Bricks in the mud

I had a great ride in yesterday to work and back.  I was a bit wary after the numerous setbacks, the flat tires and recent rain.  But had a great ride day.

I thought I was pretty clever with carrying extra batteries with me for my lights...till the bulb on my main light went out.  Arghh.  I made do with the other lights I've got, but didn't ride as confidently home.
Finding the bulb is another story....already checked several places, and no luck.  This is motivating me to get a new light this weekend.  Something like this looks really cool, and no doubt, really bright.
I'm going to investigate and buy it this weekend.

I get a daily email from Tricycle magazine, a thought, a "daily dharma" , for the day so to speak.  Today's really made an impression on me:

Bricks in the Mud

I remember one afternoon as I was sitting on the steps of our monastery in Nepal. The monsoon storms had turned the courtyard into an expanse of muddy water, and we had set out a path of bricks to serve as stepping-stones. A friend of mine came to the edge of the water, surveyed the scene with a look of disgust, and complained about every single brick as she made her way across. When she got to me, she rolled her eyes and said, “Yuck! What if I’d fallen into that filthy muck? Everything’s so dirty in this country!” Since I knew her well, I prudently nodded, hoping to offer her some comfort through my mute sympathy.
A few minutes later, Raphaele, another friend of mind, came to the path through the swamp. “Hup, hup, hup!” she sang as she hopped, reaching dry land with the cry, “What fun!” Her eyes sparkling with joy, she added: “The great thing about the monsoon is that there’s no dust.” Two people, two ways of looking at things; six billion human beings, six billion worlds.
- Matthieu Ricard from "A Way of Being."

Beach at Christmas

Does it get any better than this?  So, so beautiful today at Mission Beach.  Went for a long walk with my friend Mark.  The water was sharp, clear views, horizon was like I hadn't seen in ages...
Perfect way to spend the afternoon. 

Update on stuff

Haven't been up for writing much recently.  Haven't ridden my bike as much either.  Very tough week at work...glad for a few days off now.

After the last flat tire...had another one the very next morning!  LOL....At least this time it happened right in front of Einstein's Bagels...so all was not lost. 

Took it back to Velo Cult....no charge repair!  Their customer service is stellar, and best of all, they are so nice about it...a pleasure to go there.

I'm coming up with the direction I want my biking and blogging to go in the new year...I'll write about it when I decide.  I'm leaning towards really throwing myself into both, since they both are giving me a lot of pleasure.  I really love being on my bike...I'm surprised I guess how much...and not on long rides up to Northern San Diego, or out to the desert...I love just jumping on it to go out for coffee, or run to pick up something at the store, go to the bank...And the writing....it might not seem like much...but it's about the only time in my life nowadays that I feel "in the flow" so to speak. 

I thought this was extremely funny....

Flat tire syndrome

I didn't ride to work for a week, due to rain, car rental for a weekend trip, blah blah blah...

I was so excited about riding Monday this week...Sunday night I got everything ready, clothes, food for the day...and during the day on Sunday I had checked batteries on my lights, air in my tires...

It was such a nice morning...and about 15 minutes into the ride......psssssssssssss....
that is the sound of the air coming out of my back tire.  SHEEZE!!!!

Funny though...the major emotion was just disappointment.  Not anger.  Not being overwhelmed.    Disappointed that I couldn't keep riding on such an awesome morning.  Disappointed that I couldn't enjoy that post-ride feeling at work for a few hours that always is so awesome.  Just disappointed. 

I talked to my friend Timmy who has been a huge supporter of this car-free endeavor....and when I told him about the two friends, Christy and Chad, who were helping with rides, pick me up after the flat, and a ride to the bike shop to get it fixed....he said the most intense comment...."you sure do have a lot of support with this!"  So, so, true.  I am very grateful to those friends, and the many others who've helped, with rides, or just talking with me about some of my concerns/worries, thru this whole experience.
So, thank you all!!

Went to Velo Cult again for the tire fix.  I like going there so much.  Even being the complete bike newbie that I am, I feel totally comfortable there.  Awesome.

Ready to ride tomorrow morning.  Wish me luck!  ;o)

Just sort of rediscovered this song...in the top, say, 20 of the best of the 80s songs there is....
And definitely get the long seven-minute version if you're going to download it...no question.

Rain, rain, rain

I really like that it almost never rains here.  But...it's been sort of cool this past week having so much, for us, rain.  I know it won't last very long.  And I know in between storms will be the usual nice dry weather like we usually have.

But, I did realize...I don't really think I want to ride my bike too much when it's wet.  I'm guessing this is going to be a learning curve kind of thing.  I didn't ride to work this past week at all.  I could have on two mornings, but didn't.  I'm going to this coming week if it's dry.  I miss it after just a week. 
As long as it's dry.

I did do some errands today on my bike...the bank, the library, starbucks....and used my mantra I started with driving in the dark after daylight savings time ended...."go slowly".  Easy to remember.  And the riding was pretty nice after being off the bike for a week.  Nice to feel that "connection" to the bike when I got back on it.  The "this feels right" kind of feeling.  Good stuff.

I'm just sayin'....

I haven't really been in the mood to sit down and write.  Now with the rain again, I'm back feeling the mood.
 

Random pic I found online.  Very cool.

I actually have been thinking about a lot of things, car free-wise....I rented a car....rode the bus several times, dealt with a lot of rain...a very random experience here in San Diego, had to get to an after work hours office xmas party....and all of it car free. 

The one thing I will talk about is the car rental.  It actually felt a little "weird" driving up to LA last weekend.  I went up to meet up with my friend Timmy who came out for an opera weekend.  While I was driving up there, I was thinking that I sort of wish I had planned, or at least investigated, what it would have been like to take the train up, then get around LA, sans the four-wheeled transport to deal with.

Then....driving thru Orange County, a pebble, rock, stone, of some sort hit my windshield!  A nice little mark, a "star" they called it at the rental place when I returned it.  Since I sold my old car I of course had canceled my insurance.  I am SOOOO glad I took out the whole insurance that they offered, so I could return it with NO hassle.  Lesson learned.

Then, sitting in LA traffic with no much time to spare to get to Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, the "needs gas" light of the rental car came on!  LOL...

My point in this is....there really are ways to get from point A to point B, without a car, almost always.  Almost.