Final Thoughts About the End

Hello, friends!

I have posted photos from right before The Rolla got towed on Monday. As you can probably tell from my fake smile, I was a bit of a mess and not super happy about saying goodbye. Alas, al good things must come to an end, right?

Thankfully, the weather has been dry enough for me to bike the past few days, which has helped me take my mind off the fact that we don't have the Rolla anymore.  Soon we will be looking for a new car but the timing isn't quite right just yet.

Who knows, maybe this is a blessing in disguise.  Maybe saying goodbye was the best thing.  The Rolla was definitely getting older and a blown engine actually made the decision to not repair it pretty easy.  The only remedy would have been an engine replacement, in which case it wouldn't have been the Rolla anymore. 

Either way, what's done is done.  Now it is time to look forward and get back to biking so I can save some more cash that way.  I would like to think that this blog helped the Rolla last a little bit longer.  Every mile I biked was a mile the Rolla didn't have to drive, meaning it got to spend one more day being my car.  Or rather, I got to spend one more day being its owner.

Goodbye, old friend.

Stats:
Miles: 6 ($.52)
Meters: 7 hours on campus ($7.00)
New bike light: -$26.98

Total: $19.46
Grand Total: $416.97
Left to Save: $166.06

Happy biking!

~Adam

Poor Decisions...

Hello, friends!

I'm writing this blog because my pants have finally dried.  =0).  Say what?!  Well, here's what happened.

I met with a friend of mine this morning to hang out like I always do.  My friend Bob only lives about a quarter mile from my place so I normally walk or take my bike.  Today it was cold but pretty gorgeous outside so I walked and had a great time.

The plan for the day was to go donate plasma then head to campus to do work, get in a workout, and then head home so I could get ready to babysit my same friend's little one while he and his wife went to a work party.

What I didn't anticipate was freezing rain.  I thought I had timed it well enough so that I would get to campus before it started sleeting and that I would be able to stay inside until it was time to go, in which case it would be raining lightly.  Instead, as soon as I got out from donating plasma, I saw the sleet.  One really wet ride later, here I am.

There were a number of poor decisions made here.  Let's run through them:
- Assuming I had the timing of the weather right.
- Not bringing my waterproof backpack
- Hitting snooze, causing me to start my day 10 minutes late.
- Wearing my beanie instead of a hat to protect from the rain

I'm sure there were other things I did wrong to put myself in a very wet situation but I guess that happens, right?  =0).  The important thing is that I'm getting in some hours and thus saving some money.

Stats since my last post:
Distance: 8 miles ($.65)
Meters: 4 hours downtown ($2.40) + 10 hours on campus ($10)

Total: $13.05
Grand Total: $226.43
Left to Save: $146.60

Happy Biking!

~Adam

Lost Consequences...

Hello, friends! 

It's been a bad week for losing stuff here at La Casa Leong.  In the past week, I've misplaced a kindle, a box of pens for ACF (since found), my St. Louis Blues cap (since found), a presentation clicker we hadn't even used for ACF yet, and one of the ear buds on my headphones.  However, that isn't the worst of it.  The worst of it is that I don't know where my ear muffs are. 

You may be thinking to yourself, "self, why does he care about ear muffs?"  Well, friends.  It's cold and I like biking.  What I don't like are cold ears while I am biking.  A beanie doesn't fit well under my helmet and none of my beanies have visors so I can't block on the sun (or rain) as well with a beanie as opposed to a hat and earmuffs, like I normally do. 

All this losing stuff has brought to my attention that losing stuff may be my number one pet peeve.  Megan will tell you that this week I have not been in the best of moods and I have been randomly looking places for these lost items, hoping they will turn up somehow.  I've been told that lunacy can be defined as trying the same action over and over again but expecting a different result.  I'll tell you what.  If it wasn't in my nightstand drawer the first time I looked, there's a pretty good chance it won't be in there this time too.  =0). 

So, my friends, that's my latest biking story.  I've been biking on a dumpy bike and my ears are cold.  It's not even December and I'm already ready for Spring to be here.  Alas, back to looking! 

Stats:
Distance: 6 miles ($.52)
Meters: 5 hours on campus ($5) + 2 hours downtown ($1.20)

Total: $6.72
Grand Total: $423.38
Left to Save: $159.65

Happy Biking!

The Greatest Round of Golf Ever...

Hello, friends!

Monday is my day off and since I don't have a softball league this year, I decided to play golf as a way to do something athletic and spend a few hours walking with Jesus.

Let's be clear: I am a terrible golfer.  Well, I won't say that I'm the worst golfer in the world, just that I am terribly inconsistent and don't score very well.  I am at my worst 30 yards from the green and closer.  I cannot hit those shots to save my life.

Golf has taught me many lessons about life.  One of which has been to not do too much.  I used to carry a full compliment of clubs with me on my rounds but I found that I actually only know how to hit 3 or 4 of them well at all, so now those are the clubs I carry.  It ain't pretty golf but it sure is fun.  =0).

Yesterday, I golfed the greatest round of golf in my life.  I started on the back 9, holes 10-18 and shot a decent score (for me anyway) but it was on the front 9 that I really put some good holes together.  I was hitting the fairway.  I was judging distances well.  I was hitting putts!  I even learned a new shot, where I choke up on my 5-wood to hit the ball about 130 and straight.  I finished the round and was torn as to whether I should try again next week to do even better, or end the season on a high note.  I'm still trying to decide.

What does this have to do with biking?  Absolutely nothing.  I just figured that I hadn't posted all month and I needed to brag about my round.  =0).

Stats (Since Halloween)
Distance: 10 miles ($.83)
Meters: 4 hours downtown ($2.40) + 12 hours on campus ($12)

Total: $15.23
Grand Total: $416.66
Left to Save: $166.37

Happy Biking!

~Adam

Happy Halloween!!!

Hello, friends! 

Today, depending on who you ask, is either Halloween, All Hallow's Eve, All Saint's Day, Reformation Day, or Thursday.  Either way, it's raining and Megan and I have a bunch of stuff we want to give away to kids.  =0). 

I was thinking about it today and I realized that I have a kind of up and down history with Halloween.  From what I can tell, we used to be all about it but then the family kind of waned from it.  But then we got back into it.  And then we weren't.  And here we are.  Here's a brief history:

0-4: As far as I know, there are no photos of me being dressed up in funny costumes as a baby so I am going to assume that isn't the case. 

5-8: I believe this was the time in elementary school when we had the Halloween parade.  All the grades would walk around the playground while their parents took photos.  I don't remember what I was for most of the years but it must not have been very memorable.  Well, that's not true.  One time I think I was a clown (this was pre-my discovery that they are evil) and one year I think I wrapped myself in bandages and called myself "injured."  Good times. 

9-11: For a few years our church did a "Harvest Night," which apparently is pretty popular around these parts in Columbia.  I've always been torn about these.  I think they are actually great opportunities to keep kids safe and also outreach to the local community.  On the other hand, it also has the potential to be an insular kind of thing.  Either way, I think we did those until for a while, which was fine. 

12-13: This would be the years where I was too cool to dress up but still wanted candy.  It was a rough time.  My friends and I still hit the streets but now that I think about it, we weren't much more than a street gang.  Our favorite spots were the ones where folk just left the bowls outside and said "take one."  Guess who usually took more than one.  =0). 

After that, I'm not sure that I did anything for Halloween more than 3 or 4 times in the last 15 years or so.  Maybe I did, maybe I didn't.  Either way, it stopped being a big deal for me.  I'm not opposed to it or anything.  I just don't like spending money on costumes I suppose. 

But, of course, don't let me rain on your parade!  Enjoy dressing up!  Have fun eating boatloads of candy and getting spooked at haunted houses.  As for me, I'll just be biking in the fall weather, happy that it isn't too hot and waiting for the snow to fall. 

Stats:
Distance: 6.5 miles ($.51)
Meters: 2 hours downtown ($1.20) + 10 hours on campus ($10)

Total: $11.71
Grand Total: $401.43
Left to Save: $181.60

Happy Biking!

~Adam

Winter Clothes...

Hello, friends! 

Today the high in Columbia was supposed to be 47 degrees.  I am going to assume that we got there but I can tell you that it certainly didn't feel like it from my vantage point.  Biking in such cold weather is no fun at all.  It could be that I've become a bit of a wimp.  It could be that since I've lost some weight I no longer have any fat to keep me warm.  Either way, what I do know is that for the past few days, I have been rocking my winter gear while biking. 

I actually have three levels of winter clothes.  Right now we are in Level 1 of winter clothes, which is pretty much my medium jacket, my light gloves, and my earmuffs.  Level 2 will add the scarf, the winter coat and the balaclava.  Level 3 is when things get really fun.  That's when we throw in the long underwear and possibly wearing the sweatpants over the regular pants.  It's been a while since we've gotten to Level 3 but I'm already rockin' Level 1 here in October so come January, things may be a little different. 

Here's what I've learned is the hardest thing about biking in the cold.  It's not actually wearing all the extra clothing.  It's not the wind chill or your hands getting a little numb.  It's not even the prospect of rain, snow, or ice being on your path, although that is pretty dangerous.  No, friends, the hardest thing about biking in the cold is that my glasses get fogged up.  =0). 

When I'm in Level 2 or Level 3 of winter clothes, I'm wearing a scarf that covers my neck and face or a balaclava that does the same.  Sometimes I'll even wear both.  When this happens, breathing becomes a little hazardous.  When I breathe through my nose, the hot breath hits the face covering and shoots back up to my glasses where they fog.  It happens less so when I'm breathing through my mouth but then you have the hazard of your face freezing because the balaclava or scarf get wet with breath then frozen by the outside.  Thankfully, I've never crashed because of my glasses being fogged (although I've crashed for lots of other reasons).  Let's hope that this streak continues. 

Stats:
Distance: 4.5 miles ($.38)
Meters: 5 hours on campus ($5) + 2.5 hours downtown ($1.5)

Total: $6.88
Grand Total: $389.72
Left to Save: $193.31 (hooray!!!)

Happy Biking!

~Adam

Ok, We're Back!!!

Hello, friends! 

It's been over a month since Sulu was hijacked and so far there has been no sign of him.  I'm still holding out hope that he'll be recovered at some point but it is time to move on. 

There was a serious question from me as to whether or not how I should continue with this blog.  The purpose of the blog was to justify the purchase of Sulu by documenting all the miles I bike and hours I spend not doing meters.  With Sulu gone, does that mean I should stop blogging since I'm not saving any money by using Sulu?  If I use another bike, does it mean that my efforts do not count toward the original purpose of the blog? 

As I thought and prayed about it more, I decided that really, this blog was about more than just one bike.  It was about me attempting to adopt a healthier and more efficient lifestyle.  Biking has been such a blessing to me, not only in terms of money saved but also in making me think more intentionally about my health and my time. 

So, I have decided to keep going.  Thanks to a generous gift from someone who knew about my bike being stolen, I was able to get most of the costs of getting my old bike repaired covered.  I've also spent some time on campus and downtown in the past week or so to recoup pretty much all of the sunk costs. 

Of course, there are lessons to be learned from all this.  Locking up my bike, especially when it is out in the open, is a high priority.  (Duh).  But I think the big takeaway for me is what is happening moving forward from here. 

Here's the new goal: +$600 so I can buy a new bike.  I'm going to stick with the bike I have until I can save up enough to buy a new bike.  We'll see how this goes.  =0). 

Stats:
Bike repair: $79.60
Gift: $65
Distances: 9 miles ($.75)
Meters: 4 hours downtown ($4.80) + 10 hours on campus ($10)

Total: $.95
Grand Total: $382.84
Left to Save: $200.19

Happy Biking!

~Adam