The Force Awakens

On my way to yoga today, I came across a human-sized rabbit outside Mel-O-Glaze Bakery. This reminded me of a photo I thought I had of me as a 3-year old plainly intimidated by a similar rabbit. I can't find it, so I included some other Easter photos from my youth.

In the middle of our bike ride after yoga, Matt and I paid a visit to the big bunny on the parkway. It was a big photo spot today.

After finishing my 65-mile ride in 40-degree temps, I showered, ate some food, and headed to the Riverview with Dan to watch Star Wars. I LOVED IT. And I love the Riverview (admission for two, popcorn, soda, candy bar for $13.25).

Now I'll sleep well and have some action- packed dreams!

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I know this is Minnesota, but...

I learned a couple of things when the driver's ed instructor yelled at me as a teen. One such item: even if you are looking and see other drivers, make eye contact so everyone knows that they're seeing each other and to better understand what someone might do.

These aren't my eyes.

To that end, I wish I could say this to the young guy in his grey, muffler-challenged car this morning:

Thank you, sincerely, for not being a jerk when pulling up next to me to tell me what you were doing when you were at the stop sign and looking at your lap, and I loudly suggested you should have your eyes on me. I couldn't hear your explanation of what you were doing. Perhaps you were even waiting for me to pass by, for which I thank you. From my perspective, it looked like you'd stopped in the crosswalk and were looking to make a move to gun it when making your turn, but I couldn't get a sense of your intent because you were looking at your lap. Perhaps you were  looking at your hands, your phone, a map, a note from a loved one, but I really would have preferred that you made eye contact with me. I'm sorry that the circumstances didn't allow us to have a real conversation, and I'm sorry that there's pretty much no chance you'll see this message.


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Universal Support

"I got nasty habits; I take tea at three."  Mick Jagger

In a very timely turn of events, as I was pining for good tea and reading an online forum about bells on bikes, Tammy invited me to try Cafe Latte's afternoon tea (for lunch, at noon, three hours before Mick) and Mary and Jane gave me a cool teapot-shaped bike bell! (I can't wait to try it out this weekend.)

The universe apparently is giving me some love. What next?

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Spring in My Steps, and Hops and Jumps

I have a lot of stories, reflections, and thoughts, but will condense them via photo collage.

First, a confession. Not only have I been doing Irish dance, but I went totally outside the comfort zone that's located even further outside the uncomfortable zone occupied by doing Irish dance in the first place. This uber uncomfortable zone is the one where you dress up and perform. In front of crowds. With makeup.

The second time I've worn eye shadow in my entire life - for our school dress rehearsal.
The first time, when I was 12, actually was pretty similar to this, and involves a story
of great parenting by my still-still-relatively-newish-at-the-time stepmom.

This was the third time I wore eye shadow: when my instructor
left it up to me to apply my own makeup.

The Landmark Center on 3/17. It's going
to be a mad house today.

I've really enjoyed getting to know the others in my adult beginner class, the super nice people from the adult intermediate class who are are partners for our paired dance, the amazingly talented and hard-working intermediate and advanced (so cool) dancing teens and tweens, and the very dedicated parents of all of the kid dancers. 

The performing subset of the adult beginner class, after
our four performances on 3/17.

"If you're Irish, it doesn't matter where you go - you'll find family."   Victoria Smurfit

After our day of dancing, Stacy and I went, in our dresses, and marched in the parade. We couldn't wear our dance shoes, so I had tennis shoes on. Also, what does one do with her ID, phone, and keys? I wore mine in a flat fanny pack from 1992, strategically placed under my dress. However, when you go to the bar after the parade, you can't be lifting up your dress to pay for your pint of Guinness. You might, but I won't.

I was carrying around my fanny pack, and these nice guys encouraged me to wear it. With my shoes it was quite a sight to behold. One could argue that they, too, have fanny packs, but their purse/canteen things were super cool. These nice guys ride bikes, we learned. We're going to cross-invite each other to our rides.

The guy on your left, my right, has a seriously
Irish name: Rory McCabe.

So, after a long day of kicking up my heels (okay, let's be honest, sort of faking my way through all of my dances), I slept for about six hours, got up, and spent all day Friday prepping for our trivia fundraiser on Friday night. 

I don't have many photos because I was working my butt off that night, and really wish I had a photo of my family's team and their matching shirts identifying themselves based on their relationship to me. I am glad that the half of my parents drove here and guilted my brothers and sisters-in-law into joining them - I really like my family.

We raised $2,144 for the MS Society in those few hours, which is so, so cool! We'll split that up among the volunteers to help them meet their individual fundraising goals for the MS150 bike ride in June.

Stacy's Cycling Supporters team members and volunteers -
we had a lot of team members play trivia, too!

I didn't get a photo when everyone was shouting and waving their
arms in the air, or putting their hands on the heads and butts
for the "heads or tails" game, but like the reflective looks.

“Despite the forecast, live like it's spring.”  Lilly Pulitzer

It's time to put on the garb and head down to the Landmark Center for the Day of Irish Dance. I still am surprised, even though I'm the one who signed up for it!

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I may be a living legend, but that sure don't help when I've got to change a flat tire.

That's a quote from Roy Orbison, according to the all-knowing Internet.

Yes, I had another flat tire. I knew I was riding on borrowed time, in the flat department, when I applied superglue to the various cracks and the big chunk missing from the sidewall of my tire last week. Luckily, I flatted (yes, that's what people actually say, can you believe it?) on my way back to work after an off-site meeting, rather than when I was racing to the off-site meeting, fighting the clock, a nasty headwind, and all of the stoplights in the fine City of St. Paul.

I stopped in and got some new tires (and tubes), after getting a nice impromptu education on 23mm v. 25mm v. 28 mm tires from Megan at the bike shop, and swapping flat stories with the bike shop people - - all of whom had flats today.

It's that time of year when all of the "gems" resurface from under the snowbanks and winter detritus. Plus, I don't think I'd replaced my tires since last spring, which is really quite impressive, probably.

I didn't expect to see Josh, the owner of my local bike shop, at the shop so late in the evening - - - he's normally there during the daytime, but he was delayed due to his own flat and other things. It was good, because he handed me the Angry Catfish's prize items for trivia: a gift card, two pint glasses, coffee, and this cool, new mug.

We're just 10 days away, and there's lots of stuff still to be done in terms of prep, so, yeah.

The two last people to sign up for trivia were Kyle and Rachel. In the it's-a-small-world realm, Kyle and I were destined to cross paths. Not only did he know my baby brother when they both were in high school, but also he was my rowing coach and my co-worker's legislative aide, and he now is in law school and works for me. Today was not my favorite day, until Kyle pulled up behind me on the bike ride home and we got to ride together for about 5 miles.

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Using All the Gears

Life is like a ten-speed bicycle. Most of us have gears we never use.  - Charles M. Schulz

I used lots of gears this weekend, just none of them on my bike. Ideally, I would have done the Fat Bike Birkie race on Saturday and would have earned the event t-shirt that I received. Instead, while the others were riding, I walked the dog on the northern Wisconsin lake where we were staying, practiced my Irish dance steps, and pulled together trivia questions for the MS fundraiser. (While I had tinges of regret, I think I did a good job of not criticizing myself too much.)

My new Irish dance motto

I didn't feel so hot when we got back to town this afternoon, so I didn't take advantage of the nice weather and go for a ride. Instead, I took a short nap, walked the dog, made granola bars, sent out confirmation info to the trivia participants, and emailed my team about MS Awareness Week and the opportunity it presents for them to do their fundraising outreach. I also saw a bat, which didn't require any effort on my part, but was a noteworthy event at dusk.

So, I did a lot, just not quite what one would expect on a nice, sunny 60-degree day, as we transition away from winter.

I am planning on signing up for 30 Days of Biking, even though I'll have to get creative when traveling for work in April. I'm waiting to register due to not having a witty explanation for why I'll be riding, like this smarty who registered on the first day.

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