Gas Free Commute

I joined the ranks of bicycle commuters today! It was good but harder than I thought. This morning went pretty well. It's about 10.5 miles each way which I don't think is too bad but one thing that I hadn't thought about was my heavy backpack with shower stuff and work clothes. I'm on a trail for about 6 miles which is great. I think I could shave off a little distance by doing more road and less trail but the trail is great and I don't want to miss it. The ride home was definitely harder than this morning with more traffic and the temperature way hotter. In addition, I forgot my lock which meant that my biking clothes sat in my backpack all day rather than hang in a locker which made for (sorry to gross you out) some damp attire this evening.

A friend and I had talked about running some evenings and last night she asked if tonight would be one night we could do that. I thought it might be a possibility but by the time I got home it was time for dinner instead. Very tasty Mexican though with a great friend. Yum.

So my initial thoughts of commuting by bike every day I think are down the tubes for now. For one, I still want to do some running and two, as it is I'm going to have to quit my favorite Spin class at the YWCA in a few weeks when my membership ends there so I think tomorrow I'll take advantage of that in the am and try to run tomorrow night. I'll shoot for Wednesday as the next commuting day.

Oh, life is good... Twins just beat the White Sox! Dangit, why does Obama have to be a Sox fan... Yuck! It definitely is a strike against him. However, Diamondbacks, who cares about them other than McCain? I guess there is no winning situation in Presidential baseball.

Another sign that life is good. I had to catch my breath with excitement today when I saw as I was filling up my gas tank that it's only $3.599! Nice! Still expensive so I'd better keep on pedaling when possible.

Pictures

I discovered an awesome photo sharing site and have been hard at work moving everything to one place. You can find it at notquitedailyjen.smugmug.com or by clicking on the Pictures link on the right. Enjoy!

On a sadder note, I have to recognize the awesome life of Estelle Getty and her passing today. How can a person not love Golden Girls and especially Sophia...

Red Ribbon Ride 2008

Another Red Ribbon Ride is in the books and they just keep getting better and better. For the second year in a row I was Moto Support which meant that I brought water, Gatorade and snacks to the Moto crew stationed at various intersections guiding cyclists along the route. We also occasionally relieved them so they could take a break, grab lunch and even just go to the bathroom. It was a little different because for the past four years I have crewed with my friend Kristin who wasn't able to do it this year. However, my new carmate, Van, was great and I think he really liked our job too. I do think our assignment is the best of the lot. There are about 150 crew members and only two get to do Moto Support so I feel pretty lucky. What makes it great is the actual Moto crew and how we are able to get to know them better since we are focused on only 6-10 people and they happen to be exceptional folks. In fact, the hardest part of our job is saying goodbye to one when we have to move on to the next!

Also, speaking of the Red Ribbon Ride, I wasn't going to be doing a lot of fundraising for it but decided to at the last minute and sent out a plea for donations. To all who supported me both before (Yes, some friends donated before I even asked! Awesome!) and after my plea, thank you! If you still want to donate that's not a problem either. You can click on the Red Ribbon Ride link on the right.

I'll upload pics later as now it's off to sleep since I am exhausted. Crewing the Red Ribbon Ride is the hardest I work all year long I think and the most fun too. It's great how the people you are with can make even the most exhausting days a blast, isn't it?

Politics

Ok, I've steered clear of politics so far but here's a few thoughts. You might even be surprised.

I had to drive to Bemidji this weekend and I saw two old buses on the way that had U.S. Government plates. As I passed them, I noticed they were full of troops. I had no idea where they were going but along the way I saw a few signs on overpasses that were red, white and blue and said things like "Welcome Home". Putting two and two together I'm assuming that they were troops coming home, most likely from Iraq or possibly Afghanistan. It put me in a thankful, patriotic mood and I did a lot of thinking. Most know that overall I'm a peacenik but not in the most extreme sense. For one thing, I can't help it but I love planes of all sorts and that does include fighters. I suppose I shouldn't but who can help it when they are so cool. Secondly, a person can't help but be awed and inspired by soldiers and most importantly, grateful. Third, although America has a tendency (especially lately) to be a bit boneheaded and do stupid things, I also can't help but be awed by the U.S. as well, especially the Constitution. You have to admit that it has endured a lot and is a pretty amazing piece of work. So there is my little patriotic rambling on. Anybody that knows me knows that I can complain with the best of them about some of the actions of this country but it's only because I have such high expectations and want it to be its best.

On a COMPLETELY different note, there was an article about how MLB players think the rule about the All Star game winner getting World Series home field advantage is a crock and I totally agree. Yet another stupid think that Bud Selig has given us. Bogus.

This week is the Red Ribbon Ride which will be a blast. If you have a few extra bucks and want to donate it to a great cause, click on the Red Ribbon Ride link to the right. Thanks!

Baseball and Fireworks

So what's better on the 4th of July than baseball and fireworks. They actually mix quite well. Yesterday I went with some friends to the St. Paul Saints game where we tailgated in advance and then took advantage of the extra seating (on the warning track!) to watch the game. After the game they had an excellent display of fireworks with some pretty good music. The best of course was Ray Charles singing "America the Beautiful". The only downer was the guy with the big pickup truck who lit a bunch of fireworks in the parking lot right in the middle of the driving lane. He left all of his trash there and when one of our group gently questioned him about it he said he is a taxpayer and his taxes will pay for city employees to pick it up! Not so proud to be an American at that point.

The other baseball and fireworks story I have is actually Pat Neshek's. Here is what he wrote in his blog: "I hope everyone had a terrific 4th of July. Last night I probably had the coolest Fourth of July in my life. I spent it on the roof of the Metrodome. I talked to Dan Gladden about a month ago and he said if we were ever in town over the fourth to make sure you check out the fireworks from the top of the dome. Sure enough we are in town right now and I had to see this for myself. I don't know how to describe it but I felt like I was in a dream climbing up the baggy. To get up to the roof you have to go through a series of doors so the pressure doesn't escape to quickly and send you or your things (hat) flying. It's the same feeling as when you walk out the dome after a game and the pressure sucks you out the door. Once on the roof there is a catwalk that goes around the stadium. Then you come to a point where there is a rope system you take to climb up the actual Teflon baggy. I couldn't believe it so I kept climbing up (with my left hand of course). Once up it was like being on the moon or having a giant trampoline. I spent the first couple minutes deciding if I was safe or not and then I started jumping. After about 5 minutes fireworks were going off in all directions and it was one of the coolest things I have ever witnessed." You can check out his blog at patneshek.com

Summer Activities

I've had a few questions lately about some of my summer activities so I figured I would give you an update and clarify things. In the past, the big event of the summer for me has been the Red Ribbon Ride. It's a four day bike ride that raises money for several organizations providing services to those living with HIV/AIDS, which has been a cause near and dear to me for several years. I have been a rider once but for four years now, I have been a crew member supporting the riders. It is a lot of hard work but it is also the most fun I have all year long. This year I am again crewing the Red Ribbon Ride but I have also added a few events. As you know, I have already crewed AIDS Life Cycle and the Breast Cancer Ride. Next up is the Red Ribbon Ride later this month. In September I will be working on Dusk 2 Dawn, an overnight walk which will raise money for HIV/AIDS service organizations in Minnesota and South Africa. I have links to all the events except for Dusk 2 Dawn on the right (and I will add that one in the next few weeks most likely). Yes, I will continue to fundraise for events although I believe I will concentrate most of my efforts on Dusk 2 Dawn. Feel free to click on the links and donate as you see fit though or just find out more about each of the events.

Have a great day!