Thoughts of Mint Green in New York

April Showers

2011-04-28T10:52:00.003-04:00

The temperatures are rising, but the occasional rain shower is falling. It's really nice to have weather where no wool coats and lined boots are required, but we're not quite to the point where one can bike in just a dress. The ladies at Let's Go Ride a Bike are also lamenting the tease of the weather. They featured my winter look last week on their blog. I have to say, I'm really looking forward to the LGRAB summer games this year. It'll be a nice way to reconnect with biking after all the work travel I have to do in the next few months. Oh summer! I'm excited!

Bridge Time

2011-04-19T18:34:00.002-04:00

The first time I rode over the Manhattan bridge to work I fell. Hard. Blood. Boo-boos. Torn clothes. Sad face.

But... I did get up and finished the ride to work, and rode home.

It does make riding the bridge something that I'm always slightly apprehensive about. I'm glad to say the other night was one of my best rides over the bridge. Seemingly effortless and perfectly calm, the bridge proved the perfect place to stop and think about the my place in the city. Sometimes lost, but happily fumbling along. At present, I'm enjoying it.

It's Green!

2011-04-12T13:23:00.005-04:00

I am very lucky that on occasion, Brett will let me join him at his studio and help on a project. My work mode is either running around at an event or sitting in front of a computer. There is something very calming about doing physical work, like sanding or painting. It relaxes me. I managed to take a Wednesday off, and bike down to his studio to work on a set of bookcases. He was insulating them and decided to use Green Fiber insulation:

My job was to fill the bookcases with the insulation:

It was really nifty because the insulation was obviously recycled materials including paper, foil, candy wrappers, and even the sticky part of a band-aid (don't worry, I was wearing gloves and a mask the whole time):

It's good to know that we are able to reuse old materials for things like insulation. It really means that as a society we have the ability to be more environmentally friendly in our building techniques, if only people would make the choice to do so.

I thought the whole green-themed building project was made even cuter by our pair of green jackets:

Footsteps

2011-02-01T11:38:00.004-05:00

I sometimes forget how magical the city can feel. The moments when it exists solely for one person. Or even just two. Or possibly three. I love when the city is blanketed in snow. Perhaps it's the Californian in me that still gets excited when I see the snow (even piled up all dirty on the side of the sidewalk). There is something about the way the snow covers the city in a pure and wonderful state, and it really does seem magical. Whenever I have a moment with the city, I'm always taken to the scene in Guys and Dolls when Sky Masterson and Sarah Brown return from Havana and they are walking through Times Square sharing this exchange:

"It's dawn any minute."

"What makes the light so strange and white?"

"Because only in Times Square does the dawn gets turned on by an electrician."

"Listen."

"What?"

"Footsteps. Now is the time you can hear footsteps on Broadway."

In my magical moments, I always hear footsteps.

It's Friggin Frozen!

2011-01-29T00:25:00.004-05:00

Oh. My. Goodness. It is cold out buster! What's a lady to do? I feel quite fortunate that even in the worst of the cold, it's an easy walk to the subway. And to be fair...the combination of the two modes of travel keep me on my toes. Riding a local line on a New York City subway during rush hour (heck, whenever) reminds me of Bill Cosby's routine "A Nut in Every Car"

Well, when I'm willing to brave biking through the big bad New York streets filled with dirty snow, cranky city folk, and the general frigid air... I find it completely lovely. The key is the right outfit. For graduating, Brett's parents gave me a Po Campo bag. I almost cried!

I LOVE my Po Campo!!

This is important because it is the basis for all the other pieces of my riding outfit. I found the coat to match and the boots followed:

I like looking like I'm dressed to ride. The right outfit can change a whole perspective. Of course, when the real nastiness of the winter sets in, I throw on those rainpants:

New Kicks

2011-01-19T21:11:00.008-05:00

There are really a few times that I can say, I totally nailed a gift. But I would like to think that this is one of those times. Completely stumped as to what to give Brett for the holiday, my co-worker mentioned that he once painted shoes for his lady, and she loved them! Well, this worked out well because Brett needed new shoes, and I needed a new project. I took inspiration from some of his favorites.

Umberto Boccioni:

Cyclist 1913:

Wallabout Studios (his Etsy shop):

Jean-Michel Basquiat:

And if he puts his feet together, his initials appear:

Of course, he just makes the shoes look a zillion times better!

The Long Fall

2011-01-17T22:58:00.012-05:00

What happened to Fall? The leaves changed colors. I earned my master's degree. Oh, and all the holidays, and a flood.

One morning, I awoke to the text message: "So sorry to text you early, but it appears that our basement is flooded and sadly, your room is very wet." I had never been so politely informed that there was an emergency situation. The whole basement had flooded, and everything needed to be pulled off the ground, including my entire bedroom.

My bed even ended up on the dining room table:

And the truth is... it could have been worst. But I didn't have time to think about what could've would've been, because that weekend my friends Courtney and Boris were married. I jetted off to San Francisco, and met up with Ian:

The wedding was, of course, just perfect. I cried like a sad monkey. I was so happy for both of them, and just danced the night away! Couris and Bourtney deserve every last bit of happiness.

Next weekend, as a CERT member, I had the opportunity to participate in a city-wide preparedness drill for New York City. It was really fun. I got there super early so I could get a good wound, and be carried on a stretcher. By the end of the drill, I had been saved:

Brett joined me and about 50 other cyclists for the 2nd New York City Tweed Ride. I volunteered to be the flower lass. Over the course of the ride, I dropped rose petals to add a lovely fragrance to the ride. I was even featured in the Village Voice

I joined my Dad up in Boston for a weekend.

We went to the Boston aquarium. I love aquariums! Really love them! The sea dragons are always a favorite of mine.

I was afraid that with all of my schoolwork that I would miss the opportunity to see the colors change in the Fall. Not to worry, I was able to catch glimpses of color all season long.

At the end of October, Brett and I joined many others at the Rally for Sanity. It was overly crowded, but had the most incredible signs.

We stayed with our friends in DC for the rest of the weekend and celebrated Halloween. Now... normally I'm not a fan of couple costumes (unless they require the couple to remained connected for the entire evening), but this was awesome... and perhaps the most vomit bucket we have ever been.

I have a wee obsession with Harry Potter, and busted out a full-length dress for our formal movie night. I always think that Brett looks so dapper in his formal movie night outfits.

Somewhere in November, I went a little crazy with school work. Fortunately, I have the most wonderful boyfriend. He offered to be my personal chef for the last two weeks of my paper writing for school. The food was incredibly mouth watering, and delicious.

He even edited my papers for me!

After my plans for Thanksgiving took a last minute cancellation, Brett joined me at the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. The balloons are a lot LARGER up close. And thanks to super secret native New Yorker information from our pal Luis, we had the best view from Central Park.

But really, the main reason that I disappeared this Fall was due to school. Working full time, and attending school in my free time really limited what I was able to do outside of working, writing, studying, sleeping, and being. For two weeks our basement looked like a strategic planning war room:

Much thanks for their support, patience and aid goes to my housemates, who tolerated the extreme of my OCD personality as I prepared for oral exams. But in the end, all my hard work paid off, and I graduated!!!!

I am now officially a master of science in emergency management! Whew! In mid-December, Mamma, Charell, Brett, and I traveled to Jacksonville, Alabama so I could get my robes and walk across the stage to receive my diploma! It was a really incredible moment for me to look up and see the three people who supported me throughout my entire process. My mom, my boss, and my boyfriend, who kept me sane, proof-read, and smiling through it all. They are truly wonderful wonderful people!

Continuing with my obsession about aquariums, Mamma and I went to the Georgia Aquarium in Atlanta. It has a really neat penguin exhibit where you can crawl into a space where the penguins can swim around you.

I love the holidays! I really do! Call me crazy, but I enjoy the decorations, the music, the happiness. Jeph and I spent an evening getting a Christmas tree and decorating it. Behind my graduation weekend, this was one of my favorite nights of all December:

Brett, who is not a fan of the holidays, surprised me by agreeing to look at holiday decorations in the city. As we approached Times Square, Luis called and told us he knew a place in Brooklyn that was better than Rockefeller Center. A neighborhood that really goes all out with the decorations. He was absolutely right.

Christmas this year was spent in Fresno with Brett's family. It was just a beautiful moment. I really am glad that his family is so welcoming and makes me feel really special. Brett didn't get much of a holiday because he and his brother gave their father the gift of new wooden thingys in the front walkway. I'm sure there is a real technical term like wood frame or something, but in his few moments of quiet, he rested. I found this to be the perfect opportunity to take pictures of him with his niece's new puppet Elbert:

And, very exciting... we went TANDEM BIKE RIDING again! We borrowed his parents bike, and even did a little off-road tandem bike riding.

With that, the long Fall comes to a close.

The Insanity

2010-11-06T20:21:00.003-04:00

My world's been a bit on the insane, oh my goodness, o so busy side of things. Very exciting stuff... but in about a week, I should be able to sit down and reflect.

Atlantic Antics

2010-09-29T10:54:00.001-04:00

On Sunday, I joined my fellow CERT members at our booth at Atlantic Antic. It is a street fair in Brooklyn. We spent the morning talking about how to get prepared for emergencies including creating a go bag, making a disaster plan, and assembling an emergency kit. It was a fun morning with the ladies:

Olga showed off some of the literature we have about getting prepared for emergencies that effect the city:

Ann discussed how to get the whole family ready, including children with this lady:

Restroom Break

2010-09-28T09:41:00.001-04:00

Sometimes going to a public restroom can be a little inspiring:

Tornado!!!

2010-09-27T09:47:00.001-04:00

I could barely believe it. Of course, at 5:30 it started raining. First, it was light, and shortly thereafter it was harder. I was glad that I had decided to take the subway in that morning. I wasn't feeling very well, and heard there might be rain during the ride time home. I thought best not to risk getting any sicker. My plan was to stop at the grocery en route home and pick up the necessary sicky items: emergency, tea, tomato soup, and grill cheese makings. And at 5:30 it started raining. Of course.

But then... the rain turned to hail, and I received a message from Notify New York for a tornado warning in Brooklyn for the next half hour. I figure it would be best to wait until the warning past, and avoid the tornado. Especially since the hail was getting bigger. Suddenly... the sky went BLACK. And then it went WHITE. And then the rain stopped. Upon exiting my work building, the trees in the courtyard were down:

After stopping for sicky supplies, I couldn't help but notice that there were fallen trees all the way home:

Just around the block from me, someone's roof was blown off:

Even my poor little trees didn't stand a chance against the wind:

Our courtyard was flooded:

And our rooftop was a mess:

For someone studying emergency management, it was such a trill to see all the effects of a tornado. I have never experienced one. I really cannot wait until I'm part of a team that works to mitigate, prepare, respond, and recover from these types of events.

Thank You Gentlemen

2010-09-26T15:40:00.006-04:00

It was a perfect New York evening. Ahem, a perfect Brooklyn evening. My day at the office had been a bit wonky, and mid-morning I was talking to Brett who mentioned that he might be going to Modest Mouse that evening with the boys. I was excited, but hesitant. The Modest Mouse shows I had seen in the past were awful. They were too drunk or too high to play anything. But on this evening, they were perfect. The weather was perfect. Just a slight breeze, and only a need for a light sweater. The beer was perfect. Brewed in Brooklyn, and just cold enough to savor against the dying of summer. The tacos were perfect. Juicy and spicy and enough chips and salsa for sharing. The company was perfect:

At this point, Brett is really annoyed that I have made him pose for about 20 photos, but that's the joy of the digital camera, you can know if its a good shot. Plus it was funny to have Luis trying to get in the middle:

Finally, the ride home was perfect.

Camping!!!

2010-09-15T19:55:00.009-04:00

Brett and I celebrated our three year anniversary!! This is quite the moment for both of us. Three years of putting up with one another. Three years of "figuring it out." Three years of happiness!

We went camping last year, and decided to give it another go this year. So, we looked up the Metro North lines, and found a campsite near the Cold Spring stop. We packed up our bikes with the necessary supplies (tent, sleeping bags, box o wine) and rode up to Grand Central to catch the train.

We opted to stay at the campsite eight miles away from the train station believing there would be less traffic. What we didn't look at was the terrain, and upon arrival realized that it was eight miles straight up. Well, I'll be gosh darned if we were going to be deterred. After all, we had some amazing veggie burgers to eat for dinner, plus the box o wine. So up we went. And up. And up some more. It was one of the hardest things I have ever done physically. We would bike until we couldn't pedal anymore because of the steepness of the hill and push our loads up. Brett took some pictures of this, so hopefully I can share those later.

We biked. We pushed. We biked. We sat. We drank water. We biked. We pushed. Continue on repeat. It was one of those moments where I was truly grateful. He knew how to support me, and more importantly, I was able to let him be my support. My type-A personality pushed me on, but I really needed his help mentally. His words of encouragement made me know that I could get to the top, even if it took all day and night.

But 3 1/2 hours later...

WE ARRIVED!!!! After endless up, we got a downhill, and it let out into a beautiful view of a lake. We made it! We had camp set up before the sunset. And those veggie burgers were incredible!

The next day we picnicked at a nearby pond:

Sorry, I couldn't help it. It was only of my induglences for the food on our trip, and I thought it was rather perfect to have the "natural" chips in the truly natural setting.

The pond was created by the damming an old mine shaft.

It was so beautiful, and peaceful. We hiked around the pond. This picture reminds me of puzzles where you have the added challenge of two juxtaposed images:

Brett is quite the outdoors man, and walked around barefoot. Were it up to him, we would have hiked for miles and miles, but I really wanted a nice relaxing vacation.

However, the next day, we went on an eight mile hike up to Beaver Pond. There was no one at the pond when we arrived. Unfortunately, all I could think about was Piranha 3D, which I had seen the night before we left and imagined us as the opening couple that gets eaten by piranhas.

Brett loves fire. Not as much as I love fire. So together, we are fire lovers. On our final night, after Brett cooked our pasta on the campfire, we made it ginormous. A wonderfully perfect end to a relaxing, hike-filled weekend.

What was great throughout our climbing of the mountain, was that we would have the opportunity to ride down it. Now, the last time I rode down a mountain, on my 11th birthday, I broke my hip. So, I was not a big fan of the whole riding down the mountain very fast with a bike filled with gear. But.... it was fun!

I'm glad we went on this journey. I surprised myself with my ability to ride a bike up a mountain, and more importantly, to ride it down. I think the true feat is that I rode up the mountain without complaining. This is why I'm head over heels for this guy. He pushes me, and helps me, and loves me.

Socrates Sculpture Park

2010-09-15T18:56:00.005-04:00

A couple of weekend ago, I helped Brett work on a sculpture at the Socrates Sculpture Park in Long Island City. I like to think that my standing around and looking pretty was enough, but Brett kept putting tools in my hands.

A quick background: Brett's co-worker Scott received an emerging artist fellowship from the Socrates Sculpture Park. He wanted to work with wood palettes, the type that many products are shipped on. Unfortunately, Scott was in a terrible car accident. He was riding his bike and was hit by a car en route to work. Brett and his co-workers stepped in and helped bring Scott's vision to life.

On Sunday, we attended the opening for the show, and despite the rain, it was beautiful. The sculpture is a bar with chairs and a table. The front is covered in window frames:

Inside, Brett and Jeph hang out at the bar:

I know from my first attempt to bike to work, where I took a right nasty fall on the Manhattan bridge, that the biking community is really there for other bikers. It was really nice to hear Brett talk about the commitment his work family, and the rest of Scott's friends showed when he needed some help.

The sculpture is really beautiful.

Formal Movie Night: The Expendables

2010-08-20T23:40:00.006-04:00

What can I say? I love movies, and I love dressing up. Formal movie night began as a reason to wear all those fancy clothes that just sit in my closet waiting for a special occasion. Well, gosh darn it, I've found one! Formal Movie Night! Brett requested The Expendables. He's not usually a movie-going fan, but I'll go to just about anything if "Formal" is in the title.

Final verdict: I think the lack of Jean-Clause Van Damme and Steven Seagal made it hard to believe the throwback B-movie hero storyline.

The Office

2010-08-20T23:20:00.005-04:00

So, this is how my Thursday went:

I came into the office focused on texting Brett when I looked over to see two of my co-workers staring at me. After asking "What?" a couple times, I sat down and began my day. Until out of no where, I faced my desk and saw my cubicle all decorated!!!

I wore the crown all day, including at meetings and enjoyed the compliments about my aging gracefully, and the new-found ability to drink *wink*wink*.

I seem to miss all the obvious "we're celebrating your birthday signs" because when I finished a meeting in my boss' office, I completely missed that everyone was gone from the area. I thought I was going to another impromptu meeting, when goodness me! Everyone was in the conference room with brownies!!! It was really wonderful to feel incredibly special, especially with the people I spend most of my weekdays with. I jumped up and down and squealed with delight!

I brought the balloons home to enjoy for the rest of birthday month, and Ody discovered the joy of them as well.

Tandem Bike Riding

2010-08-17T00:31:00.005-04:00

On my birthday, Brett and I went to Governor's Island to enjoy a tandem bike ride. It was perfect! After a wonderful brunch, we biked over to the Brooklyn terminal and hop aboard a ferry to Governor's Island. Brunch, Bikes, Boats, and Brett... the four Bs! We rented a tandem bike and rode around the island for an hour. I'll admit, I'm not entirely cruiser ready, and my butt hurt after the ride, but what fun! Besides the yelling of "Tandem Bike Riding" every five seconds, and the occasional flash from my dress riding too high from the wind, I think Brett enjoyed it too! It was strange to have to pedal in conjunction with someone else. I did enjoy just being along for the ride. Brett rode in the front (both due to size, and lack of fear), and my one moment in the front terrified me. The whole leaning and directing a bike built for two was not in my bag of tricks. I'm glad to say, that I'm committed. I've even got Brett to promise that when we're old, we can have a tandem bike.

Lovely Ladies

2010-08-11T23:12:00.006-04:00

Certainly, one of the best things in life is good friendships. On the last day of my 27th year, my friends Kelly and Suzie met me for dinner. Many laughs, serious nods, veggie burgers and a bottle of champagne later, I came to enjoy all the great choices and awkward decisions that brought me to this moment with two lovely ladies celebrating life. After dinner I asked them to join me on a quest to find flowers, champagne, strawberries, and balloons. The things I believe every woman needs to properly celebrate a birthday. We succeeded on the first two, and failed on the last two. This is a moment from our scavenger hunt:

It's always amazing to close out another year on planet earth. It was a struggle, and a success. I'm really looking forward to 28.

Frederick Law Olmsted

2010-08-10T18:57:00.003-04:00

Last week, Robert and I saw the premiere of a documentary on Frederick Law Olmsted. He and his partner designed Central Park and Prospect Park. This premiere was in Prospect Park, which is one of my favorite places in all of New York City. Olmsted considered Prospect Park to be his masterpiece, and I have to say I agree completely! It is a perfect calm in the midst of the insanity of the city. I didn't know that Olmsted was really an original mitigation planner, as he incorporated the needs of the environment into his designs. He would often take into account the rising water during tides or heavy rains, and the need for land mitigation. He designed over a 100 parks around the world, and that means that many of the great cities on this planet have a park that helps negate some of the natural disasters. Thanks Mr. Olmsted!

Workin' Day & Night

2010-08-04T22:37:00.003-04:00

The last few weeks I have been traveling for work. It was nice to get away from the city, and have some time on my own (well, and working 12-16 hour days). It did mean that I was away from Ody, Brett, and the extreme heat of July in New York City. It wasn't all bad. Charell and I did manage to find a moment here and there to sit down.

Summer Friday

2010-07-18T21:52:00.012-04:00

A couple of weeks ago, I had my first Summer Friday. I get a series of Fridays off to enjoy the fun of the city. Brett and I took this Friday to have an impromptu bike tour of Red Hook.

I've never explored Red Hook via bike, and it was lovely. En route we took a bike greenway.

As you can tell from this photo, New York greenways are a little different than in other cities. You might end up riding next to a giant orange truck.

Red hook was really lovely. It's difficult to get to via public transportation, so it's a wonderful secluded artist community. We stopped in the Red Hook Bait and Tackle to watch the World Cup.

Afterward, we decided to have a bicycle picnic. We stopped at Fairway and got picnic supplies including a bunch of berries.

We had lunch overlooking the Statue of Liberty. It was so beautiful, and we managed to get quite a spread from Fairway.

Brett has been working in Red Hook since he moved to Brooklyn, but it's never really been in my neck of the borough. I really like the area, and the people. I got a flat en route, and a buddy of Brett's provided us with a patch kit and some water to find the hole. Of course this would happen the one day I don't bring my bike kit, and Brett has no patches.

Red Hook is such a beautiful place, and everyone is very friendly.

As the LGRAB Summer Games comes to a close today, I thought this post which fulfills three tasks: ride a greenway, explore a new part of town, and have a bicycle picnic would be a wonderful way to end my time in this event.

Taking the Long Way Home

2010-07-03T18:22:00.003-04:00

At the end of the work day, I aim to get on my bike and get home as quickly as possible. I use one of the shortest routes possible with the least amount of incline. It's a beautiful ride, but I hardly see anything new. I took a different route on Tuesday and took a right on 5th Avenue when I normally would have headed straight. I like 5th Avenue. It has a lot of shops that are really adorable, and some cool-looking bars. It's one of those places I don't think to go because it's just far enough to be inconvenient, but not far enough to seem like a journey. Riding down it during the evening rush hour was nice. It's a share bike like, so it can get a little tight when there is traffic moving in both directions. I made a left on Union Street to begin heading home. Union has a much steeper incline than my normal route, and intersects with Grand Army Plaza. The tree line street was lovely:

It made my ride a little tougher to take a longer route. But it also meant I didn't just pop on my bike and go home. I took a much more leisurely approach, and arrive a with a slight pep in my step. Thanks LGRAB Summer Games for making what seemed like an annoying task really enjoyable.

Scavenger Hunt

2010-07-03T18:00:00.003-04:00

Last Sunday, Maya and Blake organized a scavenger hunt as part of the Robert Moses Walk Project. In March, Blake did walks with individuals exploring parks in their neighborhoods that Robert Moses had created. During each of the walks, a photographic image was noted, and used as the basis for the scavenger hunt. My team did an incredible job with the 15 images we were sent out to find. My favorite was the task of finding a location dedicated to children that never sees sunlight. We went to the Brooklyn Public Library main branch in Grand Army Plaza, and found an area in the children section of the library where no natural light exists. Here is our interpretation of the photographic memory from an earlier walk:

It was interesting to explore parts of the city with friends and keeping our eyes peeled for things we might not have been looking for (i.e. clothes on a clothesline). More importantly it was fun to explore the concept of memory and how things are constantly changing, and the difference between people's memories.

Key to the City

2010-07-03T17:47:00.003-04:00

Last week, Charell and I got the keys to the city. It's an interesting art project that explores the idea of reclaiming the city. There are locks in all five boroughs. Part of receiving a key to the city is to bestow one to someone else as well. Charell and I had to express why each of us deserved it. I gave Charell a key for being an excellent mentor, and she gave me one for being her office lifeline. I'm really looking forward to opening the locks with my new key:

Three Year Day

2010-07-03T17:00:00.006-04:00

Last week I met up with Brett to celebrate my three year anniversary in New York. It was also the one year anniversary celebration for his workplace. We met up in Red Hook, and walked to The Good Fork for dinner. En route, Brett showed me one of his favorite pieces of street art in the area:

I think it's really beautiful.

After the party, Brett helped me fix my wobbly seat. The seat was knocked askew when my housemate borrowed it, and had taken a fall.

I still can't believe it's been three years since I arrived in the city. It's become less scary and intimidating. I still find it hard, but it's just a matter of taking it a day at a time.

I like this World Cup thing.

2010-06-26T17:26:00.005-04:00

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.

Meet Ody

2010-06-25T18:15:00.006-04:00

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!

Meet Brittany

2010-06-20T16:43:00.006-04:00

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.

The Nice Sign

2010-06-18T17:19:00.006-04:00

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.

The Not Nice Sign

2010-06-15T20:02:00.006-04:00

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.

TWIC-ing Away

2010-06-07T19:35:00.004-04:00

"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.

Vomit Bucket

2010-06-02T17:09:00.004-04:00

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.

Saying "Hi!"

2010-06-01T23:05:00.007-04:00

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!

Sebago Canoe Club

2010-05-31T11:15:00.008-04:00

On Saturday, Blake invited Maya and I to join him on a bike trip out to the Sebago Canoe Club in Canarsie for its open house. We biked six miles to get there over Eastern Parkway.

Eastern Parkway is a beautiful route right now. All the trees are very green, and people are sitting on the benches simply enjoying the wonderful weather. That is one of the best parts of New York. The warm weather outdoor hang out. Be it on a porch, stoop, park bench, or just the sidewalk.

Once at Sebago Canoe Club, we were given a tour of their very nice set-up. It's all volunteer run, and the people were extremely knowledgeable about water activities and safety. We each wore a life jacket and were given a brief lesson on how to kayak.

We kayaked out to Jamaica Bay, and all I could do was try not to think about the gross water dripping on me from the paddles. I just had to make myself be willing to except that I would need at least three showers to feel clean again. But it was so much fun. When I'm in New York, it's easy to forget about the great activities that exist in nature. Even within city limits.

None of my actual family lives in New York, and this is not a place where it is easy to survive without that type of support. I'm very lucky because I've managed to develop a family here among my group of friends including Blake and Maya. And as you can see, we are safety first kind of family. We all wear helmets and use the New York City bike chain.

One of the events for the 2010 LGRAB Summer Games is to do a family ride. Between the bike ride, BBQ, and kayaking, I think this is the perfect example to use for a summer family ride.

A loverly evening in DUMBO

2010-05-29T18:06:00.008-04:00

I hadn't spent time with my friend Blake in months. But thanks to the 2010 LGRAB Summer Games I had the perfect excuse to schedule a date night with him. Blake is an avid biker here in New York, and I often give him a hard time when it comes to picking bike routes because he's so use to biking amongst the cars and potholes, he forgets that some of us are lacking his expertise when it comes to navigating the trenches of biking in the city.

We met up at my work and biked down to DUMBO (Down Under the Manhattan Bridge Overpass), which is one of my favorite places in the city. We checked out the first section of the new park that is being built along the waterfront.

Including the expanded view of lower Manhattan:

We saw some tourists taking photos of themselves drinking from the water fountain, and realized we had never taken a picture of ourselves doing this, so for posterity's sake:

Blake is incapable of taking a decent, let alone good, picture. Of the five attempted photographs, this is the only one in focus:

We went to Grimaldi's to enjoy the touristy experience and had a loverly talk. We spent all evening catching up. Blake is one of my best friends in the whole wide world. We've known each other for almost a decade, and it's very exciting to live in the same city where we can challenge and support each other, even when it has been months between a good chat.

We parted ways at the end of the evening, and I was really glad to have an excuse to get to spend some time with him and catch up. Now that it's summer, more of these bike dates will start to happen, and I'm really excited!

Big Apple Tweed Ride

2010-05-26T18:29:00.013-04:00

Last Sunday, I joined a dapper set of ladies and gentlemen riding their bikes dressed in the most impeccable style. The Big Apple Tweed Ride around my lovely neighborhood in Brooklyn. No one was able to accompany me, so I went on my own. I'm really glad I did. I don't often go to things on my own. I socialized in a way that was charming and open. Everyone was very supportive. When I mentioned that I'm trying to become a more avid biker, everyone was very supportive. It really made me think they understood the fact that integrating biking into one's life takes effort. An effort to change a mindset. A desire to want to be on the bike. A willingness to figure out how to make biking work for you, the individual. So, Sunday was lovely. It didn't rain, despite the threatening gray clouds. It was perfect Tweed weather.

I took Brittany out for this ride. I'll introduce her to you later. These lovely pictures were taken by Michael Calleia.

I'm very excited to take part in the 2010 Let's Go Ride a Bike Summer Games! This is my group ride, and what an amazing ride it was!

Meet Maggie

2010-05-25T22:47:00.005-04:00

Maggie is my bike. I heart her. I bought her from a used bike shop in Williamsburg two winters ago in an attempt to impress my boyfriend, and actually commit to the concept of riding a bike more often. It took a while. Last summer for my birthday, Brett gave me the rear rack and baskets. That actually made all the difference. It meant I could bike without anything on my back. It made me feel comfortable on a bike. And that's what biking should be about. Being comfortable and free.