a full set of my pictures from our vacation in france this fall are now compiled.
Showing posts with label bi cy cle. Show all posts
Showing posts with label bi cy cle. Show all posts
Oct 23, 2008
Oct 14, 2008
walnut grove on the banks of the dordogne river
nate and i went to france in late september - we spent a week biking in the south, and then a couple of days in france. on the second day of our trip we left a town called gourdon in the bouriane region and headed towards vitrac, located in the dordogne river valley. nate had to try a fresh walnut from this grove.
Aug 4, 2008
mass ave portrait
last fall nate and i met mary on the mass ave bridge to be models in potential shots for reflector, the zine associated with Bikes Not Bombs. (she ended up using a close-up of nate's sexy fixed gear.)
mary just got her website up and running and put up a picture of me from that day on the bridge as part of her online portfolio. check out the portrait.
Apr 16, 2008
eugene, oregon follow-up
my trip was super brief, and fairly last minute, and yet i still managed to get out a little and see a small slice of the place - more than any of my other business trips here have allowed for.
- lucky noodle: very nice dinner. definitely thumbs up. seems to be a good place for almost all demographics. i saw all sorts hanging out here. prices weren't too steep, and the atmosphere was nice. also, gelatto!
- collins cycles: lovely bright and open space for a bike shop. great new models on display, a good selection of sale items, both bikes and clothes, as well as all the usual supplies and gadgets, shoes, bags (messenger, backpack, and panniers), along with a helpful and friendly staff. kids section was well stocked, too.
- the main branch of the library: on ann's recommendation, i carved out time for the library to check out the courtyard. so glad i did. the outdoor space, even without greenery yet, was really lovely. bench seats and tables in kids' sizes, and a couple of sculptures, all covered in gorgeous and unusual mosaic stylings, including poetry about reading and books, and built-in chess/checker boards. the focal point on the open patio is the elephant laid out on the ground, it's entire perimeter taken from "oliphaunt" by tolkien. worth noting also: the entire children's section was very well done and seemed to be actually used and liked by both kids and parents.
- many a beer place. regional beer: quasi-religion out this way. would have stopped in, but i settled for the regional wine and snack tasting on the puddlejumper between eugene and seattle.
- eugene hilton and conference center: location of our meeting. had bikes outside the main door for use by it's guests. staff were very helpful and friendly. the room was standard and suitable. but let me say again - the staff were extremely competent and good folk.
- democratic convention: there was a picture of chelsea clinton on the nytimes homepage standing in the lobby of above hotel. i was there! (i was there a day earlier, but still...)
- also: mountains/hills in the background, bike friendly streets, i spotted an orange lotus, public art all around.
a nice place to visit. since i have friends in portland, it's likely if i go back to oregon it will be there and not eugene, but if i found myself back there i would not be so sad.
- lucky noodle: very nice dinner. definitely thumbs up. seems to be a good place for almost all demographics. i saw all sorts hanging out here. prices weren't too steep, and the atmosphere was nice. also, gelatto!
- collins cycles: lovely bright and open space for a bike shop. great new models on display, a good selection of sale items, both bikes and clothes, as well as all the usual supplies and gadgets, shoes, bags (messenger, backpack, and panniers), along with a helpful and friendly staff. kids section was well stocked, too.
- the main branch of the library: on ann's recommendation, i carved out time for the library to check out the courtyard. so glad i did. the outdoor space, even without greenery yet, was really lovely. bench seats and tables in kids' sizes, and a couple of sculptures, all covered in gorgeous and unusual mosaic stylings, including poetry about reading and books, and built-in chess/checker boards. the focal point on the open patio is the elephant laid out on the ground, it's entire perimeter taken from "oliphaunt" by tolkien. worth noting also: the entire children's section was very well done and seemed to be actually used and liked by both kids and parents.
- many a beer place. regional beer: quasi-religion out this way. would have stopped in, but i settled for the regional wine and snack tasting on the puddlejumper between eugene and seattle.
- eugene hilton and conference center: location of our meeting. had bikes outside the main door for use by it's guests. staff were very helpful and friendly. the room was standard and suitable. but let me say again - the staff were extremely competent and good folk.
- democratic convention: there was a picture of chelsea clinton on the nytimes homepage standing in the lobby of above hotel. i was there! (i was there a day earlier, but still...)
- also: mountains/hills in the background, bike friendly streets, i spotted an orange lotus, public art all around.
a nice place to visit. since i have friends in portland, it's likely if i go back to oregon it will be there and not eugene, but if i found myself back there i would not be so sad.
Sep 22, 2007
100 miles - done and done
hooray! i reached my goal of riding a full century ride in 2007. i am proud of myself. i rarely feel pride in myself without reservations or caveats of some sort, but this time it's pure and true.
the course was actually 102 miles, and yes, i was counting. very closely. the ride started and finished at hampton beach, and went south to dip into massachusetts before circling back round north along the new hampshire coast and peeking into maine before heading back. there were a few hills towards maine which winded me, but the most difficult part, as i imagined, was the headwind coming back south. almost the entire route was right along the coast. gorgeous vistas and glimpses at some pretty spectacular beachside properties.
nate was a fantastic support system to me: coach, pack mule, and cheering squad all rolled into one. he also was documentarian, and has put pictures up here. i couldn't have done it without him. i may have never even set this as a goal for myself if it weren't for him. he's had my thanks a few times, and i plan to thank him a few more before the day is through.
before leaving the area we treated ourselves to pizza from a beachside vendor. we leaned against his parked car in the fading light, munching slices and watching the crashing waves, the kids pedaling past rocking back and forth on training wheels, and the die-hard sunbathers still camped out. it was a lovely, exhausting, satisfying day. a beautiful way to cap the summer and begin our vacation.
tommorow is all about packing our most quick-drying belongings and then being off to turkey!
the course was actually 102 miles, and yes, i was counting. very closely. the ride started and finished at hampton beach, and went south to dip into massachusetts before circling back round north along the new hampshire coast and peeking into maine before heading back. there were a few hills towards maine which winded me, but the most difficult part, as i imagined, was the headwind coming back south. almost the entire route was right along the coast. gorgeous vistas and glimpses at some pretty spectacular beachside properties.
nate was a fantastic support system to me: coach, pack mule, and cheering squad all rolled into one. he also was documentarian, and has put pictures up here. i couldn't have done it without him. i may have never even set this as a goal for myself if it weren't for him. he's had my thanks a few times, and i plan to thank him a few more before the day is through.
before leaving the area we treated ourselves to pizza from a beachside vendor. we leaned against his parked car in the fading light, munching slices and watching the crashing waves, the kids pedaling past rocking back and forth on training wheels, and the die-hard sunbathers still camped out. it was a lovely, exhausting, satisfying day. a beautiful way to cap the summer and begin our vacation.
tommorow is all about packing our most quick-drying belongings and then being off to turkey!
Sep 21, 2007
pictures
Sep 19, 2007
sore shanks
about a week before i did the 70-mile ride i decided it would be a good idea to cross-train, and i used all sorts of muscles that were decidedly sore until a day or two before the ride. of course, limiting the comfort of riding and doing real training before that big day. i thought, how silly. and i thought, that's surely a lesson that i should put more time between using oft-ignored muscles and a long ride.
which must be why come monday i decided the weather was so beautiful that i shouldn't go to the gym - that i should, instead, jog. i, who haven't touched a track, a field, a fast pace on foot for more than a few seconds since 1999...yes, i put some headphones on and went out in the neighborhood to alternate jogging and walking until everything was sore. that took about 18 minutes. i really don't need to go into detail about how very un-sojo this act was, or how unlikely it is that anyone will believe that i did anything close to running.
and so, about a week before before i do another big ride, i decided it would be just fine to cross-train and make all sorts of leggy, knee-y, and shanky muscles decidedly sore. noted: riding to work this morning felt nice, but after a few hours large portions of the lower half of my body are reluctant and angry.
i have fielded a request to not run again before riding this weekend. i will happily oblige.
which must be why come monday i decided the weather was so beautiful that i shouldn't go to the gym - that i should, instead, jog. i, who haven't touched a track, a field, a fast pace on foot for more than a few seconds since 1999...yes, i put some headphones on and went out in the neighborhood to alternate jogging and walking until everything was sore. that took about 18 minutes. i really don't need to go into detail about how very un-sojo this act was, or how unlikely it is that anyone will believe that i did anything close to running.
and so, about a week before before i do another big ride, i decided it would be just fine to cross-train and make all sorts of leggy, knee-y, and shanky muscles decidedly sore. noted: riding to work this morning felt nice, but after a few hours large portions of the lower half of my body are reluctant and angry.
i have fielded a request to not run again before riding this weekend. i will happily oblige.
Sep 18, 2007
100 miles with viola and nate
did i mention i'll be on my bicycle for one hundred miles this coming saturday? indeed. i have signed up for what is touted as the flattest 100-mile organized ride on the east coast. i can only hope. using a modest and likely estimate of my average speed, i should be able to stop pedaling sometime after six and a half or seven hours. i'll be thinking endurancey thoughts and looking to nate for moral support if ever my eyes wander to the sag wagon. he has considered bringing bungee cords in case i need to be towed. i am considering kicking my own ass up and down the coast.
Sep 5, 2007
what's been up
i am feeling a very holistic happiness these days. i just came off of the most lovely and well-rounded holiday weekend i've had in some time, my physical being is being looked after nicely, and my workplace is starting to tingle with the excitement of the new season.
viola and i went on a few lovely bicycle rides this weekend, both with friends and alone. we joined a large group at critical mass on friday, which stretched on into the late and warm summer night air, until tummies started to growl in protestation. it was the perfect way to end a series of CM rides - i'll be busy every friday night between now and the end of the calendar year with class, so this was my (temporary) last hurrah. i got up and out early on saturday, reluctanctly turning my back on very tempting tangle of nate-limbs and sheets, for a ride along my local bike path. and then on monday, nate and i rode 25 miles in the rolling hills around stow, massachusetts, starting and ending at the honey pot hill orchard. all in all, i got in about 75 miles. so, i just need to do 133% of that all in one day. hoo boy.
the rest of the weekend was full of little errands and chores around the house, dinner with nate's high school buddy and his girlfriend, vacation research, leisure reading, and of course, dinner on monday to celebrate two fantastic years with my partner in crime.
yesterday i finally went to have my hair trimmed. casey had offered to do it for me, but i couldn't resist treating myself to the joy of a salon shampooing. my scalp was in heaven. and, they threw in a mini neck massage. i said thank you. a lot. once again i have moderately well-behaved hair, and visibly present bangs, thanks to pyara salon in harvard square. (something in the water at pyara - most of the stylists are doing vastly dramatic thing with angles, color, and extensions. my stylist was rocking pink and purple and black hair. it must kill them a little bit to do such conservative cuts as mine.)
work is getting busy. i had about seventeen things to do this morning. i think i managed about sixteen of them. it's nice to have some work i need to sink my teeth into. although i enjoyed the low-key spirit of the summer, i need more oomph to feel productive. so, now i have it. and am about to feel overwhelmed. my office looks like a manilla file monster pooped on every surface. ah, the joys of autumn in a university.
i'm working in shelving for the apartment, and eating my way through incredibly delicious tomatoes and peaches from the orchard. nate and i are talking about the possibility of joining a CSA for next year, and working out travel plans for now through november. it's a full, busy, wonderful time. hooray for autumn!
viola and i went on a few lovely bicycle rides this weekend, both with friends and alone. we joined a large group at critical mass on friday, which stretched on into the late and warm summer night air, until tummies started to growl in protestation. it was the perfect way to end a series of CM rides - i'll be busy every friday night between now and the end of the calendar year with class, so this was my (temporary) last hurrah. i got up and out early on saturday, reluctanctly turning my back on very tempting tangle of nate-limbs and sheets, for a ride along my local bike path. and then on monday, nate and i rode 25 miles in the rolling hills around stow, massachusetts, starting and ending at the honey pot hill orchard. all in all, i got in about 75 miles. so, i just need to do 133% of that all in one day. hoo boy.
the rest of the weekend was full of little errands and chores around the house, dinner with nate's high school buddy and his girlfriend, vacation research, leisure reading, and of course, dinner on monday to celebrate two fantastic years with my partner in crime.
yesterday i finally went to have my hair trimmed. casey had offered to do it for me, but i couldn't resist treating myself to the joy of a salon shampooing. my scalp was in heaven. and, they threw in a mini neck massage. i said thank you. a lot. once again i have moderately well-behaved hair, and visibly present bangs, thanks to pyara salon in harvard square. (something in the water at pyara - most of the stylists are doing vastly dramatic thing with angles, color, and extensions. my stylist was rocking pink and purple and black hair. it must kill them a little bit to do such conservative cuts as mine.)
work is getting busy. i had about seventeen things to do this morning. i think i managed about sixteen of them. it's nice to have some work i need to sink my teeth into. although i enjoyed the low-key spirit of the summer, i need more oomph to feel productive. so, now i have it. and am about to feel overwhelmed. my office looks like a manilla file monster pooped on every surface. ah, the joys of autumn in a university.
i'm working in shelving for the apartment, and eating my way through incredibly delicious tomatoes and peaches from the orchard. nate and i are talking about the possibility of joining a CSA for next year, and working out travel plans for now through november. it's a full, busy, wonderful time. hooray for autumn!
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