100 miles you you ain't no thing

this is also much overdue. in july i rode my first ever century ride. that's right 100 miles. this was an chicago district rei employee ride. man was this fun! i love my friends, co-workers, and my bike. things like this make life worth living. i still think one of the best parts... well if not the best the funniest... was when greg got a flat in front of a bar trying to do a bikini babe car wash. the elk in elk grove village were pretty spectacular too, i never knew that elk  grove actually had elk. did you? it was a day of strengthening bonds with good friends and making new one's with new friends.

a day off

here's the truth of it.... i work a lot and make very little.
today was my first day off in a month. well,  unless you count the day i took off to go to the doctor to find out that i had viral bronchitis.

i have had a very emotional week concerning my job at rei. my supervisor pat has transferred to another store. pat surprisingly grew on me, a lot. every time i saw him i wanted to hug him and every time i heard his voice on the intercom i would crack up. i miss him terribly and he's a wonderful human being. also i can't really talk about this but we have lost our store manager tommy. he was one of the best bosses i have every had the privilege to work for and the entire store is in mourning. it feels like someone died.

furthermore i have said good by to my friend lauren who moved out of chicago on friday. mama be joy is packing up the fam and they are moving out to washington state. this has been a long time gole and dream of theirs.  i have become very close with her over the past two years and have known her for over eight now. the only relief is the fact that we will see them when we are out that way for the winter holidays. i can't wait.

so today was a much needed day off. it was glorious. k got me up out of bed much earlier then i wanted to get up on a day off. however i'm thankful he did so. we rode our bikes over to his neighborhood. i was grateful to have thought to wear boots in my sleepy uncaffeinated state for it was a cool and windy fall morning. we got some coffee at new wave which i haven't been too in a long long time. that's when i finally stopped being cranky.

next we went to the logan square farmers market for their last day outdoors. they will be moving indoors to the congress theater starting next week. i really enjoy the feel of an outdoor local farmers market. it brings the community together. it does not get any better then fresh locally grown foods and buying them from the farmers themselves. these are the people we should be supporting.

my favorite thing about a farmers market is the colors. i love seeing the color palette change from the start of summer into fall.

 

   

 

after that it was time to go support our friend jeremy karpen. jeremy has been a friend for a few years now and is running as the green party candidate for state representative of the 39th district in illinois. the 39th district includes logan square. elections are on november 2nd. i believe that il has never had a green party rep and it's looking like jeremy has a good chance at being the first. 

jeremy is a professional counselor and works as a supervisor for at-risk boys at mercy home for boys and girls. this is a residential home for these kids. he also volunteers at the center for domestic peace where he works with men who have committed acts of domestic violence to enhance accountability and work toward overcoming violent masculine gender norms.    

i support jeremy for his views not just due to the fact that he's a friend. he believes in education, green jobs, non violence, and marriage equality. "As a counselor and community activist, I believe access to quality health care, quality education, and safe and affordable housing are human rights. Families in the district need real leadership in Springfield on these issues. It is time for economic policy that invests in the people that make up our community."

furthermore jeremy is just a cool guy with lots of creative energy. it really showed today. we had a green ride... or a political mass if you will. when was the last time you saw a political candidate riding a bike with a group of their constituents around their district? that's right.      

we all meet up at the logan square monument in the middle of logan. this is one of the more prominent monuments in the district. this really amazing mariachi band called mexico viva got us pumped up and sent us on our way. there is a lot of mexican heritage in the district and it was quite powerful to see them performing in front of the monument.

 

 that would be me in the hood

im pretty bummed that my camera batteries died on me during his speech. 

did i mention that it was halloween? it's getting late and im getting sleepy. i will have to tell you about the rest of my day in the next post. my eyes are closing and words no longer make sense...... it has been a wonderful day off!

this is a mama kitty pumpkin k carved.

critical mass september

"What is Critical Mass?

Critical Mass is a bike ride plain and simple. The ride takes place on the Last Friday Of Every Month (in Chicago anyway). A Critical Mass is created when the group of riders comes together for those few hours to take back the streets of our city. The right of the people to assemble is guaranteed in the Constitution, and Critical Mass helps people remember that right. The Mass itself has no political agenda, though, no more than the people of any other community do. Critical Mass is open to all, and it welcomes all riders to join in a celebration of riding bicycles. Why? Because bikes are fun!


Sure, as with any community, you'll see people of all types. Some people see Critical Mass as a forum for grassroots political change. Some people see it as a protest against cars. Some people just like to ride. The Mass, however, is just that...a bunch of bike riders. You can drive a car the whole month and ride in the Mass. You can be an anarchist and ride in the Mass. The point of the Mass is the Mass, nothing more. Critical Mass has no leadership. It is a ride where no one is in charge. At any time, riders are free to leave, stay, stop, or even help out. Everyone is responsible for themselves and the Mass. Learn how to get involved!


Once you realize that, you're free to enjoy the exhilaration that is a large bike ride. It's quite a sight to be parading down Michigan Avenue with thousands of fellow riders, wishing pedestrians and drivers a "Happy Friday!"

Chicago Critical Mass is a community, yet it's also part of a worldwide Critical Mass community as a whole. Critical Mass rides take place all over the world each month, and Chicago is proud to join in to proclaim our love of bicycles. If you love bikes, and you want to show others how you feel about cycling, come join us!

For more information on the origins of Critical Mass, please see the excellent Wikipedia page on the subject.

 How did it get started?

It started in August 1992 in San Francisco when a group of bicycle commuters decided to ride home together.

 

Why is it called "Critical Mass"?

The name "Critical Mass" comes from Ted White's bike-umentary Return of the Scorcher. This video shows intersection crossing etiquette in China's big cities. Cross bike-traffic waits until it has enough riders, i.e., a critical mass, to push it's way through the intersection. "

http://chicagocriticalmass.org/about

Designed by Chris Drew, Maria Wohadlo for the September, 2010 Ride

 we sure did have some fun. believe it or not i have never ridden in a critical mass before. it was something i have always meant to do but would forget every month until it was to late. however it has been a big part of the lives of some friends of mine. some have even gotten engaged during critical mass: my friend Michelle Simon

if you guy read the article you should watch the video is really cute. i was unable to re-post it here.

well it was a blast. the same giddy feeling overtook me as it did with the naked bike ride. i have no idea how many people rode this last week.. i would say over five hundred. it was quit something.

what a really noticed was the pedestrians and the car drivers reactions. some people lit up and cheered us on. other remained numb. i wonder how these people go about their lives? something unexpected is happening to you on your friday commute home or where it is your going. and you remain numb? come on people embrace the unexpected!

i look forward to next months on october 28 for it will be a halloween ride. halloween is my favorite holiday! i adore fall. i just hope i don't have to work!

World Naked Bike Ride

WARNING: THIS BLOG WILL CONTAIN IMAGES OF NAKED PEOPLE

my dear friends i finally had the pleasure of  riding my bike naked through the streets of Chicago, well almost naked…. i did wear my little hot yoga shorts. i was surprised how many people were all out nude… mainly men!

so the entire point of the world naked bike ride  is to promote independence from oil and positive body image. on our 3 ½ hour, 14 mile, ride through the city (yes including michigan ave) we hit up and protested at two bp stations. i find this very fitting given the current situation.

 the mail slogans chanted in this years ride were “ less gas more ass” , “ im nude but im not crude” or right and then there was the all out right “fuck bp”.  i found it interesting how people stuck in cars of traffic were trying to high five rides. we drew huge crowds, people running out of bars and clubs and gathering on the streets, people on mich ave coming out of posh restaurants and shops. for the most part people were cheering us on and chanting with us.

until about half way through the ride when we stopped at oz park did i look around and say to my friends oh man there are a lot of naked people here! it’s kida interesting being naked in such a large group of people, it’s not sexual and you defiantly forget that your naked, or that that’s not normal anyways. you start to feel very comfortable being naked with a large group of naked people.

 

this is a video of me getting my back painted

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bU_BKcFfMzc

try that link if the embedded video is not working

this video is taken near the end of the ride. we stopped and blocked the 6 way intersection of north, milwaukee, and damen in wicker park. needless to say a very traffic heavy area on a saturday night. people started picking their bikes up over their heads and dancing. i was surrounded by naked dancing people with bikes over their heads... naked dancing people far as the eye can see. it was quite amazing.

  and the link http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qBNjUOgk8zE

32 miles and counting

i must sincerely apologize for the lack of boggling lately. since the start of my new second job at rei i have had two days off. the first was when k and i photographed a wedding for our friends. well i mean it was there wedding. the other day off was my fathers 50^th birthday party. i believe that it was the best birthday party ever and it lasted from 11am to 5pm. i still can’t believe that my father is actually 50. i never ever want my parents to get old. they remain youthful and extremely active and i look up to them so much.

this last sunday, my parents, a few of their friends, k and i all participated in bike the drive. they close off lake shore drive and allow bikers to ride on it. you start at jackson and ride north till the end of lsd, turn around and ride south till the museum of science and industry, then back north to jackson. i believe the entire trip is 32 miles.

i ride a bike most days and k rides up to work in evanston and back most days. however, we don’t usually do long distances. we were not at all tired of riding after the 32 miles and would have loved to keep going. the major restriction was that i needed to be showered clean and at work ready to go by 11am. we were both a little surprised how easily we rode the 32 miles. i was also a bit taken back a how much i enjoyed it. yes of course it was insatiably beautiful to be on lsd early in the morning and watch the sun come up over lake shore drive. but what i enjoyed the most (well besides being with my family) was not having stops light and cars. i felt like i actually got stretch my legs and ride! non stop and at a desent speed and for a girl that does 99% of her bike riding in a urban city that was quite a treat.

i believe that my dad and i will do the ride for awareness again this year but i would also like to do the 62 mile boulevard ride  the late night and will and i are planning to ride for world naked bike ride. i don’t really know why i don’t participate in critical mass but I really should start. in addition i really would not mind doing some light racing. my mother is about to do her first min tri at age 45! i forget how much she needs to swim but she needs to run 3.5 miles and bike 15. not to bad. i have just re-picked up swimming. i have a pool in my building and last year i didn’t use it a single time! what a waste! this year i am doing laps.

in addition i have always been opposed to the idea of running as a sport. so much impact on the knees especially when swimming and cycling when done right are no impact on the body. besides it had always been one of my least favorite things to so ever. i would like to give it a second chance. i live right next to the lake shore path which would be great to run on and in have treadmills in the work out room of my building for the winter. who knows maybe next year i can do a tri with my mom? Maybe even the chicago marathon? i had always wanted to do something like that but never thought i could, well now im beginning to think that i totally could.

to keep this up i want to go kayaking like no other! k and i have not been in a long time and i really don’t want to go on the chicago rive again. it smells! however, i don’t really know where else to go kayaking. we usually go out to washington/ oregan for an extended time in the summer and do all kinds of amazing things and camp but that will not happen this year due to our jobs. it breaks my heart and makes me what to scream we are going to go for a few days at the end of next month for a friends wedding and i am really hoping that we get to go rafting at least one time.

at rei i work in footwear and have been helping a lot of people with boots for hiking trips. these trips sound amazing! i have never done more then a day hike, i have never been back packing and i really really want to. i would love to camp in the red woods for a few days and im hoping k and i could make that happened soon. also, i am scuba certified and k is about to take certificating classes. we for a while have talked about going to Costa Rica. k went there with friends when he was younger. i have been many tropical places but not there. well we can go diving for a few days and then go hiking in the cloud forest. i really want to do that.

also after a long break i have once again returned to my obsession to bikram yoga. i am considering participating in the il state asana championships this year. however they don’t know when it will be yet this year. the reason i want to do it is all the extra training. last year my yoga studio did competition traing twice a week after the regular class. I think that extra training would really help me go deeper in my practice.

the main point is that im just trying to be healthy. i have always had a horrific immune system and i feel as if i am finally starting to strengthen it. i feel like i can do things i ever thought i could do before and that is just empowering.

True Love

true love is riding my salsa casserole down quiet side streets late at night in a light rain. i ride these roads so often that my body naturally banks the turns and sways to avoid the potholes i am so familiar with that they are almost friends. these streets are still in a city filled with noise and chaos. it’s a fine line and a delicate balance to the alternative, the next block in either direction into an entirely different world.

my salsa cradles my body and is my worrier, my protector. her steal takes the impact of the roads imperfections and i feel the smoothness. her tires on the asphalt are a comfort to my ears. i have never known a bike like this. i fly. i sway. i am in rhythm. i am in love.

spring rain dabs my face and wind runs his fingers through my hair. little beads of sweat form on the small of my back under my rain coat and i endearingly welcome them; anticipating how amazing i will feel sweat drenched moving and stretching in the fallowing days yoga class.

scents of springtime flowers and wood burning fill my nostrils and i yearn with every part of my being to be near a camp fire on the oregon cost. sleeping in a tent under the starry sky.

quickly i am back to the awareness of the present and enjoying my ride too much. it is freedom with clarity. this kind of independence and self sufficiency comes with great self respect and love.

the quiet side streets unavoidably spit me out into congestion. couples out for the evening, gangs of drunk men looking to chase tail, taxies, noise, girls made up and in heels, frat looking boys, evening runners, other cyclists… my senses are overloaded in part to the cardamom and cinnamon spiced coffee i sipped on while having deep conversation with a true friend. he is caring, gentle, honest, and blunt. he is a true friend.  

i fly and the people on the street with their own agendas cannot touch me so i do not judge them. before i blink my eyes again i am around the corner of my home and my final destination for the evening. there is slight disappointment there. the evening ride is over.

soon i am entering my space high over the city with a view and sit and day dream on. this place has been transforming into a sanctuary and a comfort. there, a man i adore waits for me and smiles at me, bear foot as i enter. true love is adoration without forcefulness. my heart is happy as i lean my salsa gently agents the wall.