Friday, May 30, 2008

Twin Cities Bicycling

I pedaled 135 miles in the last week. 100 over the weekend (32 to check out Cookie Queen's problematic laptop, and 68 with Kyle and Ming out to Lake Minnetonka) and 35 on Wednesday with Ming up the river and along the Greenway to Punch Pizza. I can feel it in my legs, which worries me, as I'm supposed to do 150 the weekend after this one in the MS150. But I suspect I'll make it, I'll just be useless the Monday at work immediately following.

Fort Snelling - no bikes! I love no biking signs. I take pictures of all of them. I go past this one all the time as the little hill before this that climbs around the base of Fort Snelling is incredibly steep and I consider it a training hill for getting my climbing legs up to speed each year. If you don't find it personally challenging, might I suggest gaining 90 pounds and doing it on an upright-sitting hybrid built for someone 6'2". I haven't bonked on it yet this year, and it's inspired Ming to practice his hills. He enthusiastically picked that route instead of going around it on Wednesday.


Not to be outdone, we bicyclists insist down by the river on the St. Paul side, just past the yacht club, no cars. To which, if you look closely, the cars have responded with numerous derisive gunshots.


I was afraid people might get lost at the Science Museum. If you're worried, print a copy of this photo and take it with you. It doesn't look that imposing, but they do make you navigate the maze while crawling on your stomach.


Taken in Minnehaha Park the day after the tornado in Hugo. We saw several trees down. It barely rained in Eagan.


Every time I see these signs I laugh. If the Little Sisters of the Poor have been taking care of the elderly for 125 years, how can there be any elderly left to take care of? Just for She Says, that building in the background that's barely in the picture is the old West Publishing building in St. Paul. If you go to the original, you can see where it says "Publishing Company Law Books".


Ming and I at the Guthrie. It was a very artsy day. The lakes, the Sculpture Garden, the Guthrie, the warehouse district and Sex World. We didn't go in. We just discussed whether the mother and daughter who rounded the corner had come out. Ming has been hoping I wouldn't tell this story, but I've been biding my time. You see, he's been having problems with his bike. His odometer hasn't been working. Last year it worked intermittently. This year it wouldn't work at all. So while we were on the trail with Kyle, I said, "Let me look at it." It took about a second to point out that perhaps he should put his wheel on the right way, with the tread going forward, the quick release on the same side as the other quick release, and the odometer sensor somewhere within several inches of the other sensor. Last year, he didn't own a bike rack. So he'd put his bike in the trunk by removing the front wheel. Some rides he'd put the wheel on the right way, and the odometer would work. Some days he'd put it on backwards, and it would fail. This year he got a rack, and he never takes the wheel off. But the last thing he did last year was to put it on backwards. About 5 minutes later while riding he stated, "It's like I have a new bike!" By his own admission, he hasn't told his wife this story because it's embarrassing, but he is exceptionally happy he didn't take it in to a shop to have it fixed.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

It's too bad you don't know much about the Little Sisters of the Poor and about the Elderly. Today there are more elderly people then there have ever been and thank God there are dedicated religious women(the Little Sisters of the Poor)still here to take care of them. Your comment was not appreciated.
Yours truely

Scooter said...

I hope the people taking care of me when I'm old have a sense of humor. You don't know how much I know about The Little Sisters of the Poor. You didn't ask. You simply decided to be offended and assume I was ignorant of their origin and mission because it made you feel self-righteous. Remember to move that pile of stones outside when you get the chance.