Phoenix Mars Lander - Transports my Apartment

I can hear the sucking sound.
The suburbs drying up. Bulldozed. Sent back to nature.
The city grows up. People bike. This is the sound. Unloading your

"Wait. What is your address? "

"Oh. It's 5940 Harriet Ave. A. S. "

"What's the A.S?

"After Suburbia"

DRIVE or Ride

cool tatoo



I pledge to be prepared to pack-a-lunch if my car leaves my garage. I get the cold bologna sandwich for firing up my fire breathing monster. This is another great way to keep the car keys in the pocket; another way in trying not to drive my CAR! If I drive I have to save another way.


I am currently looking for a carbon sponsor -or- someone to purchase my carbon credits for me not driving my 25 MPG car around town. This is similar to something referred to as, "Emmissions Trading" in the Kyoto protocol. Sponsor a biker. Offset your CARBON load

My savings for riding my bike comes down to a couple of dollars a day saved not buying $4 a gallon gas, better health and fresh air. I keep saying I will be free from the dragon. I have not wished this upon myself though because I do use my car on occasion. I have not slain my car.
I like my car.

I ride my bike to slow down. I ride for my health. And one day, I will be sponsored and will have one more reason to ride my bike.

[ nose over end ] I fixed my bike

my bike was on my stand. I locked it to the stand and came back to it later. I had to true the rim and that takes time.

I came back to it the next day and it looked funny locked to my stand. I trued it eventually. The stand clamp is almost it's own lock.

I like the idea of a bike hotel. Sort of looks like the dry cleaners. All these bikes lined up on a conveyor belt. You drop your bike off. It get's hung up. You get your ticket, pay and go. Something like this would encourage people to ride more in the winter. Bikes on a conveyor.
That sounds really creepy.

bike on a bus

I prefer to bike than get on a bus or even put my bike on a bus. I put my bike on the rail all day. No steps. Everything is one level. I like the way the tracks squeel around corners and how the gate open and close automatically. They have these cool racks that prop the bikes up vertically. I love kicking people out of this section if they are standing in the way. I can say, "Hi! I have a bike. Please move!" All without saying a word.

I can understand a few reasons you might want to put your bike on a bus. I have never loaded my bike on a bus; I probably never will. Everyone must hate you for having to take extra time to load it and unload. "Hello! Let's go would you. You slow bike buser. You slow poke. TODAY would yah. Bike freak!!" This is what I would anticipate others thinking but never saying. It's Minnesota people: MN nice, YOu betcha, Don't jah know.

Bike and bus if you have too. Bike it. You like it.

Dinner Dilemma

May Day Parade - Powderhorn Park 1 pm

Heart of the Beast Theater:

This will be my second year attending this parade. I would not miss it now that I live in the neighborhood.

I believe the weather forcast is for 6 ft of snow but that is all to melt by 1 pm for the start of the parade. The parade starts I believe on Lake and journey's to Powderhorn. The best part is when the image of the sun comes across Powderhorn Lake. Their will be suprises.

Bring the beach chair and blanket.

http://www.hobt.org/mayday/cere/index.html

Maria Montello of MPR: Making of May Day with slideshow
http://weekendamerica.publicradio.org/programs/2008/04/26/ss/mayday/magic_of_may_day.html

Pond Report

Currently my bird pond is full. It is probably too full. The rain started in the morning and did not stop till well into the evening. We like rain but snow is better. I say this as reports tomorrow speak of snow up to 2'' in the evening hours.

I woke with a stink eye this morning. NO. My eye was swollen shut and was so itchy. I was itching it all night. I made an appointment to see the Dr. immediately. I need to get this pink eye out of my life.

I biked! In the fun rain. I had my rain gear on only to find out that my shoes are not really all that water proof nor my wind breaker. I was piled on wet when I walked into the hospital. Drip.

"Who is this guy walking in with wet cloths?"

"I got bad allergies," so the Doc says. She ordered me some $40 eye drops that actually work. Then she commented, " And you biked here."

Yes. I did and I am wet and it's really ok.

I missed the rain. Rain means warm weather in MN.
Rain means spring time and green things. Rain means leaves and mowing lawns and warm sunny days.

My bird pond is full. My cloths are drying. Spring is here!

When Winter's cold Blur is gone

NOt to be a party pooper or anything that might hint at me being tired of the cold. Tonight we switch are clocks an hour ahead for daylight savings. I see it as one hour closer to Spring. Spring forward, Fall backwards. I am looking forward to warmer days.

Minnesota had one of the colder winters on record. We had early snow and I was thinking we were going to get tons of it. Just the opposite. The snow fall has been naught. Everywhere else has seen a bountiful of beautiful white. I hope for them is does not melt too quickly.


So bring on some snow Mr. Frosty. We need a few more inches; how about a foot of nice fluffy stuff. Give me your dandruff God. I want to play in it one more time before the spring buds fresh new life.

Ok

This is kinda what I look like riding my bike here in the winter months in Minnesota. I have my baklava and helmet. Glasses help keep the frozen air out of my eyes. If I have to put the goggles on to ride it is usually so cold that my whiskers get frozen.

Today was a great day for riding. Monday morning is tough to get on the bike sometimes. I pushed and made it the first 5 so I knew I would make it all the way. I rode some errands and came out to notice it was raining. NO RAin. It's winter time. I want snow.!! Come back snow. Winter is definitely not over. Right when I just started getting used to the cold.

Reality Bikes

Some ride bikes as enjoyment.
Another rides to sing songs.
Others just ride everyday.
Ride away
The joy

The joy of Riding everyday!!!

Some take a few days off.
No rollin down the way.
Come back stronger even stronger.
Want to make this today.



***Highlight area that you cannot read!

Extendo Ride!!

aka

LUB
Large Utility Bike

Top Ten LUB stickers for your bike

1. I love to LUB
2. LUB-o-lympics
3. LUB-be
4. You look LUB-ly
5. LUB-a-dub
6. MakeLUB - NOT WAR
7. Where's the LUB?
8. I LUB you
9. I would LUB 2
10. Un LUB able
    

Bike Lockers

Cool Poly-shelled bike lockers shield your bike from the elements. These are perfect for a place with loads of rain.

These particular ones were near a rail station in SanDiego along side the Coaster -- which is a commuter transit rail in San Diego that services the Northern Beach communities and Downtown.

I hope MN sticks to building more rails and securing safe transport routes for bikes to any location in the safest and fastest way.

Midtown Market

maKE it to the Old Sears Building on Lake and Chicago St. Now is the time. It is a warm International marketplace with live music, FOOD, gifts and grocery. This historic building that is now the Midtown market place. Look for it Especially now that their is a bike-able way there from the Greenway.

You have to bike past the Market and on the North East side is a new ramp.

This painting may be in there? Artist unknown.

Twin bikes in the Twin Cities

You ride with your partner when it's cold and things are just so much warmer. These bikes are siamese twins with a cab on the back for groceries (or snow).

The far bike steers, the yellow bike has a stationary front bars and the wood that is locked to the tree connects the forks so when the far biker steers the yellow bike follows.

Great set up bike-Gyver! Cheers for your commitment to sticking together. You ride together. You stay together. Your stuck together. You live together. Mount together and ride!

People bike in the Winter

More and more I read articles about people who bike through the entire winter. Living north of the 40 Parallel you have some consistent cold so sure. This is a big deal.

The Wall Street Journal ran article on killer winter biking gear (if you have the cash to pay for a $250 pair of Lake boots). Even Time magazine mentioned winter biking in an article on "going green."

Today I get a Global Warming Action email from the Sierra Club. They have an article with this weblink on biking. http://www.bicyclinglife.com/Recreation/wintercycling.htm
The guy who wrote the article is from Alaska.

I breezed throught the article, as I believe I have read it before. I think it stresses the fact that on cold days you may wimp out. Also that you are a super minority. Lastly that winter riding is safe (because of all the layers you have on) and that it is FUN!!!

Slow down and plan a trip to work on your bike. Spiked tires are nice but I took them off; the sliding is so minimal. You just have to be alert to the big ice chunks in the road.

Mr. Global Warming

I'm walking from the garage to the house. It is always the cold days that make heat so nice. Always the hot days that make many wish it was cold. Such a sweet-n-sour existence to living in MN. You have the best of both worlds. I am thinking at the back of my head, "If only it was warm." These thoughts came strong and made me warm. "I create my own heat." "That stinging sensation is not my frozen toes, frozen face or rosey frozy nosey." It is HOT.

I was warmly fooling myself I was somewhere else, sipping a cold something on a warm beach. The sun. Oh that sun right there behind me.

I was hot. SEE!

We just had the coldest night here in Minnesota. We are covered white. The Last two years have been dull and brown till the New year. I heard on the radio that MN has not been this covered in snow this early since 1996; the entire state under at least 3" of snow. Last night was to be the coldest of the year. Single digits all night.

Cedar - Nokomis Bike Route

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Bell Pepper Heart

I never knew some bell pepper have hearts.
This particular one did and I could not dare eat it.
It really does look like a heart; two chambers enclosed.

A two chambered red bell pepper heart. It looks like the stigma is still intact. It pierces the heart of the flower it was. A bleeding heart. Soppy heart with a thorn in it's side.

It sits on my spice rack- on top of the iodinized salt. Next to the pepper and Mrs. Dash.

This is a good sign.

An omen of good vibes, fresh beats, pumping rhymes - steady, flowing then ride.
Take time to eat.

I ride my bike in the snow

Click flyer for full Version!

Dark side of Travel

Getting into your car.

Always knowing how much gas is in the tank.

"Do I need to get gas?" is the thought.

Not all too different than a
cigarette smoker.

The smoker looks in his pack and notices two left.
To a driver thats like just less than a quarter tank.

"I need to fill up this tank -or- I need smokes. "

This dark side is smoking.

Stopping a smoking habit and cutting driving a car out of a daily-live saves coin.

Plus! If you have to. You can bike to go buy more smokes.