Saturday, June 26, 2010

I like this World Cup thing.


The World Cup has taken over my office. Brainstorms are cut short. The conference rooms are booked with fans watching. My co-workers have it open on their computer screens while working on PowerPoints. I thought I would finally watch a game, especially since USA hasn't done this well in ages. Brett and I rode to a local bar, Tavern on Dean, which sadly is closing due to landlord issues. So I raised a glass of beer and cheered team USA on, and shed a tear for the loss of a local watering hole. In support of the USA team, I decorated Brittany with an Americana scarf. One of the tasks for LGRAB Summer Games is to decorate a bike. I'm sad my extra spirit and decorations didn't help us move to the next round, but I did realize I like this whole World Cup thing.

Friday, June 25, 2010

Meet Ody


Ody is short for Odysseus. He's a lovely cat. Rather loud in the morning, but one of the best cuddlers ever! When I moved out for college my junior year, I told my Mamma that if I could keep a cat, a plant, and myself alive for a year then I knew I could make it. The plant died early on, but Ody is still with me today. Many years, many moves, and a plane flight later we're still here for each other. At present, he's really into sitting on a particular window ledge and staring out.

I needed to pick up some new litter for his box. It's part of our deal. I supply love, food, water, and a clean litter box. He supplies endless love and an alternative alarm clock option. One of the tasks for this section of the LGRAB Summer Games is to carry a load on a bike. Seven pounds of litter is certainly a load, but Ody is totally worth it!

Sunday, June 20, 2010

Meet Brittany


Recently, a lovely lady stayed in my home and purchased a bike for her visit. I have wanted a cruiser for some time. I really love the Pashley Princess Sovereign, but I'm terrified of buying that bike while I'm living in New York City. So, I made her an offer she couldn't refuse, and now have two bikes. Brittany is lovely. She's one of my favorite shades of blue and is sparkly. When I ride her, I feel so la di da.

Brittany needs some real love. I'm really excited that one of the challenges for the LGRAB Summer Games is to perform a maintenance task on your bike. In order to take Brittany out the other day, I tightened her brakes:


Brett showed me how to do it. I'm looking forward to really cleaning Brittany up, and making her one special bike. I think a basket of some sort will be soon.

Friday, June 18, 2010

The Nice Sign


It's been a bit of a rough week. So, when I arrived at the office this morning, I was so pleased by what I saw: a "Good Morning" post-it note. A small gesture that made my entire day, and began to provide some much needed peace of mind.

Tuesday, June 15, 2010

The Not Nice Sign


Last Friday, as I was exiting from work I came out to all of the bikes on the bike rack barring signs, including mine:


It was disheartening. Aren't bike racks meant to act as storage for a bike while the rider is inside or busy? I understand that bike racks are not meant to be long-term storage, but most of the bikes I see on these racks arrive in the morning and leave in the evening. Since Friday's not nice bike note bonanza, there have been fewer bikes on the bike rack. It's a shame too because the weather is so delightful at present. I can't help but think the not nice note may be the reason.

Monday, June 7, 2010

TWIC-ing Away



"An Attempt to Save the World."

It's written right at the very top of this blog. And it's true!

I'm in the midst of earning my master's in emergency management. What? Think Haiti. Think Hurricane Katrina. Think Superhero Katy! I'm attempting to save the world, or at least help it before/during/after disasters. That's my goal. So right now I'm in crazy writing a twenty page paper on TWIC mode. What is TWIC? The Transportation Worker Identification Credential. What? The security pass that allows you in secure areas of ports and vessels. My uncle has one. He calls it the Totally Worthless Identification Card.

Wednesday, June 2, 2010

Vomit Bucket

Vomit Bucket: (1) to express disgust at displays of affection that are too adorable for words; (2) the visceral reaction when subjected to a couple demonstrating their love in unreserved cuteness

You may not know this, but vomit bucket is a phrase I inspired, well Brett and I inspired. Our super couple cuteness is sometimes too much for the ordinary human. Take this morning for instance, I woke up at 4am to make coffee and two bacon, egg & cheese sandwiches. I jumped on the subway at 5am out to JFK in order to surprise Brett at baggage claim upon his return from California. There I stood in my new pretty dress, hair all done, with sustenance and a kiss.

Tuesday, June 1, 2010

Saying "Hi!"

One of my favorite moments in riding a bike around town is the friendly nod from fellow bikers. Not only is it encouraging, especially during a downpour, but it's nice to think that someone else made the choice to take to the streets on a bike. I like to strike up conversations with people en route to work. It's really nothing more than a simple "Hi" or "I like your bike/helmet/whatever." This is why I am really excited for the "say hi to a cyclist at a red light" task for the 2010 LGRAB Summer Games.

I thought today would be a great day to do it too. It was slightly drizzly, which always makes the connection better. It's the sense that you both choose to suffer through the weather rather than take public transit. On my way home I pulled up to one of my least favorite moments on my ride home: crossing Flatbush. Flatbush is one of those streets that says "don't ride on me." I always wait for the light, which never works in conjunction with the previous light on Fifth, so I'm always huffing and puffing on this incline and hitting red. Lucky for me, Dave was standing there with his bike talking to his friend Sean. Slightly short of breath (note the incline), I jumped at the opportunity to say "Hi!" They were both so pleasant, and asked me to talk more about the LGRAB Summer Games. Sean took a picture of Dave and I:



Afterwards, I continued on, and what should you know, but not five blocks later I came upon my friend Max! To be fair, Max and I are more acquaintances, but how fortunate! Max is in Brooklyn for the summer to do some gardening, and we had a moment at a red light as well:



After promises to connect this summer, Max and I parted ways, and Dave rode up next to me with more questions about LGRAB Summer Games. I did my best to explain and gave him the URL because he seemed stoked to know more. He introduced me to his bike, Tarzan, and I introduced him to Maggie.

The Social Cycling tasks for LGRAB Summer Games has been so much fun! I think I'm going to try to incorporate the tasks more often into my life. Because biking in a city should be about getting to know more than how to avoid potholes and cars. It's an opportunity to get to know more people too!