It's Alive!

I might come out of hibernation...might.  It's been an extremely busy winter filled with long hours at work and non-work time being filled with lots of cooking, wine, and cuddling with the kids.  And yes, biking.  Aside from several days of far too much ice on the streets, I'm continuing my daily commutes.

B1 turned 10...10!!  How the heck did that happen?  His afterschool time is busily spent in juggling class, Destination Imagination, building sets for his elementary schools production of King Lear and getting tutored in math.  Unfortunately, he got my badmath gene.

B2 turned six and is a prolific writer of simple fiction. That girl writes non. stop.  She and I are currently collaborating on a real live childrens book.  Just have to get the story finalized and ready for submission.  We'll see.  It's fun if nothing else.  I'd love some pointers from anyone who's been successful getting a kids book published. 

For motivation to be better about my non-commmute riding I registered for a the Denver Century in June.  I'll be leading the portion of my team dedicated to completing 100 miles minus Lookout Mountain.  I have done Lookout Mountain a few times.  I know I can get up the hill.  Coming down petrifies me.....serious, asthma attack inducing anxiety.  Why ruin a perfectly lovely day with a great big mountain only 25 miles into the ride, I say.

Gabe's Pies has grown from a one-off holiday venture to a growing, sustainable business with small net profits, just enough to make it worth his while.  He now has three regular weekly customers (a neighborhood market and two coffee shops) and an occassional as needed customer (a catering business.) 

Vivian is going to get a full overhaul of her drivetrain soon.  I'll likely go with new everything, just because.  I'm also getting ready to purge the garage of a few bikes including Mrs. Gale (on Craiglist now) and Irene Fenderbottom (going up soon.)

Mike Wolfe on his Obsession with Bikes

The American Picker Dream, Part I: Mike Wolfe On His Love Affair With Vintage Bikes

By Ben Marks

As co-host of History Channel’s “American Pickers” and the operator of Antique Archaeology, Mike Wolfe is known to millions of TV viewers as the guy who digs crazy treasures out of barns, sheds, and basements. But he’s always been a vintage bicycle guy at heart—that’s what got him started ‘picking’ at age six. In this first of several interviews, we spoke with Mike about his bike racing days, his current collection of bicycles, and that fateful day in the ’70s when he got hooked by a bunch of banana-seats.

I was walking to school one day and saw all these bikes in the garbage. I was just amazed because I didn’t have one and I found it incredible that anyone was throwing them out. So I gathered up as many as I could and put them all in our garage. They were mostly banana-seat bikes from the ’60s, maybe one was a Schwinn. There was a girl’s balloon-tire bike, too. That was the first bike I learned to ride because there was no bar in the middle—I was little, so I would ride it almost right above the cranks.


http://www.collectorsweekly.com/articles/the-american-picker-dream-part-i-mike-wolfe-on-his-love-affair-with-vintage-bikes/

Where'd she go?

Fall is the busiest time of my work year, as I've mentioned, and I'd not posted much this fall because of the limits in my time.  Once things started to lighten up I somehow landed with a pinched nerve in my shoulder a few weeks ago.  Who knows how?  Probably lifted my coffee cup wrong or something.  Anyway, it gets quite aggravated by long periods at the computer and riding my bike.  Since I'd rather ride my bike every day rather than write about riding my bike, I've opted to only be at the computer for work and not at all other times. 

So, aside from work and messing up my shoulder, I've not been up to much of anything...except putting the Christmas lights on my bike.  I realize that this post is completely worthless without pictures so I'll take some just as soon as possible.  This is my third year with the lights and  I absolutely LOVE the reactions I get.  People roll down their windows at stop lights/signs to comment and wish me Merry Christmas.  I get lots of thumbs up and nearly every single person I encounter smiles big and wide. 

Until this shoulder thing heals I'll still be pretty much absent.  Here's wishing you all a wonderful holiday season!!

First Snowy Commute of the Season

This was a week ago but like so much these days, I'm behind.  Had three days of training downtown so I had a little extra commute.  It was fantastic!  As is often the case in Denver, the snow covered the ground but by the time I'd left the house at 8am, the streets were only wet.  By the time I got half way downtown, the streets had dried.  There were a few patches of black ice but they were easy to spot.

Gabe's Pies!

Evidently word has spread of the superb eatability of The Baker's pies because one of the coolest neighborhood markets in Denver has asked him to provide all their pies for this holiday season. He's super excited, as are the dozens of customers who've gotten samples so far (many of whom, we're told, have declared it the best pie they've ever tasted!)

Orders can be place ahead of time at Spinelli's Market in Park Hill, Denver.  Or I suppose you can stop by next week and take your chances. 

The Answer to the Halloween Costume Mystery

Fall Keeps Hanging On

These pics were from a beautiful fall morning last week.  Light rain, mid-50's, perfect fall chill in the air.  It was wonderful!  Later that day heavy winds moved in and most of the leaves from these trees were blown far and wide, but we still have loads of trees turning. 

 

Heading off to work...

 

The long stretch to the office.  It was alike a tunnel of fire for several days.

***************

We had a great Halloween with a fantastic party, thrown with friends.  Everyone had a fantastic time - young and old alike!

 

I won the Most Obscure Costume award.  Any guesses who I'm dressed as?