We had a great weekend, celebrating Mother's Day with a bike ride that we decided to film for the Cargo Bike Documentary, (R)Evolutions Per Minute. We took over 40 short videos ranging from a few seconds to a few minutes, downloaded them to the laptop and then immediately uploaded them to Liz Canning's website. It was a really quick, easy process and we had a lot of fun filming.
I couldn't resist sharing some of the video here and made this little movie today, enjoy:
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Today was one of those drab, cold and miserable days that chill you to the bone. The kind of day that would usually make one want to grab a bowl of hot soup and a good book and never leave the easy chair. It is said that "Mad Dogs and Englishmen go out in the midday sun", well apparently Englishwomen and their Offspring prefer the rainy days, but the little one still managed a Siesta anyway! He made it look rather enjoyable too.
I didn't realize he'd nodded off until we were chased by a barking dog and no squeals of joy came from the back seat (I wasn't squealing for joy), but we survived and made it home after a relatively short and otherwise enjoyable ride. Jack remained snug and dry wrapped in a wool blanket and shielded by his rain cover.
Amazingly enough I managed to get him in the house without waking him and he is still enjoying his nap while I sit here enjoying the silence and a hot cup of tea. I didn't have a "bike in the kitchen" picture so I thought I'd share a picture of my teapot with the ominous sky behind it!
I have decided to try to collect a few bikes so I can share my adventures with friends and their kids. I thought this would not only hopefully make some new converts for the world of cycling but also provide me with company occasionally- so really a win-win for everyone! I'm having trouble finding cheap bikes but I did manage to score a nice little rear mount child's bike seat for $5, so that will come in handy. I think I will rename my utility room the "Utility-Bike Room" as it is home to the Mundo and the Trek, plus our bike trailer, panniers, plastic crates and now another child's seat.
I honestly did not feel like going out today, but I feel very refreshed and accomplished now that I made the effort. The 30 days of Bikingis just around the corner so I'm trying to get out everyday this week to prepare myself. I told my brother that I intended to cycle everyday in April and he laughed and said "I suppose you've already blurted it out on your blog too?" I said "Yes, of course, otherwise I'd never do it!"
Many of you may already have heard about the Cargo Bike Documentary that Liz Canning is creating, but for those of you who haven't please check out her wonderful site HERE, be prepared for inspiration! I have watched the trailer for her crowd sourced documentary so many times I've lost count and every single time I find myself rejuvenated; not only by the thought of bicycles as a means of transportation in general, but also by the idea of the quality of life gained by using them for the rider, their offspring and even the community.
Another project that I just had to get involved with is the 30 Days of Biking, follow the link HERE to join in a global commitment to ride every day in April! I'm super nervous about this, but hopefully longer days will bring about more opportunity to ride!
So far, my way of dealing with the hardships of my ill prepared adventure has been avoiding the days when the weather has been awful, add to that the many colds and lingering bugs that we have picked up this spring and the short days and you end up with very few trips by bike. Groceries have been restocked by me hitching rides with friends on their trips to the store and getting the odd delivery dinner here and there- but that was hardly the idea of this commitment. The idea was to improve my activity level not turn me into a hermit, as someone with social anxiety the last thing I need is another reason to be a recluse! So that being said, I'm very happy to have joined the 30 Days of Biking! Kyle looked worried when I mentioned cycling every single day for a month, but as I explained to him; if I managed to meet the challenge by only 75% that would still be more cycling than I've done in the last 5 years- always helps to add some prospective.
This morning I have a sick husband (the flu! oh glee!) and a toddler with a slight fever. I have a pain in the neck...well I have a few, but this one is literal. I have a hot compress on it because it will not keep me from my bike today, I fully intend on having at a minimum 2 bicycle rides this weekend. Now the baby weather protection pod is in place I do believe my obstacle well has finally dried up and it's simply time to bicycle!
