Plusses and Minuses...

Hello, friends!

Remember a few weeks ago when I said that I was going to be posting and peddling more once I get back from Cambodia? Yeah, guess what didn't happen. =0).

In some ways, that was probably to be expected. With all the new roles and such that I have now, time is of the essence and blogging unfortunately, has taken a back seat to other things that feel more pertinent at the moment. Still, as I look back on the past 2 months, I can't help but notice that having some old rhythms in place, like blogging regularly, would have been helpful. Blogging every day might be a bit out of reason but I think weekly should be able to do it.

The past 2 months of biking can be summed up by the words "plusses and minuses." On the one hand, I did a LOT of biking. As soon as I got back from Cambodia, there were a LOT of things that needed to be done on campus, which meant a lot of miles being saved and a lot of meters that did not get used because I wasn't driving. On its own, I'd say it was probably one of my most productive 2 months from a penny peddling standpoint in a long time.

On the other hand, one thing I've noticed is that the gains are small but the losses are huge. I can pick up a few dollars each day but if I blow a tire (like I did in August) the losses can set me back considerably. Alas, that is the life of a biker. We are so close to our goal of breaking even that I can almost taste it! We'll just have to keep at it and hope that the minuses don't slow me down too much.

Stats:
Miles biked: 100 (roughly) ($5.94)
Meters : 90 hours on campus ($90) + 12 hours downtown ($7.20)
Repairs: -$48.10

Total: $55.04
Grand Total: $594.8
Left to Save: $8.21

Friends! We are SOOOOOOOOOO close! This is definitely something we can get done by the end of the month! Unless I buy that bike rack for the car... =0).

Happy biking!

~Adam

Happy Anniversary!

Hello, friends! 

Apparently I only update this blog monthly.  That's a serious problem.  I promise when I get back from Cambodia I'll be biking more and posting more.  We are so close to our goal!  =0).

On a completely unrelated note, today is my parent's anniversary!  I was a bit premature and wished them a happy anniversary yesterday but I am assured that today is the actual day.  Hooray! 

Tuesday night Megan and I went on a date and while we were at one of the restaurant/bars we saw and old married couple sitting at the table behind us.  Seriously, they were way cute.  The man had a sweet handlebar mustache and the woman kept taking pictures of him like she'd just discovered that function on her iPhone. 

Mama and Papa Leong haven't quite been married that long (that couple looked like they were in their 70's) but 34 years is still a pretty long time!  During that time they've had 4 kids, had 2 more marry into the family, picked up one wonderful granddaughter, and "adopted" dozens of others into the family.  Sometimes it is a little odd hearing everyone call Mama "Mom" when I go back to California, but hey, when you have that kind of impact on so many people, it is bound to happen, yeah? 

I think these past 2 years of my own marriage have helped me appreciate the marriage that Mama and Papa have been able to maintain for so long.  Marriage is great but don't let anyone tell you that it isn't hard work.  I've seen them fight but I've also seen them reconcile.  I was there when things were tense.  Now I get to see them dating again.  There were times when money was tight and decisions had to be made.  They always chose us, the kids, over their own comforts and now that they don't have as many expenses with all of us out of the house, they still continue to model generosity and hospitality.  They follow Jesus and remind me that with Jesus is a great place to start your marriage. 

So, here's to you, Mama and Papa.  34 more years of marriage and impact sounds pretty sweet, doesn't it?  =0).

Stats:
Distance: 20 miles ($1.35)
Meters: 20 hours on campus ($20) + 10 hours downtown ($12)

Total: $33.35
Grand Total: $539.76
Left to Save: $63.25

Happy Biking!

~Adam

Meter Madness!

Hello, friends! 

Yesterday I got hosed.  No excuses, just my own mistake.  Here's what went down. 

I was running a ton of errands around town getting ready for Megan's parents to come and visit.  One of the places I needed to hit was the grocery store.  The other was the copy and print place. 

The plan made perfect sense in my mind.  I had a lunch meeting with a student out by the grocery store so I would stop there, pick up the groceries, get the copies done, and make my way to the my other meeting with a student on campus.  Of course, things didn't quite go as planned.  Lunch took a little bit longer than anticipated and grocery shopping took longer than anticipated such that I didn't have time to make the copies before my meeting on campus. 

So we get to the copy place and I realize 2 things: 1) I don't know if there are any coins in the car and 2) I'm pretty sure I bought milk.  The conclusion was simple.  I needed to make copies REALLY quickly. 

Friends, I was quick, like 7 minutes quick.  But, I wasn't quick enough apparently.  When I got out of the copy place, there was a little yellow envelope waiting for me.  Parking tickets are the WORST! 

What's the moral of the story?  I suppose it could be that I should always keep some coins in my pocket.  Maybe the lesson is that I need to always shop for groceries last.  Perhaps the great piece of wisdom I have gleaned is that no matter what, always take the time to look for coins. 

No, I think the moral of this story is simple.  Biking is way better, all the time.  =0). 

Stats:
Distance: 8 miles ($.57)
Meters: 4 hours downtown ($2.40) + 12 hours on campus ($12.00)
Ticket: -$10

Total: $4.97
Grand Total: $506.41
Left to Save: $96.60

Happy Biking!

~Adam

Consistency...

Hello, friends!

Today, May 14, 2014, I did something that I had not done in quite a long time... I wore gloves on my ride to campus. The temperature when I left was 49 degrees and there was enough of a wind to make it feel much cooler than that. For reasons unbeknownst to me, the weather has decided that being in the 80's was no fun anymore and that it was time to start acting like autumn again.

Here's the thing. I don't even mind the cold. I prefer the cold to the wet, especially when it comes to biking. In fact, biking in the low 50's or high 40's can be downright pleasant since I don't have to worry about being all sweaty and nasty when I arrive at my destination  A slight breeze can be a great thing too, when it's going in the right direction.

What I can't handle is the inconsistency. For one, my head doesn't agree with it. All the changes in barometric pressure mess with my head and I am not a fan of the migraines I get. I also don't like stepping outside then having to go back inside because I am not wearing warm enough clothing.  I suppose those are the joys of living in Missouri. They say that if you don't like the weather here you can wait 10 minutes because it will change. I'm sure that other states have the same saying but it sure does seem true here.

Anyway, so long as it stays dry (at least on days when I am biking) I will do my best to make sure that I keep complaining to a minimum. I'm sure in just a few weeks I will be posting again about how hot it is and how I sure wouldn't mind some cooler weather. =0).

Stats:
Distance: 10 miles ($.71)
Meters: 9.5 hours on campus ($9.50) + 3 hours downtown ($1.80)

Total: 12.01
Grand Total: $501.44
Left to Save: $101.57

Happy biking!

~Adam

The Month That Was

Holy cow!!!

It's pretty bad that the last time I posted was over a month ago.  There's really no excuse for it.  Well, I mean I guess there was some of an excuse.  Let's run it down, shall we? 

The Weather: They say that April Showers bring May flowers.  Well, there were plenty of showers this April, usually on days when I needed to go to campus.  I'll bike in the cold but I'm not up for doing wet too often, as it is much more dangerous.  So, when the rains come, it means that Schmeevus gets a little more time on the road and my bike doesn't. 

My Head: Here's another thing that April Showers bring... migraines.  There's nothing quite like waking up in the morning with a pounding headache and knowing that it's going to rain because every time it's going to rain you wake up with a pounding headache.  Some of the April storms this year have been really weird where they don't dump all at once but take their time coming through for 15 minutes then waiting an hour.  Those are days when I pretty much hate life.  It's tough to bike when you can't stand up without getting dizzy, that's for sure. 

Time Away: Of course, none of that actually matters if you aren't in Columbia to do stuff on campus anyway.  This month saw a fair amount of travel with trips to Saint Louis a few times and even a trip to Iowa for a day.  The little times all add up.  Remember, a day in the car is a day not on the bike.  I love the car but I prefer days on the bike. 

So, friends, there you have it.  I won't pretend that I haven't been riding at all.  I've actually had a few good days in the past few weeks but they have been sporadic at best.  Now that the school year is over we'll see what we can throw together.  Here's hoping we can keep peddling! 

Stats:
Distance: 15 miles ($1.06)
Meters: 20 hours on campus ($20) + 3 hours downtown ($1.80)

Total: $22.86
Grand Total: $489.43
Left to Save: $113.70

Happy Biking!

~Adam

A New Addition to the Family!

Hello, friends! 

Just in case you were hoping to click on this link to see a blog post about how Megan is pregnant, Happy April Fool's Day to you!  =0).  As an offer of peace, please watch this video...

Ok, seriously, there IS a new addition to the family.  After 10 years of faithful service, we decided to trade in Megan's Malibu for a new car. 

Meet Schmeevus the Prius! 


We were looking at the Prius for a few different reasons, which I outlined in a previous post here.  The reason that we bought Schmeevus is simple: It was available and we got a good deal. 

Our first stop was actually to look at a Honda Fit (another contestant in the running) but literally as we walked into the dealership, walking out was the gal who just bought the Fit we wanted.  Alas, it wasn't meant to be. 

The second stop was to look at the Prius.  We drove it.  We loved it.  We went to dinner and prayed about it a little.  We decided to go for it.  We made an offer.  They accepted.  On Saturday we made the trade. 

I feel pretty good about the trade.  I negotiated $3000 off the asking price, which wasn't too bad in my book.  Better than that, we have a car that we both like and we plan on driving for a long time to come. 

All the things we've read about the Prius appear to be true.  It's not the world's most fun car to drive but the MPG is pretty incredible and it does everything we want it to do. 

One thing that will have to change are my calculations.  Now that we are driving a WAY efficient car, my calculations for how much money I'm saving now have to move from 36mpg (with The Rolla) to 50mpg with Schmeevus. 

Stats:
Miles: 5 ($.35)
Meters: 1 hour on campus ($1)

Total: $1.35
Grand Total: $466.57
Left to Save: $136.56

Happy Biking!

~Adam 

Car Shopping...

Hello, friends! 

Megan and I are currently in the throes of car buying.  This is definitely an area where I find great joy as someone who loves analysis and where Megan is less than enthusiastic on account of all the details.  There are a lot of questions to answer!  Here's what we know:

- We need something with space.  Much of our job entails hauling things and people.  As great as The Rolla was, and it was great, one thing it didn't have was a ton of space. 
- We need something with good in town mileage.  CoMO isn't a huge town and most of our driving will be in town.  We will occasionally go to St. Louis for staff functions but mostly we'll be hanging out within 10 miles of home. 
- Mileage is important but not a deal breaker.  Generally speaking, the lower the mileage, the better shape the car is in.  While we know that's important, we also know that we drive WAY less than we used to drive.  We are willing to take on a little bit of an older car if it has the other things. 
- We need something relatively cheap.  Missionaries don't exactly rake in the big bucks, y'know?  While we are certainly not in need, we also know that we need to be good stewards of what we have been given. 

Right now we are leaning towards either the Honda Fit or Toyota Prius.  We could also be talked into another vehicle in the "Compact Hatchback" category.  =0).  We'll see where the search takes us.  Until then, more biking for everyone! 

Stats:
Miles: 6 ($.55)
Meters: 11 hours on campus ($11)

Total: $11.55
Grand Total: $445.22
Left to Save: $137.91

Happy Biking!

~Adam