter of fact, the only driving I have done all week was yesterday. It was a short drive, and I really thought about biking, but, I had a guitar lesson at 6:30 followed by an outdoor basketball game at 7:00. I didn't want to leave my guitar out on the grass near the court, so, I stashed it in the trunk. That kind of out-of-sight security just doesn't come with a bike.

Some observations after one week of biking (and two real days of commuting):

The mornings have been magnificent here. Clear, cool, almost fall-like. I don't work myself up too much on my way to work, so, I arrive at the end of my 20-25 minute commute relatively perspiration-free. I also have been taking a change of clothes with me, but, I think once the weather turns for the season, I may be able to just ride in my work clothes. However, I may still keep that step, simply for the routine of it.

I find that people are friendlier in the morning than the afternoon. This could be a function of the weather (it is warmer in the afternoon, but it's not miserable), but, after two days of unscientific surveying, far more folks respond to my waves, nods, and greetings in the AM portion of my commute than do during the PM. Go figure.

As a relatively fit individual, I didn't think that I would feel any different biking, but I do feel a bit more energized (at least until lunch) than I remember being. I am hoping that the rides to and from school will help me alleviate stress and make my reactions to stressor at work even more low-key.

I am already shopping for a new bike. Any recommendations?

(FULL DISCLOSURE: The video is my brother.)

I've Heard That Song Before

Well, friends and neighbors, it's that time of year, again. That time when I complain about having to go to so many mandated workshops and seminars that tell me things I already know. Today, I had to attend a workshop for second year teachers, since, in this district, I am entering my second year. So, we spent the day going over a great deal of very useful information...for SECOND YEAR TEACHERS. I am not a second year teacher. Hell, I have a Master's degree. I hope I know how to set objectives and use good questioning strategies.

Of course, as a silver lining searcher, I'll tell you that it is always good to be reminded of the best practices involved in doing your job, no matter how basic. After all, Ted Williams didn't hit .344 lifetime with 521 home runs by forgetting about the basics of hitting. I am sure he practiced the rudiments of his craft more than anyone, even after he hit .406 in 1941. Mastering the basics is the first step to becoming a master.

I just wish I didn't have to spend all day on the last Friday before we went back to work, twisting in my chair over boredom. On the plus side, I knew the presenters, they were engaging and entertaining, and we got out an hour early!

In other news, the Great Biking Experiment of 2008 has begun. I know that I have vowed to bike to work every year since I started this blog, but, this is the year that it sticks. I biked to basketball on Wednesday evening, I biked to school and the grocery store on Thursday, and I biked to my workshop today. I haven't driven my car for three days, and Paul Dorn has become my new guru! The mornings have been cool, making for a pleasant ride, and I have figured out that I can make it to work in about twenty minutes with a modicum of effort. I can arrive to work only ten minutes later than had I driven, and, if I don't pedal like a banshee, I am not a funked-up mess. So, I've always heard that after three days, something becomes a habit. Let's hope so.