I'm Done with Summer

I just biked up to the post office to mail two books, and it's really hot. The actual temperature isn't really the problem, but it's super humid and oddly there's no wind today. Okay, I know it's not as hot as if I were still living in Arkansas or even Springfield, MO for that matter, but we don't really get super hot summers here, so I've forgotten what they are like. I may go buy a parking pass because I definitely can't teach my current state. If only I could wish summer away, and we could get to fall already.

As a side note, last week when S was here we were chatting about greasy men who ride bikes and don't shower. I think I found B-N's version at the post office this morning.

Things I've learned on the trail...

So far the biking to work thing is going really well. I've cheated a couple of days (Monday for example, we had a terrible storm and they were warning of hail, so I drove), but mostly I've biked everyday. In the process, I've discovered a few things...

• I drink much less coffee in the morning. Biking two miles wakes me up without the caffeine, but really the thought of drinking hot coffee and biking in the middle of summer just makes me steer clear.
• I really hate driving now. I'm not sure what exactly I dislike, but if it's too hot to bike somewhere, I'm much more likely to stay home. This is an unexpected eco-friendly benefit.
• I shower a lot more. This means more water, more shampoo bottles, etc, but in July there really isn't another option. Hopefully this fall, I won't get as stinky.
  
• I'm "friends" with people on the trail that I don't know their names. They just happen to be on the trail the same time as me everyday. While waiting to cross a busy street this morning, I ran into the older gentlemen who says hi to me every day. Today he said hi plus "have you lost weight?"
  
• People do notice courteous bikers. I always make a point to say hi if someone says hi to me, and I ALWAYS warn people when passing. I frequently see a little boy (about 4-5) on a bike with training wheels. When he sees another bike, he stops and gets off the trail. Last week, he said to his mom "it's okay she's the bike that says hi" and kept riding. This made my day.
• The shade on the trail is nice, but it also creates a bug breeding ground. Talking while riding can result in the unfortunate ingestion of bugs.
  
• Related the above item, Suave has a new body spray that is scented with Grapefruit and Lemongrass, both substances that naturally repel bugs. Plus it doesn't leave with eau de boyscout camp. I don't think this is its intended use, but it works.
  

"Gang Hangers" on Bikes

If been accused of being lots of things, but up until this afternoon I'd never been confused for a gang member. That's right, in case you missed it gang members are now 5'3 blonde females who wear grey yoga capris and pink Relay for Life t-shirts along with their blue helmets and backpacks while biking to the grocery store.

The Context: It's been a long day. It was a very long morning and then this afternoon my car battery decided to die and due to scheduling conflicts won't get fixed until tomorrow afternoon. So it's me and the bike. Tonight I needed to go to the grocery store, and Greg was up at the Lake. With the Camry out of commission, my only choice was to bike. I contemplated ordering pizza because I didn't really feel like making the 4 mile trek in the heat, but I went anyway. We shop at Schnucks which is about 2 miles northwest of our house and requires crossing at least two fairly busy intersections. While neither our house or Schnucks are in a bad area of town, the locals like to talk about the Ghetto and the gang activity that they associate with any area of town that is ethnically diverse.

The story: I was almost to Schnucks and approaching the little bit of the trip that requires me to get off the bike trail and navigate a congested area which people like to use as a "short cut." Thinking I would be a responsible biker, as I approached the first congested area, I used a hand signal to indicate that I was slowing down and possibly stopping. When it was my turn, I then indicated that I was turning right and shortly after that signaled a left turn. I noticed that there was a white Buick that was keeping more than a safe distance from me and when they eventually passed as I was locking my bike I waved to thank them for not trying to run me over.

The Accusation: As I walked into the store, the woman who had been driving the car said to me "don't think that I'm not going to tell the manager that he's letting gang hangers (sic) shop in his store." I said "excuse me?" thinking that I had missed something and mentally picturing what exactly a "gang hanger" would look like. She said "I saw you "tossing" those signals just like they talk about on tv." I explained that bicycles don't have brake lights or turn signals, so we use hand signals. She laughed and said, "I bet you use bring your own grocery sacks so that you can shoplift too."

I guess I'm guilty as charged. I am an ecologically minded gang hanger, whatever that means.

Reggie Ride

I've been contemplating biking to campus this fall and have started trying it out this summer, so this article caught my attention. I hadn't realized that ISU sends as many as 130 bikes to the city auction every year. I wish they'd have a student/staff sale instead, but this use is equally encouraging. Starting this fall, ISU will loan free bikes to students and staff for 48 hours at a time. To start with they will have 25 bikes available. Granted they will be painted in Reggie the Redbird Red*, so it's kind of like driving a university vehicle with ISU plastered in 40 places, but I still think it's a cool idea.

*For those not familiar with ISU, a redbird is really just a cardinal, but we are too close to St. Louis to admit that.