I’m going to try to keep a record of every weekend here this summer. Based on my Toast-posting track record, it will be a real feat if I pull it off!

Weekend 3 I caught the Caltrain to Palo Alto, met up with Brittney and then drove to a beach in Santa Cruz. My back got big time sun burned, for the first time in my life.

Last weekend I biked outside of Soma for the first time, taking the Wiggle to Golden Gate Park. I kept going until it got foggy and cold and then turned around.

On my return journey I made one of my greatest discoveries so far. If I turn my phone’s external speaker all the way up and put it in the pocket of my backpack that is directly below the nape of my neck, I can listen to music while biking without headphones!! Living the dream.

tags: biking, sanfrancisco

• That Michigan offers VirtualSites, which lets me remotely connect to a Windows machine with a boat load of software

• Biking directions have been added to Google Maps!

tags: biking, online, umich

Last night I went on the L.A.T.E. Ride. It is kind of like what I imagine a Critical Mass ride to be like, except it involves 10,000 riders from 1:30 – 6 am and the police a lot of major intersections for us.

I’ve never ridden extensively at night in any city, and I’ve never even been outside in Chicago that late – I usually go to sleep early anyway, and the buses from downtown stop running around 1 am so I’m always been back at my apartment by then. So the combination of both of things was very exciting! Also, there wasn’t any wind at all until we got to the turnaround point and were on the lakefront trail, and the temperature was perfect.

Once again, my sit bones were killing me by the halfway point. I also had trouble getting my hands in comfortable position — I kept them straight top part of the handle bars almost the whole time ready to pull the interrupter brakes because I was afraid I was going to run into someone or not be able to stop fast enough for a traffic light. I don’t know. I should probably try adjusting the saddle position, and if it that doesn’t work try a different one. I’m also considering switching from drop bars to bullhorn handle bars because that way I would be able to have my hands on the sides of the bars and still be able to reach the brakes easily.

Anyway. Apart from the butt pain this was the best ride ever! Definitely beats Bike the Drive, which really isn’t that different from riding on the trail

tags: biking, chicago

Today I biked 22 miles, all before 7am! Seven were on the lakefront trail from Hyde Park to downtown, and 15 were on Lake Shore Drive from downtown to Bryn Mawr and back again.

I am glad I did it even though

• I woke up in the middle of a bad dream at 4am and seriously considered going back to sleep and skipping the entire thing
• The wind was coming from the north, which made biking the first 15 miles frustrating (combination of bugs flying in my face and having to slow down almost to a stop on flat ground)
• My sit bones were killing me after the first five miles. I am never sure if this is because my seat is no good, or just because I haven’t biked long distance since the fall.

But it was awesome to see the sun rise over the lake and to see so many people out there who also got up before the crack of dawn to bike up and down the lakefront.

tags: biking, chicago

Today I finally managed to put a new tube in the back wheel of my bike. It took me at least 45 minutes but the satisfaction was worth it. And now I can bike around! A whole new world of possibilities is open to me, most notably biking to work and biking on the trail.

Other recent accomplishments include doing laundry for the first time and acquiring a large garbage can, a dish drainer, a rice cooker and a small kitchen cart to put the microwave on top of. There is a furniture in the living room and a television with a DVD player. We also figured out who is going to cook when and what food to share. I supposedly signed up for gas online but I am not sure if the request went through. And finally, I stuffed a blanket and some towels in the crack of the futon frame so that the mattress doesn’t dip down in the middle.

Tomorrow: back to work, and getting used to the MacbookPro-external monitor-Parallels setup, and keeping track of all my time.

tags: biking, chicago, photography

I’ve survived my first week at home! Quite a feat. The cats are warming up to me. They will sit in my room now even if Mummy is not here.

I still haven’t unpacked very much… I am doing laundry for the first time since I have come home today. I have temporarily lost my set of Allen wrenches, but I think they will turn up. I ordered a cheap pannier bag yesterday to use when I have attached the rack to my bike. I’m also saved loads on my summer school textbooks by getting them on half.com.

Best of all, Maurie is home! Tonight I’m going to see Love’s Labor Lost with the Kathan Clan. Can’t wait.

tags: biking, happy, home, purchase