Stitch & Learn

Used a vibrant print fabric from Alexander Henry, and a few scraps of black/charcoal cotton to make a sundress. McCall's M5654. (Photo doesn't do it justice - will try to swap out tomorrow, when there's more light. And with an actual camera.)

Learned a few new things - box pleats, inset pockets, a new way of inserting a zipper. Stayed up late to finish it, I was so excited.

It looks great. The set of the straps shows of my lovely broad shoulders. I love it!

It will only be worn as a swimsuit cover-up.

Why?

Because the way it hangs from the widest point of my bustline will cause folks to ponder my due date. Might even make them brave enough to ask.

Don't confuse this post with a bitch session, because it's not. I do love this, and will wear it often. Just not out to dinner. Or a lot of other places.

This is a "things I need to learn about choosing patterns" post. And, it's a perfect opportunity to play around with the pleats. I think if I take the pleats down a little lower, so the dress doesn't flair until about 4-6 inches lower, it just might work.

Super Clutz + Jigsaw: What could possibly go wrong?

That's plain ol' orange juice in the glass... I'm clumsy, not stupid.

The munchkin is turning 9 next week. For the past four years, the "Party or trip?" question has been answered "Trip". Not this year. This year, Alice in Wonderland. But, DD decided she's too grown up for a little girl tea party.

Yep.

This is why, in the middle of a gorgeous Saturday afternoon, I am learning how to use a jigsaw, so as to cut out a sign for the croquet field.... and two playing card wickets. If I don't lose any fingers, I may try a large caterpillar arch, to go by the start. We'll see.

Picked up a flamingo ring toss last week, and tonight I'll be hunting for cookie cutters shaped like chess pieces.

How I spent my blogging vacation

Staying away from the computer except for work & bookkeeping for a few months left me with more than a little extra time. There was home organization, half marathon and marathon training, experimental cooking, big volunteer projects at the school... but I'm not one to sit idle. To put that extra time to good use, I chose something off my "Someday, I'd like to_____" list. I picked Learn to Sew.

My mother sews. Not just the simple hems and repairs - she made costumes for halloween and school history fairs, dresses, curtains. (She's quite handy.) My grandmother was even better, tailoring her own suits, making fancy window treatments, doing her own reupholstering. Me? Nothing since I was an 8-10 year old in 4H Club.

I have a 3rd grade daughter. She, like many 3rd grade girls, has an American Girl Doll. She wants her AG doll, Molly, to have an extensive wardrobe. A wonderful thought, until you go into the AG Store and take a look at the prices for each outfit. $20-30 a pop... OUCH!

Then I found out McCalls, Butterick and Simplicity all have patterns for 18" dolls. Not just period costumes - shorts, shirts, dresses, tights, track suits, coats, etc. The fabric requirements are 1/4-1/2 yard, making bargain hunting in the remnant section a breeze.

Add that to my love of handmade aprons, and the fraying status of my favorite two vintage models, the approach of holiday gift giving, and sewing seemed to be the right skill to learn. Bought a sewing machine and set to working my way through the first few projects.

I figured I could manage a few things, but had no idea I'd end up loving the process. The planning, measuring and order of sewing a garment appeals to the same part of me that loves making maps. (With only a handful of map projects the last several months, I think the sewing helped keep my brain from stagnating.)

What started as a dabble, became something a little bigger. I've now got a stack of finished AG clothes, some of which have been bought by other moms, and a uniform wardrobe which did fairly well in the school auction. DD has a growing wardrobe of skirts, peasant tops, and dresses from both current and vintage patterns. Aprons and bags are making great gifts, when I can bear to part with them. I've even managed a couple of 1950s pattern dresses for myself, with plans for a couple more, now that the weather is warming.

Learning how to sew has made changed the way I look at some other parts of daily life, too. What's even better, it's making my daughter look at things differently. More about that next week, though. I have an A-line summer dress to cut out for DD, a hem to let down on a pair of B1's pant (he's hit 6'1", when did that happen?!), and a zipper to add to my soon-to-be favorite summer dress.

Happy weekend! And a blessed Easter to those celebrating.

It looks like a new house

Things are moving along smoothly so far, plus that's what the home inspector said about the house today. He said all of the updates were very well done, and that everything is clean & well maintained. In some ways, the inspector said this house is better than a new home, because of the higher quality of foundation and walls back when the home was originally built. There'll be a few things in the report, but nothing major. The highlights are:

• Downspouts should be extended so they drain a few feet farther out from foundation.
• Two outlets in front of house are not grounded.
• At some point, an access panel will need to be cut for the master tub
• He couldn't find the pressure valve for the water, but figures it's tucked in the middle of new ductwork
• There are a few boards of siding which should have 1/2-1" shaved off, to get them to full inch away from shingles.

None of those are things which will require major fixes, so closing in three weeks shouldn't be a problem, especially since the paperwork & transferring of funds is done. Keeping fingers crossed the appraisal doesn't come out too far off where it had been appraised back in April.

I'm not a fan of buying a bunch of furniture for a new house, as that is one sure way to blow the budget and open the door for all kinds of unforeseen disaster. I also think it takes time to settle in and figure out what we really want / need for the new space. But - you knew that was coming - I am seriously considering this set of six mahogany chairs, to make a complete dining table. Right now, I move kitchen chairs to the dining table for the kidlets, and use the 4 chairs which are usually set around the table for adults. These are around 125 years old (dealer says possibly 150-meh), and are pretty darn sturdy, without any sway or creaking. Price is marked down to $350 from $500, which was already marked down from original $750... and I like them, so maybe this will be my one rule-breaking purchase?

BDW: The Big Darn* Week, Part 1

*Note my toned-down language, lest I be forced to drop a dollar in the jar. (It's quarters for most people, but I had to make it expensive enough to hurt.)

Let's start at the very beginning, a very good place to start...

Of the three open houses on Sunday - when we saw the peacock - one house had the right number of bedrooms, plus an extra. It has a two car garage, with extra space for the stable of bicycles. It has recently (last 3-5 years) replaced HVAC, water heater, and roof. It's brick. All of the appliances were part of the remodel a few years ago, so stay with the house. It's on an acre (1.05, to be precise), and about a third of of that is fenced with a solid privacy fence.

It had also been on the market for six months or more, with two price drops. The owners moved to their new home a couple months ago, so were carrying two houses. There had been no offers, as any interested parties had existing homes to sell first. We're heading into autumn, and then to the s-l-o-w winter months.

Made an offer. They countered with a slightly lower price. Made a new offer. Same price, but closing by the end of September. They dropped the price to meet halfway between, and a deal was struck. In roughly five weeks - assuming everything goes well with inspection, of course - this will be where I spend my days:


Note that while there is a desk in the kitchen, for my recipe-checking, bill-paying and blogging convenience, there is not a washer or dryer in the kitchen. I have been "okay" with the layout of the 1950s kitchen in our rented house for three years now, but have never quite gotten used to washing socks, underwear and towels in such clothes (ooh! I'm keeping that accidental word choice) quarters to food prep surfaces.

There's a great deal of excitement among the other family members, too, because of a permanent playhouse in the backyard, proximity to school friends and the playroom in the basement where the second TV will be hooked up to the older gaming systems.... but this isn't their slice of the web now, is it?

More about the week later. B1's first cross country event. The scramble to reschedule B2's birthday party.
An absolutely horrible, terrible, no-good, very bad morning which was turned completely around, thanks to a tweet from MizFit, and the realization that I'm now the thing which I never imagined myself becoming. One of those people. You know, the mom of a teen, approaching 40... middle-aged.

Dog blogging

Dragged the teen out of bed this morning for breakfast/cartoon duty with the younger two, so I could get in a run with the dog. The teen's going to be crabby all day, but... too bad.

It's been a few weeks, so it was just short run. A couple of miles (1.95 miles, 9:15 pace) with Peter T. Dog, sunshine and the sounds of birds and not-too-distant rush hour traffic. Yea!

It was a tiny bit of good exercise for the both of us, and a much needed bit of peace and quiet, away from noisy children and teething puppy.

That's right, I said "puppy." Clifford, intended to be Peter's packmate. Pete's been mopey since coming home from his two weeks in the country with dogs, cats and horse. A younger dog is supposed to give him a bit of zip to keep active and happy in his old age. It's worked well for my mother's dogs over the years, and the vet suggested it last year. The final straw was last week, when I was reading Radley Balko's blog. The kids were passing by the computer while I was on his normal Sunday dog blogging. It was a puppy blogging post. In looking at the cute photos, my little girl read the story about the puppy being a pal for his older dog. The lobbying began.

The intention when we visited the Atlanta Humane Society (no kill shelter) was a 6-12 month medium dog, preferably female. Found the perfect dog, 6 month old Annie, a beagle/terrier mix. Went back again the next day with kids & Pete, to make sure the two dogs got along as well as the first day, and to bring her home. That's when we met Clifford.

At 2 months old, he's bigger than the almost-grown Annie. He's a Collie/Shepherd mix, so has quite a ways to grow from his current 20 pounds. In fact, the general consesus was to purchase a crate for a future 70 lb dog, but not to be surprised if we have to go larger by the time he turns one. He's teething. He's so young that housebreaking isn't going to take until he has bladder control. He likes to flip over water dishes and play in the puddle. He's not good on a leash yet, as the older puppy was. He's on antibiotics for an upper respiratory thing, and for the minor infection at his sutures (post-neuter). And, did I mention he's teething?

He's an absolute sweetheart. Playful, but not in a crazy way. Sleeps through the night, as long as his crate is by my bed. Pays attention when Peter backs him down with a sneer for too much ear/tail nipping, so there's been no growling or big dog bites. Only a couple of messes in the house over the last week, mostly due to children not quite knowing the signs of when a puppy goes from general sniffing to sniffing for a spot.

As for perking up Peter T. Dog, it seems to be working. He's now happily herding Clifford in loops around the house and yard a few times each day, instead of just napping in a sunny spot. (I make sure he still gets some time for peace and quiet in his nap spot, sans puppy.)

Spring cleaning for the bikes

I'm going to brag.
I cleaned my bike.
Not dusting or polishing.
Not handlebar tape replacement.
The messy stuff - I cleaned the chain and gears.

By myself.

Printed instructions from Bicycling.com. Degreaser, old toothbrush (hello kitty), a couple of rags and chain oil.

What started off looking like this:



Ended all clean & shiny:

Got everything reassembled, and went for a very pleasant (except for the stinky bradford pears) three lap ride of Columns Drive (2.5 mile road, total of 15 miles). I wasn't quite sure of my work, so wanted to be someplace with marked bike lane, not a lot of traffic, and never more than a comfortable walk to the truck.

Bloo's pedals whirred smoothly. Shifting gears were smoother than on my last ride. It was good. And, now that I know I can do it, I can take over general cleaning/maintenance on the other six (or seven?) bikes in the family. Major tuneups and replacements will still be handled by the bike shop, but I can do this part. Before I start on the hybrid and the kid bikes though, I think it's time to look into a moderately priced stand. My ironing board, covered with beach towel and weighted with tool chest, worked alright for a one time thing, but I can't imagine trying to do all the bikes this way. Especially not the girly bikes.

Dreary Dress Day

I had a lunch date today, so pulled a go-to dress out of the closet after my morning run. It is supposed to start raining this afternoon, so I dressed to not be on the bike in skirt and heels this time. I'll run and ride all over town in bits of spandex and wicking fabrics through the year, but a just-above-the-knee pencil skirt on a road bike is where I draw the line. (See, mom? Those comments on girlish modesty, back when I was smallish and mucking about outside in dresses, did sink in. Eventually.)

Wonderful lunch at Mirage. A pot of hot persian tea, and a steaming bowl of Khoresh-e-Gheymeh Bademjan: Cubed sirloin beef cooked with sautéed onions, yellow split peas, tomato sauce & sun-dried Persian limes, seasoned with special spices, and sauteed eggplant. Lively conversation about shifting demographics within neighborhoods, and about the book we're both reading (The Logic of Life, Tim Harford).

Saw myself in the entryway mirror when I arrived home. I was an accurate representation of the weather.
Grey, black and drab. Even my accessories, minimal though they were:

• Small silver hoop earrings.
• Tortiseshell glasses
• Stainless steel watch (is 1940 Ladies Oyster, with a sweep second hand. May look bland, but is a marvel of engineering to me)
• Platinum Ring

All grey, black and silver. No color. No "pop." If I'd remembered a necklace, it probably would have been a silver pendant on a length of black silk.
I think it's time to take a page from Rebecca, and get busy with the accesorizing. Not a lot of it, because I'm a big fan of the functional. A few necklaces from which to choose. Earrings with a touch of color. Maybe a scarf or two?

Like anything I know nothing about, I'll need to do a bit of reading. Imogen Lamport of Inside Out Style, has given some great advice over at Rebecca's site, so her own site is probably where I'll start.

Other than that, I probably need to get my daughter involved. She loves accesorizing. If I start where the princess approves, and cut it by two-thirds, I should be just about right. Besides, it's not often we get to bond over such a girlish activity.

See! Proof that some part of me yearns for color - this is my favorite handbag.

Business Casual Biking

It occurred to me as I was checking the tire pressure on my knock about commuter (Patty the Hybrid), that this was not going to be a normal day on the bike. Weather's cool enough to ride in my street clothes now, and today's street clothes happened to be work, errands and lunch wear. What the heck - good time for using that self-timer again.

Who says you can't commute without official cycling clothes?!

Proofs copied, bank deposits readied, and shopping bag ready... Oh! Almost forgot the red purse. Pulled my hair back, ready for the helmet. Didn't put the helmet on for the photo. I'm all for safety on the road, but I think I'm pretty safe in my carport. After, I'm the most dangerous driver on my little stretch of driveway.

I ride all the time in dress slacks and stacked heel loafers, but the skirt and heels was new. Took off for my first stop. Wind wasn't bad at all, so no worries about skirt flips. (Just in case though, I had pulled on a pair of spandex bike shorts.) The boots were comfier than I feared. I had enough room in the calf, and the narrower heel didn't cause any trouble. Pedal popped right into the arch of my foot, just like in the other shoes. In fact, the sole of this shoe does a slightly better job of gripping the pedals than the loafers.

I did ride a bit slower in the skirt. I don't think it had anything to do with the outfit being uncomfortable. I really think I was just being more "ladylike", and going into slow bike mode.

The ride to the bank was pretty normal. I got a few more comments than usual. Stupid things, yelled from the window incoherently. Sometimes, it's an attempt at clever comments, sometimes remarks about my usage of the driving lane, by people who don't know the white line painted at the shoulder does not a bike lane make. Sometimes it's outright rude. "Get a car!" is always one of my favorites. Today, some genius yelled "Where's Toto?" three or four times. I'm not sure how that's supposed to be clever, but... I hope it was the highlight of his day.

There's no place to chain up at Bank of America, so I pedaled into the drive thru lanes. A couple of the customers did a double-take, but the tellers were awesome. Extra cheery good morning, questions about my gas mileage (he asks me that every time), weather perfect for riding, be on the lookout for those crazy drivers on Roswell Rd, where was I off to next, etc. Conversations happen on the bike. I like that. Best part of being on a bike at the teller window? No worrying about being able to reach the tube.

Lunch at Rumi was excellent. Had the eggplant and veal stew with saffron rice. OMG, it was so very good. I ate too much, and was glad I'd be getting home using power from all the rice and flatbread. The valet was quite nice about helping me find a place to lock up. He and I chatted about Sandy Springs traffic, and he asked me a few questions about routes and how long it takes to get around. I like questions like that. Any chance to let people know how very easy it is to start is worth taking. They might actually give it a try sometime.

Trader Joes was next. Normal grocery shopping. A sweet little old lady mentioned how nice it was I did my shopping that way, and warned me (again) to watch out for the crazies on the road. She's lived in the area since long before there were shops on every corner, and I think she misses being able to get out without worrying about being run down. We complimented each other on our outfits, another fun part of seeing her. She's always so well put together. I hope I keep running into her, because I have the feeling she has some cool stories to tell. And even if she doesn't, her smile and hello brighten my shopping trips.

Home again. Groceries put away. I'm getting a bit more of a map drawn before I head off to pick up the kids at elementary school. I do wish there were bicycle lanes between here and there, because I'd love for my rugrats to roll over the crunchy leaves with me along the way. Until then, we'll have to pack the bikes up for path rides once every week or two. This weekend will need to be one of those times.

In summary:
Commuting by bicycle for multiple errands, instead of using car? YES
Commuting by bicycle great for inspiring pleasant conversations with complete strangers? YES
Commuting by bicycle in skirt and heels? YES
Commuting by bicycle to Rumi for big plates of delicious Persian cuisine? YES

Counting Calories: My new hate/love relationship with food

Odd things are happening to my relationship with food. I used to not think of calories at all, or when I did, in a vague "ooh, I probably shouldn't eat this" way. Even as I was losing weight, I made myself think about healthy food choices and moderation, not calorie counts. That was a couple years ago, before I started cycling, then running. Even a few months ago, I was focusing on food choices and variety, not diet and weight loss.

But now that I'm playing outside (don't think of it as workout - too much fun) five or six times each week? I think about calories and food constantly.

My normal calorie intake for age, weight, and sex at a "normal" rate of activity should be in the 1650-1800 range. To offset the running and riding, I need to average 2,800 per day.

That's an extra 1,000 per day! I don't eat fast food. I don't load up on sweet coffee drinks with whipped cream. My idea of a good snack is a handful of almonds, or a couple fig newtons. That's nowhere near enough calories. So, I spend time each day thinking:

How much do I need to eat today?
I should probably grab some chips to eat with my veggies and hummus.
These miles mean how much extra food?
Will tossing avocado in my salad be enough?
What if I use the whole avocado?
I forgot my mid afternoon snack. Gotta eat.
Ugh. This yogurt's only 140 calories. What can I add?

It's exhausting. It's also necessary. After being in a very comfortable little range for almost one year, I've dropped weight fast this month. In the last six or seven weeks, almost 9 pounds. I think I might have just hit a point where my body was done at a certain plateau, and had decided it was okay to kick the metabolism up, since the increased exercise and food patterns were established. The body fat dropped by a full percentage point, so I think that seems reasonable.

My rings are loose. My clothes, other than running/cycling gear, are loose. My face seems different, too. I can see in the mirror which collarbone was broken when I was 12, and that bugs me. I feel pretty good, and have plenty of energy. (Not today, but that's normal girl stuff).

I'm still well within the healthy BMI, but am starting to grow a little concerned. It's probably nothing more than my body reshaping itself. I could keep researching online, reading the food discussions at Runners World, and pick up a couple books... I think it may be time to talk to a nutritionist. Build a good plan for the next several months. Between the half marathons this fall, then starting an official multi-sport training plan over the winter (duathalon - I'm a lousy swimmer), I'm not sure this is a time for me to stick with my normal trial & error methods.

Speaking of food, it's noon. I'd better go and grab some lunch, right now. Be a shame to ruin my appetite for that three o'clock snack.

Charting a new map for my life

Tackling the utter lack of athleticism which plagued me up to the ripe old age of 35 has made me braver. I'm starting to branch out in other areas. Looking for ways to challenge myself mentally, in addition to the physical challenges.

I have a few very big decisions to make. Some of them are easy. Beginning to market my skills (maps, informational graphics) and expand my client base is one of those. For the last eight years, since I officially stopped being a full-time employee, my business plan has been more of a non-plan. My old clients (former employers) stuck with me, and when some of the people with whom I worked switched firms, I had a new client.

It’s really been a pretty cozy system. I get to keep doing work I love, and make enough money to fund things like housekeepers, the birthday mini-trips, and gear for running and riding. I get to converse with other adults about things which have no relation to my children, and a sense of accomplishment when I receive the printed sample from the press.

I work ten hours many weeks, and am rarely over twenty. The occasional flurry at the end of a full street map or an offering book might require a full forty hours one week. I follow those weeks with a week to clean house, do some extra volunteering at the schools, and go for long rides on my bicycle.

Lately, I’ve gone beyond the idea of doing this Someday. I have the gut feeling it’s become Someday. It’s not the money. It’s me. I want a challenge. The projects requiring my full mental attention these days are rare. I can crank out maps in my sleep. (When home with a sick child means switching to evening work hours, I’m pretty sure I have sleepmapped.) Even though this decision is not based on any economic worries, the extra income will be nice.

There will also be a sense of freedom to accompany the increase in projects. If I have other things waiting in the queue, I will have the peace of mind to set the timelines. I’ll do everything I can to meet my client’s expectations, but won’t have to bend over backwards and stay up until 2:00 a.m., just because I’m worried they’ll find someone else next time.

It’s a big step. Tough, but not as hard as I’d built it up to be in my mind. Get a domain and webhost, put together samples of work online, along with basic writeup of what services I’ll offer. A few emails around town, a bribe for google, so I come up higher on the search list.

Thanks to my current office setup, cell phones and eFax, I’m not going to have all that many expenses. I know who to call for my domain registration and hosting. Friend of a friend, won’t be pricey. I have over a decade of digital samples - more, if I resort to scanning in pieces from the early days. Sweat equity is the big requirement.

Thanks to the last year or so, I'm not timid about the sweat anymore.

No walk breaks!

Am off to the dentist this morning, so I got up extra early to run. Stuck with the main roads for the street lights. I think I like this early morning thing. Almost a whole mile along a major street, and only one car passed me. Roswell & Abernathy were busier of course, but 6:00 a.m. busy is quite peaceful.

3.4 miles, 33:53, without a single walk break. That's a new record for me.

I'd throw a big celebration, by which I mean buy myself a giant latte, but will settle for loud music and an open sunroof on the way to the dentist. Old filling replacement, followed by a trip down the street to the Orthodontist for four months worth of torture devices for my lower jaw. (Invisalign)

Commuter Miles

Only around six miles today on the bike, but they were risking-my-life-in-lunchtime-traffic miles. The temps were in the low 80s today, so I swapped out my loafers for SPDs and headed out for errands and meeting in street clothes. Rolled up my left pant leg, tossed my cardigan in the backpack with the items destined for UPS, and headed out.

I'm so used to making trips around Sandy Springs on my heavy, slow hybrid. It was really nice to take the hills on Bloo. (Blooregard Q. Kazoo, named by my children for Bloo of Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends.)

The drivers around me didn't give me quite the space they do on Patty (Peppermint Patty, also named by children.) I guess the lack of a front-mount basket helped me look a bit more... competent? Less accident prone? It's also possible I just looked like a serious commuter today, just a regular part of traffic.

My only complaint was the complete lack of bicycle racks. Or anything suitable for locking up Bloo. I don't mind using something other than a rack. But the 4-6' wide brick pillar is a bit beyond the stretch of my cable or chain. It wasn't all that bad; both the UPS Store and Starbucks (meeting location) were quite friendly when I wheeled my buddy through the door.

I attempted to catch a picture using the self-timer feature. It's not easy to get situated in 5 seconds when a bike's involved, so I'm not sure if any of the shots are useful. If I did get something decent, I'll post. Hopefully, I didn't cut myself in half while running across the carport each time.

Edit: this will have to do. I look like a complete dork, but at least I'm not sticking out my tongue, closing my eyes, or midway through swinging my leg over the seat. And, my goodness, the angle on the bike adds about 15 lbs. - I suddenly like all those horrible running photos from races a whole lot more.

And, I'm really glad I had the cardigan for the meeting. The air conditioning was extra chilly after the ride. (That, and I'm not one to run around in just a camisole top, generally speaking.)

First Flat

Almost 90 mins to fix my first flat, including a trip to the bike shop to find out why I was unable to get the tire bead over the rim. (Answer: I'm a wimp.)

AAAARRGGHH!

So much for tonight's 20 mile ride. Since today was an impromptu rest day, I'll be having a multi-sport day tomorrow.

On a good note, I think I can change a tire now. Hope so.

$125/week Grocery Challenge

I decided to take up the challenge of MSN Money writer Melinda Fulmer "Can a family eat on $100 a week? The goal was to feed her family of four healthy food for $100, or less.

Wenchypoo made a few inquiries of Fulmer, to clarify some of the rules she used during the challenge week. I don't think she's received answers yet. She decided to work up an organic shopping list for herself & Mr. Wenchypoo, while including the special dietary requirements of the Wenchkitties (Kittywenchlets?). The shopping list is here.

Since my family is larger than Fulmer's, I'm going with a $125/week budget. This will be just food. Health items and household/cleaning products will be kept separate from the list.

I'm not sure how Fulmer balanced the contents of her pantry against the shopping lists, so I'm adjusting for that as well. I have several items stocked up in my pantry and freezer - chicken breasts, oatmeal, coconut milk, my irish breakfast tea, etc. Most of these will need to be restocked over the next few weeks. Oatmeal is the exception. I buy 3-4 months worth at a time, for breakfast muffins and cookies. Less than $10 at Costco, so it's not exactly a budget buster.

I'll be doing the challenge for four consecutive weeks, to balance out the supplies I have on hand. Will be restocking as I go, so that will be part of the budget. In planning out the last two weeks of the challenge, I'll be packing school lunches for three children, five days per week. I'll be picking up a few items, such as juice boxes and granola bars, over these first two weeks, to minimize the big jump after school starts.

I do my shopping in smaller trips, since I often shop by bicycle. Haven't decided yet whether I'll update for each trip, or just give an end of week list and total.

Crash and Burn

The crash was more of a fall; the burn was my deep blush of embarrassment. When I got my first set of SPD pedals & shoes, the salesman warned me I'd fall. He said it would happen at least once during the learning process. I should practice snapping in & out of the pedals in the doorway, but not to worry about falling with the bike... it would happen.

That was back in November. I practiced in the doorway. I rode on bicycle paths, to avoid the possibility of falling into traffic. Developed a nifty timing for unclipping both feet at the same time, so I didn't set myself off balance. No accidents. Not even any quick saves on the way down. I did keep the "...yet" at the end of any thought about pedal related accident thoughts.

Flash forward to June 18th. I'm on the ladies-only group ride on the Silver Comet Trail. New bike saddle, sitting slightly higher than I'm used to. Add to that the advice from my mechanic about the proper order for unclipping - left foot first, so if ya' fall, you're falling away from the cars. I've been trying to follow that order over the last couple of weeks, since I'm riding on the road more than usual.

The group slows down. I slow down.
The group continues to slow. I unsnap my left shoe.
The group leader stops. I squeeze the breaks, and twist my right shoe to unsnap.
My bike stops. My right shoe stays attached to pedal.
I fall to the right. Off the path.
It wasn't a smooth grassy shoulder at that point. It was just a mini-ditch, just a foot lower than the pavement. But it was rocky.

Cut my hand, scraped open my knee. Banged my shoulder, elbow and hip. Ouch.
Bloo is fine. Got back on the bike, and rode another 15+ miles.
Went back to unsnapping both feet. No more accidents.

It'll take me a couple of days to get the last of the debris out of my hand. I might need to replace the lovely green handlebar tape if the blood doesn't wipe off.

I have a goose egg on my thigh which is roughly the size of a fist. The kids are placing bets on how many colors of the rainbow it will turn during the healing process. My daughter wants to take a picture everyday, so she can make one of those cool time lapse images. I'm considering going along with it.

That's it. My pedal related accident is out of the way. Woo Hoo! No film of mine, so here's someone elses pedal related incident, caught on video.

Two Rides

It's been a busy, busy week. The little bits are in sports camps (baseball/gymnastics) this week, so I'm hanging out with the big kid (B1). He sleeps until 10:30 or so, giving me plenty of time to work each morning. Tuesday, he went with me out the Silver Comet Trail for a 15 mile ride. That was the plan. At 7.5 miles, he asked if we could go just another mile or so. We ended up with a total of 17.5 before heading off to get him the massive amounts of food he needed to refuel.

I can't tell you how thrilled I am to have B1 as a riding buddy. It was so cute when he looked down at the computer & saw he'd been going 18.5 mph for a few minutes. (Wait. Not cute. I'm going to need to retool my language to talk about him, now that he's a teenager.) In a couple of weeks, we'll have another week where it's just the two of us. I think I'll take the opportunity to introduce him to riding in traffic. He doesn't grasp the difference between a ride in our neighborhood and a ride over to Roswell Road yet. Lunch at Steak & Shake one day, and maybe a ride to see a matinee of Indiana Jones ought to do the trick.

While we were riding Tuesday, I stopped by the Silver Comet Depot to check on the Wednesday group ride. It's a ride for women that heads out around 6:30 each week. They want people there at 6:00, just in case you need to inflate tires, buy drinks, etc. before the shop closes. They also keep the shop open a bit late to let ladies rent a bike for the ride. It's a great time to try out something different, if you're used to riding just cruisers or mountain bikes.

I made it out there last night for the ride. There were just three of us, all on road bikes. We kept about a 14-15mph pace, and went 30 miles. Since all my riding is either solo or with my family, this was a great new experience. Riding with the group made me more aware of my form. Since I was just tagging along, I kept a much steadier pace than I do on my own. I pushed myself in spots along the trail where I'm usually lazy, and took it a bit easier in areas where I normally push. At the end, I was beginning to tire, but in the good workout sort of way.

I can't quite take the time every week, but I am going to get out there for at least one of the group rides each month. Holly may be adding an extra ride day, which will probably mean I can make a couple of rides. I'm really looking forward to the next time I go.

iCing Transformation Challenge, Day 27

Gala Darling's iCing Transformation challenge is up. For the past 27 days, I've worked toward the goal of two days per week of raw food goodness, and exercising 20 minutes (or more) each day.

Of the 27 days, I've exercised 24. Took one day off after a twisted ankle, one day with a sick child, and one day where I was totally swamped with a project. It was a bit tough at times to break away, but the 20 minute bar I'd set made it easy to reach. Even on the busiest (or rainiest) days, I found myself cheerfully spinning or running past the 20 minute mark. I now look forward to exercising every day, which is nice. Granted, the beautiful May weather is helping.

The goal of eating fully raw two days each week wasn't quite met. I am managing one day completely, with the two days following being 2/3 raw. Lots of salads, fresh and dried fruit, nuts, and juices. I'll need to read up before I try to do more than I am. I learned the hard way I need a more substantial breakfast before heading out on a three hour ride. Berries and banana on a bowl of steel cut oats and soy milk gets me a lot further than berries and banana alone. So, not as raw as I'd hoped, but a darn sight healthier than I'd been before.

I may not have met my goals exactly as I set out, but this 27-day challenge has helped me form a couple of very healthy new patterns in my life. I'm taking the next four weeks to get them firmly established. I'm keeping the exercise mark exactly as it is, and will reward myself at the end of the 28 days with a lovely new running dress from SkirtSports. That's right, a running dress. If I'm going to run like a girl, I might as well flaunt it!

Thanks for the extra motivation and support, Gala. You were a big help on this.

Catching Up

Meant to post this a week ago, but lost track of the days. This was my view on the Silver Comet Trail last week, for approximately 8.5 miles. Streamers and pony tail fluttering in the breeze. No Trail-a-Bikes for DD any longer. She is officially on her own. She's been able to ride on her own for a year now; her bike was just too small to go much faster than, well... anything. This is an official big kid bike. Never had training wheels, never will.

One wipeout. She was distracted by a bicycle riding turtle pinwheel in a yard which borders the trail, and lost balance at the pavement's edge. A few minutes of recovery, a splash of water to brush dirt of scraped hands, and we pedaling off for the last couple of miles.

I'm so proud of her. We turned back after four miles. Didn't want her to burn out on the first big ride. She wants to do it again, and to go to our normal turn around spot next time around. That would be a 12 miler, and I'm thinking we might to add just one or two miles each of the next few trips. I foresee a summer of late morning picnics on the trail... assuming we can get her slightly bigger brother on his own bike.

I did it!

I finally finished replacing the strings on my guitar! I only have about 30 mins to play when I pick up guitar before either being swarmed by little people, or having my 'to do' list chase me back to work. As a result, it has taken me a week's worth of play time to get the strings swapped out. I still have long bits of the strings sticking out from both ends, though it's not easy to see here with the scratches on the bench.*

Last night, I was able to start tuning. I say start tuning, because strings 6-3 were tuned when I put them on last week; they have since dropped in pitch BIG time. E-1 and B-2 are both tuned up - for now. Today, I'll work on the others. From what I've read online, I'll be tuning a lot more than usual for the next couple of weeks. Sometimes it'll even be in the middle of songs.

Once everything settles down with the strings, I can drop E-6 back down to D, and get back on In Sorrow's Wake. (No, I don't play it anything like that... and I probably never will. But I'm having a blast learning about harmonics.)

*Oh dear. I hadn't noticed how scratched up the piano bench is. Not bugged by it, as it's to be expected from 80+ years of rear ends sliding across it. Might be time for me to try out my novice sewing skills to make a cover for this.