Inconvenience vs. Adventure

When this all started, the idea of selling the car, going everywhere by bike mostly, bus at times...car free as it were....a very good friend suggested I look at it as an adventure, not an inconvenience.

I have thought about that so, so many times since then!  It keeps coming up for me.  It's usually when I have to go somewhere on bike that I haven't gone yet.  My mind goes to "inconvenience".  It usually takes some time, sometimes a few minutes, sometimes a day or so...but I am able to get around to "adventure" again....and then it is always fun, exhilarating, and a great reminder of what this whole car-free experience is about for me.

A couple examples recently were over this past weekend, leading up to yesterday, Monday....I was going to be in Mission Hills dogsitting for the weekend.  It's only a few miles from where I live, but as the name indicates...there are a lot of hills there!  And...just tacking on a few more miles on the bike seemed daunting, oh, wait, yeah...that's right, an INCONVENIENCE!  Hahahah.

I had to go to a certain store and pick up something on Saturday...I can't tell you how I went around and around about that in my head...it was a different route, where are the bike racks there, I'm pretty tired....those were just three of the thoughts.  So...after all that, I finally got moving, and have this really cool experience.  I rode thru a few busy streets I thought would be intimidating, but weren't....then the bike racks were right in full view...had a short but pleasant conversation with another guy on a bike at the bike racks.

Yesterday I had to leave the house where I was dog sitting...then go to work, then come home, with a detour since they are doing some kind of construction on my beloved Texas hill....(see previous post!!!).  I went thru the same thing as I had over the weekend, not wanting to, I'm tired, etc....

What a day it was!  The extra 20 or so minutes to get to work was tiring, yes....but it felt so good to accomplish it!  And riding thru a nice part of town at 6:30 am....people getting their day started, a couple of firemen walking across the street with coffee right in front of where I was waiting at a light, other people exercising, going to work, etc....was exactly what I needed to feel adventurish again.  Same exact thing with going home.  I didn't want to do a new route for the whole "inconvenience" of it....Now, I am so glad I know that route an have that option.

(this was NOT the fireman walking across the street with the coffee....)

The whole point of all this is for me....how I view this car-free experiment/experience is exactly how it is going to be.  It is going to be an adventure, fun, challenging, tiring, fulfilling....or it will be an inconvenience, and I'll be grouchy, and feel lousy.

I'm opting for the adventure!

And...that pic up top....from yesterday's ride in the morning...right over I-15, close to work...what a sunrise!  I never see that stuff from a car...;o)

Riding on the bus, riding on the bus.....

I'm feeling so good today about this car free experience.  A big part of that was redisovering bus riding, how easy it is....and actually, how convenient too.  I had an idea in my mind that San Diego was so behind the loop on this.  I know it is behind other awesome public transit cities like SF and DC, but for my needs now....I've got a bunch of options.

Started off this morning....I needed to go into Hillcrest from my house, BEFORE going to work.  I could have ridden my bike....but I'm not up for adding another 5 miles (to and fro) to an already 9 mile commute.  Soooooo....thanks to Google Map's awesome feature of giving the option of "public transit" in their directions, it was a piece of cake.  Need to start carrying my latest book I'm reading in my back pack for just such an occasion...but this morning was fine just staring out the window watching the sky start to show signs of daybreak.  VERY frickin' cool.

So speaking of Google Map's, there are two points I want to make: one...there are so many features on there that are totally awesome, once you start playing around with it.  Here's a great link to an article on a bike blog about some features for finding bike routes on there, using the "drag route" feature.   And two:  I checked in later in the day before heading home....I wanted to play with the bus routes from home to work and back, so I don't have to feel 100% dependent on a bike, when I'm not feeling great, or we get the inevitable winter rain...And.....I found a bus route, the 960 that goes very close to my house, and practically lets me off a block from my office!!!  What a relief!  I hadn't been keying in "commute rush hours" when I looked before....so I would only get a very long, very circuitous route....this one will work perfectly!  I am very very very glad to hear that.  I am going to test it out one day next week!

Ending on this....one of the all-time best Homer Simpson quotes:

I saw this movie about a bus that had to SPEED around a city, keeping its SPEED over fifty, and if its SPEED dropped, it would explode! I think it was called “The Bus That Couldn’t Slow Down.”

Broken Spokes...

That sounds like a really cool band name...Broken Spokes...Almost as cool as the band name Dysphagia that my co-workers and I talk about starting....hahaha....(complete joke that has taken on a very lively life of its own now after a year of talk, etc...)

So....yesterday morning on the way to work, going down Texas St,.....I got to the bottom, and was just turning onto CDR South, and I heard a loud POP!  I am new to biking, bike commuting, and car free goings about.....but I knew that POP was bad....I actually have discovered that I prefer going UP Texas instead of DOWN Texas...can't believe I just said that, but it's true, and that's an entirely different blog entry....

I couldn't see the broken spokes, but could tell easily that the wheel was warbly.  (my new favorite word, even though apparently my usage is wrong here according to numerous sites I just checked...ack!)

Anyway....I got a ride to work (thanks Christy!!!) and a ride home (thanks Chad!!!).  The whole reason for this post is that, I was not only car-free but also bike-less for the rest of the day....but I wasn't all wigged out about it.  I knew it was still the right thing to be doing, it would all work out...and before long I'll have a nice new bike to enjoy.  Pretty cool to feel that.

And on top of all that...I ended up getting a new rear wheel..done on the spot while I waited, when I took it to Velo Cult in South Park.  Awesome place by the way,  that I discovered by chance....when I was actually on my way to the coffee shop around the corner...before I had any intention at all of giving up my car and riding everywhere.

Another good day.  ;o)

Car free!

After going around and around with the buyer on whether to do an inspection or not, all is done, and the car is sold!

I just took my first ride post sale...to the bank to deposit the proceeds from the car....nice.

So relieved...feel great.  And...VERY glad I took today as a vacation day so I didn't have to worry about getting into work afterwards.

Onto thinking now about the next big thing....my new bike purchase....going to test-ride a few this coming weekend at some of the local shops and get a feel.  I can spend from one end of the spectrum to another, theoretically....I think I have a good idea where I'll end up.

The pic is my current bike....bought 13 years ago right after moving to SD.....I think in the last two months I've put more miles on it than collectively I had racked up over 13 years....I'm planning on keeping it though as my errand bike....

QUOTE FOR TODAY:
An unalterable and unquestioned law of the musical world required that the German text of French operas sung by Swedish artists should be translated into Italian for the clearer understanding of English-speaking audiences.
Edith Wharton, The Age of Innocence

Selling the car

Meeting today with the potential car buyer for my old Buick Regal.  Mabel as I call it....that was the name my Dad always used when he didn't know a woman's name....always makes me smile to call the car that.

I've been commuting to work since August 21st....two days a week, then three, now up to four.  This coming week is first week for five days.  Amid various set backs with the bike....rear tire exploding on the way to work one day, brake cable breaking and almost crashing into a car (albeit at about 1 mph, still scary), and then another big car repair...I feel good about selling it and going car free.  Nervous, but good.

Great quote from Pema Chödrön:
FEAR IS A NATURAL REACTION TO MOVING CLOSER TO THE TRUTH. 
If you don't know her, check out some of her books, lectures....WHEN THINGS FALL APART is a great one to start with....