Archive for the ‘biking’ Category

Happy Birthday Dear Sante!


2012
09.19

I’m a huge fan of birthdays. It is, after all, your own personal holiday. And I get excited about other people’s birthdays as well, which confuses some but amuses most. And really, who wouldn’t get excited about their birthday?

Apparently there are a lot of folks out there, including my hubby. And his is today. That’s right: My sweet Virgo man is celebrating his birthday today. He also happens to be returning home from a business trip, so it’s like a present for me!

Obviously I’ve been missing him these last few days, so I thought for his birthday, I’d write him a little list of things I love about him and miss in particular since he’s been away.

Eating dessert. Now we all know I’m a fan of pastries and candy. No bones about it. I love me some sugar. But it seems like things just taste better when you share them, which is probably why I enjoy giving my baked goods away. And Sante loves the brownies, cookies, fudge, cupcakes and any other treat I make.

sante eating pie crust

Every night he’ll ask, “Are you having dessert?” I know damn well he is. Sitting at home alone, there’s no one to ask me that question or make that delighted “Mmm” sounds with when we’re eating something particularly decadent.

His warmth. I’m not really talking about his personality here (although I could say that too). I mean physical body heat. Sante is my furnace at night when I sleep, so when he’s away I pile on the blankets.

And in a weird way, the house cools off too. I’ve even considered turning on the heat. It’s summer! And I’d wear one of his hoodies, but even they don’t seem as thick and cozy.

sante wearing every hoodie in his closet

Maybe I’m wearing them wrong.

Laughing. Who doesn’t like to laugh? I am certainly a fan, which is why the comedy genre is high on my list of movie preferences. I watched a few romantic comedies while Sante was away (along with some sci-fi he’s not into), but there’s nothing that substitutes for Sante’s brand of random, one-off wittiness.

Like a few weeks ago when I asked him to model the scarf I knit for him so I could blog about it. We went outside in the morning before work and he fired off these beauties.

sante fancy scarf

Like the duck face? I was laughing so hard and was stoked that not only was he OK with modeling but totally fine with me posting the pictures. This man rules. And my laughter doesn’t sound the same when he’s not around.

His smile. Apparently he’s heard it from more than just me, but this guy has a winning grin. It lights up my life, even when he’s laughing at me.

sante laughing

Or pulling a stocking over my head.

That smile hasn’t changed a bit. I’ve seen photos of him as a toddler and there it is. Adorable.

Bike talk. This came as a surprise to me, but I miss the incessant, mostly one-sided conversations about the merits of the 29ers and tubeless tires,   what type of bike to ride in what race, and whether or not he should carry a pack on this ride. It’s no secret this man loves to ride his bicycle.

sante pelot riding collage

But it’s obvious he’s wearing off on me, because not only have I gone mountain biking, I now own more than one bike  and am actually excited to hear about the new stuff he saw while he was away on his business trip. Because that’s bike related too. Love the man, love the bike, I guess.

So welcome home hunny and happy birthday. I’m excited to celebrate with you and am happy to have you to miss. May you (and I) be blessed with many years of smiles, jokes, sweets, warmth and bike riding.

Rainy Day Woman


2011
10.05

Four years ago I sold my car for more than I bought it for. I haven’t looked back. Since then, I haven’t been too keen on getting a car (unless it was a Subaru WRX) and have made it through several years commuting either on foot, by bike, via bus or the occasional ride from a friend and later, my hubby.

As the rainy season has approached, I’ve kinda geared up for the fact that this is going to be my most intense rainy season/winter I’ve ever gone through. And I say this having a year of commuting in a Minnesota winter under my belt.

Bikes, snow

Photo courtesy of Listen Missy

This year is different. My destinations are more random as I set up meetings with different clients. I live farther away from the bus stops. And the one set place I go is in the opposite direction of Sante’s job, so I can’t even hitch a ride with him a few times a week.

Plus my needs are different. Before I could leave an extra set of clothes and a bit of makeup at work if I got soaked. Oh, and my computer could stay nice and dry at the office since there was no way in hell I would bring it out into the torrential downpour.

Rain storm in Chicago

Photo courtesy of Bernt Rostad

Now I’ve got to get to my destination in said torrential downpour, oftentimes with computer, and still look fantabulous when I arrive.

Today was my first day of biking in heavy rain, and while I think everything worked out OK, there are still a few things I need for commuting in the rainy season here in Santa Cruz.

  • Waterproof pants. It is obvious that the Adidas warmup pants I’m sporting will do the trick in a shower, but not when I’m cruising around the west side with cars splashing puddles of water on me. UPDATE: This was clearly operator error. My pants work fine :)
  • A red light for my bike. I’ll skip the jokes about Californians and rain here, but seriously, a light is needed in order to be seen. I had one, but someone stole it. This is a time when I try to practice praying for my enemies.
  • A front fender.  I also had one of these, but it drove me bonkers because I would always kick it around when I turned corners. I think the benefits outweigh going a little bonkers.
  •  Waterproof gloves. I was nice and warm on my ride except for my poor little hands. Oh so chilly and completely soaked. And as a writer, I’ve gotta show my hands some love. UPDATE: Sante got me the best gloves. They were way too expensive and I love him for it.
  • Waterproof backpack. Although I’ve got a pretty decent set up going (zippered plastic comforter bag inside my backpack), I don’t know if I trust it to protect my computer through a serious storm. UPDATE: They make waterproof backpack covers.
  • Rain hat. OK I don’t know if I really need this, but I’m a sucker for hats, so this seems like as good of a reason as any.

    "Tell me you like my hat!"

I’m sure this list might change as the season goes on, but so far, these are the main things I’ve noticed I need.
And then there’s the few things I’ve already learned about biking in the rain here in town:
  • You probably shouldn’t try to ride over railroad tracks at an angle when they’re wet. You might fall. Just sayin.’
  • Sunglasses keep the rain out of my eyes but might end up being a problem once daylight savings hits.
  • People are seriously curious about someone riding their bike in a huge rain storm. So many people were just staring at me, most likely trying to get a better look at the wild woman in the rain.
Am I missing anything on the rain gear? Do you have any suggestions that have worked for you? And what other advice do I need?
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