The Week, in Photos

Tina's and Pierre's families were out of town this week, so they stayed with us. They were highly energetic, but I was able to get some photos of them, and Piper, when they were all tuckered out from playing hard.

It's like a sleeping dog train.

Wanting to help the basement guy, the plumber, the counter guy.
Tina and Pierre were very vocal about this desire!
Piper just wanted to know what the fuss was.

Pierre's family brought some Belgian chocolate.

On Friday night, I realized that I need to get $28 of donations per day to meet my goal in time. I mentioned it on Facebook. Annie T. donated $28 to give me some time to figure out a plan, while Annie P., Ann S., Ann M. (yes, a theme!), Andre, Jen, and Veronika offered some ideas.

I got this for Annie P. who likes my pilgrim hat-
wearing bitmoji. I'm adding a surcharge to help my fundraising.

I meant to order three of these for Ann S. and her daughters,
but accidentally ordered them pilgrim hat-wearing
bitmoji shirts, too. Whoops! Wear helmets, girls!

Andre suggested a hard lemonade stand, and Ann M.
offered up her kids' stand - we just need to add "hard"
and change the price to $28/cup. But it is cold, so
Andre suggested an Irish whiskey stand. Tempting!

Ann S. is a stylist for Color Street nails. She set up a fundraiser
to help sell the press-on, dry nail polish strips. 25% of each sale
goes to my fundraising goal.

https://www.colorstreet.com/31215/party/590565

While all that was happening, Matt and I went out for my longest ride since October. Close to 50 miles, under 40 degrees.

We were very high viz. I got these new
transition cycling glasses that work great.
My scar is under wraps because I want to
keep the sun off it for as long as possible.

View of the Mississippi from the Stone Arch Bridge. Not as flooded as St. Paul but very turbulent. I hope they're getting some good water powered energy from all this craziness.

 I got a donation from my sister and a couple of people are buying the nail things, so I only need to raise $26 per day to hit my goal by May 18!

http://main.nationalmssociety.org/goto/GoMaggieGo

Stuck in the middle with you

When Matt took this photo today on our bike ride, he mentioned that the cathedral was on one shoulder and the capitol on the other. I couldn't help but get the "stuck in the middle with you" song stuck in my head, although I don't mean to say either houses clowns or jokers. The song does have a nice line, though: "It's so hard to keep this smile from my face."

Seat cover to keep puddle water from going through the cutout.
Sleeves pushed up and jacket unzipped in all the many places.

Yes, it was hard to keep a smile from my face. It was in the low 50s today, sunny, and barely windy (unusual for spring). And I was on my bike, moving, moving, moving. Or rather dodging, dodging, dodging. The deep potholes all around the city require a fair amount of vigilance! In a short while, both sides of the river will be green and lush. Right now, though, the water is high and still has chunks of ice in it. 

I was really proud of us today. Our natural inclination is to plow through the water. Although we could see the yellow line all the way through the train bridge, the water was pouring rapidly from the Mississippi River onto the street and then swelling where it hit the water from the marshy area. We figured that if we tried to ride it, the current of the water, on the street, might be too strong and we'd have to put our feet squarely in it and walk.

Me, in shorts and knee-high socks. In the snow.

Little did we know that we'd need to walk a stretch between the fort and the falls. It seems that a bunch of snow from that last wave got plowed on to the path and has not yet quite melted due to the concrete barrier providing too much shade. 

Because I've raised over $500 for the MS Society, they are sending me these cool socks. Now *they'll* look good with shorts. And no snow!

http://main.nationalmssociety.org/goto/GoMaggieGo

A love of dancing - mainly to polkas

"Esther had a heart of gold.... She always had a smile on her face.... She loved playing cards - 500 and bridge and had a love of dancing- mainly to polkas. She will truly be missed."

I love this part of Esther's obituary. We were neighbors for almost 17 years before she moved into assisted living and then a nursing home.

I went to the church for the funeral, but left. I instead went to the coffee shop for coffee and a pastry. We used to get together for coffee and donuts and talk about important and trivial life things. I can hear her voice saying, "Oh, honey," in response to my decision to honor her memory this way.

Some of my favorite memories of her include:

•  Esther imploring me to admire her "man hands" which she said were important, growing up on a farm.
•  Esther and my Grandpa chatting at my law school graduation party.
•  Talking with her about education, marriage, and gender roles.
•  Esther telling me that the invasive vine that I had just weeded out of her garden was something she liked in her yard.
•  Hearing about how her desire to travel internationally was the one thing she didn't compromise on in her marriage.
•  Esther bringing one can of beer and a lawn chair to block parties.
•  Watching her trembling hands manage to pour me a cup of coffee and not burn me.

I have been very fortunate in life to meet inspirational, generous women. I do not take that for granted. Thanks, Esther. 

http://main.nationalmssociety.org/goto/GoMaggieGo

Táim réidh le marcaíocht

Google Translate tells me that "Táim réidh le marcaíocht" is how you say, "I'm ready to ride," if you're Irish. So, it seems like something Maggie Mahoney should know how to say.

I tried to fact check this, because I try to fact check all of the things I read these days. When I put the phrase into regular Google, it led me down a poll coinín, I mean a rabbit hole, to this: "Is fearr marcaíocht ar ghabhair ná siúlóid, dá fheabhas." A ride, even on a goat, is better by far than having to walk. 

So true, so true. But I'd still rather ride a bike, thank you very much. 

Without a goat. Gan ghabhar.

I think Spring Fever is hitting. I might be able to ride for real next weekend. Almost all of the snow will be gone AND there might not be super deep puddles covering up the car-sized potholes?

The last three nights in a row, I dreamed about riding my bike. The online dream dictionary tells me, "To dream that you are riding a bicycle signifies your desires to attain a balance in your life. You need to balance work and pleasure in order to succeed in your current undertakings. If you have difficulties riding the bicycle, then it suggests that you are experiencing anxieties about making it on your own. ... To see a  bicycle in your dream indicates that you need to devote time to leisurely pursuits and recreation."

Uhm, I think it just means I want to ride my bike?? Which, yes, is pleasurable leisure and recreation. I think we're turning a corner, my friends! 

The BikeMS rides are rapidly approaching, as May, the target date for raising $5000 for the MS Society. http://main.nationalmssociety.org/goto/GoMaggieGo