Cheers to a new year

There is 15 minutes till the new year arrives and I am sitting at my parents house in Colorado typing away. Most people may ask "Why are you not out partying?" In reality, I should be. With the heavens and hells that 2009 brought me, I should be celebrating the fact that the year is over and I am heading in a new direction in life. But instead I have chosen to be with the people I love most, updating a blog I barely write on.
I have nothing bad to say about 2009. It was such an eventful year for me. I graduated from college, went on my first bike tour, planed and exicuted the fourth annual Cache Valley Bike Festival, and got to spend a lot of time with my brother.
There were heart aches, heart breaks, emotional highs and lows that I wondered if I would make it through. There were memorable bike rides, car rides, and hikes that made me realize that life is so much bigger than the 3x5 we find ourselves looking at on a daily basis.
I am excited for 2010, really excited. I can't wait to ski as much as I can afford, climb as often as I can, ride to wherever I want, laugh more, love more, and not be afraid of what is out there. Cheers 2010, I love you already.

Bikes: Why I winter ride

I've been called crazy for years for riding my bike for commuting purposes, no mater the time of year. In the winter the use of crazy seems to have a higher percentage of usage in context to people riding their bikes. Crazy is as crazy does, I just want to ride and here is why.
People ask me all the time,"Why would you ride your bike in the winter? It's so cold" I ride my bike 350 day a year, putting weather on the back burner because we still drive, walk, and go about our lives regardless of what the weather is doing so why would I stop riding my bike because of it? Snow storms, flooding, cold below 0 F and monsoons are the exception for not riding my bike. Riding is a great way for me to wake up in the morning. Any time I have had to drive to work, due to bringing big things to the shop, I have found that I am not as alert because my heart rate hasn't been brought up and my body hasn't moved a great deal.
Today it was 15-20 F when I let my house this morning. Although I could have easily driven my car (the 8 blocks to work) I rode my bike because although it maybe cold, riding a bike keeps me warm. I don't have to bundle up as much as I would if I were walking.
So what do I wear to keep warm but not over heat? Every winter I try to find the right combo of base layer to jacket ratio that will keep me at the perfect temperature but truthfully it comes down to having a good wind breaker, great gloves (I use Pearl Izumi crab claws)something to keep the ears warm, and a scarf to keep the wind from chapping the face. From there I adjust my layers as needed for the temperature. If it is very cold, I'll put on some spandex pants under my jeans or skirt (yes, I still ride in skirts in the winter), and wearing shoes that the wind doesn't cut into as much.

So there is snow on the ground in the winter, big deal. I just ride a little slower, a little more cautiously, and I make sure my tires have the proper psi in them to give me the traction I need. I don't ride with nobby or studded tires in the winter because there really isn't a need for them unless one is planning on riding in some hardcore snow. Slicks do fine as long as you aren't trying to be a speed demon.

I'm not afraid of father winter, he can bring on the snow and the cold, I'm still going to ride because it's what makes me feel good and helps me do my part to ensure that Cache Valley air stays a little cleaner.

Life: A year of of used stuff

An update to the blog! It's about time and I will start blogging a lot more now that I have given myself a challenge and a reason to blog. What is the challenge/ reason?
I am spending the next year, October 2009-October 2010, not buying brand new things. What defines "things"? Shoes, shirts, pants, cooking wear, sheets, towels, things for my apartment. A whole year.
This means that if I need/want something I have to go to a thrift store or yard sale and buy it. My reason for doing this is because people throw out perfectly good, almost new things every day all because capitalism tells them that they "need" this new thing, or that new thing. For example; I bought a Bosch stand mixer from the local thrift store, Somebodies Attic, for $9 this summer and it was barely used. You could tell from the condition of it that it may have been used a total of 15 times and then placed in a closet for 10 years before they got rid of it. With things like Bosch stand mixers out on the used market, I see no reason to buy new things.
Since starting this challenge I have bought the following things, that I needed for my apartment, used:
- Bosch Stand Mixer
- Metal Bread Box
- Madeleine Pan
- Angel Food Cake Pan
- Toaster oven with a rotisserie option (all parts included and owners manual)
- dutch oven style crockery pot for Shepard's pie

For my personal use:
-Peacock looking shirt (to wear at Thanksgiving dinner)
- USSR cycling Jersey
- The dvd (still in packaging!) of "The Bands Visit"
- Burton Beanie (that I subsequently lost last week and saw someone else wearing on campus days later. Right on! Glad you found it!..I am dead serious)
- Two winter sweaters from DI in purple and red
- A vintage PUMA messenger bag
- A 2001 Subaru Forester
- A Fuji Supreme bicycle and rear basket

I'm off to a good start and surprisingly I have started to curb my craving for buying useless crap. I do credit watching the story of stuff being one of the major reasons I am doing this. Watch it, it will change your life.

I miss

Some times I miss New York. I'll listen to a song or smell something that strikes such a powerful chord with me that I can feel that warm summer breeze that occasionally sweeps through NY in the summer picking up the smell of everything around you and tossing it into your nose. I miss the hot subway tunnels and struggling to learn Spanish just so I could talk to the clerk at Fine and Fair. I miss the energy that exists in that town that keeps you up till 2 am just because you want to dance in your living room or watch the people as they walk through Chelsea to their parties and night clubs.
I keep telling myself I won't move back, I won't, I won't, I won't! But I can never be to sure. The big cities are calling my name these days but I won't be moving to any of them for at least another year. Thats ok, I feel the push to go and I'll leave when I am suppose to.

It's been 3 months...

I really do suck at blogging. Making the habit to do it is hard and not always rewarding. but I'm giving it another go.

I last left off with going to San Francisco, which was an eye opening trip and I loved every minute of being there. The city, the people, the bikes, the food. I didn't want to sleep the whole time I was there because there was so much to take in. So grateful for the friends I have out there who were willing to let me stay with them.

Currently in life I am working at Aggie Blue Bikes and at Crumb Brothers as a bread former. I'm leaving Cache Valley in a year so I'm just working to save up money and -gasp- buy a car. Yes, it is true. I am buying a car. Why? Here is the story...

I got hit by a car last Wednesday and it totaled my bike. Although I will be buying a new bike I need a car to get around and leave the valley. I hate the fact that motorists "own" the road and that I am succumbing to getting a car (yeah, I really do think I am above cars. It's true) but everyones morals have a price, and my price happens to be my life. I don't want to die and this is the second time I've been hit by a car. Crazy and true.
There is the latest tid bit of my life, more later this week.

Parting shot

Sing it as you please...

It is late, I should be blogging but I don't want to forget about my laundry that is drying and leave it to my room mates to deal with while I am in San Francisco.
Yes thats right, I am on my way to San Francisco tomorrow night for a weekend of bike insanity at the San Francisco Bike and Music Festival.
It's been a while since I have been this adventurous, going out to SF on almost a whim but I am sick of living cautiously and this is a perfect time for me to throw all my problems to the wind. My assignments for class have been turned in, I have my work stuff in order and tomorrow at 11pm I board a train with my bicycle, a sleeping bag, and a back pack full of things I "need" for the trip. I am anticipating everything and nothing all at once.
About a week ago I had a great experience. An eye opening experience. Iwas a Pounders Hawaiian Grill and saw my friend Bill who works there. He is a bigger fellow, weighing in a roughly 250. I asked him how he was doing and he said, "You know I am doing really well. I started riding my bike every where and have only driven my truck three times in the past month. I also lost 20 pounds because of it and I have started to notice so much of Logan that I didn't see before." Whoa, what a minute. Bill is on a bike? I am shocked, but so happy! Guys and galls, if truck driving, 250 pound Bill Sproat can get on a bike and ride it over 2 miles a day, so can you! Get out of the house and get on a bike this weekend, or go for a walk! Don't just do it to loose weight or get in shape, do it so you can get to know your local community and scenery. Sing it as you please this weekend. I want updates!

an absence worth taking

It's been a long time since I last blogged. To long. I've had ideas I've been mulling over for the past month that I've wanted to write down but where do I start? I haven't written in four months and in those four months life has taught me lessons that I never would have learned had I not been willing to take a chance. Taking chances, thats the biggest lesson I have learned. More often than not I don't want to take chances, I just want to live my life my way. God never intended for us to live our lives our way. He intended for us to have a plan but take chances so we could get from point A to point B.
I went on a bike tour with Shake Your Peace!, an ecologically contious rock band based in San Francisco, in May. It was the greatest thing I've done in a year. We biked from Logan to Salt Lake City (which was so easy, I don't know why I haven't done it before) and stopped at high schools and bars along the way to play shows. I spoke with the Utahopia now crew about the importance of bike riding and I was the first officially roady that Shake Your Peace has ever had. It was great to be with people like me for a week. People who care about ecology, sustainability, community, human rights, and riding bikes. I met people who genuinly care about other people. This hasn't happened for a long time.

I am now one of many formerly engaged girls in Utah over the age of 21. To many Utahins who still hold on to the passe view that you must be married by 21, this means that I am worthless. To me this means that I am doing what I am suppose to do, I am finishing my college education and going to baking school so that I can live my dreams. It means Im not giving up on what I have wanted to do since I was a child, and I am happy about it. I am so happy I want to climb to the top of th Wells Fargo building on Center and Main. St and scream at the top of my lungs!

Being happy is important, and making yourself happy is even more important. I am still learning how to do this since I spend most of my time trying to make other people happy. I am being a bit selfish these days, I am spending more time baking and less time with people. This is making me happy and I feel like I am going in the right direction.

In August I will be done with school and moving on, well to some extent. There is a chance I will still be in Logan since my contract with Aggie Blue Bikes goes until mid fall. I am looking for baking aprenticeships right now so that I have the experience for chef school.

That is life, Maybe I'll start postin more often.

Weekend of Tamales

I decided to host a tamale making party last night and realized last minute that I didn't have enough steamers to cook the tamales in. We ended up being able to remedy that but I must tell you, making 50 tamales is not for the faint of heart. Brock and I cooked for 5 hours last night. We started at 6 and left the house around 11:30 to escape the madness of food, tons of people in the house, and the mess of dishes that still needs to be done. The tamales do taste AMAZING for being gringo made and Zeik, our resident house Mexican, even approved of them. I would totally do it again because it really isn't that hard but make sure you have a lot of time on your hands, at least 5 hours.
Other than the tamale making extravaganza the weekend has been great. Brock took me out on a hot date Friday night. We ate at the Tandoori Oven, got lemon bars from Sweetly Divine, and watched "New In Town". I gotta hand it to that kid for being so amazing and planning such a great date. I feel so blessed to have a boyfriend who truly cares about me and my well being
I still have my media law paper to finish and an article to write so I am off to do that.

The work Blog

Everyone has done it at least once. I feel less guilty about blogging at work since my blog includes bikes and I work at a bike shop.

The Logan weather keeps getting colder, I am predicting snow and freezing temps till at least mid march, then we might see 32 at night again. I haven't done much riding on the roads but yesterday I did have to do a delivery for work in which I had to use the Bob-trailer. Oh man, I need to get a Bob-trailer, those things rock! it worked like a dream despite the snow and ice.
I am officially addicted to bonk town. It is a gear website for roadies like chain love. I bought a jersey from them yesterday and almost bought a box of energy bars from them today. I probably look at the site at least five times a day. I need to break the addiction.
Since moving into my new place I have been deemed the house Mom by my roomies. I am the oldest and the only who knows how to cook for 10 people at a time. I don't mind being the house Mom, they call Brock Dad so all of us are pretty much a family.The best part about living in the Pink Door House is no Drama. I never have fights with my roomies and if we have a problem we talk it out. It's great.
School work is calling my name but I leave with this parting shot. Dang, I wish I would have had a few of these when I was in New York, I saw some pretty hot bikes.

New Post, New Year, lets make this happen.

I think this picture is cute.

I am making these for Monica's sister's 7th birthday.
We are having a tea party for her.

I miss my peugeot and really want it back so I can fix it. It is currently on loan












I want to travel here with Brock.
P.S. It is in Paris.
















When I have kids my son will totally get these at his birthday party

























Been doing a lot of this lately, just not on a dock.