I'm not going to be posting here anymore. My darling husband, T, has gotten my my own server space and my own domain name. I will now be posting my life story at Bikes, The Universe and Everything:
If the link doesn't work, cut and paste this:
http://bikestheuniverseandeverything.com/
Thanks for stopping by.
Erin
Tuesday, June 7, 2011
Monday, June 6, 2011
Wedding bands
My wedding band and T's have gone into the safety deposit box for the summer. I didn't trust Toddler girls not to eat/flush/hide it. T's been worried about his since he started taking the engine apart on the tractor. So they both went someplace safe.
Interesting, my hands are enough smaller than his that our wedding rings nest:
There is something kind of ... romantic about that.
Interesting, my hands are enough smaller than his that our wedding rings nest:
There is something kind of ... romantic about that.
The down side of Gardening
I am building muscle mass lifting all those pavers and shoveling all that dirt. It has caused a huge problem for me. You see, I am bulking up in my hands. My wedding ring no longer fits!
Since I got married my wedding band has come off when I wash my hands or bake bread, but only ever for a few minutes. I had it off for a week before Toddler girl was born. I didn't want to, but I bowed to peer pressure. Everyone told me my hands would swell either with late pregnancy or labour and I would need it cut off. So I wore it on a chain around my neck. I wanted to put it back on right after she was born, but the nurses talked me out of it. It tried it on, it still fit, but I didn't go back to wearing it until 24 hours after she was born.
It has been feeling snug for a few days, but last night it was starting to hurt. I had to soak in cold water and use soap to get it off.
Then, afterwards when I was massaging my hand I noticed this:
That isn't just my skin bunching, that's my finger muscles bulging.
I think it's good that I am getting more muscle mass.... I just wish it would have been somewhere that wouldn't interfere with my wedding band. I feel even worse about this because I was as fond of my engagement ring. Then a couple of weeks before Christmas, the Aquamarine (we couldn't afford a diamond) fell out of the setting. Due to excessive home repairs (and, let's be fair, my new bicycle habit) taking all our extra money, I haven't gotten it replaced.
It wasn't a priority. I still had my wedding band. I had always felt nervous about wearing my engagement ring to work. It was pretty, but had lots of places for bacteria to grow. Working in a lab, you become more aware of that.
Now.... it just feels wrong to have a naked hand. I don't know why this bothers me so much but it does. I'm blogging at my kitchen table with Madeline playing in the background and tears in my eyes.
Since I got married my wedding band has come off when I wash my hands or bake bread, but only ever for a few minutes. I had it off for a week before Toddler girl was born. I didn't want to, but I bowed to peer pressure. Everyone told me my hands would swell either with late pregnancy or labour and I would need it cut off. So I wore it on a chain around my neck. I wanted to put it back on right after she was born, but the nurses talked me out of it. It tried it on, it still fit, but I didn't go back to wearing it until 24 hours after she was born.
It has been feeling snug for a few days, but last night it was starting to hurt. I had to soak in cold water and use soap to get it off.
Then, afterwards when I was massaging my hand I noticed this:
That isn't just my skin bunching, that's my finger muscles bulging.
I think it's good that I am getting more muscle mass.... I just wish it would have been somewhere that wouldn't interfere with my wedding band. I feel even worse about this because I was as fond of my engagement ring. Then a couple of weeks before Christmas, the Aquamarine (we couldn't afford a diamond) fell out of the setting. Due to excessive home repairs (and, let's be fair, my new bicycle habit) taking all our extra money, I haven't gotten it replaced.
It wasn't a priority. I still had my wedding band. I had always felt nervous about wearing my engagement ring to work. It was pretty, but had lots of places for bacteria to grow. Working in a lab, you become more aware of that.
Now.... it just feels wrong to have a naked hand. I don't know why this bothers me so much but it does. I'm blogging at my kitchen table with Madeline playing in the background and tears in my eyes.
Saturday, June 4, 2011
If I had $1,000,00.00
If I had unlimited budget to build a custom bike, I would want one that fit like Claire. I would have my builder start with her as a blueprint and then make her more pretty. A more graceful looped top tube or a swan frame. Prettier lugs.
Then I would steam punk that baby out. Cooper plate on the tubes, brass coated lugs. An reproduction antique front light that was secretly powered by a dynamo hub and LEDs. Brass plated fenders and chain guard with an ornate pattern cut out. Leather saddle and handle bar grips. I would want to find a way to put cream Fat Franks on it. I would want wicker panniers. I would have a bike that was beautiful to look at, but still had that wonderful ride quality that is so Claire.
And I would be afraid to ride it anywhere in case it got stolen.
But all that stuff is just appearances. I have no complaints about how Claire fits or rides or handles. At some point I may have to have her dismantled and sent away for professional powder coating, since the paint isn't as hardy. But that isn't going to change how she handles.
I really enjoy riding that bike and she is perfectly matched for riding with T.
The Nishiki on the other hand..... is fine. I only use about three of the speeds when it is just me, but when I have the toddler trailer or the panniers loaded, I need the extra ones. I just don't know enough about road bikes to know if I could do better. Or to use it to its full potential. None the less it fits comfortably and I feel like I can go fast on it.
Either way, I have bicycle contentment.
Then I would steam punk that baby out. Cooper plate on the tubes, brass coated lugs. An reproduction antique front light that was secretly powered by a dynamo hub and LEDs. Brass plated fenders and chain guard with an ornate pattern cut out. Leather saddle and handle bar grips. I would want to find a way to put cream Fat Franks on it. I would want wicker panniers. I would have a bike that was beautiful to look at, but still had that wonderful ride quality that is so Claire.
And I would be afraid to ride it anywhere in case it got stolen.
But all that stuff is just appearances. I have no complaints about how Claire fits or rides or handles. At some point I may have to have her dismantled and sent away for professional powder coating, since the paint isn't as hardy. But that isn't going to change how she handles.
I really enjoy riding that bike and she is perfectly matched for riding with T.
The Nishiki on the other hand..... is fine. I only use about three of the speeds when it is just me, but when I have the toddler trailer or the panniers loaded, I need the extra ones. I just don't know enough about road bikes to know if I could do better. Or to use it to its full potential. None the less it fits comfortably and I feel like I can go fast on it.
Either way, I have bicycle contentment.
Friday, June 3, 2011
AB's fried chicken
Just go check out the recipe. It isn't everyday food (because you won't want to have to wash THAT many dishes everyday) but it is a good special treat.
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/fried-chicken-recipe/index.html
It's could use a little less salt, but don't go crazy it still needs more than half what is listed. And you CAN NOT use regular salt, it has to be kosher or things just go bad....
They list the Total Time as 40 minutes, but they forgot the 30 minutes of two people frantically washing dishes at the end...
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/fried-chicken-recipe/index.html
It's could use a little less salt, but don't go crazy it still needs more than half what is listed. And you CAN NOT use regular salt, it has to be kosher or things just go bad....
They list the Total Time as 40 minutes, but they forgot the 30 minutes of two people frantically washing dishes at the end...
Thursday, June 2, 2011
One of those days
This morning my laptop battery failed. It had been going for sometime, but this morning (after charging all night) my battery charge didn't even last long enough for me to check my email. It's blustery and gross out so I drove T to work. Toddler girl stayed home with my mom who is visiting.
On my way to the campus computer store to buy a replacement battery, I saw this:
That's the Raleigh I had before I married T and he bought me the ill fated Giant. It made me feel sad. The chain is off, the saddle is torn and the fender reflector I had personally custom built for it is bent. I also learned that it was a Colt. So really the bike I have now is a better fit, but it made me a little sad that she isn't being treated as well I she was when I had her. On the other hand, she is locked up with two locks. I'm not sure what to think.
I may go back tomorrow (yes, I'm a bike stalker) and see if she is still there.
When I came home, I got Ellie and we went grocery shopping. To Costco. I hate that store. Don't get me wrong, it helps our budget to be able to buy in bulk, but the crowds make me ... grumpy.
When I came home I found the basement toilet had overflowed a bit. A quick go with the plunger solved the problem but it was still a really yucky clean up. And trying to keep Toddlers from helping is such a problem.
We had eggs and temper tantrums for lunch.
Then I broke down and we watched TV for an hour just to calm down.
After that I unloaded and started to place the 100 lbs each pavers. T bought another seven from a different store since the one we had been shopping at is sold out. They look a little different, which doesn't matter, but they are also half an inch shorter on each side. That matters.
On the long sides of the rows of pavers, I can sort of fake it and it looks OK. On the short side, it leaves a one inch gap that is a tripping hazard. To solve this problem I had to pull up four of the pavers I had already laid and replace them with the smaller ones. Those seven 100 lbs pavers was actually moving eleven 100lbs pavers.
I am exhausted. Here is an updated garden shot.
On my way to the campus computer store to buy a replacement battery, I saw this:
That's the Raleigh I had before I married T and he bought me the ill fated Giant. It made me feel sad. The chain is off, the saddle is torn and the fender reflector I had personally custom built for it is bent. I also learned that it was a Colt. So really the bike I have now is a better fit, but it made me a little sad that she isn't being treated as well I she was when I had her. On the other hand, she is locked up with two locks. I'm not sure what to think.
I may go back tomorrow (yes, I'm a bike stalker) and see if she is still there.
When I came home, I got Ellie and we went grocery shopping. To Costco. I hate that store. Don't get me wrong, it helps our budget to be able to buy in bulk, but the crowds make me ... grumpy.
When I came home I found the basement toilet had overflowed a bit. A quick go with the plunger solved the problem but it was still a really yucky clean up. And trying to keep Toddlers from helping is such a problem.
We had eggs and temper tantrums for lunch.
Then I broke down and we watched TV for an hour just to calm down.
After that I unloaded and started to place the 100 lbs each pavers. T bought another seven from a different store since the one we had been shopping at is sold out. They look a little different, which doesn't matter, but they are also half an inch shorter on each side. That matters.
On the long sides of the rows of pavers, I can sort of fake it and it looks OK. On the short side, it leaves a one inch gap that is a tripping hazard. To solve this problem I had to pull up four of the pavers I had already laid and replace them with the smaller ones. Those seven 100 lbs pavers was actually moving eleven 100lbs pavers.
I am exhausted. Here is an updated garden shot.
Monday, May 30, 2011
Garden Update
Well, that's one done and three to go! The eventual plan is four of these planters in a square with concrete pavers running between them. I'm laying the pavers so that the short side is always against the garden bed so that all the pathways between them will be 30 inches instead of 24 inches.
While the electrician was here, I got another 3 pavers (at 100 lbs each) down and moved 1/2 yard of dirt from the front to the garden bed. Then I moved the garden bed that was temporarily holding the dirt to the back so it can be stained.
T is out getting me another 1/2 yard of sand. I kind of hope we can rush to unload it and run to get some more pavers before everything closes tonight. I got a lot done in Toddler girl's two hour nap. I could get more done tomorrow too.
I'm not sure if I will need another 1/2 yard of sand after this one, but I know that I will need about 50 pavers before I am done. After moving 5000 lbs of concrete, I hope to be buff. That's not why I'm doing this, but there have to be some benefits to being so stiff and tired I can hardly move.
It's funny how the days you can least afford to go out to a restaurant are the days you most need someone else to cook dinner. I don't know what 2 hours of electrician time runs these days, but I would bet it's a lot. Fortunately, my extended family is taking are of us. Blog commentator and Auntie extraordinaire, Lorene, is going to feed us tonight. I can't even begin to tell you how much I appreciate that!
A Funny thing happened
I was planning on posting about biking by consent today. I had the whole post planned out in my mind. Then a funny thing happened and I find myself blogging about the joys of living in an older home.
I love my older home. The floor plan is well thought out in a way I haven't seen in newer places. I love that it was built in a time where we didn't care about harvesting old growth forests and the 2x4 construction (which is ACTUALLY 2x4 not the new 2x4s that are now about 1 3/4 x 3 3/4) is so solid that you have to pre drill your nails holes when going into a stud. Really, I can't even use my drill, we have to break out T's uber drill.
I love the older trees in the neighbourhood, even if we only have one old giant cedar in our yard. The rest of our trees have died since we moved in 2003. The birch in the front got a disease. The two pine trees had wind damage and were threatening the house and the weird shelter belt someone had planted in the backyard was just... wrong. Since the big cull, we have planted a bunch of fruit trees. They are still seedlings, but we have three dwarf sour cherry and two dwarf apple.
There are lots of parks, schools and amenities within walking distance. It is a really nice house in a nice neighbourhood. I would encourage anyone to buy and older home and stop urban sprawl.
However, it has some quirks. The big one is that at some point some one had done some home brew wiring. We have had most of the house redone. Except the storage part of the basement. Now the out door outlets are not working and neither is the back porch light. They have been fine since we moved in and none of the breakers in our newly updated breaker box have tripped.
Time to call an electrician.
We have one we like. We have had one we didn't like before we found this one.
It just seems like we are being hit with home repairs we shouldn't have to worry about lately.
Ah, the joys of home ownership.
I love my older home. The floor plan is well thought out in a way I haven't seen in newer places. I love that it was built in a time where we didn't care about harvesting old growth forests and the 2x4 construction (which is ACTUALLY 2x4 not the new 2x4s that are now about 1 3/4 x 3 3/4) is so solid that you have to pre drill your nails holes when going into a stud. Really, I can't even use my drill, we have to break out T's uber drill.
I love the older trees in the neighbourhood, even if we only have one old giant cedar in our yard. The rest of our trees have died since we moved in 2003. The birch in the front got a disease. The two pine trees had wind damage and were threatening the house and the weird shelter belt someone had planted in the backyard was just... wrong. Since the big cull, we have planted a bunch of fruit trees. They are still seedlings, but we have three dwarf sour cherry and two dwarf apple.
There are lots of parks, schools and amenities within walking distance. It is a really nice house in a nice neighbourhood. I would encourage anyone to buy and older home and stop urban sprawl.
However, it has some quirks. The big one is that at some point some one had done some home brew wiring. We have had most of the house redone. Except the storage part of the basement. Now the out door outlets are not working and neither is the back porch light. They have been fine since we moved in and none of the breakers in our newly updated breaker box have tripped.
Time to call an electrician.
We have one we like. We have had one we didn't like before we found this one.
It just seems like we are being hit with home repairs we shouldn't have to worry about lately.
Ah, the joys of home ownership.
Sunday, May 29, 2011
More Garden
I am stiff. I unloaded the trees at the brush dump then bought and unloaded a half yard of sand today. I also planted five bags of bulbs and laid about 700lbs of concrete pavers. Then I went to work.
More garden pictures when the sun comes up....
The plan for tomorrow is to place the first raised bed and fill it with soil, then stain the next raised bed. I also have five more pavers to lay. OK, I have 30 more to lay, but I have 5 ready to go. I will have to be strategic about how I place them since I can't buy anymore until Monday and I want to get as much as possible done tomorrow.
At some point I am going to have to move a rhubarb plant and some irises and excavate some more. Plus it looks like I will need another half yard of sand.
Our lilacs still haven't bloomed. I will let you know as soon as they do.
My seedlings are looking sad. They are ready to move out of the cramped pots and into the garden. I am definitely on a deadline here.
More garden pictures when the sun comes up....
The plan for tomorrow is to place the first raised bed and fill it with soil, then stain the next raised bed. I also have five more pavers to lay. OK, I have 30 more to lay, but I have 5 ready to go. I will have to be strategic about how I place them since I can't buy anymore until Monday and I want to get as much as possible done tomorrow.
At some point I am going to have to move a rhubarb plant and some irises and excavate some more. Plus it looks like I will need another half yard of sand.
Our lilacs still haven't bloomed. I will let you know as soon as they do.
My seedlings are looking sad. They are ready to move out of the cramped pots and into the garden. I am definitely on a deadline here.
Friday, May 27, 2011
Garden
I have run out of Flickr space on my free account, so you will have to just be aware that some of the pictures on this blog may start to break. At some point, when I have the bikes paid off and the home repairs paid for and when I own more than 2 pairs of pants, I plan to buy a pro account. But that won't be for a while.
Now that the explanation is over, let's talk gardening.
I like gardening. The food I grow tastes better and costs less than anything I could buy in a store. My garden is in the front yard because that is the south side of the house. This year we are trying to spruce it up a little and make it more T accessible. We are building four raised garden beds so that he can sit in a chair to help, if he wants too. There will be those large concrete pavers between the beds.
For now we have dirt. Here is a picture of our dirt:
The first thing I needed to do was move the existing topsoil out of the way. To keep this project from getting out of hand, I built the raised beds and I'm storing the soil in them:
Then I need to rototill the space where the garden will be and rake it flat:
Then bring in two loads of sand and rake that flat to be the base the pavers will sit on. So far I have the first load unloaded, but not raked flat.
Since that was all I could do yesterday, I decided to prune our cedar. You can see it in the top picture. Once I started shaping it, I found it was infested with ants. I googled ants in cedar and found that my ants look just like carpenter ants.
The cedar is right next to our neighbours rotting carport and next to our old wooden fence that is touching our wood siding. Eep.
So I aggressively pruned the cedar and also the Mountain ash that had ants too.
Here is a picture of what is left:
For now gardening is on hold. T has to haul away the tree and pick up another load of sand. I'm working today, tomorrow and Sunday, so no blogging or gardening until Monday or Tuesday.
I need to rush this project though, otherwise I will miss the narrow grow season we have.
Now that the explanation is over, let's talk gardening.
I like gardening. The food I grow tastes better and costs less than anything I could buy in a store. My garden is in the front yard because that is the south side of the house. This year we are trying to spruce it up a little and make it more T accessible. We are building four raised garden beds so that he can sit in a chair to help, if he wants too. There will be those large concrete pavers between the beds.
For now we have dirt. Here is a picture of our dirt:
The first thing I needed to do was move the existing topsoil out of the way. To keep this project from getting out of hand, I built the raised beds and I'm storing the soil in them:
Then I need to rototill the space where the garden will be and rake it flat:
Then bring in two loads of sand and rake that flat to be the base the pavers will sit on. So far I have the first load unloaded, but not raked flat.
Since that was all I could do yesterday, I decided to prune our cedar. You can see it in the top picture. Once I started shaping it, I found it was infested with ants. I googled ants in cedar and found that my ants look just like carpenter ants.
The cedar is right next to our neighbours rotting carport and next to our old wooden fence that is touching our wood siding. Eep.
So I aggressively pruned the cedar and also the Mountain ash that had ants too.
Here is a picture of what is left:
For now gardening is on hold. T has to haul away the tree and pick up another load of sand. I'm working today, tomorrow and Sunday, so no blogging or gardening until Monday or Tuesday.
I need to rush this project though, otherwise I will miss the narrow grow season we have.
Thursday, May 26, 2011
The thing I like about biking
The thing I like about biking is that when I am biking I am thinking about biking. I am keeping track of traffic and Toddler girl. I am concentrating on shifting, especially on the Nishiki where I'm not that comfortable with all 21 gears yet. I am watching for hazards and animals and people getting out of cars or running across the street.
I get a nice buzz from the exercise, but I also like biking because it gives me something to think about instead of having anxiety about how I'm going to pay the bills and how much that unexpected furnace repair is going to cost. (It was $84, if you are interested).
I get to really concentrate on the now.
Since we are getting to the end of the month, let's do a big bike sum up:
Amount spent on bikes this month : about $360 which includes the Nishiki, a new saddle, some odds and ends to make it and Claire go and a new basket so I can carry stuff while I'm getting there. This doesn't include the wacky break even trading done to swap Victoria for Claire because it was wacky but more importantly, break even.
Amount saved on gas this month: about $67. This is hard to calculate. Every month I buy $200 in Gas cards on pay day before the money gets spend on other things. Sometimes (rarely) we have a little left over at the end of the month. Mostly, I run out of gas money before I run out of month. This month, despite record high gas prices, I have $67 dollars left on the card and my car has a full gas tank.
It is going to take a long time to break even. Especially since Claire really needs new tires and rims that will actually let her stop. She came with the original chrome steel rims that are notorious for making it hard to break. I have stuff on order at the Bike Doctor, but.... That's going to easily be another $200. For now, the Nishiki and the parts are riding around on my credit card. When the new tires come in, they might have to join the "living on credit party."
I hate doing that. At the rate of gas savings, I won't break even before the snow falls. I know that as a long term thing, this will be good. I know that biking is good for my health. I feel stronger already. Forgive me for whining a bit, but I am so frustrated with always dancing on the edge of bankruptcy. We don't have a lot of debt, other than the mortgage. We also don't have a plan to be able to pay off debt if we acquire any.
I am picking up some database work in the evenings to try to help pay for the home repairs we need. With any luck, I should be able to make enough to pay for painting and windows. I am working extra shifts this summer. That will help.
And, everyday, I go ride my bike and just don't think about it for a little while.
I get a nice buzz from the exercise, but I also like biking because it gives me something to think about instead of having anxiety about how I'm going to pay the bills and how much that unexpected furnace repair is going to cost. (It was $84, if you are interested).
I get to really concentrate on the now.
Since we are getting to the end of the month, let's do a big bike sum up:
Amount spent on bikes this month : about $360 which includes the Nishiki, a new saddle, some odds and ends to make it and Claire go and a new basket so I can carry stuff while I'm getting there. This doesn't include the wacky break even trading done to swap Victoria for Claire because it was wacky but more importantly, break even.
Amount saved on gas this month: about $67. This is hard to calculate. Every month I buy $200 in Gas cards on pay day before the money gets spend on other things. Sometimes (rarely) we have a little left over at the end of the month. Mostly, I run out of gas money before I run out of month. This month, despite record high gas prices, I have $67 dollars left on the card and my car has a full gas tank.
It is going to take a long time to break even. Especially since Claire really needs new tires and rims that will actually let her stop. She came with the original chrome steel rims that are notorious for making it hard to break. I have stuff on order at the Bike Doctor, but.... That's going to easily be another $200. For now, the Nishiki and the parts are riding around on my credit card. When the new tires come in, they might have to join the "living on credit party."
I hate doing that. At the rate of gas savings, I won't break even before the snow falls. I know that as a long term thing, this will be good. I know that biking is good for my health. I feel stronger already. Forgive me for whining a bit, but I am so frustrated with always dancing on the edge of bankruptcy. We don't have a lot of debt, other than the mortgage. We also don't have a plan to be able to pay off debt if we acquire any.
I am picking up some database work in the evenings to try to help pay for the home repairs we need. With any luck, I should be able to make enough to pay for painting and windows. I am working extra shifts this summer. That will help.
And, everyday, I go ride my bike and just don't think about it for a little while.
Wednesday, May 25, 2011
Tuesday Nights
I used to like going to the movies. Let me rephrase that: I like going to the movies and I used to actually go. Before T, I went almost weekly. Then T and I went at least monthly. Then we bought the house and we went once in a while. Then Toddler girl was born and ... well, I go less than once a year now. Life changes. Priorities change. That is no longer where I think my money should go.
Currently, I don't even know what is playing. We don't have TV and the lack of trailers means I'm out of the loop.
Fortunately, I have a Tuesday night game instead. It's free. It's fun. Sometime there are snacks. Sometimes I bring the snacks. Game night is at L's house which is about 8kms away. This time, I rode my bike. I took the Nishiki.
There were a lot of firsts on this ride. My first time over railway tracks. It was a little scary. And my first time biking through open fields (on a path) in the dark. I have bike lights, front and back. I didn't have my camera. There was wild life. It was... creepy.
I don't know if it is a girl thing or what but, yes it was creepy. There was a good stretch there where there aren't any houses. There is a busy road but still....
I'm going to have to think about it before I do that again. I can have populated areas all the way but it doubles the distance. At 9:30 at night, I just wanted to get home. This is stuff no one talks about when they play up living car light. Mind you, a lot of the people who are having these discussions seem to be men, or in bigger centers with better transit options or more people around.
As an aside, after several days of biking everywhere, my leg muscles are so sore! This has to be a good thing, right? At least I can change it up a bit and switch to riding Claire for a while. It amazes me how those two bikes seem to work completely different areas on my legs.
On the other hand 8 kms in 20 minutes works out to be about 14 miles an hour. I feel proud of that speed. Now I just have to work to be able to sustain it. I was tired when I got home.
Currently, I don't even know what is playing. We don't have TV and the lack of trailers means I'm out of the loop.
Fortunately, I have a Tuesday night game instead. It's free. It's fun. Sometime there are snacks. Sometimes I bring the snacks. Game night is at L's house which is about 8kms away. This time, I rode my bike. I took the Nishiki.
There were a lot of firsts on this ride. My first time over railway tracks. It was a little scary. And my first time biking through open fields (on a path) in the dark. I have bike lights, front and back. I didn't have my camera. There was wild life. It was... creepy.
I don't know if it is a girl thing or what but, yes it was creepy. There was a good stretch there where there aren't any houses. There is a busy road but still....
I'm going to have to think about it before I do that again. I can have populated areas all the way but it doubles the distance. At 9:30 at night, I just wanted to get home. This is stuff no one talks about when they play up living car light. Mind you, a lot of the people who are having these discussions seem to be men, or in bigger centers with better transit options or more people around.
As an aside, after several days of biking everywhere, my leg muscles are so sore! This has to be a good thing, right? At least I can change it up a bit and switch to riding Claire for a while. It amazes me how those two bikes seem to work completely different areas on my legs.
On the other hand 8 kms in 20 minutes works out to be about 14 miles an hour. I feel proud of that speed. Now I just have to work to be able to sustain it. I was tired when I got home.
Tuesday, May 24, 2011
I don't talk about it....
I don't talk about work. I don't want to blog about work. There are lots of reasons for that. If you are internet savvy enough to have found this blog, I'm sure you know what those reasons are.
However, I am going to say that due to some equipment upgrades at work, I am working twice as many days this pay cheque as I normally do. It isn't much, but it means extra child care and extra complications. And hopefully a little extra money. Most of which will go to the on going home repairs, but I am going to splash out a little on a new saddle and a basket for my bikes. I am very excited! I have picked out a basket like the one that Snarkypup over at rideblog has. It will go on Claire to get rid of the awkward panniers that don't work with the child seat.
She purchased hers from Amazon.com, but they don't ship that item here. So, I found the cheapest place to order from that ships internationally is in the UK.... and they have a sale on Brooks saddles right now. Less than half the local price.
I hate to do that. I really do. I will pay a little more to support a local business, but.... it would be a long time before I could afford a saddle at full local price and I can't get the basket locally no matter what I do. I am consoling myself with the fact that I have tracked don't a local Soma dealer and have put them on the case of getting those replacement pedals I want for the Nishiki.
Shopping for bike parts, nice bike parts, locally is really hard or impossible. If I just order the Soma stuff off the web, there won't be a local Soma dealer for long. I guess that is the nice thing about long term projects. If I start asking for parts now and it takes a year to get them, mostly it doesn't matter.
However, I am going to say that due to some equipment upgrades at work, I am working twice as many days this pay cheque as I normally do. It isn't much, but it means extra child care and extra complications. And hopefully a little extra money. Most of which will go to the on going home repairs, but I am going to splash out a little on a new saddle and a basket for my bikes. I am very excited! I have picked out a basket like the one that Snarkypup over at rideblog has. It will go on Claire to get rid of the awkward panniers that don't work with the child seat.
She purchased hers from Amazon.com, but they don't ship that item here. So, I found the cheapest place to order from that ships internationally is in the UK.... and they have a sale on Brooks saddles right now. Less than half the local price.
I hate to do that. I really do. I will pay a little more to support a local business, but.... it would be a long time before I could afford a saddle at full local price and I can't get the basket locally no matter what I do. I am consoling myself with the fact that I have tracked don't a local Soma dealer and have put them on the case of getting those replacement pedals I want for the Nishiki.
Shopping for bike parts, nice bike parts, locally is really hard or impossible. If I just order the Soma stuff off the web, there won't be a local Soma dealer for long. I guess that is the nice thing about long term projects. If I start asking for parts now and it takes a year to get them, mostly it doesn't matter.
Saturday, May 21, 2011
Interesting Internet stuff
Two very interesting things happened in my internet world yesterday. First I was contacted by M, who lives in BC and reads my blog, after she had a bad experience shopping for a trike. She wanted a pep-talk and shopping advice. I haven't seen M in years since I lived out in her town in 2001. She is a really nice lady and was a very kind to me when I moved there.
After a few emails back and forth, M agreed to let me post her story here and (with a few identifier changing details) on the Bikeforums. I give the Bikeforums in general a bit of flack. I really do think they could be MUCH better moderated. Except for the Clydesdale/Athena section. There is actually a area in the bike forums for cyclist who are 200lbs+. And they have zero tolerance for rudeness. Zero.
I don't really think about my size much. I worry more about what I can and can't do. Which makes it odd to me that two different sets of people in the last month have referred to me as the "token skinny friend" or the "not so bitchy skinny bitch in the room." If you really pushed me, I would not describe myself as skinny. Average at best. But that is besides the point. I think it's a little freaky that more than one person would describe me that way in such a short time, one of whom needed immediate bike advice and one who had previously asked about it.
I like biking. I think there is a lot you can do to make a chain driven bicycle-like device that will accommodate all different sizes, shapes and abilities. I have previously mentioned that we get T a modified trike so that he could bike with Cerebral Palsy. I don't think I have talked about what we did to get it to work for him.
T started with a Norco Parklane because that was the only available adult trike we could find at the time. Then we completely regeared it. When I say we, I mean the fine gentlemen at Bike Doctor. The front gear was replaced with a bigger one with more teeth so he could go faster and the rear gears were redone so that he as one really bike cog that is about 1 - 1 gear ratio. That means one turn of the pedals is one turn of the wheel. This is a really, really easy gear. He uses it for going up the steep bridges we have in town. The other four rear cogs get him through the usual settings.
Only having rear gears is nice for non racers because it is like driving a car. You start at one and as you speed up, you shift up to a higher gear. The trick is remembering to shift back to first gear before you stop pedaling at a stop.
I have been completely spoiled in that until the Nishiki, all the bikes in my adult life have been internally gear hubs. The advantage of that is you don't have a derailler, so you chain never falls off and you can instantly change the tension in the gear box. If you are stopped and you forgot to shift down, you click the shifter and the tension changes and you are instantly in the lower gear. I really believe once you try one, you will never go back to a derailler for commute or city style biking.
Since we bought T's trike, that internal gear system has become available for trikes too, it's even now available with a coaster brake 3 speed combination. Coaster brakes let you stop by pedaling back, like on kids bikes. They take a little while to break (ha!) in, but once they do, they work in rain or snow. They don't experience the problems that caliper brakes are prone to.
Other things that have changed in trike construction since we were shopping for T are the electric assist kits are now more available. This is a tiny engine that rides on your trike to help compensate for the extra weight of a trike compared to a bike. In fact there is even one triker I see around town a lot who uses his electric assist most of the time to turn his trike into electric wheel chair that is easier on his pride. When he can pedal, he does. When he can't pedal, he doesn't have to worry about being stranded.
And where T's trike is a front half and a back half bolted together, (which is fine) there are now industrial trikes out there with a single welded frame. This means less maintenance making sure the bolts are tight and also lets the trike carry more cargo.
So cycling is low impact and you can get trikes that are traditional upright or recumbent or half way in between, They come in all sizes and colors. If you need one modified for mobility requirements and are a registered person of disability with Revenue Canada, you even get a nice tax deduction if your doctor thinks it could be helpful. Plus there is a really great support system out there for any Athena sized gals who might be thinking of taking up the sport. Why wouldn't you give it a try?
Here it comes - the nasty side of real life. M contacted me because her local bike shop is staffed by insensitive jerks. Yes, I understand that no bike shop can stock all models, but the one she went to was just nasty to make her go away when she was asking intelligent questions about trikes for cuddly ladies. There are people out there who I will only describe as door knobs because my daughters read this and I don't want to go on record for using the kind of language that is going through my head right now.
I just ... it breaks my heart and I don't understand. In 20 minutes of internet research (and I'm not THAT good at it) I found a few trikes that would be perfect for M. If the shop had just said they would look into it for her and let her know. They could have ordered something in with a mark up and had a guaranteed sale.
And bikes aren't cheap. A good bike in any category (road bike, city bike, mountain bike or trike) start at $1000 and go up depending on features. Very cheap compared to cars, but very expensive compared to groceries. How many bike bells would they have to sell to match the income from M coming in and saying basically "here's what I want, take my money please"?
Never mind that I am average, so are you, and you, and you and certainly M. There are lots of women out there in every size. The shop COULD have ordered two and used good word of mouth to become a plus sized bicycle shop. M is no shrinking violet, she would have been such good press for them. Heck, the first thing she said after hearing the term Athena (and realizing that is a real category) was how much she wanted to organize a Athena ride in her city. She has the contacts to do it, too.
So M is getting trike, although she is not sure which one. Last I heard she was favouring this model, because it comes in a selection of colours. She likes the lavender and is thinking of a custom silver flame paint job (sorry honey, that is just TOO girlie for me). More power to her!
Cycling is not just for skinny bitches and don't let anyone tell you otherwise!
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
In other news. T bought me my own domain, set it up on his server and installed Wordpress. I don't have it up and running yet and it isn't Cast Iron Kitchen. All will be revealed. Just be patient. I'm so excited!
After a few emails back and forth, M agreed to let me post her story here and (with a few identifier changing details) on the Bikeforums. I give the Bikeforums in general a bit of flack. I really do think they could be MUCH better moderated. Except for the Clydesdale/Athena section. There is actually a area in the bike forums for cyclist who are 200lbs+. And they have zero tolerance for rudeness. Zero.
I don't really think about my size much. I worry more about what I can and can't do. Which makes it odd to me that two different sets of people in the last month have referred to me as the "token skinny friend" or the "not so bitchy skinny bitch in the room." If you really pushed me, I would not describe myself as skinny. Average at best. But that is besides the point. I think it's a little freaky that more than one person would describe me that way in such a short time, one of whom needed immediate bike advice and one who had previously asked about it.
I like biking. I think there is a lot you can do to make a chain driven bicycle-like device that will accommodate all different sizes, shapes and abilities. I have previously mentioned that we get T a modified trike so that he could bike with Cerebral Palsy. I don't think I have talked about what we did to get it to work for him.
T started with a Norco Parklane because that was the only available adult trike we could find at the time. Then we completely regeared it. When I say we, I mean the fine gentlemen at Bike Doctor. The front gear was replaced with a bigger one with more teeth so he could go faster and the rear gears were redone so that he as one really bike cog that is about 1 - 1 gear ratio. That means one turn of the pedals is one turn of the wheel. This is a really, really easy gear. He uses it for going up the steep bridges we have in town. The other four rear cogs get him through the usual settings.
Only having rear gears is nice for non racers because it is like driving a car. You start at one and as you speed up, you shift up to a higher gear. The trick is remembering to shift back to first gear before you stop pedaling at a stop.
I have been completely spoiled in that until the Nishiki, all the bikes in my adult life have been internally gear hubs. The advantage of that is you don't have a derailler, so you chain never falls off and you can instantly change the tension in the gear box. If you are stopped and you forgot to shift down, you click the shifter and the tension changes and you are instantly in the lower gear. I really believe once you try one, you will never go back to a derailler for commute or city style biking.
Since we bought T's trike, that internal gear system has become available for trikes too, it's even now available with a coaster brake 3 speed combination. Coaster brakes let you stop by pedaling back, like on kids bikes. They take a little while to break (ha!) in, but once they do, they work in rain or snow. They don't experience the problems that caliper brakes are prone to.
Other things that have changed in trike construction since we were shopping for T are the electric assist kits are now more available. This is a tiny engine that rides on your trike to help compensate for the extra weight of a trike compared to a bike. In fact there is even one triker I see around town a lot who uses his electric assist most of the time to turn his trike into electric wheel chair that is easier on his pride. When he can pedal, he does. When he can't pedal, he doesn't have to worry about being stranded.
And where T's trike is a front half and a back half bolted together, (which is fine) there are now industrial trikes out there with a single welded frame. This means less maintenance making sure the bolts are tight and also lets the trike carry more cargo.
So cycling is low impact and you can get trikes that are traditional upright or recumbent or half way in between, They come in all sizes and colors. If you need one modified for mobility requirements and are a registered person of disability with Revenue Canada, you even get a nice tax deduction if your doctor thinks it could be helpful. Plus there is a really great support system out there for any Athena sized gals who might be thinking of taking up the sport. Why wouldn't you give it a try?
Here it comes - the nasty side of real life. M contacted me because her local bike shop is staffed by insensitive jerks. Yes, I understand that no bike shop can stock all models, but the one she went to was just nasty to make her go away when she was asking intelligent questions about trikes for cuddly ladies. There are people out there who I will only describe as door knobs because my daughters read this and I don't want to go on record for using the kind of language that is going through my head right now.
I just ... it breaks my heart and I don't understand. In 20 minutes of internet research (and I'm not THAT good at it) I found a few trikes that would be perfect for M. If the shop had just said they would look into it for her and let her know. They could have ordered something in with a mark up and had a guaranteed sale.
And bikes aren't cheap. A good bike in any category (road bike, city bike, mountain bike or trike) start at $1000 and go up depending on features. Very cheap compared to cars, but very expensive compared to groceries. How many bike bells would they have to sell to match the income from M coming in and saying basically "here's what I want, take my money please"?
Never mind that I am average, so are you, and you, and you and certainly M. There are lots of women out there in every size. The shop COULD have ordered two and used good word of mouth to become a plus sized bicycle shop. M is no shrinking violet, she would have been such good press for them. Heck, the first thing she said after hearing the term Athena (and realizing that is a real category) was how much she wanted to organize a Athena ride in her city. She has the contacts to do it, too.
So M is getting trike, although she is not sure which one. Last I heard she was favouring this model, because it comes in a selection of colours. She likes the lavender and is thinking of a custom silver flame paint job (sorry honey, that is just TOO girlie for me). More power to her!
Cycling is not just for skinny bitches and don't let anyone tell you otherwise!
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
In other news. T bought me my own domain, set it up on his server and installed Wordpress. I don't have it up and running yet and it isn't Cast Iron Kitchen. All will be revealed. Just be patient. I'm so excited!
Long day Friday
My day might not seem that interesting. The whole family got up early because all three of us had optometrist appointments at 8:30am. It went well. Even being among the first appointments of the day, they were already 20 minutes behind. The last time I went Toddler girl's appointment was at 3pm and we didn't make it home for supper at 6pm. That's a long wait when you are 18 months old.
I knew I was going to need new glasses. My last pair got broken during .... I don't even remember what I was doing, but there was a small person involved. I have been wearing a old pair from 2003 for the last month. After our appointment, T went to work. Toddler girl and I went to a couple of Eyeglasses stores and I picked out some frames. She was very patient. She read Beatrix Potter (or at least looked at the pictures) on my Kindle.
After that we went to the park to go on the swings as a reward for her being so patient. Swings is just about her favourite thing in the world. There was a whole daycare there. All of the kids were bigger than she is. No real surprise since everyone is bigger than she is. It made her a little uncomfortable. I once again had to realize that the kids 6 to 8 months younger than she is are as big or bigger than her. It was be really awkward having somebody that is taller than you and beefier than you wobbling toward you, drooling everywhere, who can't talk but could knock you down and crush you if you take a hit. There is a huge development difference between a potty trained articulate two and a half year old and a 16 - 18 month old. Even if the 18 month old is bigger.
She still was very well behaved, even after the gaffer tried to give her a hug she didn't want. She did cry for her Mum-mum, but she didn't push back. I understand the feeling, once you've been manhandled by some staggering behemoth it's time to go home. She got some swing time and I got a nice discussion with the daycare staff. It was nice to have someone else be impressed at how articulate she is for her age.
On a side note, I expect C to out grow that Colt. At the rate she is going, I don't think Toddler girl will.
Toddler girl was even fairly good through dropping off our paperwork at the insurance company, despite her getting tired and hungry at that point. We stopped to have lunch at the University. They have a melon cup that is a favourite. Neither of us were going to make it all the way home without food.
We had a nice lunch and a good trip to the public bathroom, that was slightly unnerving for her but still productive. She was clean and dry all day. She fell asleep on the way home.
When we got home at 2pm, we had a second lunch and washed some laundry. It was a normal day.
Where we did NOT use a car. Yes, those car free people out there are scoffing at me. But to be able to bike that far AND have Toddler girl put up for me pedaling her around! For us, that is a huge change. 16.59 km (according to Google maps) with a Toddler on the back of a 1972 Raleigh Superbe! With some fairly good hills in that route! And I can still walk this morning!
I can't take a Panda shot with Toddler in the bike and since I had to carry her sleeping form into the house, I didn't get any pictures of the trip. But I did it! I am proud of myself and I am proud of her.
I knew I was going to need new glasses. My last pair got broken during .... I don't even remember what I was doing, but there was a small person involved. I have been wearing a old pair from 2003 for the last month. After our appointment, T went to work. Toddler girl and I went to a couple of Eyeglasses stores and I picked out some frames. She was very patient. She read Beatrix Potter (or at least looked at the pictures) on my Kindle.
After that we went to the park to go on the swings as a reward for her being so patient. Swings is just about her favourite thing in the world. There was a whole daycare there. All of the kids were bigger than she is. No real surprise since everyone is bigger than she is. It made her a little uncomfortable. I once again had to realize that the kids 6 to 8 months younger than she is are as big or bigger than her. It was be really awkward having somebody that is taller than you and beefier than you wobbling toward you, drooling everywhere, who can't talk but could knock you down and crush you if you take a hit. There is a huge development difference between a potty trained articulate two and a half year old and a 16 - 18 month old. Even if the 18 month old is bigger.
She still was very well behaved, even after the gaffer tried to give her a hug she didn't want. She did cry for her Mum-mum, but she didn't push back. I understand the feeling, once you've been manhandled by some staggering behemoth it's time to go home. She got some swing time and I got a nice discussion with the daycare staff. It was nice to have someone else be impressed at how articulate she is for her age.
On a side note, I expect C to out grow that Colt. At the rate she is going, I don't think Toddler girl will.
Toddler girl was even fairly good through dropping off our paperwork at the insurance company, despite her getting tired and hungry at that point. We stopped to have lunch at the University. They have a melon cup that is a favourite. Neither of us were going to make it all the way home without food.
We had a nice lunch and a good trip to the public bathroom, that was slightly unnerving for her but still productive. She was clean and dry all day. She fell asleep on the way home.
When we got home at 2pm, we had a second lunch and washed some laundry. It was a normal day.
Where we did NOT use a car. Yes, those car free people out there are scoffing at me. But to be able to bike that far AND have Toddler girl put up for me pedaling her around! For us, that is a huge change. 16.59 km (according to Google maps) with a Toddler on the back of a 1972 Raleigh Superbe! With some fairly good hills in that route! And I can still walk this morning!
I can't take a Panda shot with Toddler in the bike and since I had to carry her sleeping form into the house, I didn't get any pictures of the trip. But I did it! I am proud of myself and I am proud of her.
Thursday, May 19, 2011
Good bye Victoria! Hello Claire!
She is a dream to ride, when Toddler girl holds still and lets me drive. When she is looking to see where we are going, the bike serves like I was DUI. We are working on it.
I have also purchased the Nishiki. I'm not sure I can convert it, but anyway now I have a road bike and that one would hurt less to sell if I can't upgrade later. It is also a dream to ride. Which means that since I started this blog with one bike that didn't fit and two part bikes, I now have two working bikes and a different part bike to restore with C.
I have come to the conclusion that one bike won't do it all for me. Claire is amazing to ride with Toddler and T. She keeps pace with his trike perfectly. The Nishiki.... doesn't. He goes was to fast to ride with T on his trike, but Nishiki also will tow Toddler girl's trailer and carry two panniers full of groceries with out much trouble.
Life is good. Especially now that work has bike racks. I'm going to need them since I have to work some extra shifts to pay for my bike habit.
People say it's cheaper than gas, but so far it hasn't been. Nevermind that I would really love a Onderwater family tandem or a Fr8. Sigh.
Wednesday, May 18, 2011
Fussy Banana bread
Whip up 1 1/2 recipe of Alton Brown's Bananas Foster, here's the expanded version:
(OK Let's be honest here, what you REALLY want to do is make 6 banana's worth and eat three Fostered Bananas with ice cream)
Puree the bananas and sauce together and allow to cool, then add to this modified banana bread recipe:
3 bananas foster, pureed with sauce
1 egg, beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon baking soda
Pinch of salt
1 ½ cup flour
1. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
2. With a wooden spoon, mix butter into the mashed bananas in a large mixing bowl. Mix in the sugar, egg, vanilla and bourbon, then the spices. Sprinkle the baking soda and salt over the mixture and mix in. Add the flour last, mix. Pour mixture into a buttered 4×8 inch loaf pan. Bake for 50 minutes to one hour, or until a tester comes out clean. Cool on a rack. Remove from pan and slice to serve.
It looks like banana bread. It looked like banana bread before we ate it all. Sorry, this one was too good for pictures. But trust me, the extra steps were worth it.
Now, if you really want to go crazy, try banana bread french toast sometime....
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1/3 cup dark brown sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
- 3/4 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg
- 1 tablespoon banana liqueur
- 3 ripe bananas, sliced in half lengthwise
- 1/2 cup dark rum
- 1/2 teaspoon finely grated orange zest
(OK Let's be honest here, what you REALLY want to do is make 6 banana's worth and eat three Fostered Bananas with ice cream)
Puree the bananas and sauce together and allow to cool, then add to this modified banana bread recipe:
3 bananas foster, pureed with sauce
1 egg, beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon baking soda
Pinch of salt
1 ½ cup flour
1. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
2. With a wooden spoon, mix butter into the mashed bananas in a large mixing bowl. Mix in the sugar, egg, vanilla and bourbon, then the spices. Sprinkle the baking soda and salt over the mixture and mix in. Add the flour last, mix. Pour mixture into a buttered 4×8 inch loaf pan. Bake for 50 minutes to one hour, or until a tester comes out clean. Cool on a rack. Remove from pan and slice to serve.
It looks like banana bread. It looked like banana bread before we ate it all. Sorry, this one was too good for pictures. But trust me, the extra steps were worth it.
Now, if you really want to go crazy, try banana bread french toast sometime....
Tuesday, May 17, 2011
Pictures
It's a grey overcast day and Toddler girl has taken to her bed. That's such a Victorian phrase, but it exactly sums up what is going on. She is in bed, in pajamas, with her 1st gen iPod touch and won't come out. It is such a dorky iPod. The screen is broken, it doesn't have speakers or a good battery or much storage, but it plays movies though the kiddy headphones and she loves it.
Here is a picture, courtesy of Lorene, of Ellie and I and the Mother's day camera:
After working all weekend and a busy Monday, I'm glad for a quiet day in.
In other news, C is going to help fix up the Raleigh Colt I bought at auction a couple of months ago. I paid $38 for it. It has all original parts except (maybe) the saddle. I was planning of passing it along to a gal who is 5' tall and was really wanting a vintage 3 speed. But... she didn't want the work. I thought it would be a good bike fix up. I still think that. Now C says she is going to do it She took it for a test ride and had the stupid grin on her face the whole time. You know the one. The grin that says I love this bike. All it really needs is a new saddle, new brake pads and a really good clean.
And a new portrait.
The down side of living in the middle of no where is I can NOT get the kool-stop salmon brake pads I need locally. I need to spend some time searching for a Canadian supplier who also has an online shop.
Here is a picture, courtesy of Lorene, of Ellie and I and the Mother's day camera:
In other news, C is going to help fix up the Raleigh Colt I bought at auction a couple of months ago. I paid $38 for it. It has all original parts except (maybe) the saddle. I was planning of passing it along to a gal who is 5' tall and was really wanting a vintage 3 speed. But... she didn't want the work. I thought it would be a good bike fix up. I still think that. Now C says she is going to do it She took it for a test ride and had the stupid grin on her face the whole time. You know the one. The grin that says I love this bike. All it really needs is a new saddle, new brake pads and a really good clean.
The down side of living in the middle of no where is I can NOT get the kool-stop salmon brake pads I need locally. I need to spend some time searching for a Canadian supplier who also has an online shop.
Monday, May 16, 2011
Fondue
For supper tonight I made Alton Brown's cheese fondue recipe. It was.... OK. It took longer to make than I thought. I wonder if I did something wrong because it finally got really creamy AFTER we were done eating and friend/blog commentator Lorene had left. I wonder if this would have worked better if I had just thrown it in a crock pot and let it sit for an hour or two before serving.
Overall the flavour was good, it was just .... sort of clumpy. I tried adding extra lemon juice as the recipe suggested. It didn't help. Then after everyone had left and T turned the fondue back on to eat up the left overs, it was perfect and smooth. I started adding cheese at 5:45pm. The fondue was amazing at 8pm. Maybe it was too much cider for the cheese. I followed the directions on the website very carefully.
The comments suggest it needs more cheese or extra starch. I didn't try that. Maybe next time. It was worth a next time.
In other news, the problem with having people over is that by the time Toddler girl gets used to the idea of them being here it's time for them to go. She was all over good bye hugs and even wanted to call and make sure everyone got home OK. While they were here she was so shy she could hardly come out of her room. I don't know what to do about that....
Overall the flavour was good, it was just .... sort of clumpy. I tried adding extra lemon juice as the recipe suggested. It didn't help. Then after everyone had left and T turned the fondue back on to eat up the left overs, it was perfect and smooth. I started adding cheese at 5:45pm. The fondue was amazing at 8pm. Maybe it was too much cider for the cheese. I followed the directions on the website very carefully.
The comments suggest it needs more cheese or extra starch. I didn't try that. Maybe next time. It was worth a next time.
In other news, the problem with having people over is that by the time Toddler girl gets used to the idea of them being here it's time for them to go. She was all over good bye hugs and even wanted to call and make sure everyone got home OK. While they were here she was so shy she could hardly come out of her room. I don't know what to do about that....
Sunday, May 15, 2011
The other bike
I'm looking at this bike:
It's a approximately 1983 Nishiki International. It is in theory a touring bike. It has bazons for fenders, and a rack and a water bottle cage. That's the little attached nuts that look like this:
This bike fits me really well, except I like fenders on my bikes. Here's my problem:
No fenders.... not even space for fenders. Why put attachment points for fenders on a bike where the wheels are too big to use them?
The thing is, I have heard of something called a 650B conversion, where you take the 700 sized tires (like this bike has) off and put on a slightly smaller size to make room for fenders. In theory, I should be able to go to the bike forum and post my pictures and ask the question.
However, they aren't always nice on the bike forums. In fact, just recently they have been so vile to the author of one of the blogs I read that I have pretty much stopped going to the site all together. Yes, the internet turns people into trolls, but forums are supposed to have moderators to keep that thing to a minimum. T's tractor forum has "friendly" in their tag line and they whole group enforces good manners. This forum.... it almost seems like they egg each other on into ruder and ruder behavior.
OK, let's be honest, the only way I can afford this bike is on credit and that way disaster lies. But it bothers me that there is a great resorce out there that I'm not going to use due to rude people. Do they even think about how their being rude to one person discourages everyone else who doesn't want to be bullied from participating? Is that the point?
I can see this bike all fixed up with deco fenders from Velo Orange and Soma bullet lights and copper pedals and a copper bottle cage with a Kleen Kanteen. I can dream about how to fix this bike up. I can't afford to fix this bike up, but really... I have know idea if it is even possible.
The thing is, I have heard of something called a 650B conversion, where you take the 700 sized tires (like this bike has) off and put on a slightly smaller size to make room for fenders. In theory, I should be able to go to the bike forum and post my pictures and ask the question.
However, they aren't always nice on the bike forums. In fact, just recently they have been so vile to the author of one of the blogs I read that I have pretty much stopped going to the site all together. Yes, the internet turns people into trolls, but forums are supposed to have moderators to keep that thing to a minimum. T's tractor forum has "friendly" in their tag line and they whole group enforces good manners. This forum.... it almost seems like they egg each other on into ruder and ruder behavior.
OK, let's be honest, the only way I can afford this bike is on credit and that way disaster lies. But it bothers me that there is a great resorce out there that I'm not going to use due to rude people. Do they even think about how their being rude to one person discourages everyone else who doesn't want to be bullied from participating? Is that the point?
I can see this bike all fixed up with deco fenders from Velo Orange and Soma bullet lights and copper pedals and a copper bottle cage with a Kleen Kanteen. I can dream about how to fix this bike up. I can't afford to fix this bike up, but really... I have know idea if it is even possible.
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