Hello, friends!
I think I mentioned this in my last post but I decided to bring Sulu back with me to Saint Louis so that there would be a chance to ride around instead of leaving him in CoMO and guaranteeing that I wouldn't get any rides in for the rest of 2012. This past week, I definitely picked up some mileage. Whether or not it was a good idea or not is another question. =0).
Monday, Meg and I went to the chiropractor together down in Clayton. From there, she had to go back up north while I had to go down south for a few meetings. The question before us was how were we going to do this? Would she drop me off down south then come pick me up later? Would we go back home so I could grab my car and come back down south? Wolud we take 2 cars? No, my friends, there would be biking. We strapped Sulu to the back of the Rolla, drove down to the chiropractor, and when we were done, I biked south to my meetings and Meg drove up north to hers. At the end of the day, I hopped back on Sulu and biked my way back up north. So what if it was sub-40 degrees with a cold drizzle? I biked and it felt really good.
Tuesday, I had a meeting down on the loop for lunch and Meg was going to be down on the loop later in the afternoon and we were going to dinner with some friends down south in the evening. How would we make that work? We could take 2 cars if we wanted but that would make me sad. It wouldn't make any sense for us to do a dropoff and pickup situation. Friends, this is where Sulu comes to the rescue again! I biked down to the loop, had my meetings, did a bunch of admin, Meg drove down for her meeting, I tossed Sulu in the back of her car, and we rode together to dinner with friends.
Meg and I have talked about what would happen if we went down to 1 car and whether or not we thought we could do it. This year, since I have to commute to CoMO every week that isn't a possibility, but it does seem like there are some possibilities.
Stats:
Places traveled: From the chiropractor to Seamus McDaniel's, then from Starbucks to home. Then from Home to the Loop.
Distance traveled: 4.3 miles + 11.2 miles + 7.4 miles = 22.9 miles ($1.87)
Meters: Oddly enough, no meters here. Everywhere I went had parking.
Total: $1.87
Grand Total: $315.14
Left to Save: $267.89
Happy Biking!
~Adam
The story of a guy trying to rationalize the money he spent on his bike and other random thoughts.
Saturday, December 22, 2012
Friday, December 7, 2012
Major Gains and Major Setbacks
Hello, friends!
This past week has been one of major gains and one major setback in my quest to eventually save enough money to justify the purchase of Sulu. Let's recap, shall we?
I decided to bring Sulu home last week. I knew that I was going to Sabbath on Saturday and I knew that I wanted to ride on my Sabbath so I figured that that would be a good idea. It turned out to be quite a good idea. Here's why.
Friday: I biked a LOT. I went to the library to get some work done and then Meg asked me to pick up something from Walgreens before I went to Global Cafe, which is the International Friends Large Group gathering. Here's my map. Total there was 13.8 miles, which is pretty solid.
Saturday: On Friday our friend Greg asked if anyone wanted to go bike riding around Forest Park on Saturday. Since biking was part of my plan anyway, it only makes sense that I would say yes to that, right? Here's where it gets fun. I thought to myself, "self, why would you DRIVE somewhere to go biking when you could BIKE somewhere to go biking? So that's what I did. I biked down to forest park, biked around forest part, went to the history museum and the art museum, then biked home. Here's that map. The total there was 12 miles, which is also a good number, especially given that I had biked so much the previous day.
Tuesday: Meg came with me to Columbia but that didn't stop me from riding everywhere, even though she didn't have a bike. Since my bike was still on the back of my car when I dropper her off at Columbia College, I decided to park and ride the rest of the day. That's 2 more miles + meter time.
Wednesday: This is where the big loss came. I got up Wednesday morning and had a terrible realization... I'd lost my bike lock. See, on Tuesday, when I reattached my bike to the bike rack, I used the bungee cords that usually attach my lock to the bike. Normally this isn't a problem but for whatever reason I forgot to throw the lock in my car. Thus, I had to buy a new bike lock. Lame. I still got the normal 4 miles biked + meter time but that was definitely a setback.
Stats:
Miles biked: 31.8 miles ($2.82)
Meters: 7 hours on campus ($7.00)
New Bike Lock: (-$25.11)
Total: -$15.29
Grand Total: $313.27
Left to Save: $269.76
Happy Biking!
~Adam
This past week has been one of major gains and one major setback in my quest to eventually save enough money to justify the purchase of Sulu. Let's recap, shall we?
I decided to bring Sulu home last week. I knew that I was going to Sabbath on Saturday and I knew that I wanted to ride on my Sabbath so I figured that that would be a good idea. It turned out to be quite a good idea. Here's why.
Friday: I biked a LOT. I went to the library to get some work done and then Meg asked me to pick up something from Walgreens before I went to Global Cafe, which is the International Friends Large Group gathering. Here's my map. Total there was 13.8 miles, which is pretty solid.
Saturday: On Friday our friend Greg asked if anyone wanted to go bike riding around Forest Park on Saturday. Since biking was part of my plan anyway, it only makes sense that I would say yes to that, right? Here's where it gets fun. I thought to myself, "self, why would you DRIVE somewhere to go biking when you could BIKE somewhere to go biking? So that's what I did. I biked down to forest park, biked around forest part, went to the history museum and the art museum, then biked home. Here's that map. The total there was 12 miles, which is also a good number, especially given that I had biked so much the previous day.
Tuesday: Meg came with me to Columbia but that didn't stop me from riding everywhere, even though she didn't have a bike. Since my bike was still on the back of my car when I dropper her off at Columbia College, I decided to park and ride the rest of the day. That's 2 more miles + meter time.
Wednesday: This is where the big loss came. I got up Wednesday morning and had a terrible realization... I'd lost my bike lock. See, on Tuesday, when I reattached my bike to the bike rack, I used the bungee cords that usually attach my lock to the bike. Normally this isn't a problem but for whatever reason I forgot to throw the lock in my car. Thus, I had to buy a new bike lock. Lame. I still got the normal 4 miles biked + meter time but that was definitely a setback.
Stats:
Miles biked: 31.8 miles ($2.82)
Meters: 7 hours on campus ($7.00)
New Bike Lock: (-$25.11)
Total: -$15.29
Grand Total: $313.27
Left to Save: $269.76
Happy Biking!
~Adam
Wednesday, November 28, 2012
A Bike in A Car
Hello, friends!
Right now I am preparing for ACF Large Group in Columbia. Right after that I will head back to my beautiful wife in Saint Louis. I get Thursday and Friday off as a Sabbath, since I didn't take a Sabbath while I was in California. (Oops).
One of the things that I love to do is bike on my Sabbath. I love pedaling and pedaling and just going somewhere. I love not having to drive and I love it being faster than walking. I am really excited about biking tomorrow...
Except that I didn't bring my bike rack with me from Saint Louis. What this means is that I'm going to have to find some way to cram Sulu into the Rolla. This should be fun.
This used to be a lot easier, actually. Sulu's front tire comes off pretty easily and the frame, while sizable, is smaller than my previous bike. The problem is the fender. Since I put on the fenders to keep from getting myself all muddy while biking in the rain (a GREAT decision, btw), now Sulu won't fit comfortably in the Rolla. The fenders stick out a bit, making it too wide for the interior.
How am I going to get this bad boy in there? I have no idea. What I do know is that I WILL find a way because I am not missing an opportunity to bike around town without a fight. =0).
Stats;
Places traveled: Campus twice.
Distance: 8 miles ($.70)
Meters: 8 hours ($8)
Total: $8.70
Grand Total: $328.56
Left to Save: $254.47
Happy Biking!
~Adam
Right now I am preparing for ACF Large Group in Columbia. Right after that I will head back to my beautiful wife in Saint Louis. I get Thursday and Friday off as a Sabbath, since I didn't take a Sabbath while I was in California. (Oops).
One of the things that I love to do is bike on my Sabbath. I love pedaling and pedaling and just going somewhere. I love not having to drive and I love it being faster than walking. I am really excited about biking tomorrow...
Except that I didn't bring my bike rack with me from Saint Louis. What this means is that I'm going to have to find some way to cram Sulu into the Rolla. This should be fun.
This used to be a lot easier, actually. Sulu's front tire comes off pretty easily and the frame, while sizable, is smaller than my previous bike. The problem is the fender. Since I put on the fenders to keep from getting myself all muddy while biking in the rain (a GREAT decision, btw), now Sulu won't fit comfortably in the Rolla. The fenders stick out a bit, making it too wide for the interior.
How am I going to get this bad boy in there? I have no idea. What I do know is that I WILL find a way because I am not missing an opportunity to bike around town without a fight. =0).
Stats;
Places traveled: Campus twice.
Distance: 8 miles ($.70)
Meters: 8 hours ($8)
Total: $8.70
Grand Total: $328.56
Left to Save: $254.47
Happy Biking!
~Adam
Wednesday, October 31, 2012
Dry Run...
Hello, friends!
Greetings from Saint Louis and a Happy Halloween to you all. Mizzou ACF decided to do some community service tonight instead of having Large Group, so I decided that this week I was going to stay in Saint Louis instead of driving to Columbia and back. As much as I love CoMO, the chance to spend 12 days with my wife was too good to pass up. =0).
But, since I knew I was going to be away from CoMO for almost 2 weeks, I decided to bring Sulu along with me for the trip! I wanted to see if having a bike in Saint Louis actually made sense for me or if it was just a pipe dream that really shouldn't happen. Yesterday I biked to FloValley as a "dry run." Here are the things that I learned:
- My commute is hilly, but not terrible. Here is the map that I take to get from our apartment to FloValley. It is about 5 miles. It may be hard to see on the map but it has a few hills that are a bit beastly. However, I was actually surprised by how doable those hills were. Each uphill is prefaced by a downhill, so I have some momentum going in. They are still a trek, but it was better than I thought.
- Saint Louis in not as bike friendly as CoMO. There are no bike paths on my commute, meaning I have 2 options. Either I ride in the street and run the risk of getting hit by a car who is probably not used to seeing a bike on the road, or I ride on the sidewalk and have to avoid all the pedestrians who have the right of way and are standing, waiting for the bus. It is a tough call. I rode mostly on the sidewalks yesterday after getting honked at a few times.
- If I go, I go alone. One of the great things that makes biking great is my baby jogger. I can attach it to Sulu, allowing me to carry more stuff, from supplies, to guitars, to anything that weighs less than 110 pounds. Well, the streets and sidewalks are so narrow here in Saint Louis that a baby jogger probably wouldn't survive. If I were to bike to FloValley, I wouldn't be able to take a lot of stuff with me, which kind of defeats the purpose.
- Grocery shopping is totally doable. Getting to FloValley is a bit of a beast but getting to the shopping center just up the road is actually relatively easy. The question is whether or not bringing Sulu back and forth just so I can go grocery shopping is worth the hassle.
So, there you have it. I love biking and I will definitely continue to ride in CoMO but I am on the fence about whether or not bringing Sulu back and forth is a good idea. I am leaning towards "no" but we shall see.
Stats:
Places traveled: To FloValley and back
Distance: 10 miles ($.83)
Meters: None
Total: $.83
Grand Total: $319.86
Left to Save: $263.17
Happy Biking!
~Adam
Greetings from Saint Louis and a Happy Halloween to you all. Mizzou ACF decided to do some community service tonight instead of having Large Group, so I decided that this week I was going to stay in Saint Louis instead of driving to Columbia and back. As much as I love CoMO, the chance to spend 12 days with my wife was too good to pass up. =0).
But, since I knew I was going to be away from CoMO for almost 2 weeks, I decided to bring Sulu along with me for the trip! I wanted to see if having a bike in Saint Louis actually made sense for me or if it was just a pipe dream that really shouldn't happen. Yesterday I biked to FloValley as a "dry run." Here are the things that I learned:
- My commute is hilly, but not terrible. Here is the map that I take to get from our apartment to FloValley. It is about 5 miles. It may be hard to see on the map but it has a few hills that are a bit beastly. However, I was actually surprised by how doable those hills were. Each uphill is prefaced by a downhill, so I have some momentum going in. They are still a trek, but it was better than I thought.
- Saint Louis in not as bike friendly as CoMO. There are no bike paths on my commute, meaning I have 2 options. Either I ride in the street and run the risk of getting hit by a car who is probably not used to seeing a bike on the road, or I ride on the sidewalk and have to avoid all the pedestrians who have the right of way and are standing, waiting for the bus. It is a tough call. I rode mostly on the sidewalks yesterday after getting honked at a few times.
- If I go, I go alone. One of the great things that makes biking great is my baby jogger. I can attach it to Sulu, allowing me to carry more stuff, from supplies, to guitars, to anything that weighs less than 110 pounds. Well, the streets and sidewalks are so narrow here in Saint Louis that a baby jogger probably wouldn't survive. If I were to bike to FloValley, I wouldn't be able to take a lot of stuff with me, which kind of defeats the purpose.
- Grocery shopping is totally doable. Getting to FloValley is a bit of a beast but getting to the shopping center just up the road is actually relatively easy. The question is whether or not bringing Sulu back and forth just so I can go grocery shopping is worth the hassle.
So, there you have it. I love biking and I will definitely continue to ride in CoMO but I am on the fence about whether or not bringing Sulu back and forth is a good idea. I am leaning towards "no" but we shall see.
Stats:
Places traveled: To FloValley and back
Distance: 10 miles ($.83)
Meters: None
Total: $.83
Grand Total: $319.86
Left to Save: $263.17
Happy Biking!
~Adam
Wednesday, October 24, 2012
Biking is so much cheaper...
Hello, friends!
Today, I had an experience that reminded me how much money I can save biking. Actually, it was a series of experiences. Allow me to break it down for you.
On Saturday, I went to get my oil changed. Normally, I change it myself but time is short nowadays and I was way overdue, so I figured that just this once I would have someone do it for me. A conventional oil change costs about $35. If I wanted the high mileage stuff (which I should use, now that the Rolla is coming it at over 275,000 miles) it would cost another $30. Do you know how much it costs to change the oil on a bike? That's right, $0.
Fast forward to this morning. While the nice people @ the lube shop were changing my oil, they topped off my windshield washer fluid and noticed a leak. So, this morning I dropped off my car at the mechanic to see if they could fix it. The gave me a call later in the morning saying there was a crack at the top of the tank and it would cost $250 to fix it. On top of that, it would cost another $250 to fix the pump that pumps the windshield washer fluid onto my windshield. On top of THAT, it would be another $250 to fix a minor issue with the tires because it would also require an alignment. (I didn't do any of the work). Guess how much it costs to do all that work on a bike? If you guessed $0, you'd be right!
But, wait! There's more! While waiting on the nice mechanic folk to look at my car, I went to the nice people at the insurance office to see how much it would cost for Meg and me to get put on the same auto policy. It's not worth going into how much it will cost because you can see where I'm going with this. Even if I wanted to insure Sulu, there's no way it would cost what it costs to insure a car.
What's my conclusion? Biking is awesome and WAY cheaper than driving. Oftentimes driving is a necessity, and I do love driving, but boy is it expensive...
Stats:
Places traveled: Campus, home, mechanic, insurance office, campus, lunch downtown, back to campus, and back to the mechanic
Distance: 4 miles ($.37) and 5.1 more ($.46)
Meters: 4 hours on campus ($4) + 1 hour downtown ($.60) + 5 hours on campus ($5)
Total: $10.43
Grand Total: $319.03
Left to Save: $264.00
Happy Biking!
~Adam
Left to Save:
Today, I had an experience that reminded me how much money I can save biking. Actually, it was a series of experiences. Allow me to break it down for you.
On Saturday, I went to get my oil changed. Normally, I change it myself but time is short nowadays and I was way overdue, so I figured that just this once I would have someone do it for me. A conventional oil change costs about $35. If I wanted the high mileage stuff (which I should use, now that the Rolla is coming it at over 275,000 miles) it would cost another $30. Do you know how much it costs to change the oil on a bike? That's right, $0.
Fast forward to this morning. While the nice people @ the lube shop were changing my oil, they topped off my windshield washer fluid and noticed a leak. So, this morning I dropped off my car at the mechanic to see if they could fix it. The gave me a call later in the morning saying there was a crack at the top of the tank and it would cost $250 to fix it. On top of that, it would cost another $250 to fix the pump that pumps the windshield washer fluid onto my windshield. On top of THAT, it would be another $250 to fix a minor issue with the tires because it would also require an alignment. (I didn't do any of the work). Guess how much it costs to do all that work on a bike? If you guessed $0, you'd be right!
But, wait! There's more! While waiting on the nice mechanic folk to look at my car, I went to the nice people at the insurance office to see how much it would cost for Meg and me to get put on the same auto policy. It's not worth going into how much it will cost because you can see where I'm going with this. Even if I wanted to insure Sulu, there's no way it would cost what it costs to insure a car.
What's my conclusion? Biking is awesome and WAY cheaper than driving. Oftentimes driving is a necessity, and I do love driving, but boy is it expensive...
Stats:
Places traveled: Campus, home, mechanic, insurance office, campus, lunch downtown, back to campus, and back to the mechanic
Distance: 4 miles ($.37) and 5.1 more ($.46)
Meters: 4 hours on campus ($4) + 1 hour downtown ($.60) + 5 hours on campus ($5)
Total: $10.43
Grand Total: $319.03
Left to Save: $264.00
Happy Biking!
~Adam
Left to Save:
Sunday, October 21, 2012
Finding a New Rhythm
Hello, friends!
Sorry it's been so long since I've posted. I've been biking some, but the truth is that it's been a little tough to find the miles.
When I was in the 8th grade, I had to audition for the orchestra. I played the cello and even though I was going to be the section leader, it was important for us to be put in the right order while playing. We had to play a scale and prepare a piece to play for about 1 minute. Honestly, I did pretty terribly. While I was practicing I couldn't seem to quite the the notes to do what I was supposed to do. Just to tell you how I wasn't much of a cellist, it wasn't until I looked at the piece after my audition that I realized the problem: The song was in 3/4 and I was trying to play it in 4/4.
I tell you this story not so I can embarrass myself but because that was the first story that came to mind as I was reflecting a how I need to find a new rhythm.
The truth is that a lot has changed in the past few weeks. I'm no longer living in Columbia; I live in Saint Louis. I'm no longer single; I am married (and loving it). The circumstances of my life are now different and that means that the things that I used to do don't always work anymore. It means I need a new rhythm in my life.
Now, you may be thinking to yourself, "what does this have to do with biking?" Well, one of the big rhythm questions for me is how does Sulu fit into my new rhythm, specifically in Saint Louis, where I will be spending most of my time. I know that I will be biking on Tuesdays and Wednesdays when I am in Columbia but I would love to find a way to get Sulu to Saint Louis so I can do some riding here. I guess we'll just have to see how it goes.
As for the past few weeks, it's pretty much just been a trip or two to campus. But hey, every penny counts, right? =0).
Stats:
Places travelled: Just back and forth to campus twice.
Distance: 8 miles ($.22)
Meters: 6 hours on campus ($6)
Total: $6.22
Saved to date: $308.60
Left to save: $274.43
Happy Biking!
~Adam
Sorry it's been so long since I've posted. I've been biking some, but the truth is that it's been a little tough to find the miles.
When I was in the 8th grade, I had to audition for the orchestra. I played the cello and even though I was going to be the section leader, it was important for us to be put in the right order while playing. We had to play a scale and prepare a piece to play for about 1 minute. Honestly, I did pretty terribly. While I was practicing I couldn't seem to quite the the notes to do what I was supposed to do. Just to tell you how I wasn't much of a cellist, it wasn't until I looked at the piece after my audition that I realized the problem: The song was in 3/4 and I was trying to play it in 4/4.
I tell you this story not so I can embarrass myself but because that was the first story that came to mind as I was reflecting a how I need to find a new rhythm.
The truth is that a lot has changed in the past few weeks. I'm no longer living in Columbia; I live in Saint Louis. I'm no longer single; I am married (and loving it). The circumstances of my life are now different and that means that the things that I used to do don't always work anymore. It means I need a new rhythm in my life.
Now, you may be thinking to yourself, "what does this have to do with biking?" Well, one of the big rhythm questions for me is how does Sulu fit into my new rhythm, specifically in Saint Louis, where I will be spending most of my time. I know that I will be biking on Tuesdays and Wednesdays when I am in Columbia but I would love to find a way to get Sulu to Saint Louis so I can do some riding here. I guess we'll just have to see how it goes.
As for the past few weeks, it's pretty much just been a trip or two to campus. But hey, every penny counts, right? =0).
Stats:
Places travelled: Just back and forth to campus twice.
Distance: 8 miles ($.22)
Meters: 6 hours on campus ($6)
Total: $6.22
Saved to date: $308.60
Left to save: $274.43
Happy Biking!
~Adam
Friday, September 21, 2012
Pain...
Hello, friends!
Just a few days until I get married and I cannot wait for a number of reasons. I am going to be marrying the love of my life and my best friend, which is pretty sweet. I am looking forward to all the great things that Meg and I are going to be able to do for the kingdom as a couple. That is going to be pretty sweet as well. One reason that may be a little understated but still really important is that getting married is going to be great for my back.
See, once Meg and I get married, I get to move into our apartment. That means I get to sleep on the bed that we bought. I took a nap on that bed one time. It was NICE. Now, sleeping on a new bed may be great and all but the comfort in compounded when you consider that the past few weeks I have been sleeping on nothing but couches.
The apartment where I am staying in Saint Louis is great. The roommates are great, the location is wonderful (except that it is too far south for UMSL or Flo Valley, where Meg and I work) and I am staying there rent free because there are 4 guys and only 3 rooms. What this means though, is that I am sleeping on a couch. Add this to the fact that I am sleeping on a couch already in Columbia when I go out there on Tuesdays, and I can definitely feel the pain.
I guess the moral of the story is that I'm getting old. When I was younger I slept on the couch in California and I think I actually preferred it. Now, I wake up sore and creaky, not quite ready to bike, run, walk, or even stand up. I wouldn't be surprised if the couch has led my back to be all mangled and such. I'll probably go to a chiropractor after the wedding.
Anyway, that's one of the reasons I haven't been biking much. I need to get myself right before I can start to pedal in earnest.
Stats:
Places traveled: Just to campus and back
Distance traveled: 4 miles ($.40)
Meters: 2 hours on campus ($2)
Total: $2.40
Grand Total: $302.38
Left to Save: $280.65
Happy Biking!
~Adam
Just a few days until I get married and I cannot wait for a number of reasons. I am going to be marrying the love of my life and my best friend, which is pretty sweet. I am looking forward to all the great things that Meg and I are going to be able to do for the kingdom as a couple. That is going to be pretty sweet as well. One reason that may be a little understated but still really important is that getting married is going to be great for my back.
See, once Meg and I get married, I get to move into our apartment. That means I get to sleep on the bed that we bought. I took a nap on that bed one time. It was NICE. Now, sleeping on a new bed may be great and all but the comfort in compounded when you consider that the past few weeks I have been sleeping on nothing but couches.
The apartment where I am staying in Saint Louis is great. The roommates are great, the location is wonderful (except that it is too far south for UMSL or Flo Valley, where Meg and I work) and I am staying there rent free because there are 4 guys and only 3 rooms. What this means though, is that I am sleeping on a couch. Add this to the fact that I am sleeping on a couch already in Columbia when I go out there on Tuesdays, and I can definitely feel the pain.
I guess the moral of the story is that I'm getting old. When I was younger I slept on the couch in California and I think I actually preferred it. Now, I wake up sore and creaky, not quite ready to bike, run, walk, or even stand up. I wouldn't be surprised if the couch has led my back to be all mangled and such. I'll probably go to a chiropractor after the wedding.
Anyway, that's one of the reasons I haven't been biking much. I need to get myself right before I can start to pedal in earnest.
Stats:
Places traveled: Just to campus and back
Distance traveled: 4 miles ($.40)
Meters: 2 hours on campus ($2)
Total: $2.40
Grand Total: $302.38
Left to Save: $280.65
Happy Biking!
~Adam
Wednesday, September 12, 2012
The Inefficiency of a Pedometer...
Hello, friends!
I found a new app for my phone. It is a pedometer, which tracks the number of steps that I take on a given day, as well as calculate the distance that I walk and the calories burned. Pretty much, it has turned me into a very inefficient person.
One thing that you may know about me is that I am highly competitive. I will compete with anyone over anything, even if that means competing with yesterday's self to make sure that I take more steps today than I did yesterday. I will compete against the "average" US male, who takes about 7100 steps per day to make sure that I will take more steps than him. Competition does weird things to a guy. Why would I walk my bike when I could ride it, even for a few steps? Because it will make my pedometer happy. Why will I take the furthest parking spot possible? Because it means I get in a few extra steps. These are the things that happen when you are highly motivated by competition.
Here's what I've found. I actually don't walk a ton. My average step count has been somewhere around 4000. That even includes all my "cheating." I spend most of my day sitting with students or sitting to prep stuff for my students or sitting in car, driving from one place to the next, or sitting on Sulu, riding from one place to the next. I'm not sure if I can be 10,000 steps inefficient, like the doctors (whoever they are) say I should be. But, I guess we'll see, right?
Stats:
Places traveled: Just to campus and back yesterday.
Distance traveled: 2.0 miles ($.21)
Meters: 4 hours on campus ($4)
Total: $4.21
Grand Total: $304.19
Left to Save: $278.84
Happy Biking!
~Adam
I found a new app for my phone. It is a pedometer, which tracks the number of steps that I take on a given day, as well as calculate the distance that I walk and the calories burned. Pretty much, it has turned me into a very inefficient person.
One thing that you may know about me is that I am highly competitive. I will compete with anyone over anything, even if that means competing with yesterday's self to make sure that I take more steps today than I did yesterday. I will compete against the "average" US male, who takes about 7100 steps per day to make sure that I will take more steps than him. Competition does weird things to a guy. Why would I walk my bike when I could ride it, even for a few steps? Because it will make my pedometer happy. Why will I take the furthest parking spot possible? Because it means I get in a few extra steps. These are the things that happen when you are highly motivated by competition.
Here's what I've found. I actually don't walk a ton. My average step count has been somewhere around 4000. That even includes all my "cheating." I spend most of my day sitting with students or sitting to prep stuff for my students or sitting in car, driving from one place to the next, or sitting on Sulu, riding from one place to the next. I'm not sure if I can be 10,000 steps inefficient, like the doctors (whoever they are) say I should be. But, I guess we'll see, right?
Stats:
Places traveled: Just to campus and back yesterday.
Distance traveled: 2.0 miles ($.21)
Meters: 4 hours on campus ($4)
Total: $4.21
Grand Total: $304.19
Left to Save: $278.84
Happy Biking!
~Adam
Wednesday, September 5, 2012
Out Sick...
Hello, friends!
Sorry for not posting last week. I didn't actually get a chance to ride, so I guess it wasn't a big loss.
Here's the thing that I've noticed with my new schedule. I am really tired. I work 15 hour days or so on Tuesdays and at least 10-12 on Wednesdays. I suppose it wouldn't be so bad if I was doing something that didn't require so much emotional energy but the truth is that working with college students requires me to stretch my "feeler" muscles and I think they are a little out of practice.
What does this have to do with biking? Well, things are so jam packed that it is hard to get all the miles in that I normally would. Sometimes I just need to sleep, which means that I get fewer hours at the meters, which we all know is a big money saver.
An unfortunate trend has developed the past few weeks. When I work 15 hour days on Tuesday, my head is in pretty dire shape on Wednesday. Today has been no exception. I had plans for today. There was going to be errands run. There were going to be things accomplished. There were going to be miled pedaled! Instead, I was the victim of a late start, a busted head, and now playing catch up. I rode a bit yesterday, so there is still progress, but not as much as there could have been.
Stats:
Places traveled: campus and columbia college
Distance traveled: 3.6 miles ($.37)
Meters: 2 hours downtown ($1.20) + 2 hours on campus ($2)
Total: $3.57
Grand total: $299.98
Left to save: $283.05
Happy Biking!
~Adam
Sorry for not posting last week. I didn't actually get a chance to ride, so I guess it wasn't a big loss.
Here's the thing that I've noticed with my new schedule. I am really tired. I work 15 hour days or so on Tuesdays and at least 10-12 on Wednesdays. I suppose it wouldn't be so bad if I was doing something that didn't require so much emotional energy but the truth is that working with college students requires me to stretch my "feeler" muscles and I think they are a little out of practice.
What does this have to do with biking? Well, things are so jam packed that it is hard to get all the miles in that I normally would. Sometimes I just need to sleep, which means that I get fewer hours at the meters, which we all know is a big money saver.
An unfortunate trend has developed the past few weeks. When I work 15 hour days on Tuesday, my head is in pretty dire shape on Wednesday. Today has been no exception. I had plans for today. There was going to be errands run. There were going to be things accomplished. There were going to be miled pedaled! Instead, I was the victim of a late start, a busted head, and now playing catch up. I rode a bit yesterday, so there is still progress, but not as much as there could have been.
Stats:
Places traveled: campus and columbia college
Distance traveled: 3.6 miles ($.37)
Meters: 2 hours downtown ($1.20) + 2 hours on campus ($2)
Total: $3.57
Grand total: $299.98
Left to save: $283.05
Happy Biking!
~Adam
Wednesday, August 22, 2012
Rounding Up and Saving Big...
Hello, friends!
An interesting thing that I have noticed as I have been riding for this past year or so. Actually, I didn't really notice until a few weeks ago, but it's something that I have been (or rather HAVEN'T been) doing ever since I started this blog. I am talking about rounding.
Let me give you an example. Let's suppose that I think I am going to be on campus for 5 hours for a given day. I get to the meter and I put in $5 to give me 5 hours worth of time (so as to not get a ticket). But, because a student cancels a meeting, I forget something back at home, or some other unforeseen circumstance, I am actually on campus on 4 hours. Well, the meter doesn't give change, so I pretty much blew an hour's worth of meter money. Isn't that the saddest thing in the world?
What are my options at that point? I could gamble, put in 3 hours worth of time and hope that I don't get a ticket. I could run back and forth from the meter to wherever I am so that I get things exactly right. Neither of those really works for me. The first one always ends up costing more ($10/ticket) and the second one just isn't efficient. So, if I drive, I end up overpaying and just accept that this is part of life.
However, that is one more joy of biking. I get to campus when I get to campus. I leave when I leave. There's no need for me to try to guess how long I will be there and hope that I get it right as I drop coins into the meter. I am totally free to do what I want for as long (or as short) as I want and not feel guilty about wasting money. If anything, I am saving even more money. Hooray!
Stats:
Places traveled: Campus, Olive Cafe, home, plasma, and campus again.
Distance traveled: 7.4 miles (sorry, the link isn't working) ($.72)
Meters: 6 hours on campus ($6) + 2 hours downtown ($1.20) + 3 hours on campus ($3)
Total: $10.92
Grand Total: $296.41
Left to Save: $286.62
Friends! We are past the halfway point! Hooray!!!
Happy Biking!
~Adam
An interesting thing that I have noticed as I have been riding for this past year or so. Actually, I didn't really notice until a few weeks ago, but it's something that I have been (or rather HAVEN'T been) doing ever since I started this blog. I am talking about rounding.
Let me give you an example. Let's suppose that I think I am going to be on campus for 5 hours for a given day. I get to the meter and I put in $5 to give me 5 hours worth of time (so as to not get a ticket). But, because a student cancels a meeting, I forget something back at home, or some other unforeseen circumstance, I am actually on campus on 4 hours. Well, the meter doesn't give change, so I pretty much blew an hour's worth of meter money. Isn't that the saddest thing in the world?
What are my options at that point? I could gamble, put in 3 hours worth of time and hope that I don't get a ticket. I could run back and forth from the meter to wherever I am so that I get things exactly right. Neither of those really works for me. The first one always ends up costing more ($10/ticket) and the second one just isn't efficient. So, if I drive, I end up overpaying and just accept that this is part of life.
However, that is one more joy of biking. I get to campus when I get to campus. I leave when I leave. There's no need for me to try to guess how long I will be there and hope that I get it right as I drop coins into the meter. I am totally free to do what I want for as long (or as short) as I want and not feel guilty about wasting money. If anything, I am saving even more money. Hooray!
Stats:
Places traveled: Campus, Olive Cafe, home, plasma, and campus again.
Distance traveled: 7.4 miles (sorry, the link isn't working) ($.72)
Meters: 6 hours on campus ($6) + 2 hours downtown ($1.20) + 3 hours on campus ($3)
Total: $10.92
Grand Total: $296.41
Left to Save: $286.62
Friends! We are past the halfway point! Hooray!!!
Happy Biking!
~Adam
Friday, August 17, 2012
One Stellar Week...
Hello, friends!
This week was a banner week for Penny Peddling. Not only was it a week where Sulu and I rode for more days than we didn't but today we also totally made us some meter money. Allow me to break it down for you.
Tuesday: I spent 2 hours downtown donating plasma then another 5 on campus doing work.
Wednesday: Home with a migraine... bummer.
Thursday: 7 hours on campus doing work.
Friday: I rode all over town (my mechanic, Staples, Sam's Club, downtown), spent 2 hours downtown donating plasma and another 3 on campus tabling for religious life at Mizzou.
These are the weeks that make me believe that we still have a shot of making all this money back in a reasonable period of time. These are the weeks that make me write this blog. These are the weeks that make me love riding so much.
There are few things that I enjoy more than riding my bike. I am currently at a retreat for Mizzou ACF but I made sure to bring my bike so that I could ride tomorrow morning. It's way more fun than running. It's way more fun than driving in the city. It's WAY more fun than walking everywhere. Biking pretty much rocks. =0).
Here are this week's stats:
Places traveled: Plasma, campus, home, campus, then from my mechanic's to campus, to plasma, to Sam's club, to campus, then back to my mechanic's.
Distance traveled: 7.5 miles + 6.7 miles = 14.2 miles ($1.43)
Meters: 4 hours downtown ($2.40) + 15 hours on campus ($15)
Total: $18.83
Grand Total: $285.49
Left to Save: $297.54
Happy Biking!
~Adam
This week was a banner week for Penny Peddling. Not only was it a week where Sulu and I rode for more days than we didn't but today we also totally made us some meter money. Allow me to break it down for you.
Tuesday: I spent 2 hours downtown donating plasma then another 5 on campus doing work.
Wednesday: Home with a migraine... bummer.
Thursday: 7 hours on campus doing work.
Friday: I rode all over town (my mechanic, Staples, Sam's Club, downtown), spent 2 hours downtown donating plasma and another 3 on campus tabling for religious life at Mizzou.
These are the weeks that make me believe that we still have a shot of making all this money back in a reasonable period of time. These are the weeks that make me write this blog. These are the weeks that make me love riding so much.
There are few things that I enjoy more than riding my bike. I am currently at a retreat for Mizzou ACF but I made sure to bring my bike so that I could ride tomorrow morning. It's way more fun than running. It's way more fun than driving in the city. It's WAY more fun than walking everywhere. Biking pretty much rocks. =0).
Here are this week's stats:
Places traveled: Plasma, campus, home, campus, then from my mechanic's to campus, to plasma, to Sam's club, to campus, then back to my mechanic's.
Distance traveled: 7.5 miles + 6.7 miles = 14.2 miles ($1.43)
Meters: 4 hours downtown ($2.40) + 15 hours on campus ($15)
Total: $18.83
Grand Total: $285.49
Left to Save: $297.54
Happy Biking!
~Adam
Wednesday, August 1, 2012
It's Hot!!!
Hello, friends!
Y'all, it is hot here in Missouri. Like, 104 degree hot. Like, not want to go outside hot. Like, who would be silly enough to go golfing (or biking) in this weather hot. Oh, wait, that's me.
Confession time. This heat isn't actually all that bad to me. I don't know exactly what it is. I don't mind the cold and I don't mind the heat. I just kind of survive.
Actually, there are a few advantages to biking in this oppressive heat. First, the heat is really only bad if you are standing still. So long as I keep on moving, there is a nice breeze. The faster I am moving, the stronger the breeze, the better I feel. Thus, biking is superior to walking (more breeze) and driving (windshield stops the breeze), so long as I am not stuck at a light for too long.
Second, I think I am actually saving MORE money during this time biking instead of driving because I don't have to deal with air conditioning. I suppose I could go without it, and I often do, either just running the fan or rolling down the windows. However, all of these options still lower the fuel economy of the Rolla, making biking an even more appealing option.
In conclusion, biking in heat is awesome and everyone should do it. Just remember to stay hydrated. =0).
Stats:
Places traveled: Campus twice and plasma once
Distance traveled: 8.0 miles ($.78)
Meters: 3.5 hours on campus ($3.50) + 2 hours downtown ($1.20)
Total: $5.48
Grand Total: $266.66
Left to save: $310.89
Happy Biking!
~Adam
Y'all, it is hot here in Missouri. Like, 104 degree hot. Like, not want to go outside hot. Like, who would be silly enough to go golfing (or biking) in this weather hot. Oh, wait, that's me.
Confession time. This heat isn't actually all that bad to me. I don't know exactly what it is. I don't mind the cold and I don't mind the heat. I just kind of survive.
Actually, there are a few advantages to biking in this oppressive heat. First, the heat is really only bad if you are standing still. So long as I keep on moving, there is a nice breeze. The faster I am moving, the stronger the breeze, the better I feel. Thus, biking is superior to walking (more breeze) and driving (windshield stops the breeze), so long as I am not stuck at a light for too long.
Second, I think I am actually saving MORE money during this time biking instead of driving because I don't have to deal with air conditioning. I suppose I could go without it, and I often do, either just running the fan or rolling down the windows. However, all of these options still lower the fuel economy of the Rolla, making biking an even more appealing option.
In conclusion, biking in heat is awesome and everyone should do it. Just remember to stay hydrated. =0).
Stats:
Places traveled: Campus twice and plasma once
Distance traveled: 8.0 miles ($.78)
Meters: 3.5 hours on campus ($3.50) + 2 hours downtown ($1.20)
Total: $5.48
Grand Total: $266.66
Left to save: $310.89
Happy Biking!
~Adam
Friday, July 27, 2012
Lost Keys and Lost Mind...
Hello, friends!
A few days ago I posted on how two of my best friends in the whole wide world got married. It was a really great celebration, but also a super stressful weekend for me. Not because I was a groomsman. It wasn't because I was the reception MC either. It wasn't because two of my best friends were getting married. Nope. It was stressful because I lost my keys...
Let me break it down for you. At 2pm on Friday I met with other groomsmen to pick up our tuxes. They went to go hang out at one of the groomsmen's house until the wedding rehearsal @ 3:30 but I had a few errands to run so I bolted. From there, I went to the bank to pick up a money order for our new apartment but that took shorter than anticipated. I ended up at WashU (Go Bears!) where the rehearsal was going to be with about 25 minutes to spare. The chapel wasn't open and I didn't want to sit in my hot car, so I went into one of the buildings and read for a bit. Then I made my way to the chapel and we had the rehearsal.
When I got back to my car, I realized that I didn't have my keys. I checked my backpack and they weren't in there. I called the groom to see if I left them in the chapel. I did not. I went back to the building where I did my reading but they weren't there either. I retraced my steps back and forth at least twice. I even called Triple A to unlock my car in case I locked the keys in there. No dice. Somewhere on the WashU campus, my keys are lying there, lonely and without purpose. Even worse, I was pissed.
See, when you think about it, losing your keys isn't the end of the world. It costs less than $2 to get a new copy made at Walmart. Meg and I had to drive to CoMo to get my spare car key but even that turned into a date of sorts which was kind of nice. No, the lost keys weren't the problem. It was what they represented.
Perfection. That is always the goal. Why do something poorly when you can do it perfectly? Losing one's keys may not be a big deal monetarily, or even from a time perspective, but it means that I messed up. And I hate messing up. I spent a good hour or two beating myself up because I had lost my keys. That isn't something that I do. I strive for perfection.
Really, this is an area where God is working in my life. I have to learn that perfection is not attainable. I have to be willing to extend myself the same grace that I extend others when they do not do things perfectly. Someone once told me that it is a pride thing. By holding myself to a higher standard, I am telling those around me that I do not think as highly of them since I do not expect the same from them. It's not a good place to be.
The key copies have been made. All is well. I even learned a lesson. Now, here's hoping it never happens again. =0).
Stats:
Places traveled: Downtown for lunch with a student, campus, and plasma.
Distance traveled: 4.0 miles ($.37)
Meters: 6 hours on campus ($6) + 3 hours downtown ($1.80)
Total: $8.17
Grand Total: $269.35
Left to save: $308.20
Happy Biking!
~Adam
A few days ago I posted on how two of my best friends in the whole wide world got married. It was a really great celebration, but also a super stressful weekend for me. Not because I was a groomsman. It wasn't because I was the reception MC either. It wasn't because two of my best friends were getting married. Nope. It was stressful because I lost my keys...
Let me break it down for you. At 2pm on Friday I met with other groomsmen to pick up our tuxes. They went to go hang out at one of the groomsmen's house until the wedding rehearsal @ 3:30 but I had a few errands to run so I bolted. From there, I went to the bank to pick up a money order for our new apartment but that took shorter than anticipated. I ended up at WashU (Go Bears!) where the rehearsal was going to be with about 25 minutes to spare. The chapel wasn't open and I didn't want to sit in my hot car, so I went into one of the buildings and read for a bit. Then I made my way to the chapel and we had the rehearsal.
When I got back to my car, I realized that I didn't have my keys. I checked my backpack and they weren't in there. I called the groom to see if I left them in the chapel. I did not. I went back to the building where I did my reading but they weren't there either. I retraced my steps back and forth at least twice. I even called Triple A to unlock my car in case I locked the keys in there. No dice. Somewhere on the WashU campus, my keys are lying there, lonely and without purpose. Even worse, I was pissed.
See, when you think about it, losing your keys isn't the end of the world. It costs less than $2 to get a new copy made at Walmart. Meg and I had to drive to CoMo to get my spare car key but even that turned into a date of sorts which was kind of nice. No, the lost keys weren't the problem. It was what they represented.
Perfection. That is always the goal. Why do something poorly when you can do it perfectly? Losing one's keys may not be a big deal monetarily, or even from a time perspective, but it means that I messed up. And I hate messing up. I spent a good hour or two beating myself up because I had lost my keys. That isn't something that I do. I strive for perfection.
Really, this is an area where God is working in my life. I have to learn that perfection is not attainable. I have to be willing to extend myself the same grace that I extend others when they do not do things perfectly. Someone once told me that it is a pride thing. By holding myself to a higher standard, I am telling those around me that I do not think as highly of them since I do not expect the same from them. It's not a good place to be.
The key copies have been made. All is well. I even learned a lesson. Now, here's hoping it never happens again. =0).
Stats:
Places traveled: Downtown for lunch with a student, campus, and plasma.
Distance traveled: 4.0 miles ($.37)
Meters: 6 hours on campus ($6) + 3 hours downtown ($1.80)
Total: $8.17
Grand Total: $269.35
Left to save: $308.20
Happy Biking!
~Adam
Wednesday, July 18, 2012
Strategy...
Hello, friends!
If you'll notice, it's been about 3 weeks since I last posted. I was in California for a few weeks and there wasn't much riding to do then. Plus, it has been WAY hot here in Missouri (as well as many other places in the country). Like, sick hot.
But, that is no excuse to quit on my dream of paying off Sulu via money saved riding my bike places where I could drive. I was able to do a little of that yesterday and today, which was nice, but I think some changes are in order.
First, I have to ride in Saint Louis. If I am going to be in Saint Louis most of the week, it would make sense that I would want to ride in Saint Louis in order to save me some cashage. Meg has a bike rack that fits on a car so it shouldn't be a problem getting Sulu back and forth. My MPG may suffer ever so slightly, but I'm sure that the change will be worth it.
Second, I have to ride more in Columbia. Much of what I do during the summer is planning and preparation for the semester to come. Usually that means me hanging out it my semi-cool basement in front of a computer. Why can't I do that on campus in the air conditioning? What's stopping me besides laziness. Nothing, that's what!
I was going to write something about my third change was to build a weather machine so it wouldn't be so daggone hot but that would probably end up costing more than the bike. So, instead, I'll just keep it at two very simple changes. We'll figure it out my friends. This is going to be awesome! =0).
Stats:
Places traveled: Campus, home, my friend Bob's house, and Jingo's for lunch today.
Distance traveled: 5.9 miles ($.56)
Meters: On campus 3 hours ($3) + Downtown 1 hour ($.60)
Total: $4.16
Grand total: $261.18
Left to save: $316.37
Happy Biking!
~Adam
If you'll notice, it's been about 3 weeks since I last posted. I was in California for a few weeks and there wasn't much riding to do then. Plus, it has been WAY hot here in Missouri (as well as many other places in the country). Like, sick hot.
But, that is no excuse to quit on my dream of paying off Sulu via money saved riding my bike places where I could drive. I was able to do a little of that yesterday and today, which was nice, but I think some changes are in order.
First, I have to ride in Saint Louis. If I am going to be in Saint Louis most of the week, it would make sense that I would want to ride in Saint Louis in order to save me some cashage. Meg has a bike rack that fits on a car so it shouldn't be a problem getting Sulu back and forth. My MPG may suffer ever so slightly, but I'm sure that the change will be worth it.
Second, I have to ride more in Columbia. Much of what I do during the summer is planning and preparation for the semester to come. Usually that means me hanging out it my semi-cool basement in front of a computer. Why can't I do that on campus in the air conditioning? What's stopping me besides laziness. Nothing, that's what!
I was going to write something about my third change was to build a weather machine so it wouldn't be so daggone hot but that would probably end up costing more than the bike. So, instead, I'll just keep it at two very simple changes. We'll figure it out my friends. This is going to be awesome! =0).
Stats:
Places traveled: Campus, home, my friend Bob's house, and Jingo's for lunch today.
Distance traveled: 5.9 miles ($.56)
Meters: On campus 3 hours ($3) + Downtown 1 hour ($.60)
Total: $4.16
Grand total: $261.18
Left to save: $316.37
Happy Biking!
~Adam
Wednesday, June 27, 2012
Sleepless @ 35,000 Feet...
Hello, friends!
I am currently writing this post while on a plane back to sunny, beautiful, but not oppressively hot, Southern California. I will be hanging out in Cali until July 10, seeing family, visiting with old friends, and doing a little fundraising. I am very much looking forward to it.
The reason I am writing to you while in the air (I won't actually post this until I touch down for lack of free internet on the plane) is because I can't sleep, which is rare for me and unfortunate. See, I get some solid motion sickness so I have conditioned my body to fall asleep as soon as my butt hits the chair and my seatbelt is fastened. It doesn't matter the time of the flight or how tired I am, once my tray is locked unto the upright position and my carry-on is stowed, I am out like a light.
Well, usually. Sometimes something goes wrong. Since I have some time, I thought I would share with you the top 3 sleep blockers, in order or annoyance.
Coming in at Number 3 is an oldie bit a goodie: crying babies. Sometimes it is their first time flying. Sometimes they have motion sickness like me or are sick or hungry. Whatever the case, they are loud and depending on proximity, can disrupt even the best of naps. The reason that the young ones are number 3 on my list is because I know they can't help it.. They are babies. I can't hold their crying against them when they don't even have the body control to not wet themselves. So, babies get a pass.
Number 2 is a different story. I call this friend the talking rowmate. You know the type. This is the person who, bless his soul, wants to make a new friend, and since you are going to be right next to each other for the next few hours, it may as well be you! Normally having a conversation with someone wouldn't be a big deal for me but on a plane is a different story. My hat is covering my eyes. My seat is reclined. I have taken off my glasses. What has two thumbs and probably isn't in much of a mood to talk. That's right, "This guy". However, these folk are just trying to be friendly and I can appreciate that. Under normal circumstances this would be great. So, the rowmate is not the worst.
And then there was one. Our final contestant is actually the reason I am posting right now (and probably why this post sounds like a cranky rant). Congratulations, Loud Conversationalist Behind Me, you win! Look, I am sure that your conversation is very important. Outlining exactly what you do for a living in excruciating detail, talking about the last 3 books you read, or explaining why you are "so over" the guy who just broke up with you is top notch stuff. No one is saying you have to be quiet. But, if you would keep it to a level so that the entire plane doesn't have to hear about your "killer margarita" recipe, it would be much appreciated.
Stats:
Places traveled: Bengals a few times, campus a few times, and once to the plasma center.
Distance traveled: 6.9 miles ($.62)
Meters: 3 hours on campus ($3) + 3 hours downtown ($1.80)
Total: $5.42
Grand Total: $257.02
Left to Save: $320.53
Happy biking!
~Adam
I am currently writing this post while on a plane back to sunny, beautiful, but not oppressively hot, Southern California. I will be hanging out in Cali until July 10, seeing family, visiting with old friends, and doing a little fundraising. I am very much looking forward to it.
The reason I am writing to you while in the air (I won't actually post this until I touch down for lack of free internet on the plane) is because I can't sleep, which is rare for me and unfortunate. See, I get some solid motion sickness so I have conditioned my body to fall asleep as soon as my butt hits the chair and my seatbelt is fastened. It doesn't matter the time of the flight or how tired I am, once my tray is locked unto the upright position and my carry-on is stowed, I am out like a light.
Well, usually. Sometimes something goes wrong. Since I have some time, I thought I would share with you the top 3 sleep blockers, in order or annoyance.
Coming in at Number 3 is an oldie bit a goodie: crying babies. Sometimes it is their first time flying. Sometimes they have motion sickness like me or are sick or hungry. Whatever the case, they are loud and depending on proximity, can disrupt even the best of naps. The reason that the young ones are number 3 on my list is because I know they can't help it.. They are babies. I can't hold their crying against them when they don't even have the body control to not wet themselves. So, babies get a pass.
Number 2 is a different story. I call this friend the talking rowmate. You know the type. This is the person who, bless his soul, wants to make a new friend, and since you are going to be right next to each other for the next few hours, it may as well be you! Normally having a conversation with someone wouldn't be a big deal for me but on a plane is a different story. My hat is covering my eyes. My seat is reclined. I have taken off my glasses. What has two thumbs and probably isn't in much of a mood to talk. That's right, "This guy". However, these folk are just trying to be friendly and I can appreciate that. Under normal circumstances this would be great. So, the rowmate is not the worst.
And then there was one. Our final contestant is actually the reason I am posting right now (and probably why this post sounds like a cranky rant). Congratulations, Loud Conversationalist Behind Me, you win! Look, I am sure that your conversation is very important. Outlining exactly what you do for a living in excruciating detail, talking about the last 3 books you read, or explaining why you are "so over" the guy who just broke up with you is top notch stuff. No one is saying you have to be quiet. But, if you would keep it to a level so that the entire plane doesn't have to hear about your "killer margarita" recipe, it would be much appreciated.
Stats:
Places traveled: Bengals a few times, campus a few times, and once to the plasma center.
Distance traveled: 6.9 miles ($.62)
Meters: 3 hours on campus ($3) + 3 hours downtown ($1.80)
Total: $5.42
Grand Total: $257.02
Left to Save: $320.53
Happy biking!
~Adam
Wednesday, June 20, 2012
Kinda Getting Older...
Hello, friends!
Sometimes in life there are moments when you realize that you are not as young as you used to be. There are times when you come to the conclusion that your body can't do the things that it used to be able to do. Today was one of those days.
Today, I tried playing basketball. Actually, I didn't play too badly. We played one game of "21" and 2 games of "2 vs. 3." I won our game of 21 and won the game of 2 vs. 3 when I was part of the 3. Except for the last game when I missed everything, my jump shot has gotten better and I even had a few nice drives to the basket for some layups. My passes were mostly spot on too. If you look at it, my basketball game has actually gotten BETTER since high school, when all I had was a baby hook and a jump shot that looked like a knuckleball.
Except in one area. I have no endurance anymore. We hadn't played for more than 15 minutes before I had my hands on my hips and was panting like a dog. Normally I pride myself on my defense and rebounds but today I couldn't seem to stick with anyone or box anybody out. We ended up playing for about an hour and a half and I was pretty gassed for most of it. I re-aggrivated a tendon in my foot and was playing a little bit gimp, but that doesn't change the fact that my conditioning isn't what it used to be.
I'm not saying that I'm a marathon runner, or ever have been, but things were never this bad. I competed in a triathlon just last year. I used to run 3-5 miles without much trouble. I once held my breath for 2 minutes and 30 seconds. I used to at least be an athlete.
But it seems like not so much anymore. If the most exercise I get in a day is riding my bike to campus then something is wrong. If my idea of cardio is golf (I love it, but it isn't exactly the most strenuous of activities), then maybe I am not putting in the work I used to. Something needs to change.
101 days from now I will be married (crazy, righ?!). For the next 100 days, I am going into hardcore "get back into shape" mode. I'm not going to hurt myself trying to go too fast too fast like in previous times, but I am going to eat better and try to get myself back to where I ought to be health wise. It won't be perfect. My trip to California is still going to consist of eating a lot of delicious things that are bad for me but I only get to eat once or twice a year. But, so long as I know that now, I can plan accordingly.
Who knows how much biking I am going to get done these next few weeks and months. It may be a ton, it may be just a little. But, it won't be all. Let's do this!
Stats:
Places Traveled: Plasma, Campus, and Home.
Distance Traveled: 4.0 miles ($.38)
Meters: 2 hours downtown ($1.20) + 5 hours on campus ($5)
Total: $6.58
Grand Total: $251.65
Left to Save: $325.95
Happy Biking!
~Adam
Sometimes in life there are moments when you realize that you are not as young as you used to be. There are times when you come to the conclusion that your body can't do the things that it used to be able to do. Today was one of those days.
Today, I tried playing basketball. Actually, I didn't play too badly. We played one game of "21" and 2 games of "2 vs. 3." I won our game of 21 and won the game of 2 vs. 3 when I was part of the 3. Except for the last game when I missed everything, my jump shot has gotten better and I even had a few nice drives to the basket for some layups. My passes were mostly spot on too. If you look at it, my basketball game has actually gotten BETTER since high school, when all I had was a baby hook and a jump shot that looked like a knuckleball.
Except in one area. I have no endurance anymore. We hadn't played for more than 15 minutes before I had my hands on my hips and was panting like a dog. Normally I pride myself on my defense and rebounds but today I couldn't seem to stick with anyone or box anybody out. We ended up playing for about an hour and a half and I was pretty gassed for most of it. I re-aggrivated a tendon in my foot and was playing a little bit gimp, but that doesn't change the fact that my conditioning isn't what it used to be.
I'm not saying that I'm a marathon runner, or ever have been, but things were never this bad. I competed in a triathlon just last year. I used to run 3-5 miles without much trouble. I once held my breath for 2 minutes and 30 seconds. I used to at least be an athlete.
But it seems like not so much anymore. If the most exercise I get in a day is riding my bike to campus then something is wrong. If my idea of cardio is golf (I love it, but it isn't exactly the most strenuous of activities), then maybe I am not putting in the work I used to. Something needs to change.
101 days from now I will be married (crazy, righ?!). For the next 100 days, I am going into hardcore "get back into shape" mode. I'm not going to hurt myself trying to go too fast too fast like in previous times, but I am going to eat better and try to get myself back to where I ought to be health wise. It won't be perfect. My trip to California is still going to consist of eating a lot of delicious things that are bad for me but I only get to eat once or twice a year. But, so long as I know that now, I can plan accordingly.
Who knows how much biking I am going to get done these next few weeks and months. It may be a ton, it may be just a little. But, it won't be all. Let's do this!
Stats:
Places Traveled: Plasma, Campus, and Home.
Distance Traveled: 4.0 miles ($.38)
Meters: 2 hours downtown ($1.20) + 5 hours on campus ($5)
Total: $6.58
Grand Total: $251.65
Left to Save: $325.95
Happy Biking!
~Adam
Wednesday, June 13, 2012
Stats
Hello, friends!
You know what? Biking during the summer is hard work! It's hot. It's humid. I have to bring 2 shirts because the first one gets all sweaty. Is it fun? Absolutely! Am I saving money by not driving? You betcha! But, it's hard work. I guess I am earning my pennies, eh? =0).
Stats:
Places traveled: Doctor's Office, Home, Campus, Bengals, Post Office, Home, Campus, Plasma, Back to Campus, and finally Home.
Distance traveled: 10.9 miles ($.97)
Meters: 7 hours on campus ($7) + 2 hours downtown ($1.20)
Total: $9.17
Grand Total: $245.07
Left to Save: $332.53
Happy Biking!
~Adam
You know what? Biking during the summer is hard work! It's hot. It's humid. I have to bring 2 shirts because the first one gets all sweaty. Is it fun? Absolutely! Am I saving money by not driving? You betcha! But, it's hard work. I guess I am earning my pennies, eh? =0).
Stats:
Places traveled: Doctor's Office, Home, Campus, Bengals, Post Office, Home, Campus, Plasma, Back to Campus, and finally Home.
Distance traveled: 10.9 miles ($.97)
Meters: 7 hours on campus ($7) + 2 hours downtown ($1.20)
Total: $9.17
Grand Total: $245.07
Left to Save: $332.53
Happy Biking!
~Adam
Wednesday, June 6, 2012
I probably need to post more often...
Hello, friends!
One month later, we are back to it! Guess who got to ride a little bit yesterday?! That's right, this guy!
For those of you who may not know, I am living in Saint Louis 5 days a week. I am getting married in September (hooray!) but still have stuff to do on campus at Mizzou, so I will be commuting a few days a week back to Columbia. What I haven't figured out yet is how all my biking is going to play into this.
See, as it stands, right now I have no reason to bike in Saint Louis. My current apartment is about 15 miles from Meg's place and I don't do a ton down there, so I don't have huge incentive to bring my bike over. Added to that, there is more free more free parking in Saint Louis (or at least the places I go) than in CoMo, so I wouldn't be able to save a ton on meters, which we know is where the money is.
However, I can still save myself a few dollars a week with my 2 days in CoMo, so long as I spend time on campus (which I should be doing anyway)...
Fear not, dear reader, we'll keep peddling and keep posting until we have reached our goal. Huzzah!
Stats:
Places traveled: Just to campus and back
Distance: 4 miles ($.36)
Meters: 5 hours on campus ($5)
Total: $5.36
Grand Total: $235.90
Left to save: $341.70
Happy Biking!
~Adam
One month later, we are back to it! Guess who got to ride a little bit yesterday?! That's right, this guy!
For those of you who may not know, I am living in Saint Louis 5 days a week. I am getting married in September (hooray!) but still have stuff to do on campus at Mizzou, so I will be commuting a few days a week back to Columbia. What I haven't figured out yet is how all my biking is going to play into this.
See, as it stands, right now I have no reason to bike in Saint Louis. My current apartment is about 15 miles from Meg's place and I don't do a ton down there, so I don't have huge incentive to bring my bike over. Added to that, there is more free more free parking in Saint Louis (or at least the places I go) than in CoMo, so I wouldn't be able to save a ton on meters, which we know is where the money is.
However, I can still save myself a few dollars a week with my 2 days in CoMo, so long as I spend time on campus (which I should be doing anyway)...
Fear not, dear reader, we'll keep peddling and keep posting until we have reached our goal. Huzzah!
Stats:
Places traveled: Just to campus and back
Distance: 4 miles ($.36)
Meters: 5 hours on campus ($5)
Total: $5.36
Grand Total: $235.90
Left to save: $341.70
Happy Biking!
~Adam
Monday, May 7, 2012
Hiatus...
Hello, friends!
Guess who is going away for a few weeks? That's right. After 1 week back in CoMo, riding around and enjoying the biking experience, tomorrow I will be heading to Catalyst, our Spring Conference. So, for the next 2 weeks, I will be without bike, or at least without opportunities to Penny Peddle.
So, much like the past few weeks, I will be gone and this blog will be on hiatus. I promise to be back though. I always come back...
Stats:
Places Traveled: A couple times to campus and one trip to Sam's Club.
Distance Traveled: 14.4 miles ($1.36)
Meters: 12 hours on campus ($12)
Total: $13.36
Grand Total: $230.54
Left to Save: $347.06
Happy Biking!
~Adam
Guess who is going away for a few weeks? That's right. After 1 week back in CoMo, riding around and enjoying the biking experience, tomorrow I will be heading to Catalyst, our Spring Conference. So, for the next 2 weeks, I will be without bike, or at least without opportunities to Penny Peddle.
So, much like the past few weeks, I will be gone and this blog will be on hiatus. I promise to be back though. I always come back...
Stats:
Places Traveled: A couple times to campus and one trip to Sam's Club.
Distance Traveled: 14.4 miles ($1.36)
Meters: 12 hours on campus ($12)
Total: $13.36
Grand Total: $230.54
Left to Save: $347.06
Happy Biking!
~Adam
Monday, April 30, 2012
Lessons from the year...
Hello, friends!
It has been FOREVER since I last posted. My apologies. I have been traveling the world these past 3 weeks with no opportunties to bike. Thus, the blog has laid dormant. We are coming up on the end of the school year, which means that soon I will be out of opportunties to pedal in earnest for a bit. So, I figured I would throw down a few lessons that I learned from the past 8 months of biking.
1) Miles mean nothing. METERS are how you make the big bucks. In CoMo, the cheapest meter you are going to find is $.60/hour. Given my current calculations, I would have to bike a little over 6 miles, or 1.5 trips to campus in order to get to $.60, which is great exercise, but it doesn't do much for my job. Definitely the more efficient thing to do is to park Sulu behind the student center for 8 hours (at $1/hour) and let the pennies add up. =0).
2) Biking in the rain isn't the worst thing in the world. I think the best investment that I made this year was getting fenders for Sulu. Before, even if it wasn't raining, biking after a rain sucked because of all the puddles and such. Now, it's actually somewhat pleasant. That was definitely money well spent.
3) Blogging keeps me honest. Thanks to you, my faithful reader(s), I have much more motivation to ride than I did before. There is a certain accountability that comes from knowing that I get to write about my "adventures" and that I also have a goal in mind. So thanks!
Ultimately, these past few months of riding have been great. I am glad that I started, and am looking for many more miles (and pennies) to come!
Stats:
Places: Campus, Jingo's, Campus, Plasma, back to Campus, Bengals, and home.
Distance traveled: 11.4 miles ($1.14)
Meters: 2 hours on campus ($2) + 2 hours downtown ($1.20) + 2 more hours on campus ($2)
Total: $6.34
Grand Total: $217.18
Left to Save: $360.42
Happy Biking!
~Adam
It has been FOREVER since I last posted. My apologies. I have been traveling the world these past 3 weeks with no opportunties to bike. Thus, the blog has laid dormant. We are coming up on the end of the school year, which means that soon I will be out of opportunties to pedal in earnest for a bit. So, I figured I would throw down a few lessons that I learned from the past 8 months of biking.
1) Miles mean nothing. METERS are how you make the big bucks. In CoMo, the cheapest meter you are going to find is $.60/hour. Given my current calculations, I would have to bike a little over 6 miles, or 1.5 trips to campus in order to get to $.60, which is great exercise, but it doesn't do much for my job. Definitely the more efficient thing to do is to park Sulu behind the student center for 8 hours (at $1/hour) and let the pennies add up. =0).
2) Biking in the rain isn't the worst thing in the world. I think the best investment that I made this year was getting fenders for Sulu. Before, even if it wasn't raining, biking after a rain sucked because of all the puddles and such. Now, it's actually somewhat pleasant. That was definitely money well spent.
3) Blogging keeps me honest. Thanks to you, my faithful reader(s), I have much more motivation to ride than I did before. There is a certain accountability that comes from knowing that I get to write about my "adventures" and that I also have a goal in mind. So thanks!
Ultimately, these past few months of riding have been great. I am glad that I started, and am looking for many more miles (and pennies) to come!
Stats:
Places: Campus, Jingo's, Campus, Plasma, back to Campus, Bengals, and home.
Distance traveled: 11.4 miles ($1.14)
Meters: 2 hours on campus ($2) + 2 hours downtown ($1.20) + 2 more hours on campus ($2)
Total: $6.34
Grand Total: $217.18
Left to Save: $360.42
Happy Biking!
~Adam
Friday, April 6, 2012
The Front End of Daylight Savings...
Hello, friends!
It's been a few weeks since Daylight Savings began and most of the US was thrust forward into the future one glorious hour. From my understanding, Daylight Savings was started back in the day as a way to keeping down energy costs. I'm note entirely sure of the logic, but I think it has something to do with business hours and keeping stuff running during particular times. Either way, we've moved ahead one hour and it is getting darker much later in the day.
However, the front end of that means that it is also getting lighter later in the day. Since I have been out of town and not on my bike for a while, this wasn't a big deal. But, this morning I went to work out early in the morning and I realized how dark it still was outside. What is the deal?!
From my understanding of the earth spinning on its axis, as well as observation from the past 27 years of existence, the days are going to get longer on both means, meaning that more time will be added on the front end and the back end of the day, but it was still a bit of a shock to bike out in the dark this morning. I guess that's my fault for trying to get an early start on the day. =0).
Stats:
Places traveled: Campus, Plasma, Campus a few more times, downtown for lunch, and campus again.
Distance traveled: 21.4 miles ($3.04)
Meters: 17 hours on campus ($17) + 6 hours downtown ($7.20)
Total: $27.24
Grand Total: $210.84
Left to Save: $366.76
It's been a few weeks since Daylight Savings began and most of the US was thrust forward into the future one glorious hour. From my understanding, Daylight Savings was started back in the day as a way to keeping down energy costs. I'm note entirely sure of the logic, but I think it has something to do with business hours and keeping stuff running during particular times. Either way, we've moved ahead one hour and it is getting darker much later in the day.
However, the front end of that means that it is also getting lighter later in the day. Since I have been out of town and not on my bike for a while, this wasn't a big deal. But, this morning I went to work out early in the morning and I realized how dark it still was outside. What is the deal?!
From my understanding of the earth spinning on its axis, as well as observation from the past 27 years of existence, the days are going to get longer on both means, meaning that more time will be added on the front end and the back end of the day, but it was still a bit of a shock to bike out in the dark this morning. I guess that's my fault for trying to get an early start on the day. =0).
Stats:
Places traveled: Campus, Plasma, Campus a few more times, downtown for lunch, and campus again.
Distance traveled: 21.4 miles ($3.04)
Meters: 17 hours on campus ($17) + 6 hours downtown ($7.20)
Total: $27.24
Grand Total: $210.84
Left to Save: $366.76
Monday, April 2, 2012
A Sunday Joy Ride...
Hello, friends!
After a fun Spring Break without Sulu, I returned on Sunday, ready to come back and get back to riding daily. I had the chance to use a stationary bike every now and then, so I still got some pedaling in, but I wasn't really going anywhere so I can't count those as real miles.
When I returned on Sunday, I was back home getting some work done when my roommate called and asked if I wanted to go out to dinner when he got back from Ohio. I was totally in and waited for him to come home. When he got back, he had a great idea. Why don't we bike to the restaurant instead of drive?!
So, we biked. It was only a 5 minute ride, but it was totally worth it. Getting back on Sulu and pedaling again was seriously a rush. After a week gone, it felt good to get back to it. This next week is going to be full of riding, I can tell you that!
Stats:
Places traveled: Jingo's and campus.
Distance traveled: 5.4 miles ($.45)
Meters: 3 hours on campus ($3) + 2 hours downtown ($1.20)
Total: $4.65
Grand Total: $183.60
Left to Save: $391.03
Happy Biking!
~Adam
After a fun Spring Break without Sulu, I returned on Sunday, ready to come back and get back to riding daily. I had the chance to use a stationary bike every now and then, so I still got some pedaling in, but I wasn't really going anywhere so I can't count those as real miles.
When I returned on Sunday, I was back home getting some work done when my roommate called and asked if I wanted to go out to dinner when he got back from Ohio. I was totally in and waited for him to come home. When he got back, he had a great idea. Why don't we bike to the restaurant instead of drive?!
So, we biked. It was only a 5 minute ride, but it was totally worth it. Getting back on Sulu and pedaling again was seriously a rush. After a week gone, it felt good to get back to it. This next week is going to be full of riding, I can tell you that!
Stats:
Places traveled: Jingo's and campus.
Distance traveled: 5.4 miles ($.45)
Meters: 3 hours on campus ($3) + 2 hours downtown ($1.20)
Total: $4.65
Grand Total: $183.60
Left to Save: $391.03
Happy Biking!
~Adam
Wednesday, March 21, 2012
Cloudy With A Chance of Driving...
Hello, friends!
There's an interesting thing about weather reports. For some reason, reading weather reports make me forget everything I know about statistics, which is a little sad, seeing as how I spent much of my college career being a stastics minor.
Stastics and probability are pretty simple. From a percentages standpoint, if something is under 50%, then it is not likely to happen. If it is over 50%, chances are it is going to happen. This means, in theory, if there is a 30% chance of rain, 7 of 10 times the weather conditions will NOT lead to rain.
But that's not how my brain works. If it's a 30% chance of rain, I am seriously planning on driving instead of biking. If it's 40%, I'm pretty sure that I'll be driving. 50% and it's a practically a guarantee.
What is it about weather reports? All my learning goes out the window when I look out the window and see clouds.
New resolution: I'm biking unless there is legit chance (+50%) of rain. Let's do this! =0).
Stats:
Places Traveled: Just back and forth from Campus with a stop at Plasma
Distances Traveled: 4.0 miles ($.43)
Meters: 2 hours downtown ($1.20) + 5 hours on campus ($5)
Total: $6.63
Grand Total: $178.95
Left to Save: $395.68
Happy Biking!
~Adam
There's an interesting thing about weather reports. For some reason, reading weather reports make me forget everything I know about statistics, which is a little sad, seeing as how I spent much of my college career being a stastics minor.
Stastics and probability are pretty simple. From a percentages standpoint, if something is under 50%, then it is not likely to happen. If it is over 50%, chances are it is going to happen. This means, in theory, if there is a 30% chance of rain, 7 of 10 times the weather conditions will NOT lead to rain.
But that's not how my brain works. If it's a 30% chance of rain, I am seriously planning on driving instead of biking. If it's 40%, I'm pretty sure that I'll be driving. 50% and it's a practically a guarantee.
What is it about weather reports? All my learning goes out the window when I look out the window and see clouds.
New resolution: I'm biking unless there is legit chance (+50%) of rain. Let's do this! =0).
Stats:
Places Traveled: Just back and forth from Campus with a stop at Plasma
Distances Traveled: 4.0 miles ($.43)
Meters: 2 hours downtown ($1.20) + 5 hours on campus ($5)
Total: $6.63
Grand Total: $178.95
Left to Save: $395.68
Happy Biking!
~Adam
Friday, March 16, 2012
Doppleganger Alert!!!
Hello, friends!
I found my twin! Well, sort of... I actually found Sulu's twin. It's not quite the same, but still pretty cool.
Actually, my guess is that there are several Sulu's around campus. I have seen one that was locked up by the student center as well as Memorial Union. I have also seen one by the rec and by a few classrooms. Apparently it's a pretty popular bike!
However, there is one very important difference I have found. On all the other Sulu wannabes, the bell is on the LEFT side. Sulu's bell is definitely on the right (and by right, I mean RIGHT) side. =0).
Well, I am on my way to Saint Louis for the weekend. I'm going to a Kelly Clarkson concert tonight. Woot!
The Stats:
Places Traveled: Campus a few times with a few errands here and there.
Distance Traveled: 3.5 miles ($.36)
Meters: 2 hours downtown ($1.20) + 7 hours on campus ($7)
Total: $8.56
Grand Total: $172.32
Left to Save: $402.31
Happy Biking!
~Adam
I found my twin! Well, sort of... I actually found Sulu's twin. It's not quite the same, but still pretty cool.
Actually, my guess is that there are several Sulu's around campus. I have seen one that was locked up by the student center as well as Memorial Union. I have also seen one by the rec and by a few classrooms. Apparently it's a pretty popular bike!
However, there is one very important difference I have found. On all the other Sulu wannabes, the bell is on the LEFT side. Sulu's bell is definitely on the right (and by right, I mean RIGHT) side. =0).
Well, I am on my way to Saint Louis for the weekend. I'm going to a Kelly Clarkson concert tonight. Woot!
The Stats:
Places Traveled: Campus a few times with a few errands here and there.
Distance Traveled: 3.5 miles ($.36)
Meters: 2 hours downtown ($1.20) + 7 hours on campus ($7)
Total: $8.56
Grand Total: $172.32
Left to Save: $402.31
Happy Biking!
~Adam
Wednesday, March 14, 2012
Athleticism Defined...
Hello, friends!
An athlete, I am not. Well, at least not a good one. As I look at it, there are 5 traits of athletes:
- Speed: How long does it take you to get from point A to point B?
- Quickness: How are you at changing directions?
- Strength: How much can you pull, push, or lift?
- Endurance: How long can you go?
- Balance: How are you at staying on your feet?
If I were to put myself on a scale, I would say that I was average in most of those areas. But, there is one area where I am absolutely terrible. I have no balance.
My brother will tell you. Staying on my feet is not a strength of mine. Maybe it is because of my flat feet. Maybe I have a smaller (or larger) inner ear than normal and that throws off my equilibrium. It could be a number of different things.
This is pertinent for biking for a number of reasons. One, this probably explains why I have a tendency to crash my bike around once a semester. Also, this is probably the reason why I am unable to do the one thing on a bike that I have always wanted to do... ride with no handle bars.
I see them all the time! Folk will be riding around town with their hands at their sides or under their armpits to keep warm. Sure, it may not be the prettiest image, but it's still something I've always wanted to be able to do. I try from time to time, but I can never last for more than a few seconds.
Anyway, here are the stats:
Places traveled: Campus twice, Parkade for a meeting, and Plasma
Distance traveled: 14.7 miles ($1.47)
Meters: 2 hours downtown ($1.20) + 8 hours on campus ($8)
Total: $10.67
Grand Total: $163.76
Left to Save: $410.87
Happy Biking!
~Adam
An athlete, I am not. Well, at least not a good one. As I look at it, there are 5 traits of athletes:
- Speed: How long does it take you to get from point A to point B?
- Quickness: How are you at changing directions?
- Strength: How much can you pull, push, or lift?
- Endurance: How long can you go?
- Balance: How are you at staying on your feet?
If I were to put myself on a scale, I would say that I was average in most of those areas. But, there is one area where I am absolutely terrible. I have no balance.
My brother will tell you. Staying on my feet is not a strength of mine. Maybe it is because of my flat feet. Maybe I have a smaller (or larger) inner ear than normal and that throws off my equilibrium. It could be a number of different things.
This is pertinent for biking for a number of reasons. One, this probably explains why I have a tendency to crash my bike around once a semester. Also, this is probably the reason why I am unable to do the one thing on a bike that I have always wanted to do... ride with no handle bars.
I see them all the time! Folk will be riding around town with their hands at their sides or under their armpits to keep warm. Sure, it may not be the prettiest image, but it's still something I've always wanted to be able to do. I try from time to time, but I can never last for more than a few seconds.
Anyway, here are the stats:
Places traveled: Campus twice, Parkade for a meeting, and Plasma
Distance traveled: 14.7 miles ($1.47)
Meters: 2 hours downtown ($1.20) + 8 hours on campus ($8)
Total: $10.67
Grand Total: $163.76
Left to Save: $410.87
Happy Biking!
~Adam
Sunday, March 11, 2012
Getting Rusty...
Hello, friends!
Y'all want to hear something sad? It's been almost two weeks since I've last posted. Do you know why? Because it has been almost 2 weeks since I last rode Sulu around. My last post was March 1. Since then:
- I was in Saint Louis for the weekend for staff meetings
- I spent half a day back in CoMo
- I flew to Long Beach, California for more staff meetings
- I got back last night
So, here I am, 12 days later and still no closer to breaking even...
A review of the stats:
Grand Total: $153.09
Left to Save: $421.54
Here's hoping that I'll get back to it in the next few weeks.
Happy Biking!
~Adam
Y'all want to hear something sad? It's been almost two weeks since I've last posted. Do you know why? Because it has been almost 2 weeks since I last rode Sulu around. My last post was March 1. Since then:
- I was in Saint Louis for the weekend for staff meetings
- I spent half a day back in CoMo
- I flew to Long Beach, California for more staff meetings
- I got back last night
So, here I am, 12 days later and still no closer to breaking even...
A review of the stats:
Grand Total: $153.09
Left to Save: $421.54
Here's hoping that I'll get back to it in the next few weeks.
Happy Biking!
~Adam
Wednesday, February 29, 2012
Hurts So Good...
Hello, friends!
Today, I am mighty sore. It is probably the sorest I have been in a long time. Why? Because on Tuesday I got to play flag football for the first time in years. Allow me to break it down for you.
Back in the day, one of my favorite things to do in the whole wide world was play flag football. ACF (Asian Christian Fellowship) had a team and I was the captain and quarterback. We had speed in Darryl Toma. Quickness in Victor Lin and Alex Lo. My protection was provided by Henry Tsay. Peter Chieng and Kirk Lin were my always sure handed safety valves. We weren't the best team in the league, having never won "the shirt," but boy did we have fun. My first two years at Mizzou I organized a scrimmage between WashU and Mizzou. I even played for the mens and coed team and helped coach for a bit. But, as things got busier, my time grew limited, and my passion for flag football had to be put on hold.
Fast forward to a few weeks ago. I was talking to Dane, the captain, quarterback, and all-star of Mizzou's AAA (Asian American Association) flag football team. I asked him how the team was going and he said it was a little frustrating because they had to forfeit a game due to lack of players. I told him, if he ever needed a sub, let me know and I'd do what I could. Guess what happened on Tuesday? AAA needed a sub and I was in.
Understand, friends, that I am not in the same kind of shape that I was back in college. I am a few steps slower, a few pounds heavier, and a few years older than I was back then. But, since I have been biking more and training for the triathlons, I would consider myself in pretty solid shape. I played center, got a few blocks in, caught a few passes, played safety on defense, had a few tackles, and we won in a laugher 33-6. I played a solid 40 minutes of football (two, twenty-minute halves) and it felt great to be out there again. I even got an invite to play on the coed team on Sunday.
So why am I so sore today? I was talking to one of my students about it at lunch today and he made an interesting point that I had not considered before. He reminded me that in football, it is the constant starting and stopping that gets to you. I thought back on the game and he was absolutely right. What I did on Tuesday was pretty much a series of sprints. I sprinted to block downfield. I sprinted to run my routes. I sprinted to make the tackle. I was constantly starting and stopping. I was also using muscles I hadn't used in a while. Biking, swimming, and running are one thing, but it takes a whole different set of muscles to play football. Some are the places where I am hurting now I would not be hurting if I just did 40 minutes on the bike or in the pool.
Would I do it again? In a heartbeat. In fact, I plan on playing again on Sunday night. =0).
Stats:
Distance Traveled: 6 miles ($.57)
Meters: 9.5 hours on campus ($9.50)
Total: $10.07
Grand Total: $153.09
Left to Save: $421.54
Happy Biking!
~Adam
Today, I am mighty sore. It is probably the sorest I have been in a long time. Why? Because on Tuesday I got to play flag football for the first time in years. Allow me to break it down for you.
Back in the day, one of my favorite things to do in the whole wide world was play flag football. ACF (Asian Christian Fellowship) had a team and I was the captain and quarterback. We had speed in Darryl Toma. Quickness in Victor Lin and Alex Lo. My protection was provided by Henry Tsay. Peter Chieng and Kirk Lin were my always sure handed safety valves. We weren't the best team in the league, having never won "the shirt," but boy did we have fun. My first two years at Mizzou I organized a scrimmage between WashU and Mizzou. I even played for the mens and coed team and helped coach for a bit. But, as things got busier, my time grew limited, and my passion for flag football had to be put on hold.
Fast forward to a few weeks ago. I was talking to Dane, the captain, quarterback, and all-star of Mizzou's AAA (Asian American Association) flag football team. I asked him how the team was going and he said it was a little frustrating because they had to forfeit a game due to lack of players. I told him, if he ever needed a sub, let me know and I'd do what I could. Guess what happened on Tuesday? AAA needed a sub and I was in.
Understand, friends, that I am not in the same kind of shape that I was back in college. I am a few steps slower, a few pounds heavier, and a few years older than I was back then. But, since I have been biking more and training for the triathlons, I would consider myself in pretty solid shape. I played center, got a few blocks in, caught a few passes, played safety on defense, had a few tackles, and we won in a laugher 33-6. I played a solid 40 minutes of football (two, twenty-minute halves) and it felt great to be out there again. I even got an invite to play on the coed team on Sunday.
So why am I so sore today? I was talking to one of my students about it at lunch today and he made an interesting point that I had not considered before. He reminded me that in football, it is the constant starting and stopping that gets to you. I thought back on the game and he was absolutely right. What I did on Tuesday was pretty much a series of sprints. I sprinted to block downfield. I sprinted to run my routes. I sprinted to make the tackle. I was constantly starting and stopping. I was also using muscles I hadn't used in a while. Biking, swimming, and running are one thing, but it takes a whole different set of muscles to play football. Some are the places where I am hurting now I would not be hurting if I just did 40 minutes on the bike or in the pool.
Would I do it again? In a heartbeat. In fact, I plan on playing again on Sunday night. =0).
Stats:
Distance Traveled: 6 miles ($.57)
Meters: 9.5 hours on campus ($9.50)
Total: $10.07
Grand Total: $153.09
Left to Save: $421.54
Happy Biking!
~Adam
Friday, February 24, 2012
Rest for the Weary....
Hello, friends!
Ever heard of the Sabbath? Probably. I like to call it the "forgotten commandment." Most of us know parts of the Ten Commandments. We don't steal, lie, or commit adultery (or at least we try not to). We even do our best to honor our parents. But too often, in our workaholic society, we neglect to take proper rest. We keep going, keep going, keep going, and never even think about stopping. We live in a 24-7 news cycle and I don't see that coming to and end anytime soon. One of the things that I appreciate so much about my job is that my supervisor and coworkers actually encourage and keep me accountable to taking a regular day of rest.
I think that regula rest is a good thing, not just because it is commanded, but because it is good for us too. This is why we take vacations. This is why we look forward to the weekend. This is also why we have so much stress in our lives and nervous breakdowns are all too common today.
What does this have to do with penny peddling? Well, Wednesday, I decided to take a day of bicycle rest. Instead of biking to campus and around town, I drove the Rolla. It actually felt kind of nice. There's something about being able to listen to the radio while traveling and getting places a little bit quicker.
Don't get me wrong, I am still absolutely biking everywhere that I can. I just think it's a good idea every once in a while to not feel like I HAVE to bike everywhere just for the sake of saving a few dollars. Besides, maybe Sulu doesn't mind the rest every now and then. =0).
Stats:
Places traveled: Pretty much back and forth to campus with a few stops and Subway and the plasma place.
Distance traveled: 6 miles ($.55)
Meters: 12 hours on campus ($12) + 5 hours downtown ($3)
Total: $15.55
Grand Total: $143.02
Left to Save: $431.61
Happy Biking!
~Adam
Ever heard of the Sabbath? Probably. I like to call it the "forgotten commandment." Most of us know parts of the Ten Commandments. We don't steal, lie, or commit adultery (or at least we try not to). We even do our best to honor our parents. But too often, in our workaholic society, we neglect to take proper rest. We keep going, keep going, keep going, and never even think about stopping. We live in a 24-7 news cycle and I don't see that coming to and end anytime soon. One of the things that I appreciate so much about my job is that my supervisor and coworkers actually encourage and keep me accountable to taking a regular day of rest.
I think that regula rest is a good thing, not just because it is commanded, but because it is good for us too. This is why we take vacations. This is why we look forward to the weekend. This is also why we have so much stress in our lives and nervous breakdowns are all too common today.
What does this have to do with penny peddling? Well, Wednesday, I decided to take a day of bicycle rest. Instead of biking to campus and around town, I drove the Rolla. It actually felt kind of nice. There's something about being able to listen to the radio while traveling and getting places a little bit quicker.
Don't get me wrong, I am still absolutely biking everywhere that I can. I just think it's a good idea every once in a while to not feel like I HAVE to bike everywhere just for the sake of saving a few dollars. Besides, maybe Sulu doesn't mind the rest every now and then. =0).
Stats:
Places traveled: Pretty much back and forth to campus with a few stops and Subway and the plasma place.
Distance traveled: 6 miles ($.55)
Meters: 12 hours on campus ($12) + 5 hours downtown ($3)
Total: $15.55
Grand Total: $143.02
Left to Save: $431.61
Happy Biking!
~Adam
Friday, February 17, 2012
2 Weeks in Review
Hello, friends!
Has it really been 2 weeks since I posted last? Man, that is rough. Apologies to all of you.
When I realized that it had been 2 weeks since my last post, I thought to myself, "self, why has it taken so long for you to post?" The answer was actually a little disheartening: I haven't been riding much and I'm a little bit boring.
The stats for the past 2 weeks will look as follows: I went to campus and back 7 times for about 20 hours worth of meter time. The most exciting thing that happened to me during that time was my bike light ran out of battery about halfway through one trip home and by hitting it a few times I was able to bring it back to life. These past few weeks have been pretty chill. I'm not complaining, I'm just saying that I think there's a reason as to why I wasn't super motivated to post.
I wonder why that could be. Maybe my legs are tired from all that biking I did for my camping trip. I was sick for a few days so I wasn't able to bike at all. I'm sure that had something to do with it. Maybe I need to ride to more exciting places or have more adventures...
Yes! That must be it! You, fair reader, are the first to witness my biking renaissance. I will be in Saint Louis this weekend, but when I return, I resolve to bike more and to do more fun things while I bike. Maybe I'll take some photos! Maybe I'll get in a wreck. Maybe I'll come to the harsh realization that there really isn't anything exciting to do out here in Columbia. Either way, stay tuned, because there will be posts!
Stats:
Places traveled: Campus... a lot
Distance: 14 miles. (Do you really need to see the map? I didn't think so). ($1.28)
Meters: 20 hours on campus ($20)
Total: $21.28
Grand Total: $148.75
Left to Save: $425.88
Happy Biking!
~Adam
Has it really been 2 weeks since I posted last? Man, that is rough. Apologies to all of you.
When I realized that it had been 2 weeks since my last post, I thought to myself, "self, why has it taken so long for you to post?" The answer was actually a little disheartening: I haven't been riding much and I'm a little bit boring.
The stats for the past 2 weeks will look as follows: I went to campus and back 7 times for about 20 hours worth of meter time. The most exciting thing that happened to me during that time was my bike light ran out of battery about halfway through one trip home and by hitting it a few times I was able to bring it back to life. These past few weeks have been pretty chill. I'm not complaining, I'm just saying that I think there's a reason as to why I wasn't super motivated to post.
I wonder why that could be. Maybe my legs are tired from all that biking I did for my camping trip. I was sick for a few days so I wasn't able to bike at all. I'm sure that had something to do with it. Maybe I need to ride to more exciting places or have more adventures...
Yes! That must be it! You, fair reader, are the first to witness my biking renaissance. I will be in Saint Louis this weekend, but when I return, I resolve to bike more and to do more fun things while I bike. Maybe I'll take some photos! Maybe I'll get in a wreck. Maybe I'll come to the harsh realization that there really isn't anything exciting to do out here in Columbia. Either way, stay tuned, because there will be posts!
Stats:
Places traveled: Campus... a lot
Distance: 14 miles. (Do you really need to see the map? I didn't think so). ($1.28)
Meters: 20 hours on campus ($20)
Total: $21.28
Grand Total: $148.75
Left to Save: $425.88
Happy Biking!
~Adam
Monday, February 6, 2012
Biking in the dark...
Hello, friends!
A few days ago I decided to go camping. Random, I know, right? It had been forever since I'd done anything close to camping (ok, maybe 8 months, but it still felt like a long time) and I had a free night so I figured I would go for it.
One of the things that I love about CoMo is that it is very bike friendly and is actually very close to other bike friendly venues. There is a sweet trail about 9 miles from CoMo called the Katy Trail that pretty much follows the Missouri river all the way to Saint Charles. There's also a trail from CoMo called the MKT Trail that leads right to the Katy Trail. Pretty convenient, right?
There was one flaw in my plan, and that was that it is still winter. In fact, we're just about in the middle of winter. While it hasn't been super cold, there's always the chance for weather to make things crazy. The weather report said that Thursday (the day I left) was going to be clear, but that Friday was probably going to have rain. I may be an Eagle Scout, but if there's a way for me to avoid getting rained on, I am all about it.
I biked out to Easley, MO, which is about 15 miles from CoMo, and it was a pretty easy ride. The one thing that was a little rough was that I left about an hour later than I wanted so I was biking in the dark. The harder part was getting up at 5 in the morning and biking back the 15 miles after not enough sleep so I would beat the rain (I beat it). The camp site was nice and the weather was cool but not cold with just a slight wind. Honestly, I would totally do that again and just add a few days to the trip.
What's the moral of the story? Biking + Camping = Awesome.
Stats:
Places traveled: Walt's, campus, Walt's, home, Easley, home, plasma, campus, home
Distance: 41.4 miles ($3.67)
Meters: 6 hours on campus ($6) + 2 hours downtown ($1.20)
Total: $11.87
Grand Total: $127.47
Left to Save: $447.16
Happy Biking!
~Adam
A few days ago I decided to go camping. Random, I know, right? It had been forever since I'd done anything close to camping (ok, maybe 8 months, but it still felt like a long time) and I had a free night so I figured I would go for it.
One of the things that I love about CoMo is that it is very bike friendly and is actually very close to other bike friendly venues. There is a sweet trail about 9 miles from CoMo called the Katy Trail that pretty much follows the Missouri river all the way to Saint Charles. There's also a trail from CoMo called the MKT Trail that leads right to the Katy Trail. Pretty convenient, right?
There was one flaw in my plan, and that was that it is still winter. In fact, we're just about in the middle of winter. While it hasn't been super cold, there's always the chance for weather to make things crazy. The weather report said that Thursday (the day I left) was going to be clear, but that Friday was probably going to have rain. I may be an Eagle Scout, but if there's a way for me to avoid getting rained on, I am all about it.
I biked out to Easley, MO, which is about 15 miles from CoMo, and it was a pretty easy ride. The one thing that was a little rough was that I left about an hour later than I wanted so I was biking in the dark. The harder part was getting up at 5 in the morning and biking back the 15 miles after not enough sleep so I would beat the rain (I beat it). The camp site was nice and the weather was cool but not cold with just a slight wind. Honestly, I would totally do that again and just add a few days to the trip.
What's the moral of the story? Biking + Camping = Awesome.
Stats:
Places traveled: Walt's, campus, Walt's, home, Easley, home, plasma, campus, home
Distance: 41.4 miles ($3.67)
Meters: 6 hours on campus ($6) + 2 hours downtown ($1.20)
Total: $11.87
Grand Total: $127.47
Left to Save: $447.16
Happy Biking!
~Adam
Monday, January 30, 2012
Lights Will Guide You Home...
Hello, friends!
If you remember, I went on a bit of a hiatus over December and January. It was because I was traveling quite a bit and away from Sulu and CoMo as a whole. When I finally did return home, I turned on the Rolla (my car) and was very dismayed to find that the battery was on its way out. Or, at least I thought it was on its way out.
See, when I turned on the car, I noticed that the dashboard lights looked dim. Instead of being bright an happy, they looked like they were a little dingy and struggling to keep everything lit. The car didn't have any trouble turning over, which was a good thing, but I was already lamenting the cost for a new battery, or perhaps something worse.
I am writing about that experience today because just today I realized that nothing is wrong with the Rolla at all. I was on my way to bible study when I started the car and it hit me. Everything looked just right. But how could that be? I figured it out. Really, it's all relative!
While I was on my hiatus, I was in California with my parents, driving around their much newer cars with fancy digital displays. When I got back to the Rolla, it wasn't a matter of the Rolla battery dying, it was just how the Rolla has always been. Relative to the newer cars the lights look dim and weak, but after a while, they begin to look normal.
All this was a reminder that the Rolla is no spring chicken. It has 258,000 miles and still going strong, but it isn't going to last forever. That's one more good reason to keep penny peddling. Every day that I bike instead of drive is a day that I get to keep the Rolla from meeting its end. Hooray!
Stats:
Places traveled since my last post: Rec, Plasma, Post office, home, campus, Subway, home, Noodles, home, Plasma, campus, bank, campus, home (oy!)
Distance traveled: 13.2 miles ($1.17)
Meters: Campus 9 hours ($9.00) + Downtown 4 hours ($2.40)
Total: $12.57
Grand Total: $115.60
Left to Save: $459.03
Happy Biking!
~Adam
If you remember, I went on a bit of a hiatus over December and January. It was because I was traveling quite a bit and away from Sulu and CoMo as a whole. When I finally did return home, I turned on the Rolla (my car) and was very dismayed to find that the battery was on its way out. Or, at least I thought it was on its way out.
See, when I turned on the car, I noticed that the dashboard lights looked dim. Instead of being bright an happy, they looked like they were a little dingy and struggling to keep everything lit. The car didn't have any trouble turning over, which was a good thing, but I was already lamenting the cost for a new battery, or perhaps something worse.
I am writing about that experience today because just today I realized that nothing is wrong with the Rolla at all. I was on my way to bible study when I started the car and it hit me. Everything looked just right. But how could that be? I figured it out. Really, it's all relative!
While I was on my hiatus, I was in California with my parents, driving around their much newer cars with fancy digital displays. When I got back to the Rolla, it wasn't a matter of the Rolla battery dying, it was just how the Rolla has always been. Relative to the newer cars the lights look dim and weak, but after a while, they begin to look normal.
All this was a reminder that the Rolla is no spring chicken. It has 258,000 miles and still going strong, but it isn't going to last forever. That's one more good reason to keep penny peddling. Every day that I bike instead of drive is a day that I get to keep the Rolla from meeting its end. Hooray!
Stats:
Places traveled since my last post: Rec, Plasma, Post office, home, campus, Subway, home, Noodles, home, Plasma, campus, bank, campus, home (oy!)
Distance traveled: 13.2 miles ($1.17)
Meters: Campus 9 hours ($9.00) + Downtown 4 hours ($2.40)
Total: $12.57
Grand Total: $115.60
Left to Save: $459.03
Happy Biking!
~Adam
Wednesday, January 25, 2012
Turning Two into Twenty...
Hello, friends!
Confession, I have never lived in a city with a spectacular public transportation system. In Orange County, everything was far too spread out to be useful. In Saint Louis they have the Metro, which is great for going to the airport, but not too much else. In Columbia, the busses run, but not for very long, and not to anywhere west of downtown. That is one of the reasons why I love biking so much. I can go pretty much anywhere on Sulu. There is one downside to biking instead of driving. It sometimes takes me a touch longer to get places. Sometimes that touch longer can lead to a big difference.
Yesterday I had to head up to Staples to make some copies so I could bring them to campus. It was a simple, 5 minute job. All I needed was 20 copies of a flyer on cardstock then cut into quarters. Simple enough, right? Since I would be heading straight to campus from Staples for a meeting, it made sense for me to bike there then bike straight to Mizzou. All said and done, it's probably about 2 minutes faster to drive than to bike, which is usually worth it.
EXCEPT, when getting there two minutes later means you end up BEHIND the guy with the really long order instead of BEFORE him. Oy.
Don't get me wrong, I'm not faulting the guy for having a large and complicated order. He got there before I did and he had every right to ask for his photos to be copied on a certain type of paper. It is not wrong for him to have multiple sheets that needed to be copied in different quantities. Please understand that he did nothing wrong. Nor did the gal behind the desk. She was attentive to the customer and making sure she got the order right. Everyone did exactly as they should have done.
But understanding the situation doesn't mean I get to cut in line. So, as a 5 minute job turned into 20 minutes of waiting for a 5 minute job, I started to freak out a bit. Should I say something? No, I don't want to be THAT guy, right? Do I go without the copies so I can make it to my meeting on time? No, I need those copies to give to students so they can promote our upcoming event. I was stuck.
Fear not, dear reader. I eventually got my copies done and my student was very gracious in my being late (I texted her beforehand) so everything worked out ok. It just made me think about how two minutes can turn into twenty. It's like missing the subway or bus (here's the public transportation tie in. I'll bet you were wondering what that first paragraph had to do with anything, right?). Another one will come along soon enough, so there's no need to worry. But, it'll be a bit, so a small miscalculation leads to big(ger) ramifications.
Stats:
Places traveled: Staples, Campus, Home, Campus, Downtown, and back Home
Distance traveled: 10.5 miles ($.88)
Meters: Campus 4 hours ($4.00) + Downtown 2 hours ($1.20) + Campus 1 hour ($1.00)
Total: $8.08
Grand Total: $103.03
Left to Save: $471.60
Happy Biking!
~Adam
Confession, I have never lived in a city with a spectacular public transportation system. In Orange County, everything was far too spread out to be useful. In Saint Louis they have the Metro, which is great for going to the airport, but not too much else. In Columbia, the busses run, but not for very long, and not to anywhere west of downtown. That is one of the reasons why I love biking so much. I can go pretty much anywhere on Sulu. There is one downside to biking instead of driving. It sometimes takes me a touch longer to get places. Sometimes that touch longer can lead to a big difference.
Yesterday I had to head up to Staples to make some copies so I could bring them to campus. It was a simple, 5 minute job. All I needed was 20 copies of a flyer on cardstock then cut into quarters. Simple enough, right? Since I would be heading straight to campus from Staples for a meeting, it made sense for me to bike there then bike straight to Mizzou. All said and done, it's probably about 2 minutes faster to drive than to bike, which is usually worth it.
EXCEPT, when getting there two minutes later means you end up BEHIND the guy with the really long order instead of BEFORE him. Oy.
Don't get me wrong, I'm not faulting the guy for having a large and complicated order. He got there before I did and he had every right to ask for his photos to be copied on a certain type of paper. It is not wrong for him to have multiple sheets that needed to be copied in different quantities. Please understand that he did nothing wrong. Nor did the gal behind the desk. She was attentive to the customer and making sure she got the order right. Everyone did exactly as they should have done.
But understanding the situation doesn't mean I get to cut in line. So, as a 5 minute job turned into 20 minutes of waiting for a 5 minute job, I started to freak out a bit. Should I say something? No, I don't want to be THAT guy, right? Do I go without the copies so I can make it to my meeting on time? No, I need those copies to give to students so they can promote our upcoming event. I was stuck.
Fear not, dear reader. I eventually got my copies done and my student was very gracious in my being late (I texted her beforehand) so everything worked out ok. It just made me think about how two minutes can turn into twenty. It's like missing the subway or bus (here's the public transportation tie in. I'll bet you were wondering what that first paragraph had to do with anything, right?). Another one will come along soon enough, so there's no need to worry. But, it'll be a bit, so a small miscalculation leads to big(ger) ramifications.
Stats:
Places traveled: Staples, Campus, Home, Campus, Downtown, and back Home
Distance traveled: 10.5 miles ($.88)
Meters: Campus 4 hours ($4.00) + Downtown 2 hours ($1.20) + Campus 1 hour ($1.00)
Total: $8.08
Grand Total: $103.03
Left to Save: $471.60
Happy Biking!
~Adam
Thursday, January 19, 2012
If you give a bike a fender...
Hello, friends!
First of all, it is GREAT to be back and riding again. While I was traveling the world (ok, so it was Iowa, Nebraska, South Dakota, and California) I very much missed riding my bike as well as blogging about it! I'm sure you, my faithful 10 readers are glad to see me back too. (Here's hoping 10 isn't too generous). =0).
Do y'all remember the children's book, "If You Give a Mouse a Cookie"? I can't say that it was one of my favorites (that would be reserved for "I'll Love You Forever") but it's a solid kids book. The basic premise is that this kid gives a mouse a cookie, which leads to the mouse wanting milk, then something else, then something else, until it leads to this big ordeal that was much bigger than just a cookie. Honestly, whenever I read the book I got a little bit miffed at the mouse because I thought he was being greedy and also at the kid because he was being pushed around by a mouse.
Anyway, I think the moral of the story is about incidentals. Nothing is ever just what you think it is. It is sort of like the second part of Murphy's Law: everything will cost more and take longer.
The reason I started thinking about this is because I broke down and bought the fenders for my bike. The weather is great now, but I know it will be turning nasty at some point and I'd like to keep myself clean. I figured $30 was worth not being ridiculed by students for muddy clothes.
I took Sulu down to Josh at Walt's, my friendly neighborhood bike shop and he did a great job putting the fenders on. He was a little backed up when I dropped it off so I picked it up the next day on my way to something else.
Here's where it starts to get into mouse-cookie territory. I toss my bike into the back seat of my car like I normally do, but now the fender sticks out so the car door won't shut comfortably! I do a little adjusting, eventually get it in there, slam the door, and I'm on my way. Later, I take the bike out to go for a ride, but the fender was bent by the car door! Thankfully, it was an easy fix, but now I have a situation.
What I really should do is get a bike rack for my car so I can transport the bike without messing up the fender. But if I get the bike rack then I need to get more gas because the wind resistance caused by having a bike hanging off my trunk will hurt my fuel efficiency. And so the story goes...
You see where this is going right? I'm sure it's not as bad as it seems, but right now I am a bit perplexed. Here's hoping I don't end up with too many more steps in this conundrum.
Stats:
Places traveled: None
Meters: None
Cost of Fender: $32.19
Total: $32.19
Grand Total: $94.95
Left to save: $479.68
Happy Biking!
~Adam
First of all, it is GREAT to be back and riding again. While I was traveling the world (ok, so it was Iowa, Nebraska, South Dakota, and California) I very much missed riding my bike as well as blogging about it! I'm sure you, my faithful 10 readers are glad to see me back too. (Here's hoping 10 isn't too generous). =0).
| Greedy mouse probably wants a bike too! |
Anyway, I think the moral of the story is about incidentals. Nothing is ever just what you think it is. It is sort of like the second part of Murphy's Law: everything will cost more and take longer.
The reason I started thinking about this is because I broke down and bought the fenders for my bike. The weather is great now, but I know it will be turning nasty at some point and I'd like to keep myself clean. I figured $30 was worth not being ridiculed by students for muddy clothes.
I took Sulu down to Josh at Walt's, my friendly neighborhood bike shop and he did a great job putting the fenders on. He was a little backed up when I dropped it off so I picked it up the next day on my way to something else.
Here's where it starts to get into mouse-cookie territory. I toss my bike into the back seat of my car like I normally do, but now the fender sticks out so the car door won't shut comfortably! I do a little adjusting, eventually get it in there, slam the door, and I'm on my way. Later, I take the bike out to go for a ride, but the fender was bent by the car door! Thankfully, it was an easy fix, but now I have a situation.
What I really should do is get a bike rack for my car so I can transport the bike without messing up the fender. But if I get the bike rack then I need to get more gas because the wind resistance caused by having a bike hanging off my trunk will hurt my fuel efficiency. And so the story goes...
You see where this is going right? I'm sure it's not as bad as it seems, but right now I am a bit perplexed. Here's hoping I don't end up with too many more steps in this conundrum.
Stats:
Places traveled: None
Meters: None
Cost of Fender: $32.19
Total: $32.19
Grand Total: $94.95
Left to save: $479.68
Happy Biking!
~Adam
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