Weeds, Wings, and Warbling

So it's just about "10:15 on a Saturday night," as the old Cure song goes, and I thought I'd take a couple of minutes to write about my day.

It was a beautiful day here in south-central Pennsylvania, and I took advantage of that, plus the fact that we actually had no specific plans this weekend (a rarity!), to do some work in my poor neglected flowerbeds. Last year I never even got around to planting any flowers in them, which disappointed me, so I'm determined to do better this year.

So far, I'm off to a pretty good start. This morning I went to Lowe's and bought 36 packs of pink and white vinca plants. I always plant vinca in my flowerbeds because I like the colors of the flowers, the leaves are a nice glossy dark green, and most importantly, they do well in sunny, hot, and dry conditions. So if we get a dry spell in the middle of the summer, like we often do, they hold up pretty well. Here's an example of some vinca plants in case you aren't familiar with what they look like. The ones I got this year are the lighter pink color, and also white.

I also got 36 packs of celosia. I had these two years ago, the last time I planted annuals, and they were also nice, although at that time I only got yellow ones, and this year I got a variety: yellow, pink, and red. Celosia grows taller than vinca, so it looks nice planted in a row behind the vinca. Here's an example of what celosia plants look like, which basically look just like the ones I got:
Unfortunately, I couldn't just start digging holes and planting the flowers right away; I had to do some cleanup work first. My flowerbeds still contained the (wilting) leaves of the daffodils and tulips from the spring, as well as a few weeds, of course. My original flowerbed wasn't really in very bad condition, but my newer - and larger - one had many more weeds, as well as lots of stray grass. And the one along the side of the house - ugh. I really need to just plant some small bushes or perennials on that side, because I don't have much there but weeds and grass sticking up through the mulch. So it really needs something, but I don't really like to be bothered with it, since it's on the side of the house and isn't as visible. But that probably won't be happening anytime in the very near future.

Anyhow, after working from 1:30 to 4:30 this afternoon, I had filled a large garbage bag with plant leaves, weeds, and grass, and all my flowerbeds were ready for me to plant some flowers. But by that time, I was ready to quit for the day - I just didn't feel like starting on the job of planting 72 packs of flowers. I did water them as they sat in their market packs, eagerly waiting to occupy their new location, but then I went inside to wash off all the dirt (and sunscreen - yes, I learned my lesson after last week's sunburn) and talk about our evening plans.

After I showered, Brian asked me, "For dinner tonight, would you like to go somewhere that serves good wings?" I said, "Sure!" So after I got ready, we drove to Mt. Holly Springs to a little bar/restaurant called Three Pines. It's kind of a biker bar, but Brian's friend had told him they have really good wings. And he was right! They have 25 different sauces for their wings. We got some with Honey BBQ and some with Teriyaki. We liked both flavors, but the Teriyaki ones did get to be a bit much after a while, so it was good we got a smaller quantity of them. I had a small salad along with my wings (I had to have at least some vegetables with my meal), and Brian got some "Beef Veggie" soup (as it was written on the chalkboard of daily specials) which he said was pretty good.

After dinner, even though we didn't need them, we went down the street and got ice cream sundaes. We were going to get CMP's (Chocolate, Marshmallow, and Peanuts, for those not familiar with them), but they only came in a "Super" size, and we really didn't want anything that big. So Brian got a regular sundae with chocolate and marshmallow sauce (no peanuts), and I also got a regular one, but with hot fudge and marshmallow sauce.

On the way home, Brian asked, "Would you like to do some karaoke once we get home?" I replied with a resounding "Yes!" For Brian's birthday, I got him the Xbox 360 video game called "Lips," which is basically a karaoke game. It comes with a pretty good variety of songs, and there are more available to download on Xbox Live, and more songs are added about every week.

We sang everything in "Co-Op mode," which meant we took turns singing part of the time (usually the verses) and sang together some of the time (usually the choruses). I have to say, we make an excellent singing duo! For three of the songs we sang, we scored so well that we ranked in the top 50 singers - worldwide! So of course we were pretty proud of ourselves.

And that brings us to the present time. I guess now I'd better go get ready for bed, since I have a lot of planting to do tomorrow - plus we do want to try to get in a bike ride before the weekend is over!

Holiday Weekend - Monday

In the morning, I applied Weed & Feed to the lawn – though I had to run out when I was about 2/3 done to to get a second bag. Brian went up to his parents’ house to help get their new grill up on the deck, then when he came back, we got changed, put our bikes on our new bike rack (he got one that straps to the hatchback of the car, rather than the kind that mounts on a hitch – so far it seems to work just fine, and it was only $40, as opposed to the several hundred it would cost to get a hitch and a mountable bike rack), and headed down to Newville to ride on the Cumberland Valley Rail Trail again.

This time, it seemed much harder for me than the last time. I had a heck of a time keeping up with Brian – in fact, I was behind him most of the time! And although I noticed him coasting quite a bit, I found myself unable to coast for more than a couple of seconds before I had to start pedaling again. I couldn’t figure out why I was having such trouble – I hadn’t really done that much more exercising, and I didn’t feel any more tired than usual. But by the time we got to eight miles, I was definitely ready to turn around and head back. And those last couple miles back were really tough for me! I was getting really discouraged, not to mention tired! I didn’t think I was that out of shape, but Brian was going along without any problem, and I was trying my hardest just to stay relatively close behind him.

When we got back to where we started, Brian said, “let me see your bike for a second.” He said he thought he heard a funny noise. So he looked at the back wheel, and lo and behold, the brake pad was rubbing on the wheel! Apparently when he put the rear wheel back on, after working with my inner tube the day before, he didn’t put it on quite right, so the one brake pad was rubbing against the wheel for the entire 16-mile trip! That certainly explained why I was having such a difficult time riding and couldn’t really coast! And while that did make me feel better mentally, it didn’t do anything for my physical condition – I was exhausted! So much so, in fact, that I even felt a little queasy. (I think the heat had something to do with that as well, although we were drinking water as we rode.) But I survived, and eventually after some Gatorade and a nice long shower, I started to feel more like myself. After a while, the only physical reminders of my ride (and which I still have today) were my sunburned shoulders (I wore a tank top but neglected to apply sunscreen :-() and sore buns. ;-)

So over the course of the three-day weekend, I rode about 30 miles! I'd say I'm doing pretty well for a novice bicyclist!

And that concludes my report of my Memorial Day weekend. You may now return to your regularly scheduled program... :-)

Holiday Weekend - Sunday

Sunday's main event was a visit to my dad and stepmom's house. Laurie and Alex drove over separately from Brian and me, since they were heading back home afterwards.

We got there for lunch, and everyone but Brian had grilled salmon and asparagus. (Because Brian is a picky eater, he instead had a sautéed breaded chicken breast and broccoli.) Everyone did have angel hair pasta with Alfredo sauce along with their meat and vegetable. For dessert, we all had strawberry shortcake prepared with homemade biscuits. My dad always makes sure we are well-fed when we come to visit. He's an excellent cook!

Dad was anxious for us to see his new 'bike' - which is not at all like my new bike. His is a Suzuki V-Strom 1000, which is a 'dual-sport' motorcycle. It's the first motorcycle he's owned in about 15 years. It's very nice, but it's very big! And it is kind of funny, because he and I do have something in common right now - we're both getting used to being on 'bikes' again. He's taken his motorcyle out several times since he got it a couple of weeks ago (it's been a little difficult because of the rain), so he's getting more familiar with handling it.

We were there until the late afternoon, and then Brian and I decided to head home. We talked about going for a bike ride when we got home, but then Brian noticed that my rear tire was flat, so he said he would work on that, and I went for a walk in the park. When I got back, he said he checked the inner tube and couldn’t find a leak, so he figured what had happened was that the valve got opened somehow and all the air just leaked out. He refilled the inner tube and put the tire back on, and he said we’d check it tomorrow to make sure it was still inflated.

Holiday Weekend - Saturday

On Saturday my big event was going to the Harrisburg ArtsFest with my mom, my sister Laurie, and her fiance Alex, who were visiting for the weekend.

We didn’t get over to ArtsFest until 3 or a little after. But some of the vendors we talked with said it was warmer at noon than it was at 3, so it may have worked out better for us to arrive later anyway. It seemed warm and humid enough at 3 pm, just the same!

I hadn’t been to ArtsFest in YEARS, but I made up for my absence by making quite a few purchases. I definitely ensured that some of the artists and artisans were not “starving!” :-) I bought jewelry at three different stands. At one place I "made my own necklace" by choosing a triangular glass stone from a beautiful selection, and the artisan added some silver wire and tiny beads to it, then attached it to a black cord. At $15, I thought it was a great deal.

I also bought a new print for the pub bathroom (a really cool photo of a hillside in Ireland) – a rather bold move for me, since I normally wouldn’t purchase artwork without consulting with Brian first. But I had a feeling he would like the picture, and when I showed it to him, he said it reminded him of some picture from a Tolkein book he had, and he thought it looked kind of like Middle-Earth, so I took that to mean he liked it. :-)

The other thing I bought was a cool pottery piece made by a lady from Topeka, Kansas – it’s two small bowls connected with a handle, which I think will be perfect for serving dips or salsas at our parties.

We were at ArtsFest until between 6 and 6:30; by that time, we were all getting pretty tired of walking and being out in the heat. (And I had spent more than enough money there!!) We went back to my mom’s, where she showed us a few pictures and we visited a little, and then Laurie, Alex, and I headed back to my house – with a stop at Rite Aid first to pick up some caffeinated beverages, because by this time we were really feeling beat! I needed the energy just to be able to drive home!

Once home, we talked with Brian about how we spent our respective days, then we ordered a late supper from the local pizza shop. After we ate, we hung out for a while, not doing much of anything other than checking out Laurie and Alex's new iPhones, and then we all headed to bed relatively early (around 11 pm, I think).

Holiday Weekend Recap

Well, now that the 2009 Memorial Day weekend is becoming an ever-fainter memory, I finally have some time to write about how I spent it. I'll do a separate post for each day, so it won't be one hugely long, intimidating-looking post. :-)

Dinner at the Melting Pot

Last night we went to dinner with our friends Jan and Pat at The Melting Pot, a fondue restaurant. What a deliciously fun evening we had!

Our first task was to try to explain the rather complicated menu to Pat, who was the only first-timer there. After we had achieved a moderate level of success with that, we moved on to the first collaborative portion of the dinner, where we had to decide on a cheese fondue to share and a cooking style for all of our entrees.

After lots of hemming and hawing and trying to pass the buck to others on the final decision, we all finally agreed upon the Quattro Formaggio cheese fondue and the Court Bouillon cooking style. I had had the Quattro Formaggio fondue the last (and only other) time we were at the Melting Pot, and it was a big hit among everyone there, so I recommended we get it as well. It turned out to be hit with Jan and Pat too (Brian did not partake of the cheese fondue).

Actually, the entire meal was a big hit with everyone. Although Jan had been to the Melting Pot once before, she hadn't gotten an entree, so this was her first time trying the meat cooked in the broth. Both she and Pat were really happy with their entree selections, and they also enjoyed the variety of sauces that accompanied the meal. And Brian was very happy to be able to enjoy more of the beef he had on his last visit - he was raving about it for days afterward!

Then, even though everyone was really full from dinner, we simply had to order a chocolate fondue for dessert. Jan and I were in charge of choosing the variety, and we went with the Flaming Turtle, which in addition to chocolate, had caramel and pecans in it, and was lit on fire! It was heavenly! And somehow, despite us all saying how full we were, our plates of strawberries, bananas, mini rice krispie squares, marshmallows, pound cake squares, cheesecake, and brownies bites were empty by the end of the evening, as was the pot of chocolate fondue.

Dinner at the Melting Pot is not a rushed experience - we were there from 6:15 pm to 9:30 pm! But you keep busy the entire time you're there, choosing the menu items, then dipping the different kinds of food, and of course talking and joking all the while.

And it wasn't just the food and the company that was really good; the service was outstanding. We had a great waiter named John who was not only very friendly and funny, but also informative and very attentive. And in addition to John, at least two other men who must have been managers or something (because they were wearing sport coats, not the regular server attire) stopped by our table several times throughout the evening to check on us, and would even refill our water glasses and take away used dishes. We were well taken care of the entire time!

Dinner at the Melting Pot is not an inexpensive outing, but it is a great splurge every now and again, and I think because the overall experience is so great, it is definitely worth every penny when you do go. And really, it's probably a good thing it's too expensive to go there frequently, because I'd definitely gain a bunch of weight if I ate cheese and chocolate fondue all the time!

Whew!!

Since I got my bicycle, many people have asked me how I've been enjoying it so far. I've told them that I'm really enjoying it; in fact, I'm enjoying it even more than I thought I would. However, I've also pointed out that the rides I've done so far have been pretty easy, and the weather has been really nice, so it hasn't really been much of a challenge. I guess at one point my husband heard me tell someone I didn't think I was getting as good of a workout riding my bicycle as I would get at the gym, and he kept that in mind. And today, he decided to make sure I didn't feel like riding a bike wasn't enough of a workout.

We just got back a while ago from my longest ride yet. Here is proof of how far I went today:

(In case you can't see it too well, that's 13.71 miles.)

We did this ride in the middle of the afternoon, in 85 degree temperatures, and we went up as many hills on this one ride as I think I've done in all the other rides combined! (Well, maybe not quite, but it was a lot!) AND, I'd also like to point out that I did this ride with one less pint of blood than usual, as I had gone to the Blood Donation Center just a couple of hours beforehand!

Despite the tougher conditions on this ride, I did still enjoy myself. There were still more flat sections than hills, and there was a nice breeze that kept us pretty cool. Plus, we took a couple of breaks to drink our water. But I definitely feel like I got a workout this time!! And that's a good thing, since tonight we are going to The Melting Pot for dinner, where I'll be indulging in cheese and chocolate fondue! I'll try to post about that experience sometime later this weekend. But for now, I've got to get cleaned up!

Girls' Night Out on the deck

Just got back a little while ago from a really nice evening with a group of really nice ladies. We met at the Brewhouse Grille and dined out on their deck. Unfortunately, half of the group was facing the sun the whole time, and the patio umbrellas did not provide enough shade to some of them - especially poor Erica and Barb! I was one of the lucky ones who arrived early enough to be able to secure a seat in the shade. "The early bird gets the shade," in this case. :-)

I got to sit between two of my friends whom I hadn't seen in a while - Jan and Julie. And it just so happens that today is Julie's birthday!! (HAPPY BIRTHDAY JULIE!!) Julie is having a memorable birthday, but not for a good reason - she has a bad case of poison ivy! And then, we found out that Jan also has poison ivy! I joked with them that I was a rose between two poison ivy plants. :-)

Other than the sun shining directly in the faces of half the women, it was a great evening to dine on the deck. And the food at the Brewhouse Grille is really good! They have quite a wide variety of items on the menu. I persuaded Erica to split the Tuna Sashimi appetizer with me, which came with alfalfa sprouts, Asian slaw, and of course the requisite wasabi and pickled ginger. The tuna was actually seared, so it wasn't true sashimi, but it was really yummy. We both also really liked the Asian slaw- it had a very interesting mix of vegetables and a zesty flavor.

For my dinner, I got a mixed greens salad with parmesan-encrusted scallops on it. It also had sliced cucumbers, avocados, and tomatoes, and I think a cherry vinaigrette dressing. The combination of flavors was very good, and I would definitely get it again.

There was a wide variety of entrees at our table - a salmon wrap, a couple different kinds of salads, a steak, a burger and fries, and a couple of pasta dishes - and everyone seemed to really enjoy what they ordered. I was impressed that the restaurant offered such a wide variety of food with such favorable results. Sometimes restaurants try to do too much and end up not doing anything really well. But each of the 12 people in the group ordered something different, and I think each person really liked what she ordered.

It was really nice to sit and chat and joke and catch up with everyone, in a relaxed outdoor atmosphere, with tasty beverages, some of which were adult (I msyself did have two bottles of Woodchuck Cider!) and yummy food too. So thanks much to Jan for organizing the evening!!

Now, I have to rest up for a half-day of work tomorrow. I'll be leaving early to go donate blood, which I haven't done since last fall - shame on me! Then I will officially start my Memorial Day Holiday weekend!! WOO HOO!

BRUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUCE!!!

On Friday evening, I went with my husband, his sister, and her husband to see Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band perform at Hershey Stadium. What a great evening!

First of all, the weather was perfect – warm temperatures with a cloudless sky, unlike the night before, when there were thunderstorms and torrential downpours! (So we were really lucky in that respect.) Second of all, we had really good seats – we were on the side, in the second-closest section to the stage. We were probably about a quarter of the way up, so we had a very good view – and we were well-positioned to see the large-screen video display alongside the stage. Third of all, Bruce and the band looked and sounded great! Bruce’s voice was probably better than it’s ever been, and he was full of energy – in fact, it seemed like he became even more energetic and enthusiastic as the evening went on!

Bruce and the band played for exactly three hours – they began at 8:17 pm and ended at 11:17 pm! No kidding – I checked the time on my cell phone! But I’m skipping way ahead. I want to talk about the rest of the concert before I get to the end! I won’t go through the entire setlist, because that would take forever! But I did actually take some notes (on my cell phone) during the concert about some of the songs, so I’ll mention those.

The first song was “Badlands,” which is one I really like, so I was happy that they opened with it. Not too long after that, they played “Outlaw Pete,” which is from the new album, and it’s another song I like. I thought it was really good performed live. At the end of the song, Bruce put on this battered black cowboy hat, and the lighting on the stage created a really cool effect as he stood in profile wearing the hat, with his guitar slung across his shoulder.

There were lots and lots of people in the front section of the crowd with signs requesting songs. Probably my favorite one was the one Bruce took that said, “If U play Twist and Shout, I’ll burn my Hannah Montana CD’s!” He laughed as he read that one and showed it to the rest of the band, and then they launched into an excellent rendition of “Twist and Shout.” The crowd loved it!! Everybody was “twisting and shouting” and singing along – it was just like a big party! And of course I couldn’t help but think of the scene in “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off” when practically the whole city of Chicago was dancing and singing along to that song as well.

Another song I put in my notes was “Seeds.” I didn’t know it, but apparently it’s only on a live box set or something. But it was a really good song, and unfortunately, it had a rather timely subject matter – roughly, it was about a man who loses his job and is forced to drive his family around from place to place, as he looks for work.

Another powerfully-performed song was “The Ghost of Tom Joad.” Nils Lofgren played an amazing guitar solo – that man can wail! He didn’t do any somersaults this time, like he did when we saw him last July, but he’s had both hips replaced since then – and besides, his guitar playing alone is entertainment enough, without having to add acrobatics to it.

Bruce took some more signs from the crowd later on in the show, including one that looked like a large Hershey Kiss. The tag on the kiss said, “Give the girl a…” Bruce was especially impressed with the creativity and quality of the sign, and although he at first claimed he wasn’t sure the band knew the song, within a few seconds, they launched into the song “Give the Girl a Great Big Kiss” (not sure if that’s the exact title, but that’s what they were singing in the chorus). So that was fun, and was probably something that won’t get repeated at other shows.

Soon after that, they played one of my sister-in-law’s all-time favorite songs, “Trapped.” And although she has seen Bruce several times, this was the first time she had seen it live, so she was thrilled. Then, the very next song they played was “Waiting on a Sunny Day,” which is one of my all-time favorites, so I was really happy too!

I haven’t mentioned yet that the drummer for our show was Max Weinberg’s son Jay, who’s just 18 years old, but is as talented as someone twice his age! Bruce mentioned several times what a great musician and performer he was, and you couldn’t really argue with him. During the song “Backstreets,” Jay actually lost a drumstick – Brian and I both saw it go flying behind him – but he immediately pulled out a spare from his pocket and kept on going as if nothing had happened! I was quite impressed! He didn’t seem at all out of place among the rest of the musical talent on stage, even though they were all old enough to be his parents – or even grandparents!

During the encore portion of the show (which is about three times longer than the encores for most concerts), they played “10th Avenue Freezeout,” which went over really well (I know I was really happy they played it – it’s one of my favorites!). Then Bruce picked a two-piece sign from the crowd –one piece was a nice painting of a rose, and the other was a large, glittery letter ‘E.’ He also picked another nicely-lettered sign that said “Rosalita” on it. So of course then the band started playing that song, and the crowd was thrilled!

After that, the band all came together at the front of the stage and took their bows, and it seemed like that was going to be it. And I think if they had ended there, no one would have been disappointed. But then Bruce paused, looked around at the band and out at the crowd, and said, “Let’s do one more!” So the band members took their places again, and they launched into “Bobbi Jean,” and the crowd really went crazy! I seriously wondered if Bruce was looking at the time and realized if they played one more song, it would take the show exactly to the three-hour mark, because that’s what happened!

I have to admit that Bruce Springsteen is not one of my all-time favorite artists. I really didn’t even listen to much of his music until “The Rising” came out. But even not being a huge fan, I really, truly, enjoy going to the concerts. The amount of talent and energy up on that stage is just amazing, and the audience is always great too. It really does feel like a big party when you go to a Bruce Springsteen concert, and it feels like everyone is connected by the power and energy of the music. So I’m really glad I got to go to the show and share that experience with all the people there – but especially with my husband, his sister, and her husband. We all had a great evening, and I look forward to being able to doing it again sometime!

First Rails to Trails ride

This evening Brian and I drove down to Newville to check out the Cumberland Valley Rail Trail. The first accomplishment of the evening was getting both bikes in the car successfully! We were quite pleased about that, so maybe we won't have to invest in a bike rack for the car just yet.

The Rail Trail was really nice! It's mostly level, with a crushed, packed gravel sort of surface for the vast majority of the trail. We really didn't have trouble on it with our bikes, since we have tires that are made to handle that kind of surface.

A lot of the trail is rather secluded, with trees lining either side of it, so you can't really see anything beyond the trees, although there are a few open areas that go through farm fields. It's very pretty along the trail right now, with the trees greening up and the honeysuckle and lilacs blooming. We saw several kinds of animals along the path- a few rabbits, some cats from nearby farms, and even a deer! Seeing the deer was really neat.

We decided to go five miles down the trail, then we turned around and headed back. So we ended up riding 10 miles today - my longest ride yet! And it really wasn't hard at all. The worst part of it was sitting on that little seat. ;-) We both said we could have gone farther without a problem. But it was getting late, and we hadn't eaten dinner yet. And 10 miles was a nice round number!

I'm actually pleasantly surprised by how much I'm enjoying riding my bike so far. Of course, today's ride was probably under just about the ideal conditions - cloudy skies, moderate temperatures, a level path, no cars to worry about - so there was really no reason for me not to enjoy it. But I suspect even the more challenging rides won't dissuade me from continuing with this new hobby, which is good, since I've invested quite a bit of money in it already!

Limerick Day

Yes, folks, today is Limerick Day. (Seriously, there is a holiday for just about everything under the sun!!)

And, since I enjoy writing poetry every now and again, I felt the need to compose a limerick (actually a series of limericks) in honor of this holiday. Here you go:

It just came to my attention
That this day is one worthy of mention.
It’s Limerick Day,
So I’d like to say
A few words about this invention.

A limerick’s no everyday rhyme;
There are rules you must follow each time.
For lines one, two and five,
You must always strive
To ensure that the last words all rhyme.

For lines three and four of the verse,
They shouldn’t be lengthy, but terse.
And make sure line four
Rhymes with the line before,
Or you’ll just make your limerick worse.

There’s really not much more to tell
About limerick writing – well,
That isn’t quite true.
Sometimes they’re quite blue!
But to write like that – don’t feel compelled.

And now it is time that I close,
And go back to writing some prose.
But before that, I’ll say
“Happy Limerick Day!”
And that is enough, I suppose.

Another new era has begun!

Sunday wasn't just the first day I wrote a blog. It was also the first day I rode my new bicycle! After much trepidation and uncertainty, I finally became a 'biker chick' on Friday.

My husband Brian has owned a bicycle - a Trek 7.2 FX - since the summer of 2007, and he's been going on regular rides with several of our friends who also have bicycles. At first I expressed absolutely no interest in joining them - I was perfectly happy getting my exercise by going to the gym and walking at the park. I did not have fond memories of riding bicycles in the past, and I was quite sure I wouldn't enjoy it any more now than I did back then. However, as time passed, and the group went on more excursions, I began to rethink my anti-bicycle stance.

One particularly noteworthy occasion was back in early October, when I joined everyone on a day trip to the Gettysburg Battlefield National Park. While everyone else got on their bicycles and went off as a group to tour the battlefields, I was on my own, exploring a much smaller area by walking around by myself. Every now and again, the rest of the group would meet up with me as I was walking, but of course then they would pedal away to another destination. I did actually enjoy myself at the park- it was a beautiful day, and I did see quite a bit for just walking - but I know I would have had even more fun had I been able to be with the group the entire time.

So, as this year's bicycle season approached, I began thinking more seriously about getting my own bicycle. After all, I'm in much better shape than I was the last time I rode a bike, so that has to account for something. Plus, I'd be going riding with other people, which would undoubtedly make it more fun as well.

In early April Brian ordered some special biking sandals (they have soles so hard they could knock you out if you were hit on the head with them!), and they finally came in last week, so when he went to Cole’s Bicycle Shop on Friday to pick them up, I went along - ostensibly just to ‘look’ at bikes. Well, it turned into an hour and a half expedition! (Brian had to feed the parking meter three times!) We ended up working with one of the store owners, Cinda, who was just fantastic. She was very knowledgeable, and she helped me figure out what size bike I needed.

I ended up getting a Trek 7.3 - the men's model - which has a 22.5 inch frame. Even at that size, I have to have the seat raised a couple of inches in order for it to fit properly. The 7.3 is more expensive than the model Brian has, but I didn’t like the 7.2 FX they had in the store because it was a brownish color (I know, that’s a lame excuse), and the 7.3 was the only other one they had in stock that a) fit me and b) was similar in style to Brian’s (as in the type of riding it’s designed for) and c) was a color I liked :-) . I know I could have just ordered one, but I think Brian was also anxious for me to get a bike right away. And he paid for half of the entire bill (which was ghastly) – I think that was also because he wanted to encourage me as much as possible about getting into this. And it is a really good bike, so I guess that should presumably help to enjoy biking more – right? (as I desperately search for more possible reasons to justify spending so much money :-()

I did ‘girlify’ my bike a little by getting a women’s gel saddle on it, which has pink trim along the edge and a pink ribbon on the seat, and a pink water bottle cage.  :-) 

The great folks at Cole’s also made a few other adjustments/additions to my new bike. They installed a different handlebar stem, so the handlebars sit a little higher up and at an angle closer to my body, so I don’t have to bend over as much, which will hopefully protect my back. They also put different tires on it, so they’re more like the tires Brian has on his bike, which will be good since we’ll be riding on the same kinds of surfaces. And of course I had to get stuff like a headlight, a taillight, a computer, and a kickstand.  :-)

Then, of course, I had to get a helmet, gloves, bike shorts (two pair), and a helmet mirror. And Brian ended up getting a new helmet (since his is pretty old and they’re giving $15 off this month on helmets) and gloves as well.

So it ended up being quite an expensive trip to the bicycle shop on Friday! I'm really hoping it will turn out to be money well spent.

I didn’t get to try it out until Sunday afternoon, after everyone went home after the Mother's Day brunch. It has been a very long time since I rode a bike, and the last bike I owned was a three-speed, so I didn’t even know how to shift gears. Brian took me over to the parking lots of the schools right by our house, and first I rode around slowly, just so I could get used to being on a bicycle again. Then he explained to me about the gears and how and when to shift. There are a couple of inclines right there in the parking lots, so I was able to try out shifting gears in that environment first, which was good. After a while of just riding around in the parking lots, we did venture out into the town. We stuck to the side streets, for the most part. I ended up logging 8 miles on my first trip, which I know isn’t much, but I felt was a good start.

We went out again this evening, and we ended up going 8.5 miles. We were on some busier roads, and we also went up a couple of good-sized (or should I say bad-sized?) hills. I had some trouble shifting gears on the first hill, but I think that's the bicycle is still in the "breaking in" phase. Nevertheless, I did pedal the bike all the way to the top of both hills, which I felt was a pretty good achievement.

I did feel more comfortable this evening being on the bike and shifting gears, but I'm still having trouble adjusting and using my helmet mirror. However, I'm sure using it will become more natural over time, and I'll get it adjusted just right. I'm also still a little nervous about being on the road with lots of cars, especially if I have to do any hand signals, but I know I'll also get more comfortable with that over time. I'm hoping it won't be too long before I can join the rest of the group and not bring them down too much!

Oh, and in yet another milestone, I'm going to attempt to post some pictures of my bike below. I'm branching out like crazy! :-)

Mother's Day 2009

Happy Mother's Day to all the mothers out there!


My husband and I hosted brunch at our house today for my mom and his parents. It seemed to go over well with all of them. I made a breakfast casserole I had never made before, called Blueberry Sausage Breakfast. (Can you guess the two main ingredients?) It had more of a biscuit-y or cakey type base than I expected, but it was good, and I think everyone had seconds, so I guess I wasn't the only one who thought so. We also had scrambled eggs, bacon, ham, English muffins, and an excellent fruit salad (if I do say so myself).

I know this is an especially terrible thing to say on Mother's Day, but my mother kind of annoyed me today. As soon as she walked into the kitchen and saw me, she got a shocked expression on her face and said, "Your hair is black!" I just had it colored, and it hadn't been fully colored for about six months (I was just getting the roots touched up), so it had lightened up since last November. But it's NOT black. In fact, my hair color actually matches my eyebrows - as my mother-in-law pointed out as she stood there with us. However, my mom went on to say, "It doesn't look right. It doesn't look like a color you should have. It looks like you're wearing a wig." After that last statement, I turned to the stove, started stirring the eggs, and said as politely as possible, "Happy Mother's Day."

Of course then minutes later, I found out that on Friday my mom had slipped on the floor of a grocery store, fell down, and dislocated her finger, and actually went to the emergency room and everything. So then I felt really bad that I was annoyed with her for what she said, but at the same time I was also still kind of annoyed, because she hadn't called to tell me any of this had happened. She said it wasn't a big deal and that there wasn't any reason to bother me. Wow. If that's not a typical mother type thing to say, I don't know what is.

Anyway, the rest of the visit went all right. The mothers seemed to enjoy the opportunity to visit and chat with each other, so that was good. And everyone said several times how much they enjoyed the meal. So all in all, I think it was a pretty good Mother's Day for the both of them, which is, of couse, the most important thing on this day. I do love them both dearly and want them to be happy, so I was glad to be able to play a part in their happiness today.

First Post

For reasons of which I'm not entirely sure, I've decided to venture into the world of blogging. There are probably about 800 million other people online who've decided their comments and opinions are worthy of sharing with the world, so what's one more, right?

I don't know what or how often I'll be posting here, but whatever does end up on this blog will likely be of little interest to 99.9% of those who stumble upon it. But if you do happen to find this page, read it, and don't find it to be completely objectionable or snore-worthy, that's cool. And if you feel like posting a comment to tell me so, even cooler.

Ok, let's put this one up there and make it official. I'm a blogger! (gasp!)