Busy December

No new information in libraryland, so I have directed my attention towards getting ready for my two week vacation. I am not going anywhere, besides going to Spokane for a couple of days. Family is coming to visit me though, and I will get to spend some good quality time with the ones that live here already. I am REALLY looking forward to it.

I finally rode my bike again yesterday, after a week off. I didn't feel prepared for the extra cold weather, even though it was mostly sunny. Yesterday was pretty rainy, so it was a good day to get back on the bike ;) I was a little tired during, but it went well. I am impressed that I am still riding in December, although the weather isn't much different right now than it was in September; 47 and raining.

Most presents have been bought. I actually have some wrapping paper that I like. Cards are made and ready to be filled out--ok, those might be a little late getting to people.

Mentee is still MIA, which is sad. She ran off the day before she was supposed to visit her son. We all felt that she sounded sincere when we talked to her, that she was ready to settle in and do better.

I worked at the University District Service Provider Alliance holiday dinner for youth on Monday. I got to see a few of the kids I know from UDYC. This year I helped in the general store, where kids that didn't have a Secret Santa got to spend fake money on stuff like warm coats, sleeping bags, toiletries, gift cards, and a few highly sought after electronics. Last year I was a table captain--someone who made sure that the rules of conduct were followed, but also just hung out and spent time with the youth at the table. This year was definitely less interactive, but I still had a good time. Costumes were required, so I went as an elf--striped sleeves and socks, green knee pants, red circles on my cheeks. I should have taken a picture, but I seem to be photo-deficient lately. No excuse, really.

The 11ish O'Clock Ride

This was the mantra I kept saying to myself so I wouldn't forget to post about my ride home from sandpoint at 11pm the other night:

Sepia tones

detour

boom!

around the corner and across the bridge

Don't I know you?

Fremont, a blue light

lots of bikers without lights...

into ballard

boom at FM

seafood fest, no buses!

Abby rentals setting up tables

rode up 24th :(

Home!

Can't you just see the moving pictures in your head? No?

I stayed at my friend's house for about 3 hours longer than I had planned. It was obviously full on dark when I left and the section of the Burke Gilman Trail near their house is unlit. I took another route, down Sandpoint way (the street lights gave everything a sepia tone wash) and planned to cut accross the UW parking lot to meet up with the trail further down. There was some sort of construction going on at the entrance to the parking lot, so I detoured down a sandy road, which came out in yet another parking lot. There were some people gathered around a muscle car at the far end of the lot letting off fireworks (boom!). I kept going and eventually crossed the pedestrian bridge near Hec Ed Pavilion. I rode down the trail from there and saw a patron I know from the library who was carrying multiple shopping bags. I nodded, but I don't think he noticed. I passed through Fremont, thoroughly enjoying the canal way, as usual, and noted the blue light on the bridge, which I would suppose warns boats not to run into it. I also noticed in the relatively unlit portion after Fremont, that there were quite a few bikers that had no lights--I did and was glad for it. As I rode into Ballard past Fred Meyer's, there were more booms from a car parked near the docking bay. I am not sure what the cause of the noises, since they didn't quite sound like fireworks. As I rode up Leary to avoid Shilshole, I considered taking a bus the rest of the way and stopped to peruse a schedule. There was a sign taped over it saying that service had been detoured due to the Seafood Festival happening the next day. Darn it! As I rode past Market and 22nd, there were people from Abby Rentals setting up tables for the next day's revelries. It was odd to see them out so late. I rode all the way up 24th (a long slow hill, although not terribly steep) and was very happy when I made it home.

I worked all weekend and now I have today off. So far I have accomplished...putting on my pj's, watering my outside plants, spending too much time on Facebook and writing this blog post. My goal is to clean up the rest of the camping stuff and do the dishes. Wish me luck...laziness is worming its way in.

Venting about Road Rage

I want to tell you all about my wonderful weekend with family in Spokane, but first I have to vent.

I was riding my bike to work today. It is beautiful out and I was enjoying the ride around Greenlake. When I got just past the Greenlake Library, there was a guy parked in the bike lane so I had to pull out into traffic to go around him. As I passed the SUV I said "Thank you" in a slightly sarcastic tone (who me?). There were plenty of parking spots open across the road. I don't know if he thought I said something different, or if he just had a total anger management problem, but he pulled up at the stop sign in the left hand turn lane--I was going straight--and yelled "Why don't you go f*** y0urself?" I replied "Glad you have your own lane all to yourself" and rode on, thinking that was the end of it. However, about a half mile further he passed me then pulled into the bike lane and stopped. I passed him and said "I don't know what your problem is, but you need to get over it." I didn't hear anything back from him, but I had a feeling he was going to do it again. Luckily a cop was parked just ahead and I yelled to him that he should "watch this guy." Then I pulled off the main road and walked my bike for a bit to get my heart back to the correct speed.

I made a few mistakes here; not getting the guys license plate number, not stopping to talk to the cop, not calling 911. Not being sarcastic in the first place would have made the whole thing not even happen. I don't feel like there was anything wrong with me being irritated with the guy parking in "Bike Only" lane, or that I should have "shut up and taken it" though. But I have to admit that it would have made my morning commute much less nerve wracking.

The fact that he was willing to go out of his way to follow me when he was going to turn left. His over reaction with language--I never once swore at him, but I heard many choice words coming from his automobile, beside the sample I gave you above. This was an angry man and it really affected me--my heart was beating much harder and faster than usual and I felt flustered for about an hour. Taking the walk also made me late for work.

I know it is over reacting, but all morning I feel like I am going to see the guy around a corner, or that he is going to be on the phone when I answer it. That feeling is already fading, but it is frightening to me to have felt that way at all.

I talked to the police after I calmed down to find out what I should have done. She asked me why I didn't call 911. I told her because I wasn't sure if it was a crime, or if I was over reacting. She said I should have called and gotten his license place number. In the future, I will know what to do, and as GI Joe says "knowing is half the battle."

Rambling all over town

This weekend I was down with a sore throat and sinus troubles, which I now think were allergies. I have tried various remedies for allergies over the years, but the side effects of the drugs is often worse than the allergies themselves. To me, anyway. So we stayed home the whole weekend, although The Boy and I did make it out for a walk on Sunday afternoon in the pretty pretty sun. We walked to the Bluff park in the Sunset Hill area of Ballard. We wandered and did one of my favorite things: look at the prices of local houses on the market. WhoooWee! $800,000 if you're lucky! One had the price reduced, but it had been over a million, so there you go.

Today I took The Boy back to BFD, then worked in the garden a bit. I had a cappucino made at home and drank it out in the yard--which is one of the nice things about living in a basement apartment; there is a yard. Around noon, I tootled on my bike around Greenlake to the U-District and went to volunteer. I was really sad to hear that one of our kids had been in a shooting over the weekend and was in the hospital. Everyone was pretty shook up and drop in was almost empty most of the time. I like the kid quite a bit--he always has something interesting to say and he seems like a good guy.

After drop in, I rode to Fremont along the Burke-Gilman Trail. That ride is so much more pleasant than being on the road. I got there about 4:30 and had some time to kill, so I sat at Canal Street Coffee and read. It was absolutely beautiful out and there were a lot of people sitting out at the porch tables in the sun or shade. Since I was still a little hot from my ride, I chose the shade. It was bliss, even when some strange guy came up and dissed my book of short stories by Stephen King (he hadn't read them) and told me that SK steals all his stuff from some guy named Theodore Sturgeon. I just looked at him straight on and said "Thanks for the tip." and went back to my book. I haven't read any SK for years, and when I did, it was mostly in middle and high school. I don't pretend that he is the end all/be all of writing, but these stories were good, if a little horror movie-esk, and I wasn't going to let some ...guy... tell me what to like. If he was trying to wow me with his mental powress, he really struck out.

For the next stage of my all day odessy, I locked my bike up and walked around Fremont, stopping at the library and checking my email, wandering up to the Troll then back around the streets until I made it to Blue C Sushi just in time to meet a friend for dinner. We spent more time than we had intended gabbing and eating happy hour food--happy hour was over at 7, and we had finished eating by then, but we sat in the bar for another hour and 45 minutes.

I left there, feeling giddy from all that socializing and was happy to find that my bike was still where I left it. I fumbled around, trying to remember how the bike light worked--glad that I brought it, since by 9pm it was dark out--and finally got back on the trail to Ballard. I thought I would catch a bus once I reached there, but I just kept on truckin' all the way home. And then I took advantage of another cool thing about my house--the hot tub. I have only used it twice, but it is nice to know it is there.

There you go, I don't write anything much for a week, and then I give you a narration of my day. Maybe next time I will have a nice story for you. Maybe...

Power Struggle

I am going camping this weekend with my family. We are going to my favorite spot, Kalaloch, WA. It is right on the Washington coast and the worst thing about it is that the drive takes about 4 hours. :P I will post pictures when I get back.

While you are waiting for that, you should check out this interactive article over at the Seattle Times, which has answered all of the questions that people wanted answered in their poll last week. It is concise and informative, both for riders and drivers. I was especially interested to see that you CAN get a ticket for not wearing a helmet anywhere in King County including inside the Seattle city limits. $81 fine if you are caught without it. Seems like we could make up that $50 mil deficit if they just ticketed everyone that didn't wear one.

Anyone living in the Seattle area might consider watching their power usage today. Business Week has an article with the details as they are known right now. One of the substations is only operating at 50% at the moment and with temperatures going into the 90's, the use of ac and many fans could lead to power outages this weekend. I only found out about it (and looked up some news to pass on) because we got an email request to turn off as many power using devices as possible at the library.

Biked 2 days this week, and even rode from work up to Lake City and 125th, which feels like a long way and very uphill. Riding is great though and the new bike takes the hills like a champ.

And One to Grow On

My sister, Roselle, just got a few of her photos published by 91.3 KBCS from her story on the protest against public surveillance called Watching the Watchers.

I couldn't get any of her photos to show up here, for some reason, so bear with me and click the link.

I had a good weekend, mostly laid back. Worked on Saturday, but I got to do crafts, so it was all good. I made a house book during one of our programs. Those who know me shouldn't be too surprised to get one for xmas--with something special inside, of course.

The Boy went to play his three on three tournament on Saturday, too. He lost both of his games, but had a good time.

The garden is growing out of control. Mostly it is the pumpkin and squash that have become monsters. I have had a couple of the yellow squash and I have to say that I like them much better than zucchini and you can do the same things with them. The tomatoes have tons of fruit on them, but they are all still small and green. Pics to come.

Oh, and I have to thank BoA (see previous post) for the lovely gas card and thank you letter. It would be great if they also posted the refund of the overdrafts that they promised me, but $50 free gas is always welcome. Feels like they actually saw me as a valued customer that always pays her bills on time.

Fun Bike Stuff

There was the Dead Baby Bike Race recently, which isn't as horrific as it sounds. The Seattle Race looked like a lot of fun, and the bikes are so kooky! My Ballard has pictures.

The Red Electric blogged about "Tour de Fat" which was at Gasworks recently and also had a lot of inventive cycles. It was sponsored by Fat Tire and I am sorry I missed it. Seattlest has a bunch of pictures.

On a not so fun note, my papa got tapped by a car this week. He was riding in the bike lane and a driver wanted to pull into a parking spot, but instead he pulled into my dad. Luckly there were no broken bones, and I have to say that my father is one of the coolest heads out there. It seems there was little drama until dad asked for his license and insurance. Dad is a bit scraped up but he was able to ride away from the accident.

I actually rode twice this week and plan to ride tomorrow. That will be a record. Monday I only rode one way though, when I went to get The Boy from basketball camp. We took the bus home together so he would know what to do the next few days. My little boy is getting so grown up! Of course, most of the kids here in Seattle have to take the Metro bus to school, but this was The Boy's first time riding alone.

One More Article on Critical Mass

This one has the best reporting I have seen on the issue. It shows both sides and even has quotes from the people involved.

The Times has a Question for You!

The Seattle Times is looking for feedback from both riders and drivers in Seattle. Click here to tell them what concerns you have about sharing the road.

Less Drama, More Fun

Someone wrote my opinion way better than I did: Times Editorial on the Seattle Bike Scene

Libraryland news: New search engine the cuil

4 out of 5 librarians agree--not a research tool. Good for shopping, but not searching. I tried several searches and compared them with Google and all of the google searches were more relevant. Guess there is something to that "most popular" sites thing.

Yesterday was bike ride number 3 and I am hoping that tomorrow will be ride number 4, but we shall see.

The Boy went back to his dad's house yesterday morning and I miss him already. Teenage boys sure are messy though, and it brings it to a new level when the things that are littering the house are needle tips. Luckily with the caps on, but I think I had to raise my voice 3 times to get them picked up and it happened more than once. I went in his room last night and noticed that they were on the floor and on his desk again, so I guess I get to pick them up. Yay.

I got the LG Voyager last night which caused me to stay up way too late figuring out how to tweak it. I also spent some time this morning adding music to my microsd to play on it. Good thing I did, because the computers were freezing up this morning at work, and the neighbors were playing a really loud movie. Before going insane I turned on the tunes and tuned out the distractions. So far I am very happy with my Voyager.

The Seattle Bicyclist Saga Continues

Upon further investigation, it seems that the city agrees with me that more education is needed. I haven't found a timeline yet for when they will start implementing it. I am impressed that hey are covering all the avenues of education that I could think of, and have a few more that I didn't. The Seattle Bicycle Master Plan is readily available for perusal on the web, although it is interesting trying to find specific information. The headings help somewhat and the map is great, although it isn't easy to manipulate.

I found out about an article in the paper today from the MyBallard Blog about a biker that fell over the short wall on the ballard bridge and into traffic last year. He sustained terrible injuries, including the loss of an arm and some brain damage. He is suing the city.

The sad thing is that the article devolves into a distorted recounting of the Critical Mass incident last Friday. I don't really see any connection between the two stories, other than the fact that they both involve bicycles. Many of the statements in the article aren't followed up on, either. Not impressed with the reporting.

While I feel terribly sorry for the man, I don't think that he is going to win his suit. The city already has a plan to place a separate pedestrian and bike bridge to the west of the existing Ballard Bridge (not sure how that is going to work...). They can't go back in time and change how it was done originally. He had an accident and got hurt. We all take the risk, whether we are in our car, on a bike or walking.

Seattle isn't the only city having some biker/driver relations problems; Portland also had an altercation in early July. The "funny" thing about this incident was that the driver was an avid biker and lecturing a rider that had blown through a stop light when the rider assaulted him. And the rider was a city employee of 31 years! And drunk!

Bikers Gone Bad?

I have only recently started biking again, but I used to commute that way a lot. I am getting older now (mid 30's! Yuck!) and I get new aches and pains with different types of exercises. It is frustrating, but I am trying not to let it stop me.

There was an altercation during Seattle's Critical Mass this month. If you haven't heard of them, here is their What and Why:

on the last Friday of every month in over 100 cities around the world cyclists congregate together to ride in demonstration and in celebration. critical mass has no leaders and no set agenda and people come together to ride for many different reasons.
just a few of those reasons are...
to assert cyclists right to the road, to promote bikes as a fun, healthy, viable alternative to cars, to build a greater sense of community, to get more folks on bikes, or simply to celebrate bike love and ride in solidarity with other like minded individuals and have some fun!
overall the ride is what you make it!

Critical Mass's route took them to Capitol Hill on Friday where they swarmed the streets. They ride en mass, on both sides of the street, blocking traffic, going through lights and basically stopping everything for 30 seconds to 5 minutes. Some riders are creative and will circle back to cause the delay to be longer. On Friday, a man was in the process of backing out of a parking spot when Critical Mass swarmed around his car. The bikers sat on his car and pounded on the hood. The man tried to go back into the spot, but bumped a biker while doing so. He also stepped on the gas at some point, whether on accident or in panic or anger, and bumped a couple more bikers. The bikers broke out his windows and when he tried to get away, they spit at him and assaulted his car further. He got out of the car and was hit on the back of the head, causing a gash. His girlfriend was in the car and rumors report (comment rumors I haven't been able to verify) that she is pregnant and it was her birthday. Happy Birthday! That must have been a lovely day, first the car you are in is attacked, then you get to spend the rest of the day with the police.

I try my best to be both a conscientious biker and driver. I have and will make mistakes. I see a lot of stupid riding and driving behavior when I am out there. Cars not signaling, being aggressive, bikers riding on the sidewalk, not wearing helmets and disobeying traffic laws. With all these miles of bike lanes the Mayor is having put in and the rise of gas prices encouraging more riders to hit the streets, perhaps we should be having a little more in the way of public education about sharing the road.

Hands Up, Mouths Closed!

We got home yesterday. The Boy was still in one piece when I picked him up from camp. In fact, his A1C was a 7 (which in diabetes speak is excellent) and he was so active that they were able to have him change his carb serving size to 20 instead of 15. Yes, I know, still mumbo jumbo to you.

Since we have gotten back...well, he must be eating sugar out of the jar, because his numbers have been high. I also think he must not have gotten much sleep, cause he is a cranky boy! Or maybe it is the teenage cooties. Right now he owes me about $50 for the cell phone bill and of course he has no money, so I have put him to work. Or I would, if he would just finish a job. It is more work for me to have to chase him around and make him finish everything. :P

Guess I will have 2 cell phones soon if it doesn't improve.

He had a great time at camp, though. He was really inspired by the other campers and the counselors. I was impressed by his attitude. They were all really cool people there, very friendly and positive. I am so glad he went.

I rode my bike for the second time today. It was supposed to happen last Thursday, but I woke up feeling yucky, so I didn't. Today's ride was nice in the cool air. I love riding through Fremont and looking at the calm water of the canal. The water is just barely rippled and otherwise reflects like a green mirror. The ride was smooth but I definitely got a work out. It's about time.

Ooh, my sis has a blog over here. You should check it out! Good writing, interesting local content.

Blogging Programs and Biking to Work

I rode to work on Tuesday! I was running late when I left but I made it on time. I rode along the Burke Gilman Trail on the way there; the canal section was beautiful and I love seeing the big, orange Wall of Death. I couldn't stop to take pictures, but hopefully on Thursday. I rode home too, but went along the North end of Green Lake that time. I think it took longer, but it is hard to say. The hills weren't as long, but they were pretty steep. The new bike is working out very well. It is nice and light, I don't feel hunched over and it is comfortable. My hands get a little numb, but it was less on the way home, so maybe I just needed to get used the the new posture.

I had a blogging class yesterday. I only had one teen, but an adult came and I had my directed fieldwork student and my teen volunteer there, so it didn't feel too lonely. I talked about online identity, compared blogging sites and types of content. A student from the UW came and talked about Puget Sound Off--a local social networking site for teens interested in social issues and change. By the end, my voice was fading, I had talked so much.

Today's class may not go too well if I can't get the internet to speed up. Last weeks class had to switch from modifying MySpace to building a simple web page using Notepad and Explorer--not on the internet. We still had a good time, but the younger kids didn't like it as much.

Another beautiful day in Seattle. Who would have thought we were even going to have a summer a month ago? I love 70 degree weather.