Bicycling to Work

Winterless Winter

2012-01-26T06:21:00.001-08:00

Here it is, almost February, and it's been nice that we've only had some flurries here and there, just enough to cover the grass. I wonder if we'll get slammed in February? I hope not. It's easy to ride in the winter when there's no precipitation. It's just cold and dry. Piece of cake. :) Plus, we've had the added pleasure of having some daily temps up to 50 or 60, instead of freezing our butts off. :) I'm enjoying it very much!

Merry Christmas!

2011-12-16T16:56:00.000-08:00

Every day I pass by the Bascilia of the National Shrine. Evidently, it's the largest Catholic church in America. I've been in it and it is beautiful. At night, when I ride by, they've put up Christmas lights all around, and I've been wanting to stop to take a picture of it, so tonight I did. It's so nicely done. :) I ride by other nice Christmas decorations on various homes along the way, and enjoy them too. It's one of the enjoyments of biking in the wintertime. :) Some people wonder how can I bike in the cold - but you do warm up and don't even hardly notice the cold, especially when you have pretty sights like this to see along the way. :)

The Beauty of the Bike :)

2011-12-06T04:31:00.001-08:00

Yesterday morning as I was about 3 or so blocks from my office, I noticed A LOT of traffic jammed on 19th Street. It's a busy street, but not THIS busy! I mean, it was like a traffic jam we have when it snows - - except there wasn't any snow. People were trying get around it by turning off other streets, but the choices are few because of the one-way streets.

So, I skinnied on through the traffic on my bike, and came up on 19th & L, where there were police cars blocking off the whole block over to 18th. So, that's what the problem was - except that I didn't see any problem - - just an empty block. When I got to work (on time) a couple minutes later, I checked my computer for news of any situation at that location, and it said that there had been a serious accident. (I never found out what exactly happened).

My boss, along with several people in my office, were a half hour or more late getting to work because of the jam...but, as I said, the beauty of the bike is that you can get by these situations...whether it's a tree across a road, traffic jam, road closures, etc. The bike saves the day! :)

Up & Down Hills - Through City Streets - Off to Work I Go -

2011-11-11T10:02:00.000-08:00

The first couple of days of my new commute, I chose to mostly ride on Rhode Island Avenue, as I needed to stop at stores on the way home. Rhode Island Avenue from my house isn't too bad to start with - it's relatively wide for bicycle travel, but then as you get about halfway to the city, the road narrows significantly (as you go under the Metro tracks) and stays that way. There's no room for me, so I hop on the sidewalk, which can be a hairy time, with pedestrians. I felt like I was in a video game of "Frogger". :)

So I studied my bicycle map for the Day 3, and chose a more western route towards Catholic University, along Michigan Avenue. That was much better, though there was traffic on Michigan, there was a sidewalk available, and no pedestrians. It's where I took this picture, with the pretty golden Fall leaves. I hang a left on First Street which takes me towards downtown and is a one-way street. When I get to R Street, there is a nice and popular bike lane that brings me to my office. It was kind of nice to, at times, find myself surrounded with other fellow commuting bicyclists, some in bike garb, but a lot just in their office clothes. I felt like I was in Copenhagen! :)

Even though the new commute is only 2 1/2 miles longer than my previous commute, I was kind of surprised that it took twice as long! That's because a city commute consists of stoplights and stop signs nearly every block. :/ I miss the quietness and speediness of the bike path I used to commute on. But riding through the city is neat in its own way. There are shops along the way and people to watch. In fact, when I was waiting at a light, I turned to see a lady from my office walking by, so we stopped to chat briefly. She has biked to work in the past, but lately has decided to take the bus so that she could have some "reading time". :) I challenged her to see who would get to the office first...but she smiled and said she knew I would win. :)

On my commute home, I ride on Q Street, which has a nice bike lane to enjoy. Also, as I get closer to home, I veer off on Monroe Street, which parallels Michigan, but has less traffic. This morning, I thought I would try riding Monroe Street towards work and realized it wasn't as fun because it has a LONG uphill that took my breath away. Much better to save Monroe Street for my ride home, when I could enjoy a DOWNHILL. :)

Last Rays of Sunlight...

2011-11-04T08:55:00.001-07:00

Last night when I was riding home out of the city, the sun was just about to drop below the horizon. The golden rays bathed the trees and ground, I just had to take a picture. This weekend, Daylight Savings Time comes to an end, and my evening commute on Monday will be in the dark. It always seems to affect drivers on the first dark commute. It's like the lights have been turned off and they are disoriented.

I will be moving over the weekend to my new residence in Maryland (sharing a house), so I too, will be a little disoriented on Monday night, not knowing the streets for the commute very well. I'll just take it slow and easy, til I get used to the streets, traffic patterns, etc. In a way, I will miss the evening commute in sunshine...but commuting in the dark is fun in its own way too. It's like going undercover, you're cloaked in the darkness. I bought new batteries for my lighted vest so that I'll be seen easily. I had to get a new headlight a few months ago to replace my previous one. It's bright, but it's only mounted on my handlebars vs. my helmet, which I don't like as much. I may need to get a helmet-mounted one, we'll see. Since I'm not familiar with the route/streets for the new commute, it's important to be able to shine the light on the street signs so I know where I'm going. :)

A funny thing happened the other night when I was going to pick up one of my bikes from Hudson Trail Outfitters that needed repair. The guy at the register looked at me and asked if I had a Bike Friday. :) I said I do, and he said he remembers talking to me once on the the trail. He recounted the meeting - he was heading to the C&O Canal to meet a friend to go camping for the weekend. When he said that, I remembered him right away - because he had had panniers on his bike and I had stopped to talk to him about where he was going and what he was doing. It's funny because this happened maybe 3 or more years ago! He said he never forgets a face. Funny that he would remember me and our encounter after so long! I didn't recognize him, but definitely remembered meeting him. :)

Well, stay tuned to see how the new commute goes!

Which Way?

2011-10-26T06:37:00.001-07:00

I was on my way home last night from work, and just came alongside the Air Force Memorial driveway. A car had pulled in and was turning around. The guard at the guardhouse was standing there and approached me and asked me to stop. I thought it was maybe so the person in the car could back up to then merge onto Columbia Pike. Instead, he asked me if I knew the area and if I could help the lady in the car, who was lost and trying to get to the George Washington Parkway. We came up to her window and she was on her cell phone. She evidently was trying to get to the Holiday Inn in Old Town Alexandria, which was about 5 miles away. Her cell phone battery was pretty low and the directions on her phone's GPS were confusing her. I know the area pretty well, though trying to verbally direct her to get to either the parkway or even Route 1 from where we were, would probably get her even more lost. I was riding my Brompton, and I said that if she didn't mind, I could put my bike in her car and then hop in and show her where the hotel was, and then I could bike back. She was fine with that, so I folded my bike and put it in her trunk. The guard was standing nearby and said "I knew you could help her. And hey, what a cool bike!" :)

We zipped off towards Route 1, taking side roads to try and avoid a lot of the traffic. She was from Lebanon, but has lived in the area about 5 years. I know the roads and signs can be confusing in the area. She was driving a nice BMW, which, she said, is a Zipcar! I lit up and said I was a Zipcar member too, and we talked about the various nice Zipcars available. :) We chatted about other things we had in common - she worked a block from my office; she was having dinner tonight with her boyfriend at a restaurant where I had just eaten at last weekend; she was in L.A. a couple weeks ago, and I was headed there this week, etc. So, we pulled up at the hotel and her boyfriend in Army fatigues met us, happy to see her. She offered to take me back home, which was crazy - - I said I would just bike home, no problem. I wished them a great dinner and got my bike ready for night-time riding. I was right near a friend's place and called her to see if she might be free for dinner, but she was already eating with a friend. So I headed towards home, thinking I'd stop at the pet store to get a couple things I needed. I remembered I didn't have my lock...but then I thought, no problem, I'll just fold my Brompton and put it in the cart and bring it into the store. I had seen videos of other Brompton and folding bikes do that, but I hadn't before. Now was the perfect time for it. :) It was a nice night out for a ride and I enjoyed the fresh air.

So, the Brompton came in handy in a couple of ways - being able to fold it into her car trunk, and then folding it to bring it into the store to shop. I got to meet a nice person and helped her out, and run an errand on the way home. A nice little diversion from the regular commute! :)

Timing's Everything

2011-10-03T10:03:00.000-07:00

Last night, I was catching the Metro back home. I recently downloaded the Metro tool of the "Next Arrival Time" for trains...but my cell phone battery was low and I had powered down my phone earlier in the day. So I couldn't check to see when the next train was. I was about halfway up the escalator when I heard a train approaching...I didn't know what direction it was coming from/going to, but it kind of sounded like my side of the tracks, so I picked up my bike (which takes a bit of muscle and balance) and walked quickly up the escalator. When I got to the top, sure enough, it WAS my side, and I had enough time to take my place at the doors to hop on. :) I was real happy to not have a delay in waiting for a train, for a change. :)

On another note, I recently have been looking into buying a house, possibly in Maryland. One requirement that I would need is for the house to be within striking distance of the Metro or a bus line. My brother suggested that if I were to get a cheap little car, that I could buy something in a nice area, with just a little commute to a nearby Metro station. I told him that parking for Metro is expensive, in addition to the long ride on the subway. Not to even mention the traffic getting TO the station. The DC area just became #1 for traffic in the U.S., surpassing L.A. No thanks, I'll take bike commuting anyday. :) However, in looking to live in a new residence, a SAFE COMMUTE is an issue. The homes that fit my budget are kind of in "sketchy areas". :/ This makes me nervous because what good is being a homeowner, if you don't MAKE it home from your bike commute? In a way, it's good to not own a car in areas like this because I read there are car thefts. But then, in not having a car, I have to be concerned with the neighborhoods that I pass through on the commute, since I come and go in the dark and/or possibly late hours (on the weekends). So, it's a little bit of a puzzle to have to figure out...and, if it's meant to be, then it will happen.

Have Some Company!

2011-08-19T08:13:00.000-07:00

Well, I didn't have THIS much company this morning, :) but most of the time, I ride to work alone. However, this morning when I headed out, I passed a guy who was riding directly on Columbia Pike, which is quite a busy road. I was riding on the sidewalk, as I usually do, until I get to a light where I can wait on a sidestreet til the light changes. I can then proceed more safely on Columbia Pike beyond the highway merge without a lot of zooming cars around me. As I waited at the light, this guy came along and stopped next to me and he asked if I was heading into D.C. I said yes, and he asked if he could ride with me. He said he had gotten a bit lost, in following his bike-mounted GPS. I asked where in D.C. he was heading, and he said 14th & K. I said I was biking near there and he could join me. We talked a little on the way - he moved here about a month ago from Tokyo, Japan and he works at a law firm in D.C. I asked where he lived and he said Pentagon City. So I told him he could have a shorter commute by riding over the 14th Street Bridge that he could catch off of the Mt. Vernon trail. I pointed out the bridge down the river as we were riding across the Arlington Memorial Bridge. When we got to Constitution Avenue, and I was making my turn, I told him to head on further down and make a left at 14th and that would take him to K Street. So, it was nice to have a little company this morning. I was in a hurry to make it to work on time, but it would have been nice to get his name and email address to stay in touch - I bet he had some good stories to tell about biking in Japan!

Timing is Everything :)

2011-07-20T07:16:00.000-07:00

I was heading home last night, and as I was getting near the Pentagon, a couple rain drops came down. I didn't have my rain jacket with me. I started to think of where I could take shelter, if need be. I remembered the bridge overpass that I go under. I looked ahead and could see the rain coming. I made it to the underpass in time, and stopped to wait out the shower. While I was standing there, a man came along dressed in a suit and didn't have an umbrella. He had walked from the Pentagon (right nearby) and there were big splotches of raindrops on his suit. He didn't seem to mind, and he didn't stop walking either....just went right out there into the downpour. Huh. A couple minutes later, another man came along in a suit, and he too, didn't have an umbrella. He also just kept walking and out into the rain. I guess "real men" don't carry umbrellas? :) I know it's kind of fun and nice to walk in the rain. And the way it's been so hot this week (the heat index tomorrow will be 110!), these men probably dried out pretty soon after their walk in the rain. :)

Suspicious Activity...

2011-06-17T07:05:00.001-07:00

I've been enjoying the new shorter route to work -- I get to work in 20 minutes. However, today, as I came near the Pentagon, I saw police cars that were blocking various entrances to the Pentagon, and police were standing near the entrances, checking license plates, etc. (The picture shown here is of police and a bomb squad unit). I stopped to ask if I could go on the bike path, but they said they weren't allowing any traffic through at all. I asked what was up, and the police said, "Suspicious activity." He started to tell me how to get around it, but I told him I knew how and I rode off. The problem was that the extra 20 minutes that my new commute saves me, is how much extra it was going to take me to get to work now, since I had to take my old route. So it was a RACE to get to work on time, and I just made it, clocking in right on time. Whew! Car commuters though, had a much harder time, because three major roads were closed, severely limiting their options, and gridlocking traffic. So I'm glad I at least could get to work on time. :)

Shorter commute!

2011-05-09T06:31:00.000-07:00

This past weekend, I went on a group ride, and discovered a bike path that I didn't know about. It went by the Pentagon Memorial and then linked up with the Memorial Bridge. I was excited to try the route to work this morning, to see if it would cut the mileage on my commute. I was pretty surprised to see that it did - by several miles! :) :) Wish I had known about it before!

I had been wanting to see the Pentagon Memorial, but just hadn't taken the time to locate it. It's a nice and peaceful memorial to those who lost their lives in the 911 Pentagon plane crash... Under each bench "wing" is a pool of running water which is lit at night. In reading online about the memorial, each bench wing has the name of the victim. When reading the name on the bench, if the victim was on the plane, the name faces the sky; if the victim was in the Pentagon, the view faces the Pentagon. The benches are also arranged according to the victims ages, youngest to oldest.

I remember on 911, biking to my home in Falls Church, crossing the Key Bridge, and seeing smoke rising from the Pentagon in the distance....it's something I will never forget. This Memorial is definitely a touching way to remember the 184 people who lost their lives that day....

So, though this new commute route is shorter, it does have a negative aspect in that it crosses a number of busy highways... I will have to pay extra attention to the traffic and make sure it's safe to cross. The good thing is that there are a number of cyclists who ride this route, and I can hopefully cross with one or two cyclists so that there is safety in numbers. :) And speaking of numbers, the new route shaved about 10 minutes off of my commute time! :)

Row, Row, Row Your Boat

2011-04-29T13:36:00.001-07:00

It's been a quiet commute this month (well, except for the tornado watches and warnings!). Biking along the Potomac is so very peaceful and quiet. I often see the Georgetown University rowers out on the river, doing their training exercises. I can hear the instructors talking to them on their bullhorn, and then they're off down the river... Merrily, merrily, merrily, live is but a dream. :)

Bring out the Blossoms! :)

2011-03-25T07:51:00.001-07:00

This morning, the temps were in the 30's, wind chill in the 20's, but a lot of the Cherry Blossoms have bloomed despite the cold temps. Yesterday had been rainy, grey and dreary - so the blue skies were a welcomed sight, and always make the Cherry Blossoms look even brighter! When I took this picture, there was a professional photographer nearby, taking a picture of a lady in a spaghetti-strap blouse....she must have been FREEZING!! Quite a contrast to me standing there all bundled up like an Eskimo! :)

Robin Reunion :)

2011-02-16T07:22:00.001-08:00

On Monday morning, I was getting my bike stuff ready to leave to ride to work, and I distinctly heard the loud chirping of a Robin! :) I went to the window and opened it and spotted the Robin in a nearby tree. :) The first sign of Spring!! :) It's always great to see the annual re-appearance of the Robins - - first you see one or two, and then all of a sudden, there are big groups of them - - like a Robin Reunion! :) They're all loudly chirping as if to be yelling "SPRING!! SPRING!!!" It's cool. :)

Ice storm

2011-01-18T07:52:00.000-08:00

We got a bit of an ice storm last night...we haven't had one of those in a number of years. I think there's about a quarter inch of ice everywhere. I left about 20 min. earlier than normal. The roads were fine, but of course, the bike path was covered. I walked my bike along various sections where I felt I might have trouble, even though my mountain bike with the studded tires does good. With lower air pressure in the tires, you get even better traction, but still, I wanted to be safe. A few guys passed me, and were riding road and/or hybrid bikes and were doing fine. Made me feel like a "wimp" for walking! :) ha. But everyone has to do what they feel comfortable doing.

I felt more comfortable riding across grassy areas, where I had better traction. There's an open playing field by the airport, and the bike path runs along the outer edge of it. So I rode across the field -- my bike crunching through the frozen grass, which was a little bit of a work-out and slow-going. At the 14th Street Bridge, I walked about halfway across, as it's a little bit of an incline. When the ice looked less thick and more broken up, I hopped on my bike and did fine. Amazingly, I made it to work right on time. :) The temps will rise near 40, so the evening commute should be much better. :)

First Snow of the Winter

2010-12-16T08:00:00.000-08:00

Sorry for the non-posting in November - - it was a quiet month...and that's a good thing, since wintertime can bring more weather to deal with. Like today, we're getting our first real snow...they're predicting 1-3 inches, depending on your location. I swapped out my regular mountain bike tires on the mountain bike and put the studded tires back on. You feel kinda silly riding with studded tires on dry pavement....but the snow started about 10 a.m., and since it's been pretty cold lately, the snow is sticking quickly. So I'll be thankful for the studded tires when I get off work.

There's a bike commuter guy who I pass often, and in the winter, I call him "Stud Man" because you can hear the studs on his tires as he rolls by. :) I saw a number of other guys on the path this morning with their road bikes, and thought that they will have a little trouble tonight when they head home....but me and Stud Man will make it with no problems. :)

The Ride Home:

Since this is my first winter at my new place, I wasn't sure what to expect for the winter's ride home, as far as sidewalks being cleared, etc. I was pleasantly surprised to see, as I approached the Crystal City bike tunnel, that the path had been plowed and salted to the pavement! So that made it easy going up the hill on the other side of the tunnel into Crystal City. :) Since there is a train line that a lot of people take, and there are a lot of pedestrians for the various office buildings along the streets there, the sidewalks were immaculately cleared and salted. MUCH better than riding on the road for a little bit. When I came up to the Air Force Memorial area, the sidewalks were totally cleared there too...and also along the way to my apartment building! How nice! What great service! So the bike path and 14th Street Bridge were the only places with 3-4 inches of snow to contend with, and that wasn't too bad. It took me a few minutes to get my "snow legs" back, and getting my balance and loosen up on the handlebars as I ride. :)

Danger Will Robinson!

2010-10-27T10:41:00.001-07:00

On my commuting route, there's a part where the path goes through a short curved tunnel, underneath a railroad line (like this picture). The path leading down into the tunnel is fairly steep, and there is a speed limit sign posted right next to the entrance of the tunnel, stating 5 m.p.h.
I doubt anyone goes that speed through there, especially coming down that steep hill. Since both sides of the tunnel are blind entrances, I always ring my bell as I come down the hill (with hands on brakes), just in case someone comes tearing through the tunnel the opposite way (as some people do, to try and get a jump on coming up the steep hill).

Anyway, as I approach the other side of the tunnel, there's a lady jogger ahead of me. We enter the tunnel, and as we do, I hear some kids yelling "Oh - - WHOA!!!" and whooping and hollering, sounding like they were coming down that steep hill. As the lady jogger and I came through the tunnel, I looked up and saw two kids riding piggyback on a BMX bike, tearing down the hill towards us. The kid piloting the bike goes off the path a bit and onto the grass, but then veers back onto the path at nearly the last second. Good thing, otherwise they would have SLAMMED into the outside part of the tunnel wall...and NEITHER had a helmet on. We turned and watched them fly into the tunnel on the wrong side of the tunnel (thank God there wasn't another cyclist or jogger coming through there!). They got a few feet along but then hit the side of the tunnel wall, their bodies scraping along til they managed to stop. Ouch!!

The lady jogger and I just looked at each other and she said, "KIDS!!!" :) ha. Yea, the things you do as a kid! :) We were both amazed that they didn't really have a serious accident!

The Bianchi Man Cometh!

2010-09-29T13:35:00.000-07:00

There are regular bike commuters that I see every day at the same spot at the same time. One of them I nicknamed "Bianchi Man". :) He has a classic torquoise-colored Bianchi hybrid bike. He should be a model for Bianchi bikes because he is SO decked out in a matching Bianchi jersey, shorts, helmet matches the biking gloves and even socks that have the various colors of the Bianchi trademark! :) I wonder each time, do you only have ONE set of clothes like this? Because I see him in these SAME clothes EVERY time….and don't the clothes get stinky? (especially when we had the hot weather….). I went online to see if there were other Bianchi jerseys…and there are. Maybe Mr. Bianchi Man will get a different Bianchi-style design for his birthday or Christmas. :)

I have probably 10-15 different biking jerseys that I can wear. Variety is the spice of life... Fortunately, I don't sweat much, so I can get away with wearing the same jersey for a few days at least, before I have to trade it for another one. I've gotten many compliments on my jerseys through the years…. :) There's a story behind most of my jerseys - - places I've visited, bike event tours I've done, or they're just plain wearable art. :) Plus, some jerseys are thin, and good for the hot weather. Others are more thick, for cooler weather. So, it helps to have different kinds...

Mr. Crayfish!

2010-08-06T10:47:00.000-07:00

On my previous commuting route, the bike path has several boardwalks that cross marshy areas. I always wondered what kind of creatures were in the waters (good thing it's not Florida, because gators could be there!). My biking friend Reba told me one day, that she had seen a big red crayfish on the bike path soon after crossing a boardwalk. The crayfish had traveled a bit down the path away from the marsh, and must have been pissed off, because he would stand there and wave his big pinchers at bikers and joggers alike - trying to pick a fight! I remember one morning, I came upon a lady jogger who had stopped and was peering down at Mr. Crayfish, and trying to understand why he was there and why he was trying to pinch a foot or bike tire! :) So we stood there and chatted about Mr. Crayfish as people went by with quizzical looks on their face and then they'd look down and see this pissed off crayfish! :) ha.

Well, one day, I guess Mr. Crayfish must have irritated someone pretty badly because on my ride home, I passed a red FLAT spot on the path - - all you could see was a bunch of little broken pieces of red shell....... Awww..... Too bad.... :( I don't know if a biker or pedestrian had taken him on, but he was no more.....

Last night, we had a big summer storm blow into town. Perhaps the wind and rain kicked up the marshy waters, and a crayfish decided to come out and see what the commotion was.... Thus, this Washington Post photo that was in the paper this morning. :) Hope this crayfish picks his fights wisely...but he's not starting out very well, trying to cross the Parkway and taking on the cars!

New Month - New Commute Route

2010-07-06T13:38:00.000-07:00

This month finds me with a new bike commuting route....passing by the beautiful Air Force Memorial. I bid goodbye to the "Honking Hill" I used to have to climb everyday, though I still have a little bit of a hill to go up and down, but the downhill speed has been reduced from 35 mph to 25 mph. Also, the mileage is not as impressive...only 7.5 miles each way now, which takes me about 40 minutes to cover (instead of about an hour for the previous commute). But it's nice after many years of a longer commute, to have a shorter commute, and more free time at home in the mornings and evenings. :) I'm in a little more of a congested area traffic-wise, but for the most part, the cars give me room on the road. The area I live in has the things I need: easy access to the bike trail, a bike repair shop within an outdoor retail store, and a grocery store. Also, the apartment complex has a free shuttle that runs to the nearby subway stop during the rush hours...which will come in handy whenever I don't happen to ride (which is rare!). So life is pretty sweet now. :)

It Once Was Lost.....

2010-06-14T11:22:00.000-07:00

It was a warm and muggy morning for today's ride into work. As I came to the stop light at 15th Street by the Tidal Basin, I happened to look to my right, and something on the ground caught my eye. It was a black bicycle pannier...all by its lonesome.....without its rightful owner..... I leaned over and picked it up and attached it to my bike rack. There were two other bike commuters in front of me at the light - I was kind of surprised they hadn't seen the pannier laying there - but maybe if you're concentrating on the traffic and the light, you're not looking around too much...besides it was sort of a small pannier.

When I got to my desk at work, I slowly started to investigate the innards of the pannier, hoping I wouldn't have to "snoop" too much to find the owner's name and contact information. I first came across an office identification card....it belonged to a lady, and she was an attorney with the Department of Justice. I looked in the first compartment, where there was a large envelope containing trip information that she and her husband had signed up for - - I think a kayak trip on the Amazon! Wow. Inside that envelope was her passport....and the form she had filled out for the trip - which fortunately contained her work and home numbers. I called the work number and got her voicemail. I waited maybe 10 minutes, and checked the bag again, and saw her Blackberry in there. It had a screensaver on it that said it was a government-issued Blackberry, and if it was found, to call a certain telephone number - so I did, and the guy I spoke with gave me another work number for this lady. When I called it, I think I got her secretary, so I explained the reason I was calling. She said yes, the lady had realized she had lost her pannier after she had gotten to work, and took a cab back home (not too far from where I live), to see if the pannier was there and then had the cab driver drive her bike route on the street, to see if they could find it. Of course, part of her bike commute is on a bike path, so the cab couldn't go on that.... When she got back to work, she got my message, and you should have heard how RELIEVED she sounded!! :) She sounded like she was going to cry! So, we arranged for her to come by and pick it up at noon at my office. She shook my hand a couple of times when we met, and was SO happy to have her bag back. She said the bike had fallen over sometime during her commute (maybe she had propped it up when making a stop at a store), and it had loosened the pannier from the rack. So I was happy to have been the one to find and return it. As I've mentioned in this blog before, I've lost stuff before and know how panicked you get when this situation comes up...it's NOT fun!!

I went out for a walk at lunchtime, and when I came back, there was a cute little bouquet of flowers waiting at my desk! The note was from the lady, and said, "Thank You For Restoring My Life!" :) Awww...that was nice of her.... :)

Absent on Bike to Work Day :(

2010-05-11T14:21:00.000-07:00

Well, for the first time in many years that I can remember, I will NOT be attending Bike to Work Day! What in the world would keep me from attending?? Well, actually the question should be "WHERE" in the world....because on Bike to Work Day, May 21, I will be somewhere out in the Italian countryside, on an organized bike tour across Italy - - from Venice to Pisa! :) So, hey, will someone take my place with the thousands of bikers on that day? Eat a bagel or banana for me, and I will have some Gelato for you! :) Ciao!

No Fooling! :)

2010-04-01T17:15:00.001-07:00

Today's April Fool's Day - but no one was fooled when they walked among the Cherry Blossoms in D.C. - the blossoms were absolutely beautiful! :) There's something about seeing the blossoms - - they're so white, so delicate, so beautiful against a bright blue sky... I just wish they lasted longer... It's like being in Heaven for a short while. There are two great times to be in D.C. - the Spring and Autumn. :) Winter and Summer can be somewhat long and difficult - - too cold and too hot. But in the Spring and Autumn, you can enjoy long walks outside without being uncomfortable, and your eyes feast on the beauty of nature. I love biking to work during the Cherry Blossom time, because even though there are lots of tourists milling about, I never have to worry about finding a place to park. I can pull up anywhere and lean my bike against a tree or pole. I can take my time rolling along, not having to deal with someone right behind me who wants me to go. I can stop as many times as I want, whenever I see a photo I want to take. It just makes it so more enjoyable and easy. :)

Springing Forth! :)

2010-03-24T18:58:00.001-07:00

Here's my bike along some Forsythia - one of the first things that bloom in the Spring. :) I'm always happy to see Spring come - - especially all the COLORS that I see! It's like I've been living in black & white in the winter, and then Spring comes, and we move into TECHNICOLOR! :) It's a sight for sore eyes, and I just drink it all in. And it's wonderful to start wearing lighter clothes and not be freezing. Spring certainly is a time to celebrate! Yea! :)

Snow-Overkill

2010-02-17T04:18:00.000-08:00

Well, this winter has turned out to be the SNOWIEST winter in 100 years in Washington, D.C.!! We've gotten a number of big snowfalls this month. Fortunately, I missed a few of them when I went out of town to Warm, Sunny, San Diego for a week. :) When I came back, there was about 20 inches on the ground, and that afternoon it snowed another couple of feet. As a result, the bike path hasn't been available to ride on for most of this month.
:( It would be nice if the Park Service would plow the bike path... In fact, my biking friend Reba said we should have organized on the internet a "snow shovel party" and had all interested walkers, joggers and bicyclists show up with their shovels and unearth the bike path! :) I know there would be lots of people who exercise that would WANT to have their path back!

On a good note, I saw a BUNCH of robins flying around the neighborhood this morning. :) It looked like a "Robin Reunion"! :) And I noticed some trees in front of my office building that are getting some buds on their branches. :) So, hopefully it won't be long before Spring. :)

Ice Circles

2010-01-07T18:21:00.000-08:00

Last weekend, some wickedly cold air came around (wind chill was a few degrees above zero), and as a result, part of the Potomac River froze up. As I was riding across the 14th Street Bridge, I looked down over the railing and saw that the ice had somehow formed into various circles. It looked a little like a moonscape. Pretty cool. As the week wore on, the river slowly has been unthawing, and now there are large broken up ice slabs near the circles. Since the Potomac River doesn't freeze up every year, all these artistic shapes are fun to stop and look at. :) (Thanks again to Reba for her great photo!).

Monumental Fog!

2009-12-14T08:59:00.000-08:00

This morning when I looked out the window at home, it was INCREDIBLY FOGGY!!! Visibility was less than a half of a block. So I decided to don my reflective vest, and turn on my headlight and blinking rear light. I was VERY careful in crossing intersections, and making sure cars saw me when I was approaching side streets. The fog was so thick that I had beads of water dripping off my helmet visor as I rode along.

As I rode by the airport area, and D.C. comes into view, there was an eerie sight ahead. The fog had obliterated the base of the Washington Monument, so it made it look like the Washington Monument was sitting atop a cloud! Pretty wild! (Thanks to my fellow biking friend, Reba, for this photo! I didn't have my camera with me).

Making of the Mt. Vernon Trail

2009-12-10T07:52:00.000-08:00

I wish I had had the chance to meet this lady, Ellen Pickering. I was reading a local bike website today, and came upon the mention of her passing away last May. Evidently, back in 1971, Ellen and another friend, Barbara Lynch, talked about how nice it would be to have a trail along the George Washington Parkway. Families could use it on the weekends, and bike commuters could use it to get to their jobs in D.C. They collected 700 signatures of interested local citizens and sent the signatures to Jack Fish at the National Park Service. The NPS offered to provide the gravel, if volunteers could be found to spread the gravel. No problem. :) In all, over four months, Pickering, Lynch and their 400 recruits shoveled 4,240 tons of gravel and contributed 5,350 hours of labor! Amazing. The first segment of 4.5 miles open in April of 1972, and by the next year, the trail was extended to Mt. Vernon.

The Mt. Vernon Trail is cited to be the nation's most popular recreational trail. :) I ride the trail every day to work, and also use it on weekends to get places - stores, the subway, connections to other trails - the trail is VERY useful to me. It does get a little crowded in nice weather, but during winter, I usually have it to myself. :)

Thanks, Ellen and Barbara, for all your hard work in making the Mt. Vernon Trail a reality for so many trail users (1 million annually!). :)

Nothing is Constant Except Change

2009-11-05T03:40:00.000-08:00

Here we are, entering another Autumn season. I love to see the various trees change colors in the area, though they can pose a threat on the bike path. They can be dry on top, but can be wet underneath, so when you ride over them on a curve, things can get slippery very fast. So there's a lot of caution, despite the beauty. I like to hear the crunchiness of the dead leaves on the path as I ride along - it's like riding over lots of potato chips. :) The path can get totally covered with leaves - you can't see the path at all, so it's like you're riding "on memory". I really know the bike path well, since I've traversed it thousands and thousands of times. I know every bump, curve, and rise. I've said I could ride the path "even in a coma". :)

A Trashy Story :)

2009-09-21T19:06:00.000-07:00

I was riding to work the other week, about to pass by Gravelly Point, where a lot of people like to park and watch the planes fly overhead. On the weekends, there's a lot of people who visit this spot, and spend the day picnicking, playing on the field, and of course, leaving trash in the cans. On Mondays, the trash cans are WAY overfilled, even having big trash bags set up next to the can to hold the extra trash. Well, on this day, I noticed something new that caught my eye, so I stopped and went back to take a closer look. I wonder if any other cyclists had seen it too, or whether they had just blasted on by... Anyway, this new item was a Solar Powered Trash Compactor! Wow! Very interesting! When I got to work, I looked up online to see if there was others like it and what the deal was. Here's the website I found on it: http://www.bigbellysolar.com/products/ An article I found on the web says that these solar powered trash compactors can accept close to eight times as much waste as a regular trash can. It saves the city money because the workers don't have to come around to empty it much. In Philadelphia, it says the city saves $12 million dollars over 10 years! Very cool. :) I hope lots of other cities get these installed! :)

UPDATE: The Trash Compactor only lasted a couple months - - then disappeared. Maybe it was a "trial experiment"?

A New Bike Commute

2009-08-31T13:10:00.000-07:00

A week ago, I moved to a new residence, and my bike commute is now 25 miles roundtrip, vs. the previous 32 miles. It still is a convenient bike commute, located near a grocery store, bank, bike store, and the Mt. Vernon bike trail. :) One good/bad thing about the new commute is that it includes a HONKING big hill.... It's good in that it's fun to fly down at over 30 m.p.h. :) It's not as fun climbing up it at less than 5 m.p.h., but it's good training. :) :) I first climbed this hill when I went to take a look at the residence. I was riding my Cannondale hybrid, which has pretty good low gears. But tackling this hill on that bike left me breathless and I had to make two rest stops. I next rode it on my Bike Friday folding bike. It was a PIECE OF CAKE and I wasn't even out of breath. The gears on the Bike Friday are quite low, and makes almost any hill easy. So, I'm now using my Bike Friday as my commute bike. :)

Also, for the move, I rented a Zipcar pick-up truck. My brother was helping me move, and suggested getting a U-Haul. It was about 4 p.m. on a Sunday. I told him getting a Zipcar would be easier, and we could keep it as long as I needed. I called up Zipcar and spoke to the reservation agent. The lady was very nice and made the reservation and she said she didn't envy my moving event - that she had just recently done that too. So my brother and I made a couple of trips to the thrift store to drop off items not needed, and then a couple of trips to the new residence to unload everything. So, Zipcar saved the day! :)

Somewhere Over the Rainbow :)

2009-07-02T17:07:00.000-07:00

When I came out of my office garage, the lady attendant in the booth said that a friend of mine had just been there to see me. I turned around and saw my fellow biking commuter friend, Reba, standing nearby, waiting to ride back to Alexandria with me. That was a nice surprise! She's a lawyer, works a few blocks from me and also lives in Alexandria. We often bump into each other on the way to and fro work, and have a good time chatting. Her husband, Robert, often cycles from home to meet up with her along the way, so we came across him on the way. Just as we were crossing a small bridge where people like to fish, I looked to my left and saw a beautiful rainbow! I shouted that I wanted to stop and take a picture, so we took out our cameras and got our shots. As we continued on, we saw the path was a bit wet -- evidently we had just missed a shower. Good timing! What a nice way to end a workweek prior to a long holiday weekend! :)

TIIIIMMMBERRRRRR!!

2009-06-05T06:27:00.000-07:00

Well, it was a good thing I wasn't passing by this part of the boardwalk bridge when this big tree came crashing down on it!! It's been raining A LOT in the past week, and I guess this tree couldn't hang in there any longer. I came around the corner of the winding boardwalk and was surprised to see this tree across the path. There were two guys on their bikes ahead of me and we helped each other lift our bikes over the tree. I was thinking I could have maybe slipped my bike under the tree, but one guy said he didn't there'd be enough clearance. So I'm glad they were there to help me, as it was a little tricky getting over the tree - it was pretty wide.

As we finished riding over the boardwalk, there was a National Park Service truck approaching on the path, with it's lights flashing. I stopped to talk to the three guys in the truck and told them about the tree. They were aware of it and were coming to take care of it. So hopefully the tree and the boardwalk will be fixed by the time I come through after 6 p.m. tonight! Thanks, NPS, for your quick service!! (and thanks to my biking friend, Reba, for sending me this photo you took!!)

Bike to Work Day 2009

2009-05-19T07:21:00.001-07:00

Last Friday was Bike to Work Day, so I left home a bit earlier to be able to spend some time at the pit-stop in Old Town, Alexandria. I rode my Bike Friday folding bike, and also had the trailer suitcase hitched to my bike because I was bringing in a stained glass panel I had made, for a silent auction that weekend. I propped my bike and suitcase up against a wall, and went to take a look around at the various vendor booths. There were a good amount of bike commuters there, milling about, having some of the free bagels, coffee, apples, and energy bars. There was music and raffle prizes being given away. There was a vendor booth for a new pedicab service that's starting up in Alexandria - offering both transporting people, and also delivering groceries, which is nice. I've taken a few pedicab rides in the past and they are great fun. :) They could use more pedicabs in D.C. around the Mall area, because tourists walk a TON, and it's pretty tiring. Pedicabs are a nice alternative compared to a taxicab. There was a local bike shop who had a repair stand set up to do any minor adjustments to your bike.

It was fun to see the cool jerseys people wore and the different kinds of bikes people rode. I talked to one guy who was there with his homemade recumbent trike. He said he made the bike from plans he bought on the internet, and the total cost of the recumbent was about $300! He didn't understand why recumbent trikes have to cost so much (they usually go for about $2,000-$3,000). Of course, his bike was steel, not aluminum - so it's a lot heavier. But it was still impressive to see that he had built it himself. :)

So it was a fun way to start the day!

The Fish That Didn't Get Away!

2009-04-07T09:45:00.000-07:00

Last night, I was zipping on home with a great tailwind. The Mt. Vernon trail runs along the Potomac River, and I've often seen people fishing along its banks. As I approached the airport area, I saw on my left, a bicyclist and a fisherman. The bicyclist had laid his bike down in the grass, and was taking a picture of something. What I saw made me do a double-take, hit the brakes and turn right around. It was a HUGE CATFISH!!! I've never seen catfish this size before! Unbelievable! That's why I took some pictures, and then also put my pannier down next to the catfish. My pannier measures 16" in length, so you can see that this catfish was probably over 32" long! The bicyclist said he had stopped to help the fisherman pull the catfish up out of the water. He said it must have weighed at least 30 lbs.! The fisherman was Asian, and didn't speak any English, though I tried to ask/motion him if he was going to eat it. He replied in his language, as if I would understand...but I think I got the idea that he wasn't going to eat it. I guess not, since the Potomac River isn't the cleanest river around. Still, I was quite impressed at the size of this catfish. I think if it had been me, I would have taken some pictures, and then thrown him back.

How Much Are the Puppies in the Panniers?

2009-04-01T06:49:00.000-07:00

I have seen this couple on their bikes a few times on the bike path on my way home. Just as they pass by me, is when I notice the white furry heads sticking out of their panniers! Oh, cute Maltese puppies!! I always want to take a picture of them, but of course, there's no time, since they've zipped on by me. Well, yesterday as I was biking near the airport, I saw them pulled off to the side of the path, and were readjusting the straps on the panniers. They had 3 puppies in one pannier, a couple in another, and the guy had a few in his panniers also! So I stopped and whipped out my camera to take a picture or two. The dogs were whining a little bit, anxious to get going, I assume. The couple were definitely turning heads as people went by and noticed their doggies!
And, of course, it's Cherry Blossom Time again in D.C. I took this picture on my way to work. The Cherry Blossoms are so pretty - and you'd think you'd get tired of seeing them every year. But every year, the Blossoms make me stop and admire their beauty - especially when the weather is pretty outside and the blue skies are above. I took many photos, walking among their snowy branches...and just made it to work on time! But it's nice to dawdle and take time to enjoy the sights.

Thru the Ice and Snow....

2009-03-03T07:35:00.000-08:00

Well, March arrived, and with it yesterday, we got 5 1/2 inches of snow. We haven't seen that much around here in 6 years. Yesterday, I took the subway to work, but decided to ride today. I left about 25 minutes early, anticipating difficult conditions on the bike path. It normally takes me an hour and 15 minutes - - today it took 2 hours, so I got quite the work-out. But, in a way, it was a fun - sort of like an obstacle course. One neat thing was that I stopped to talk to a photographer guy who is out there all the time. He has two huge cameras with long lenses, and I found out he works for the National Park Service. He takes pictures of the bald eagle that is nesting near the bike path. I asked if I could take a look through his camera on the tripod, and he agreed. I saw the head of the bald eagle sticking up out of the nest. So we chatted a bit before I continued on. You can take a look at some photos of the eagles at:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/74104660@N00/sets/72157613509156390/

I took roads wherever I could, so I could make up some time that way. The path was a mix of various conditions - a few blacktop areas, but mostly snow/ice encrusted. Sometimes I had to get off and walk, as it was just too chunky and difficult to ride. The wind chill was about 1 degree, I think, but I was working hard and didn't notice the cold!

Cold Hard Cash!

2009-02-05T06:43:00.000-08:00

When I left to bike to work this morning, the temperature was 14, and the wind chill was 0. Not too bad, considering a couple weeks ago, the temperature was 11, and the wind chill was -11... :) At least there's no snow/ice to contend with!

Riding along the bike path, about 5 miles into my commute, I happened to look down on the path and see what I thought was a handful of quarters. I thought, no, that couldn't have been that many quarters - maybe it was just plastic tabs that LOOKED like quarters. So I stopped and turned around to take a closer look. Wouldn't you know it, it really WAS a lot of quarters!! I set my bike aside and started to pick up the various quarters, nickels and dimes I saw scattered in the grass and on the bike path. I couldn't believe how much there was! Not only that, there were a couple of rolls of DIMES! ($5 each!) I scoured the area a few times to make sure I got whatever I could see before I left. I stopped at the park restroom a little further, to go inside and pull it out to count it. I had a total of over $14.00!! Wow. What a way to start your morning!!

To the Inauguration! :)

2009-01-21T12:31:00.001-08:00

The BEST and EASIEST way to get to the Inauguration yesterday was by BIKE!!! :) My office was fortunately closed (everyone would have had a heck of time trying to get to the office anyway, with all the closed roads and clogged subway!). I told people in my office that I was going to bike into DC for the festivities. They looked at me like I was crazy! The bike ride was cold (temps in the 20's, wind chill about 10 degrees!), but you stayed warm biking. The Washington Area Bicyclist Association was hosting a couple of free bike valets, which I had planned on using (at the Jefferson Memorial). However, when I got there, I saw a long line to check your bike in, so I just decided to park and lock it at a chain/post area that runs along the Jefferson. Lots of people were doing that. You hope for the best, that no one would bother your bike.

Turns out I could have brought my bike even closer up on the Mall, which I didn't realize. But it worked out fine - a nice little walk to the Mall after biking, to stretch your legs. :)

The Inauguration was INCREDIBLE - it was like going to a huge rock concert with 1.8 million people cheering! :) :) Everyone was in a GREAT mood and we all got along amazingly well. There was Peace on Earth! A great way to start off the year! :)

After the Swearing-In Ceremony, biking home was fine. We biked right down the 14th Street Bridge, as it was closed to cars. And there were only a few people on the bike path, just like in the morning - so it was a piece of cake! Totally different than experiences people had when trying to take the subway!!

So it was an AMAZING day in Washington, D.C. - and for once, the Bike was King for the Day!! :)

It's in the Bag!

2008-12-06T14:14:00.000-08:00

I was biking to work yesterday, and had just started riding up onto the 14th Street Bridge, when I looked ahead and saw a black pannier on the sidewalk. It must have popped off someone's bike rack. I stopped and picked it up and took a peek inside. It looked like the owner was a guy - there was a towel, anti-perspirant, and a guy's belt. So I put it on my rack and brought it to work. When I got to the garage, I took a closer peek and saw there was a wallet inside. So when I got to my desk, I checked through the wallet to hopefully see some identification and/or a telephone number somewhere. The driver's license showed he lived in Alexandria, so we had that in common. :) I found a State Farm Insurance card, with a phone number listed. I wasn't sure if it'd be a home number for this guy or to State Farm. Turns out it was to State Farm - so I told them I found this guy's wallet and bag, and could they contact him as soon as possible, and I gave them my name and number. I knew that the guy would already be starting the process of quickly cancelling cards, etc., and I hoped I would catch him before he got too far. We all know how that goes.

Wihtin a few minutes he called and told me he loved me that I had found his wallet. :) He had been telling his wife that he had been needing to replace this pannier bag because it wasn't staying on his rack very well and that it was too loose. He works not too far from me in downtown, so he said he'd bike over (since he didn't have money to take a cab!). So within a half hour, I met him in my office lobby and he was happy to get his pannier. :) He said, "You must not have been too far behind me on the bridge, because I got to work just about 10 minutes before you, and had realized I didn't have my bag." So, I was happy to be able to return his pannier to him and that he hadn't been too inconvenience. He said he had just cancelled the Smart Trip (subway) card, and was getting ready to cancel his credit cards when State Farm had called. He offered me a reward - and of course, I declined, but did tell him to go buy a new pannier bike bag! :)

A similar situation happened another time when I was biking into work. I had just started biking through Georgetown, and I looked ahead and saw a lady's purse on the street. I brought it to work with me and called the phone number that I found inside. I had reached the lady's husband who worked in Bethesda. At first, he couldn't understand why I had his wife's purse. I told him I was a bicycle commuter and had found her purse in the street in Georgetown. He said his wife had taken a cab that morning to a breakfast on Capitol Hill, and perhaps she dropped her purse in the haste of getting into the cab. He said she would be traveling to Charlottesville afterwards, so she'd definitely would need her purse. So he was quite happy to come and get it after his morning meeting, to then bring to his wife before she left town.

Sure wish whoever had found MY purse in a parking lot near home a couple years ago, would have returned it to me... :( It was soon after Christmas, and I had just gone to the bank to get $300 cash...plus I had Christmas gift cards in there. So, someone definitely had a fun after-Christmas shopping time on my account! :(

But at least I was able to return these people's belongings, and make their day a better one. :)

Flurry of Cold Weather

2008-11-19T09:52:00.001-08:00

Yesterday, parts of the area got some snow flurries. I didn't see any in D.C., but my roommate was out running some errands and called to say there were heavy but brief snow showers. I always like to see the first snowfall - it's so magical. :)

This morning the wind chill was 17, when I headed out to ride to work. This weather is more like January! I was expecting it to be pretty cold - but it really wasn't. I saw ice along the shores of the Potomac River.

As I entered Old Town Alexandria, I came alongside a guy on his bike and we chatted while the policeman was directing traffic at a school intersection. The guy said, "It gets a little lonely out on the bike path this time of year - just the hardy and foolhardy are out, huh?" :) He said he's been doing his bike commute over 15 years and had gotten rid of their second car, and is saving a ton of money. I told him I went car-free last year, and he thought that was good as well. :) He said he would like to go car-free, but they had to have a car to tote the kids around in. He asked where I was headed, and I replied D.C. He said he was riding to the Pentagon. So I wished him a good ride as he took off.

Good to meet people like him - I'm not the only "wild and crazy" person out there riding in the cold! :) People wonder how you stay warm outside in the cold weather. It's really not TOO hard. The first few miles are cold - your eyes tear up from the cold air, and your fingers hurt. But by constantly pedaling, you warm up and stay warm the rest of the ride. I wear 10 essentials to keep warm and ward off the cold:

1. Fleece lined jacket
2. Balaclava over my head
3. Fleece neck gaitor
4. Ski liner gloves under my short-fingered bike gloves
5. Winter jersey
6. Long underwear
7. Tights
8. Wool socks
9. Toe warmers
10. Insulated winter boots by Merrell

This combination works well for me through winter. Sometimes I wear rain pants over my tights, etc., to block fierce cold winds, but otherwise, I'm fine. :)

In Like A Lion!

2008-10-29T08:19:00.000-07:00

Though Autumn arrived on the calendar in late September, it roared into town last night. There were wind gusts up to 45 mph - and it sure felt like that when I biked across the 14th Street Bridge! It was incredibly strong - I had to gear down to one of my low gears (that I rarely have to use when crossing the bridge). The wind was blowing so strongly against my wheels, that it made me feel like I had a flat tire! I looked down at my tires, but they were fine. Weird sensation! Then, I thought I'd have a great tailwind on the way home - since the wind was out of the Northwest, and I'm headed South. Well, it was for a little bit, but then it also buffeted me from other directions as well. So you might say I was a bit "winded" by the time I got home!

A cool thing I've been thinking of getting is a handheld anemometer that I can whip out when I'm on the bridge and get a real measurement of the wind as it's howling through the railings on the bridge. It'd be neat to see the actual figures pop up on the screen for proof. :)

Bridging the Gap(s)

2008-09-24T08:27:00.000-07:00

I mentioned in an earlier post how the National Park Service takes care of the Mt. Vernon Trail that I commute on. This summer, they have been working on replacing various boardwalks, as shown in this photo. Some they are replacing, I'm wondering why, as the bridges seem to be in good shape, but I don't know how old the boardwalks are, and maybe it's time. They do a good and thorough job. There's a long curvy boardwalk near Old Town, though, that they have put a coat of grey/bluish paint. This is a bridge that is pretty slick when it gets wet. I have seen and heard of bikers going down hard on it due to the slippery conditions. One of my bike commuter friends said he knows a biker that was PARALYZED due to a nasty fall he had! So I've always slowed down on it. Maybe this coat of paint has an anti-slippery agent to it? One thing a lady biking friend mentioned to me this week, was that when it gets colder, and frost gets on the boardwalk, we won't be able to SEE the frost, due to the paint. So, just another reason to SLOW WAY DOWN on it.

In a few weeks, the area will be awashed with the golden colors of Autumn. I took this picture last Autumn, as I got near the World War II Memorial. It's a pretty time of year - but wet leaves present another slippery condition - similar to frost and ice. Never fun to fall - which I've done a number of times....

Dog Days of Summer

2008-08-26T10:32:00.000-07:00

Summer is about done, with Labor Day Weekend right around the corner. Actually, we haven't had many hot days this summer, which is unusual, but fine with me. :) I saw this guy walking all these dogs on my way home recently - it's amazing they don't get all tangled up!

This is a neat bike called a Catrike, owned by a fellow bike commuter, Bob. He loves this bike. I've test-ridden these and they are great - like a little race car! I've asked Bob if he feels more vulnerable in traffic while riding his Catrike, since he is so low to the ground, but he said no. If anything, he said, they are more cautious and give him more room, which is nice.

Bob carries a telescoping fishing pole with him on his Catrike and often stops to throw a line into the water and catch fish. :) What a nice relaxing thing to do on your way to work! :) Try doing that from your car commute! :)

The Good and the Bad (Sad) News

2008-07-11T08:37:00.000-07:00

The Good News is that there are some neat and clever bike posters up at bus stops in D.C. that I've come across. I don't know if they are also at bus stops in Virginia and Maryland, but it'd give people something to consider while waiting on the bus.

On the other hand, here's the bad (sad) news:

This past Tuesday morning, a 22-yr. old lady, Alice Swanson, was cycling the couple of miles from home to work in D.C., and approached an odd intersection, of R Street and 20th. A garbage truck traveling in the same direction approached that intersection. I believe Alice was attempting to continue onward, across busy Connecticut Avenue, the next intersection, a few feet away. But, unfortunately, the truck made a right turn onto 20th Street (which is a difficult turn to make in a car, let alone a truck!), and Alice Swanson was run over, and killed instantly. :( A Secret Service agent who was getting coffee right nearby, ran to pull her out from under the truck and administer CPR, but it was too late. Traffic was closed in that area for a couple of hours, as police conducted its investigation. The truck driver said he "never saw the bicyclist", as apparently, she was in his blind spot. But he would have had to pass her beforehand...didn't he see her then? There is a designated bike lane on R Street, that Alice was riding on. When bicycling, you tend to feel a little "safer" riding in bike lanes, but I don't think car drivers think that way, though they ought to. To them, perhaps it's just another set of white lines....

News articles about cyclists getting hurt or killed always grab my attention. I want to know when, where and what happened. I try to learn from this incident, and apply it to my own city commute. The fact is that Alice was attractive, vivacious, wanting to make a difference in the world, and could light up the room with her smile. It seemed such a shame to lose someone in the world like this. This tragic accident really affected cyclists in this area, and the Washington Area Bicyclist Association put up a "ghost bicycle" by the intersection where she was killed. They held a press conference and a dedication for "ghost bicycle" in Alice's name. Friends and co-workers of Alice, and bicyclists who didn't even know her, came and tearfully said their goodbyes and left flowers. I don't think anyone will forget Alice and what happened that day... Hopefully drivers and bicyclists will learn from it and be careful where they travel. I know I have.

Calm Days

2008-06-30T10:00:00.000-07:00

It's been a relatively quiet summer so far. I definitely like the calm weather days, even though the heat and humidity can be difficult to get through. I took this picture last week on my way home - the air was still and so was the water, at this marina I passed.

The Tour de France starts July 5 - and every year at this time, there are always the "Lance A Lots" and "Lance Wannabees" that are on the bike path - zooming past in the obnoxiously colorful racing biking attire - shoes that match their shorts, that match their jerseys, that match their gloves, that match their helmets. It's a bit much. They get all inspired by the Tour, and then re-enact it on the path, zooming past other bikers, as if they were on the Tour themselves. It's sort of a dangerous time on the path, because these Zoomers are taking chances, passing people and pedestrians, cutting it way too close. I've seen a couple of "head-on" collisions on the path and it's not pretty. I keep an eye out for them in my helmet mirror and ahead of me and try to stay out of their personal race. I only "race" like that when there's a nasty thunderstorm coming or a dog chasing me. :) But otherwise, I take it at an easy pace and look around me to enjoy the surroundings that the Racers miss.

Root of the Problem! :)

2008-05-14T06:39:00.000-07:00

Recently, over a period of 4 days, we had A LOT of rain - probably about 8" in Alexandria! When I rode in on Monday, there were a few trees that had come down across the path or uprooted near it - like the picture above. It took the edge of the path as well. Fortunately, the path is maintained by the National Park Service, since it runs alongside the George Washington Memorial Parkway. So, thankfully, the Park Service sends out workers to cut up trees and branches that block the path. There are a lot of people that use the path, so we greatly appreciate this service! :)

Back in 2003, Hurricane Isabel came to town, and the storm surge from the Potomac River flooded various parts of the path, including pushing up a certain long boardwalk that is near Belle Haven. When I rode into work after the storm, and came to the end of this boardwalk, I was pretty surprised to see the water had pushed up the boardwalk about 5 feet from the ground! I had to stop and jump off the boardwalk, and hoist my bike down! Wish I had my camera that day to capture the boardwalk in that condition! The Park Service came and pounded the boardwalk back into place.

Right after this boardwalk, for years, the waters often flooded over the path, when there were heavy rains. It was fairly deep, though I could get through it slowly on my bike, but joggers had to walk way around it to get by. Finally the Park Service decided to re-route the bike path and make it run closer to the Parkway and built up the land slightly to keep the path away from any flooding. This has worked great, and again, we appreciate it. Thank you, Park Service!

One other area that was re-done was near National Airport. Years ago, the path used to cross a busy exit from the airport. There had been a number of cyclists/pedestrians hit by cars. So they built a nice long overpass, and now we sail over the traffic safely. I am lucky to have such a nice route to work, and am always thankful for it. I know a lady bike commuter who commutes about the same miles as I do, but her commute is along a VERY busy road, lots of lights and traffic. Her commute is much more difficult than mine, for sure, and I admire her for it.

Wonderful Wisteria :)

2008-04-29T06:25:00.000-07:00

I was riding to work last week, down Royal Street in Old Town Alexandria. There are some nice historic houses dating back to the late 1700's and 1800's on Royal Street. There are lovely brick houses, including this one, that has overflowing wisteria along its walls.

I was reading online today about Alexandria - that it's actually 50 years older than Washington, D.C., and is America's most historic communities. In fact, in 1796, a visitor, the Duc de La Rochfoucauld Liancourt, commented that: "Alexandria is beyond all comparison the handsomest town in Virginia--indeed is among the finest in the United States." I always enjoy riding through Old Town. There are a few cobble-stoned streets - years ago, I tried riding my bike down one of those, and found that it's not a good idea!! :) I read that a lot of the streets from the waterfront area to Washington Street used to be cobblestoned until the mid-1920's, when most of them were paved over. Evidently, the cobblestone streets were put there by the Hessian prisoners from the Battle of Saratoga. They didn't know what to do with the prisoners and they were cheap labor, so the British had these paid troops from Germany—Hessians —and they sent them down here, put them to work laying the streets of Alexandria. Interesting! Lots of history!

Tikit to Ride! :)

2008-03-12T07:27:00.001-07:00

Last Friday night, I received my new Bike Friday Tikit bicycle. It's the fastest folding bike made....folding in about 5-10 seconds. This bike is different from my other Bike Friday bicycle, in that the wheels are smaller (16" vs. 20") and it folds fast without having to take the bike apart. I bought it mainly because, since I'm car-free, it would come in real handy if I wanted to take Greyhound or Amtrak to other places. :)

I rode it to work yesterday. I noticed the gears skipped a little bit - so it needs some adjustment...but other than that, it rode fine. I got to work, folding the bike up and brought it up to my desk, as I wanted to show various people in the office my new bike. I was showing a partner in the office (who is a biker), and he straddled the bike, and then to my big surprise, TOOK OFF DOWN THE HALLWAY -- and kept going around the WHOLE FLOOR!!! You should have seen people's faces as he went pedaling by!! It was priceless!! He got back to my desk with the biggest smile on his face! :) He said that it was definitely a cool bike. :)

I brought it to another floor, to show other friends, and another partner came out of his office to take a look. I don't know the partner - but just had heard of his name. He said, "That's a neat bike..." - straddling the bike and then HE TOOK OFF DOWN THE HALL AND AROUND THE WHOLE FLOOR!! :) I don't think he's a biker - so he sort of wobbled his way down, but managed to make it all the way around. Secretaries were so surprised, they grabbed their phones to take pictures and video! :) Pretty wild! :)

I showed it to yet another partner (who is probably his his late 60's) - and he hopped on the Tikit too and rode it, but just to the end of the hallway (almost wiping out as he tried to turn the corner!). Anyway, everyone I showed it to (which was probably about 20 people) thought it was a very cool bike and were amazed that it could fold so fast and so compactly. :) Maybe it'll inspire some to buy a bike (like this one or otherwise). :)

After work, I rode to meet a friend for dinner. I folded the bike up and brought it into the restaurant and put it next to our booth. Fortunately, it was a roomy restaurant, and tables aren't close to each other like some restaurants. One worker did stop by to ask what the pile of metal was sitting by our booth - I told him it was a folding bike. :) He was surprised to hear that. :) It did feel kind of funny rolling my bike in, and I tried to act like it was just a normal, everyday occurrence. :)

After dinner, as I was outside, putting on my riding gear, a couple noticed my Tikit and stopped to chat - the guy recognized it was a folding bike. As I got a few blocks down the way, some bicyclists stopped at the light near me and said, "Hey, Bike Friday Tikit!!" :) They said they had Bike Fridays at home also. :)

So the Tikit got QUITE the show yesterday, for sure!! :)

The Iceman Cometh!

2008-02-13T10:14:00.000-08:00

Last night we had a nasty ice storm.
:( When I listened to the weather forecast that morning, they did mention there'd be some sleet/wintry mix, but they said it would turn to all rain by evening. So, I decided to ride my road bike. Unfortunately, it was the wrong choice... I was fine til I got to the 14th St. Bridge. I got a little ways across (maybe a fourth) and saw a guy walking towards me with his bike. I asked him if it was icy, and he said "Oh yea!" - about 30 seconds later, I went down! OUCH. Of course, thank God for having a helmet on - 'cuz my head snapped back and hit the pavement. It was enough force that it ripped off my visor and helmet mirror. :( I ended up walking ALL the way across the bridge, because it was totally iced over. When I got to the bike path, it wasn't icy. I decided to just catch the Metro at the airport and take it to the Huntington Station. When I got there, I hoped to catch a cab - but no such luck - there were none to be had. I tried to put my bike on the bus bike rack when it came, but I think it was frozen over and the bus driver didn't know how to work it (believe it or not!). So I ended up calling my roommate to come and get me. I was concerned that the Ft. Hunt Road would be bad, but it turned out it was fine and I finally got home at 9 p.m.

This morning I decided to ride my mountain bike, since it has the studded tires. I did fine - though the 14th St. bridge had a layer of ice, but I rode slowly and talked myself across. I looked for my visor and helmet mirror that had come off in the fall...but no sight of them. :( I gotta get a new helmet anyway since I had that fall.

So, I learned a lesson and next time will just ride the mountain bike so I don't have any trouble!

TV Interview! :)

2008-01-18T08:02:00.000-08:00

On Tuesday afternoon, I checked my e-mail and was surprised to see an e-mail from a reporter from Fox 5 News! He said he had seen my Living Car-Free blog, and wanted to come and interview me! I was skeptical at first - I mean, anyone can send an e-mail like that...it looked official, but how can you be sure? I called the business number he listed and left a message, and then called his cell phone. He answered, and we spoke a little while - they wanted to come by my office after I got off work (within an hour!). I said alright - - I figured I'd know it was the "real thing" if they showed up in a news truck. :) However, they didn't - they evidently were in a car, and parked nearby, so they walked up to the building. But when I saw the big video camera, I guess I was convinced then! :)

They spent the next hour or two, filming me in and outside the office, then strapped on a small video camera to my bike and filmed my commute home - while they drove to my house to meet me and videotape me pulling up in the driveway. :) So it was an interesting way to spend an evening! :) Enjoy the video! :)

http://www.myfoxdc.com/myfox/pages/ContentDetail?contentId=5506029

Maybe it'll get some people interested in taking up biking when Spring rolls around!

We got an e-mail at work today saying that the parking rates for our office building will be going up to $250 a month!! Wow! How do people afford that?? That's like $3000 a year!! You could buy a REAL nice bike for that!!! :)

Singing in the Rain!

2008-01-11T06:55:00.000-08:00

One thing that has sort of "plagued" my bike commute, especially in the Fall and Winter, is trying to keep my feet warm and dry when it rains. It's not a problem in the Summer - I wear Keen sandals, and the warm water runs through them, and it feels good. Cold rain, however, isn't as nice. I have bought various types of rain boots, some high-tech and expensive, but the problem persists. Even though the boots SAY they are waterproof or water-resistant. What I have discovered is that I needed to have boots that are tall - that reach up to my knees. The reason being that, if the boots are mid-length, my rain pants don't cover over the tops of the boots when I ride, and rain gets into the boots. Plus, the material NEEDS to be RUBBER, which is totally waterproof.

Last night, I stopped by Nordstroms to check on some rain boots I saw on their website. It said the height of the boot was 13". I thought that might be high enough...but when I saw the boots in person, I decided they wouldn't be tall enough. Near these boots were knee-high rubber rain boots. They were kind of wild, because they have a Chinese tiger painted on both sides of the boots. But my rain pants would cover that - not that I minded, as I like tigers. :) They fit, and I wore them out of the store.

I got about halfway home, and it started to rain heavily. I cycled along, mentally checking to see if everything stayed dry and NO water leaked in. Ahhh......results AT LAST!!! :) Though my feet were a little cold (even though I had toe warmers on), I figured I could wear two pairs of socks the next time, and see if that helped. Anyway, I was singing in the rain on my ride home, very happy that finally I found boots that worked! I should have gotten boots like this a long time ago...but we live and learn! :)

Fall & Winter Combo

2007-12-07T06:29:00.000-08:00

Well, we got our first taste of winter the other day! :) Here's a picture I took on my way into work - showing the bit of snow, and a couple of trees still hanging on to Autumn! :)

It was snowing quite a bit when I got off work on Wednesday - I had ridden my mountain bike because they predicted 1-2 inches. Usually my hybrid can handle that, but sometimes we get a little more, and then it has a hard time. So I played it safe and just took the mountain bike -- and I'm glad I did. Riding in the snow is fun, though when the snow is coming down right into your eyes, and your headlight is shining into the flakes, making it look like a "Star Wars" scene, it makes it a little difficult to see. I turned my head slightly to the right and turned down the brightness on my light, so those actions helped. I was a bit covered in snow by the time I got home.

The next day, things had frozen up, so I put on my studded snow tires I bought recently. I was curious to see how they would do. The studs are not in the middle of the tire, but on a couple of rows next to the center of the tires...so that anytime you ever-so-slightly turn your wheels, the studs kick in and save the day! :) Though the snow was a bit thick on the bridges/overpasses, and the tires got a bit squirrely, the studs kept me upright and moving. :) On parts that are covered with ice or snow that is hard-packed, the tires roll right over the stuff as if it's not even there. So I'm happy with them. :)

End of Fall

2007-11-26T10:49:00.001-08:00

The end of Fall has arrived - the Autumn leaves were pretty again this year - even though we had a dry summer. People said that the leaves wouldn't be pretty due to the lack of water, but that wasn't the case. We had some nice Indian Summer days of temps in the 60/70s, which was lovely. Riding in the Fall is so pretty - with leaves scattered all over the bike path. Last week, I saw a Park Service employee driving a lawn mower vehicle that was blowing the leaves off the path, which is helpful, because when they get wet, things can get dangerously slippery.

Pass the Buck!

2007-10-18T08:47:00.000-07:00

I was heading home last night in the dark, using my new headlight. I was nearing the end of the bike path, and I looked up to see something standing up ahead on the path. I thought for a second it was a person - but then realized it was a full-sized Buck with antlers!! He saw me and turned around to run - he took a few steps and found a good place to duck into the woods. As I passed, I shone my headlight into the woods and saw his eyes glowing back. Neat!

Remembering 9/11....

2007-09-11T13:18:00.000-07:00

This morning as I was biking over the 14th Street Bridge, I saw that someone had duct-taped small American flags every 10 ft. or so on the bridge railing. I remembered that I had seen this on that bridge last September 11th... Up ahead, I saw a lady who looked like she was fixing or applying more flags, so perhaps she was the Flag Lady. Perhaps she lost someone that day when the plane crashed into the Pentagon... I think in a way, we want to remember that awful day, and in another way, we want to push the painful memories away.... I was just beginning the day at work on that fateful day...and one of my bosses arrived and told me what he had heard on the news. I couldn't believe it, and logged onto CNN...and there it was, the World Trade Center with smoke coming out of it.... Later in the morning, the office had a television available in a conference room to view the news. Several people decided to leave work, to be with their family. Our office closed at noon, and looking outside the office window, the traffic was TOTALLY gridlock. One lady in my office said she was jealous that I had a bike that I could get home and out of the city easily... Some people said the next day that it took them up to 5 or 6 hours to get home, due to the traffic and subway problems! I headed out and wound my way through the tight traffic, and where necessary, hopped onto the sidewalk, but even then, there were a lot of pedestrians because a lot of people decided to walk home if they lived nearby. They felt the subway wasn't safe. As I exited Georgetown and turned the corner to go over the Key Bridge, the traffic was blocked by policemen on either end of the bridge who were evidently checking drivers licenses and not allowing people to come into DC unless they showed proof of residency. Here I was, riding right down the middle of a 6-lane bridge with no traffic at all - how odd!! I got on the bike path and headed to Falls Church. Traffic had been totally clogged on the roads for 6 miles straight before it eased up. I got home, arriving about 15 minutes later than my normal commuting time. I was very glad to be a bike commuter that day, for sure! I suggested to some people in the office that they ought to think about keeping a bike at the office or in their car trunk, so they could have a way out of the city also, in another emergency...it definitely comes in handy.

Fly Like An Eagle!

2007-08-22T08:21:00.000-07:00

While I was biking home last night, I saw a large bird flying over the GW Parkway - I looked more closely and saw its white head - a beautiful bald eagle. :) I know that they are around the area, but I don't see them very often. So it was a nice sight. I'm glad that they are off the endangered list.

Sailing thru Summer

2007-07-27T06:32:00.001-07:00

It's been a quiet summer - no nasty thunderstorms - in fact, we're in drought conditions. The only water I see is along the Potomac River. I pass by this peaceful marina along the bike path. In the winter time, there are people who put Christmas lights on their sail masts, which is pretty.

Here's another peaceful photo, taken on my ride into work recently. I really enjoy nature along my commute, and the peace and quiet. It's a great way to start and end the day. To just take my time rolling into work, breathing deeply, hearing the birds sing, seeing the sparkling water, while all around me, people are busy getting everywhere via plane, train and automobile.

The First Day of Summer '07

2007-06-26T06:50:00.000-07:00

As I was riding home on the first day of summer, these storm clouds came out of nowhere. Often in D.C. in the summer, about 4:30 or 5 p.m., we get thunderstorms. I've outrun many of them, making it home just in time before the skies let loose. Other storms, I've waited out in my office or garage entrance as the worst hits. I don't mind rain, but lightning has my respect. :) Sometimes, like this storm, it moved slowly and stayed to the north and I never get wet. Other times, I head on out, and see how far I can get before taking shelter. Most of the time, the storms move through fairly quickly and I can head home safely.

Bike to Work Day 2007!

2007-05-23T07:31:00.000-07:00

Here I am with my folding bike, the Bike Friday, at Freedom Plaza in D.C., where things were beginning to be set up for the many bikers participating in Bike to Work Day 2007. I got there early, so that's why there weren't many people there yet. However, the total number of people who biked to work that day was 6,600 - which is 400 more than last year!! Yea!

You'll see that I have a trailer attached to my Bike Friday. The Bike Friday folds down into that suitcase/trailer. I was flying out that evening to go to Providence, Rhode Island to attend a college graduation, and wanted to bring my bike with me to explore Providence. The airline fees for bringing a regular bike in a bike box, can be up to $150 EACH WAY. I bought this Bike Friday a couple of years ago, after being tired of paying that exorbitant fee. In taking my Bike Friday on a plane four times, it would pay for itself! The Bike Friday is a GREAT bike - it has good low gears to get up just about any hill/mountain, and was custom made to my body specifications, so it fits me like a glove. I would highly recommend a Bike Friday to anyone who loves to travel as I do!

Cheery Cherry Blossoms!

2007-04-03T12:37:00.000-07:00

It's April in D.C., and the Cherry Blossoms are in full bloom. :) Living in the area, a lot of people kind of take them for granted, and pass by them without stopping. I'm guilty of that too sometimes, but this Spring I was drawn to them like a bee. Especially on the day I took this photo, with the bright blue sky in the background. That's one of the benefits of biking to work, you can stop anywhere and take pictures along the way, and really appreciate the scenery. No parking problems either - just lay your bike down in the grass. :)

Feeling Foxy!

2007-03-23T06:18:00.000-07:00

Spring is making her first appearances, with some flowers blooming - always nice to see the colors!

This morning as I headed down the bike path, I was surprised to see a big red fox galloping across the path just ahead of me - what a beautiful animal! I didn't know they have "black sox" on their legs! I mentioned it to some of the regular biking guys I see, and one guy said he's seen the fox with a couple of kits before. That'd be neat!

Frozen in February

2007-02-15T08:25:00.000-08:00

Here are a couple of photos I took on my bike ride to work the other week....some chunks of ice in the Potomac River, and a nice sunrise. We've now gotten a few inches of snow/ice in the area, so I won't be able to bike on the bike path for a week perhaps. I've thought of buying studded snow tires for times like this...but we don't get too much snow/ice usually, and it's not around that long either...so it doesn't seem worth it for the expense of the new rims and tires. In addition to the safety factor of biking on the rutted roads/bike path. So I take the subway to and fro work - usually after 3 days, I'm dying to get back on my bike instead of dealing with the MASSES of people, delays, rude people, etc.

Tailwinds and Turkey!

2007-01-12T07:00:00.000-08:00

This morning, I had a nice tailwind to bring me to work. Usually in the winter, the winds are from the North, but it was blowing from the South today, which makes for a nice start to the day.

I had just finished riding over a long boardwalk that goes over a marshy area, and then there are woods to the right. A bicyclist was standing there, talking with a jogger, and they were pointing to something in the woods. So I stopped to see what they were checking out - and the cyclist said it was a Jake turkey (a male turkey)! Sure enough, I peered into the woods and there it was, calmly walking around! It was pretty big. The cyclist said he has seen several hen turkeys, but never a Jake turkey. So that was pretty neat and unusual sighting!

Deer in December!

2006-12-19T08:55:00.000-08:00

I was biking home one night recently. I was using a new bike light (handlebar mounted), due to my NiteRider light having been sent in for repair. The new bike light is bright enough (though not as bright as the NiteRider light). The one advantage of my other light is that it is mounted on my helmet, so wherever I turn my head, light shines on whatever I need to see. One time last winter, I heard some rustling in the leaves on my left. I turned my head, and my headlight showed a beautiful red fox running across an open area in the park I was riding through.

The bike path I ride on parallels the George Washington Parkway. On this particular night, I'm riding along, and all of a sudden I hear clopping of HOOVES on the pavement! It took me a second to figure out what the hooves could be....and then I realized it was DEER hooves, and it was coming in my direction! I hit the brakes because I didn't know if the deer was going to see me or not, and I surely did not want to be broadsided! A second later, a big deer stood about 20 feet in front of me and stared at me and my headlight. Then it turned and leaped away into the darkness. I sighed a sigh of relief, knowing both he and I had been spared getting hit. Sure did give me a slight heart attack though!

(P.S. I didn't take the picture above - just found it on the internet to attach to my story.)

RATS!

2006-11-08T06:51:00.000-08:00

I saw this dead fella on my way to work the other day - right in the middle of the path. Big sucker, ain't he? Sometimes when I'm riding home these dark autumn nights, I can hear the rats running in the grass and underbrush near the bike path - glad I don't see them!

On the other hand, there is beauty in the night also - here's a nice shot of the Monument and the Moonlight. Washington, D.C. is a pretty city at night, with the various memorials lit.

Autumn Leaves

2006-10-23T09:34:00.000-07:00

Autumn has arrived and the leaves are at their peak. It's a nice time to ride with the cooler and more comfortable days - a nice change from the heat and humidity. The shorter daylight hours is an adjustment, but I have a good biking light to lead me through the darkness, along with a reflective vest and rear blinking light. It's kind of fun to ride in the dark - you feel "cloaked" and safe in a way.

Rains from Ernesto

2006-09-12T08:20:00.000-07:00

September started out quite rainy, with Tropical Storm Ernesto blowing into town. This picture was taken a day or so afterwards, showing the "residue" that gets pushed up out of the river and next to the bike path. Sometimes large trees get knocked down and block the path and you have to navigate your way around them. On the day of the storm, I biked to work, in the light rain, and it wasn't bad. I locked my bike in the bike cage, and hung my rain gear in there, to dry. I've done this every time it's rained the past 13 years. In the evening, the winds had picked up to 30-45 mph, and rains were heavy. I went downstairs to the bike cage to bike home, and saw with disbelief, that my Gortex (i.e., expensive!!) rain gear was GONE! I couldn't believe it...that someone would do such a thing on the nastiest night of the year! HOW RUDE!! I did have an extra set of rain gear at the office, but the night before, I had brought that rain jacket home, due to possible rain...and then I decided to leave it at home that morning, as I didn't want extra stuff to carry. So I had the rain pants at work, but that wasn't going to help my upper body, especially my head, and the rain and temperatures outside were on the cool side. I went over to the drug store to see if they had a cheap poncho I could buy -- no luck, they had sold their last one. I could take the subway home, but couldn't get on there with my bike til after 7 p.m., and even then, I'd have to bike many miles home. As I stood in the office lobby, wondering what to do, a man in my office walked by, on his way to the garage to drive home. I told him what happened and he had pity on me and gave me a ride home! I live in the complete opposite direction (40 miles away) from his home, so this was a very nice gesture! We had a nice chat on the way, and I was very grateful, needless to say! So, over the weekend, I bought new new Gortex gear, and now keep it by my desk after I ride in the rain, so it is in my eyesight. So, again, I live and learn, and won't be hanging it to dry in the bike cage. I guess I've just been very trusting all these years, and my luck finally ran out...out into the rain!!

The Sting of Summer...

2006-08-24T06:43:00.000-07:00

Ah, what a nice pair of sunglasses, eh? Except I wasn't wearing them on my ride home from work the other night. Actually, I stopped wearing sunglasses a few years ago - and just got used to riding without them - it was one less thing to tote around. Anyway, I was tooting along, minding my own business, when a big fat bee came right at me and hit and stung me on my right eyelid!! OUCH!!!! I stopped and got off the path - boy did it hurt! It felt like someone had taken a pool cue stick and hit me right on my eye! I took my waterbottle which had been in the freezer at work, and applied it to my eyelid, but it didn't do much. I could see the stinger on my eyelid. I decided to head into Old Towne Alexandria, a mile or two ahead, and call my roommate to see if she could come pick me up. I am allergic to bees, and my eyelid and the area around it was quickly becoming puffy. I stopped at a drugstore on the way to see what the pharmacist would recommend taking. They said to get some Benadryl and then see a doctor, as it looked like it was getting worse. At this point, my eye was quite swollen, along with my upper lip becoming numb, and my hands and feet getting an itchy rash. So my roommate picked me up and we headed right over to the medical center for a doctor to take a look. They gave me an ice pack to apply, and then some medicine to take away the swelling and rash, along with prescriptions to get filled. I took the next day off from work, because when I woke up, my eye was still pretty swollen and was only a thin slit to peer out of.

So, the moral of the story is to wear protective eyewear, even if you don't think you need to. You never know what you'll run into!!

Branches & Bridges

2006-07-26T08:03:00.000-07:00

It's July in D.C., and that means the pretty crepe myrtle trees bloom. They come in various colors of white, lavender, and pink. Nice to see their pretty blossoms - sort of like a last "hurrah" for summertime. Here's a picture of some bright pink ones located off of the Mt. Vernon Trail I ride on each workday.

Also, this month, the massive Woodrow Wilson Bridge project opened up its first span of lanes, and the traffic was diverted onto it from the deteriorating 1960's old bridge. The new bridge was built taller than the old one, so that the drawbridge won't have to open as often.
The construction crews recently built a bike path detour, to avert cyclists from going under the old portion that they are currently tearing down. The detour is a bit out of the way, but in exchange, you get real close to the large beautiful arches.

So, it's been neat to see the different phases coming along and sort of "be a part" of it!

Bike to Work Day 2006

2006-05-23T09:53:00.000-07:00

Friday, May 19, 2006 was Bike To Work Day, and what great weather we had!! Last year, we had a cold and drizzily day, and when I pulled up to the pit-stop in Old Towne Alexandria, there were only a few people there. This time, I was happily surprised to see a good size gathering (as you can see from the bottom photo)! I spent a little time chatting with my bicycle mechanic, Bill, from Spokes, Etc., and then with the "Biker Boys" (Jack and Greg) who heartily commute year-round.

Then it was on to the big rally in downtown (photo at top) held at the Freedom Plaza. It's always neat to see how many people are there! This year, I heard that 6,200 bicyclists registered and rode their bike to work! This was the largest gathering in the country, according to the Washington Area Bicyclist Association! There are bagels to be eaten and short speeches given by local biking-related officials. When I finally head to my office, I'm all jazzed up about bicycling to work (as if I need more enthusiasm!).

Springtime in D.C.

2006-04-20T12:10:00.000-07:00

Spring is finally here and we are enjoying blue skies, warmer breezes and beautiful flowers and budding trees. All the color is an "assault on the senses" in a way, after a somewhat long, dreary, colorless winter. There are pretty tulips and colorful dogwood trees, not to mention the snow-like, famous Cherry Blossoms! It's too bad Spring doesn't last very long...compared to the long hot and humid Summer days...but we will enjoy each and every lovely day, as if we were relishing gourmet ice cream!

Come On Spring!

2006-03-02T14:07:00.000-08:00

It's March, but it'll be a while longer before we see more Spring-like temperatures. But, I can't complain, since the winter really wasn't that bad. Here's a photo taken of the first snow on the bike path back in December. It was beautiful. My mountain bike moved through the snow easily. I really have the BEST commute in town! :)