A little less knitting, a little more biking.

I used to be a pretty hard-core cyclist.  A serious commuter by bike.  When I lived in Chicago, I biked ten miles each way to work from the far north side down to the Loop.  Biking became a primary way to get around.  For a long time I didn't even have a halfway decent bicycle, just a department-store "mountain" bike, and I still just...rode and rode.
As time went on, I acquired a nicer, faster (used) bike, a 1982 Schwinn LeTour (which is currently taking up space at my sister's house).  I rode the hell out of that thing, and eventually converted it to a single speed, added a coaster wheel, changed the handlebars...yadda.  Yadda.

After I moved out of Chicago and into Minneapolis/St. Paul, I alternated between biking daily and taking the bus/train.  I did own a car for a short while...um...it's long gone, so no need to talk 'bout that.

When J and I first started dating, we biked everywhere together.  Hell, we met 'cause of bikes.  We first became acquainted on Mpls Bike Love, a local website devoted to Twin Cities culture complete with advocacy, forums, et cetera.

Lately, I've been very public transit-reliant.  Nothing super wrong with that, yeah, but at the same time I get so weary of waiting for buses and trains, dealing with noisy passengers and crowds, having to rely on departure schedules, the works.  I've been riding public transportation for 18 years, so...I know what's up.  I know.

This morning, I decided to ride my bike to work for a meeting. My job is 10 miles from my apartment.
Not only that, I also decided to bike to my school after the meeting.  That's another 6 miles.
Then I had to get home,  According to Google Maps, I live 10 miles from my school.
So, I biked 26 miles today.  Not bad!

My new goal is to bike to work as much as possible.

By the way, my current steed is a souped-up 1979 Raleigh Twenty.  It's a folding bike.  The guy I bought it from on Mpls Bike Love added a 7-speed internal gear hub, light alloy wheels, and high-pressure tires.  It's a pretty nice ride, even if this picture ain't so nice...

This is not the interior of a garage.  This is inside our apartment.  Sad, sad, sad.



Lately I have been spending more money than usual.  I've been buying clothes and shoes that are cold-weather specific, like merino wool base layers and socks, warm boots, even a new parka with a detachable liner.  I've heard rumors that this coming winter ain't gonna be a wimpy one, and I don't intend to stay indoors for the whole season.  I wanna bike, hike, ski, and basically do what needs to be done.  I'm also going to have to shovel lots of snow.  Why?  Because...
...J and I are moving within the next month into the house right next door to my sister's!
Long story short, the owner of the house has become disabled and is staying in an assisted living facility for the time being.  J and I are going to be the live-in caretakers of her house, probably just for the winter.  We'll take care of her two cats (we'll be up to four felines), shovel, winterize, and pay the utility bills.  We won't have to pay any official rent.
It's pretty exciting, yet I know we have a lot to do in the next several weeks.  (Pack, clean, minimize, oh crap...)

I finally finished the Grape Loop socks...

I'm going to be doing a little less knitting in the near future.  I still have projects lined up the wazoo, but since I have rekindled my interest in biking, I am gonna have to make some cuts to my knitting time.  I am also going to devote more time to schoolwork.  Ain't got no choice anyhow, since my final paper is due in a month and the big exam is a bit after that...
...add to this pile the moving situation.

Happy Halloween!

Upcoming blog idea: my favorite pizzas of all time.