what's the rush? let's take the one

New York, New York

2010-02-19T18:45:00.000-08:00

I have visited the wonderfully large, bustling, colorful, and international city of New York a handful of times (like three or four), but each visit was literally for a day or two max.

I have been on a bit of a travel kick as of late so for my 27th birthday I decided to keep the new trend going. My good friend and polo teammate, Jasmine "Jazz Hams", and I decided what better way to live it up and celebrate our lives than to travel to New York City in the middle of winter and see the sights and bright lights of the big city!? We packed our bags, and after damn near missing our flight and two connecting cities later, arrived at LaGuardia Airport and soon after our crash pad in Astoria. We had no plan. We had no expectations. We had four nights to live it up and pack as many activities as we found humanly possible into every day.

First stop on that Thursday of arrival was crash pad: a quaint apartment, home to two party girl old college pals of Jasmine's in Queens, off Steinway and Astoria Blvd. Second stop was food. We were trying to be as thrifty as possible on this adventure (as is always my goal)so we took the N Train over to Brooklyn and got off at Bedford Ave. This stop would become a regular haunt of ours by the conclusion of our trip. "Literally five steps from the train station", one critic wrote online about the restaurant we were taken to for our most satisfying and humble meal of the night. Oasis is a small counter service middle eastern restaurant serving up what I consider comfort food, falafel, and they're serving it cheap. We each got a pita pocket heaping with falafel, salad, all the fixings, and hot sauce for $3.50. And every single person I told I was going to NYC did nothing but complain and warn me about the high cost of everything there... Next move was after dinner coffee to fuel us for the rest of our evening. We headed down the street and passed a couple cafe joints until we decided to pop into a tiny little space with a strange name. El Beit is a cute little shop with a few tables in the front window space and a few in the back. Outside it has a beautiful little tea house, but most of the room is taken up by the counter, the espresso machine, and cookie jars. We met the man behind the fresh baked cookies and he helped us make our selections. Julia got the chocolate ginger cookie, Jasmine got the Chocolate Dream, and I ordered the Monster cookie which literally had everything in it except the kitchen sink. The espresso was delicious, the service was accommodating and quite friendly, and the cookies rocked our world. I should have stuck to my stand-by and favorite, the chocolate chip cookie, because the Monster cookie just had too much going on with it, but I figured I had to try it.
Jasmine and I bonded over musicals and disco so we knew we were going to splurge and see a musical as soon as we decided to fly to New York for our birthdays. We didn't really know or care what we would see, we just wanted something fun and on Broadway. We hit up Times Square and went to the last minute ticket booth and got seats to In The Heights. An hour later we were fifth row, center, and moved to tears-of joy- by the opening number. This is an urban, modern, hip hop influenced musical based in a Puerto Rican neighborhood in Washington Heights. The set was beautiful, the costumes were awesome, the dancing was fun, and the music and songs/raps were so cool. We were super jazzed leaving the theatre that night. The upbeat tunes and the dancing in the show really got us pumped and ready to rock the night away. Jasmine got ahold of her old Austin, TX roommate, JT, who had us meet him at a great divey gay bar back in Williamsburg. Our dive bars in Austin aren't actually dives. They are hip new places made to seem blue collar or whatever. We have accepted them as home because that's all we have, but this. This was a real dive bar. And the fact that it was a gay bar, with a dj spinning good tunes, were just added bonuses. We chilled for a while and had cheap draft and got caught up on each other than mosied down the street a ways to bar number two. Again, we were drinking draft brew, I think it was the house beer, and we started to get into the tunes happening at this joint too. Jasmine and JT eventually started dancing and the dj invited them to the dance contest that would be occurring in the near future that night. Next thing I know I'm being pulled out onto the dance floor, a team name is being taped to my back, and the contest is under way. Teams are mostly groups, there are a few couples in the mix. The dj announced the start of the contest and dancing commenced. Every other song played a theme, intent, or purpose was announced and we did our best to depict it through movement. Teams started getting knocked out of the running, but we kept dancing. Several songs later, we were down to the final four. Then the final three. Then the final two teams standing and the dj called for a straight up, old school dance off! We were up against a team of four or five dancers, and we were channeling the characters from In the Heights, and communicating together and working with our team name (Team Pray), and we pulled off some killer moves. I think the winning moment came from Jasmine "Jazz Hams" when she dove head first through the legs of an opposing dancer and just knocked him dead. TKO. Team Pray was announced WINNERS! We were crowned and given our prize, a bottle of champagne, a photo booth session, and seats at the VIP table set up next to the dj booth.

Friday we slept in, got coffee and bagels on Bedford Ave, went shopping at Beacon's Closet, and went to the MOMA for free admission hours. I stood in front of a Monet original and swam through the panels and the colors for a good long while. I discovered a few favorite pieces of the night,a painting by Andrew Wyeth, two stunning tables, and this Henri Rousseau. After all that art, we headed home to nap, eat some carryout thai food, drink some vodka, and go out again. We all partook in quite a lot of vodka at the house and I apparently had my fair share of beverages throughout the evening because I cannot actually report to you loyal readers any of the the events of Friday night. I have not a clue as to what happened. All I know is that I woke up Saturday morning in Ani's Clinton Hill apartment to snow on the ground outside and a very hungover Jasmine calling me as soon as she woke up because I drilled it into her head that she must do so...I don't know why.

Ani had some work to finish up which was fine by me because I was sloooooowwwww movin' that morning, and that afternoon, and all damn day long for that matter. She asked me to make a very important decision of priority once we were on the train and headed to Manhattan (me in my slightly diminished outfit from the previous night out. I lost my long sleeved under layer and very warm wool mittens somewhere through the night, so I was clad in a tank top and coat and on a mission to buy a replacement sweater because I was freezing!). "Coffee or food? Which one is more important right now?" We decided- coffee- so she took me to a place she said had great coffee and good food. Mud is in the Lower East Side and it was the spot to be at the moment we arrived. I was feeling dizzyingly claustrophobic crammed into the tiny slot that is the cafe and restaurant while people were coming and going and waiting to be seated and being so very New York, so we put our name on the list and hit the trail of boutique after boutique so I could find some duds to warm my bones. Fifth shop in, I found an adorable (a really trendy man perusing the rack with me told me so as soon as I pulled it out!) vintage wool blazer and I bought it as soon as I tried it on. When we were done with our window shopping, we headed back to Mud just as our table was being called. The brunch special is simple. $13 bucks gets you a cup o' mud (sweet and big and delicious!), a mimosa (or champagne, fresh O.J., or draft beer), and a few dish options. We both went for the three eggs, with our choice of added ingredients and preparation (caramelized onion and goat's cheese omelet for me), home fries and toast. It was huge and filling and just what the doctor ordered. After brunch we took a nice stroll through the Union Square Farmer's Market where everything apples was the name of the game, then met up with Jasmine and some gals at the Wyoming- Building, a public space where a presentation on the Vocoder was happening for the ongoing Unsound Festival. I loved it. Jasmine and I went to B&H a vegetarian and Kosher deli that we happened to spot near the theatre that was our next point of interest for the night. They have daily specials that warm and fill you up without breaking the bank. She got vegetarian matzoh ball soup and a tuna melt and I got delicious hot borscht and macaroni and cheese. They gave us a plate with thick slices of house baked bread smeared with butter to start. Our counter neighbors where a couple of regulars who let me taste their food as it was served to them to help me decide what I was going to order. It was a magical moment. After dinner we headed next door to the Tisch Theatre for a show that a buddy tipped us on. $8 got us "student" admission to an avant garde student production action packed with a real pig's heart, the promise of lots of sex!, three intermissions, and the realization during the third intermission that I had been kicking Paul Giamatti's chair for the past couple of hours. It was time to get our groove on after such a tragic piece of performance art (which really wasnt erotic at all as promised!) that we just endured. We headed to a dance club near the theatre where we were escorted up to the front of the long line and let right in by the very nice door guy and escorted down to a bumpin' room full of glitter and balloons, dancing bodies, $5 champagne, and amazing beats. We boogied our little hearts out and were entranced by the dj's who were loving what they do and making us love them too. Afterwards we shared a cab to Brooklyn and walked into the first bar we saw when we exited the cab. It happened to be what seemed like a hip hop dive bar and we were the only white girls in the place and it was a perfect spot to end the evening.
Sunday was POLO day! We met up with our gal, Louisa, in SoHo and ate brunch at Cafe Habana, JT's place of employ. We sat at the bar and gorged on Cafe con Leches, mojito's, micheladas Corona, sauza bloody marys, grilled corn, huevos rancheros, and coconut flan. We got the hookup, but this place is worth the cash. It is so high energy in the tiny restaurant and the servers are all so sassy and sexy! Check it out! We waddled a few blocks over to the Pit and watched the crew play a few rounds of pick-up and Doug D let Jasmine borrow his steed for a game. I was too cold and full to attempt polo so I was happy to watch and take photos of Jazzy in action. We were getting pretty cold pretty fast standing around spectating so we took a hike around China Town, home of The Pit, delicious dumplings, and the ChinaTown Bus, and lighting specialty stores. We went into sparkling store after bright lighting store to warm our frozen cheeks and toes. Who actually buys these ridiculous monstrosities of chandeliers and crystal lamps? We walked all over until the sun set and it was time to call it a day and head back home for a nap and a recharge. This was our final night in town so what better way to celebrate than get gussied up and go dancing?! We donned our highest of heels, shortest of skirts,warm winter outerwear, and cab fare, and headed to a swanky joint downtown for free Sky Vodka drinks and quite a show. This Sunday was gay night at the Greenhouse and I have never seen such an amazing array of people, ever, in my entire life. I had so much fun people watching, and because of the horrid shoes I was wearing, that is what I did for most of the night. I have no clue how woman can actually dance in those things. The club is a gorgeous two level building with crystal prism balls dripping from the ceiling upstairs and what appears to be an enchanted forest downstairs. We danced the night away, then had a short and simple goodbye with JT and Louisa on the train ride home, then hit the hay ourselves.

Monday morning we had bagels and coffee to-go, got packed and headed back to the airport and back home via Baltimore and Tennessee, and snowstorms and delayed flights.

What an adventure. This trip tops my list of best trips ever. Every single moment of the weekend was action filled and fun, and we found a lot of activities to do for FREE. New York left quite a positive impression on me. I've been dreaming of moving there ever since I've returned to Austin.

Video from our November Polo Tour!

2010-02-13T09:33:00.000-08:00

I nabbed this from the ATXBPSC blog. We took a LOT of footage during our tour with the intention to make a film about our adventure. I felt like I didn't get the footage that I had envisioned after the trip and have been quite daunted by the task of dredging through the hours upon hours of tape we did compile.
Rob had no fear however! Here is his first attempt at a video to depict our 18 days on the road. Enjoy!

Thanks again Rob! I had quite a time and I appreciate your video editing skillz!
xo,
mo

Austin Texas Guerrilla Bike Polo Tour 2009 from Robert on Vimeo.

MIA not DOA!

2010-02-09T20:07:00.000-08:00

I swear this thing aint dead, only forgotten about!
Hey! Anyone out there anymore?
I have been doing what feels like a tone of travelling and playing polo, and partying, and baking, and working, and writing. Life has been busy and thanks to facebook and my iphone, I discovered that I put all of my blogging energy into that application.

So sorry to let you down, blogspot. I am back in action though.
Make sure you subscribe to The Dropout, an Austin Bike Culture Zine on the interwebs. I am becoming a regular contributor (of words and my face- re: the March issue is a pin-up issue!) and have written a couple of pieces on bike polo.
Also, stay tuned to this blog for upcoming segments on my recent travels: The Guerrilla Bike Polo Tour, the STL bike polo lock-in, the TX polo invitational, my recent birthday extravaganza in New York City, and the upcoming Bike Polo Spring Break and my next bike tour, Maine to Madison and the North American Bike Polo Tournament this summer.

Phew. My birthday is tomorrow, I need to go get mentally prepared for that...

hugs and kisses from me to you!
Mo

T-Shirts and Polo, the two loves of my life

2009-09-22T08:44:00.000-07:00

Hi friends! Let me take a moment to welcome Autumn, Austin is on board with the seasonal change (for once!). It is raining buckets, gray and mellow outside, and notably cooler outside thanks to the hidden sun. Today is also an international [non]holiday, Car Free Day! I sent all of my coworkers a passionate email about how I commute via bicycle to our lovely downtown spa every day for work and I urged them to do the same. Commute by bike, board, skates, kayak, or their own two legs. I even suggested bus over their own personal vehicle because frankly our city is overrun with motor vehicles. It is loud, dirty and polluted, dangerous, and over crowded and trafficked. The rain definitely thwarted many people who may have been persuaded by my words, but I'll continue to push my point and hopefully eventually people will listen and follow suit. Anyway, I hope that you, wherever you are mark this day on your calendar for next year and make a plan for alternative transportation (and hell, why not give it a go sooner than then!). That's that. On to other business...

T-Shirts!
Thank you so so soooo much, everyone who has already ordered shirts from us! We feel so overwhelmingly loved! Thanks again! Most of your orders are in the mail. We have had some special requests which have now been ordered and will be sent out ASAP! We are sort of learning these ropes as we go along, colors and fabrics that seem to be the most popular, cotton percentages, weights, etc.
We are moving in to our second and third print designs too! We have a handful of our Guerrilla Tour logos printed and we are making shirts with our team logo/crest however you would like to perceive it. The logo may be a side print (on the side of the trunk of the shirt) so it would wrap around your ribs...kinda like a tattoo or something.

Payment:Paypal! We are so happy all of you out of towners have ordered shirts (Jesse in NY, Adam in CO, Virginia and Donald in Sydney Australia!!!, Keith and Kevin in CA, Vivian, Cathy, and Mary in MO, Maxwell in IL, Andrea in WA)! Thanks a million!

Future paypal orders, we need to tack on a few extra dollars- paypal is not a free service (of course not! I should have known that!), so we need to cover that little charge and postage...we will leave it up to you $3-$5 extra bucks should be sufficient. Sorry and thanks for understanding!

Robert, Daniel, and I all agree that these t-shirts have quickly taken over our lives! We love how they have been received and we have fun getting together and printing them! Good news Austinites, Fast Folks Cyclery will carry our shirts so you can pop in there to get your polo fix along with any fixed gear you need!

Speaking of Austin, TX bike stuff, mark your calendars for the upcoming races: Brian's infamous 6 stage Giro d'Ghetto is BACK! It starts this Sunday Sept 27 and happens throughout the next week. Then the BIKE PROM is Friday Oct 9th, followed by a race on Saturday Oct 10, and Annie P is putting on a race with Bird's Barbershop on Sunday Oct 11! Damn that's gonna be one hell of a weekend! Out of towners, drive on over for these happenings! You will have a place to crash, come have fun with us!

Ok, I think that is all for now!
Thanks for reading. Thanks for buying shirts and supporting our club and our tour.
We love you all!

xo,
Mo

Social Happenings!

2009-09-16T10:29:00.000-07:00

We really are an active bunch of social butterflies here in the Austin, TX bike scene! Always parties, shows, rides, shops to visit, games to play, beers to drink! I know that is why I love it here and find it difficult to think about moving elsewhere....

Anyway, social happenings, we have a laundry list of events starting tomorrow (Thursday 9/17). Polo happens at Eastwoods Park at 5:30pm, then there will be a bridge show that will kick off the Thursday Night Social Ride at around 7:30pm (some of us polo players will be out and around and will have t-shirts for sale to raise funds for our tour, THANKS KEITH! for mentioning that on the event post!),post-social ride happenings at both the Jackelope AND Chupacabre, it's my good friend, Jessi's, BIRTHDAY happening at Lovejoys, then Annie P will be throwing down with her grrrls for her birthday on Saturday! Crazy fun week!
Don't forget the date for the upcoming Bike Prom! Friday Oct 9, 9pm, Beauty Bar, $5. Go to their website and VOTE for Prom KING and QUEEN! I need a date ya'll....and a dress?!

I LOVE Thursdays and can't wait to bounce around all over town and see all you beautiful bikers in full force tomorrow!

*Remember to look for some of us with polo mallets in our bags, we will have t-shirts for sale and would love for you to rep our club!

Cheers!
Mo

Polo Tour T-Shirts!

2009-09-14T16:19:00.000-07:00

We printed a handful of t-shirts today with our first print. We plan on having a diverse collection of one of a kind hand printed shirts for your polo supporting enjoyment. Feel free to collect them all, as 100 per cent of the proceeds go towards the cost of our trip!

I know a few out of towners have expressed interest in the shirts, even if you live in Austin but find it hard to come out to all of the cycling social excursions and would like to expedite the ordering process, look at the right side of this page a bit and find the "donate" paypal button. Drop a $10 note on there and fill in your shipping address and I will put the shirt(s) in the mail immediately.

We will be receiving an order of colorful shirts on Wednesday and plan to print on Thursday. We are working on an account through Alternative Apparel so stay tuned on that, we currently have fruit of the loom shirts in 100% and 50/50 cotton, men and women's sizes, all crew neck.

Drop me a line with a shirt style request and we will do our best to accommodate you!

Thanks in advance for supporting ATX Bike Polo, and the sport in general! This is a sport that has been in existence for generations but is enjoying a recent burst of popularity and new life! Do a google search or check out bikepolo.ca and see if there is a club in your neck of the woods. Go sit in on their pick-up night and see how long you can hold out before you are totally enthralled in the game and out there playing too!

I hope to send you all a t-shirt and some U.S.Postal Service love very soon!
Mo

Nov Polo Tour!

2009-09-11T13:34:00.000-07:00

Yes! It's coming together people, the tour (first volume of many) of the century!
We will be printing ATX Bike Polo Social Club t-shirts to raise some funds for our trip, we will also try to do a few things like throw a fundraising shindig, host a spaghetti dinner or two, have a few bake sales (vegan and non-veg items), and maybe some kinda money making booth at bike events, like the Bike Prom hosted by Fast Folks (Friday Oct 9th at Beauty Bar!). Stay tuned for all of those goings on and thanks in advance for supporting us and our passion and crazy excursion!

Rob has put together a rough draft plan of our route. It sounds like it will already be changed a bit to accommodate more play in certain places. Holler at me if you have contacts in any of these cities who would like to hook up with us and play or party, or host us for the night!

Let me know who is interested in t-shirts! Check our polo blog now and again for updates and print options, etc.

Peace and Love,
[Money]Mo

Thursday play date.

2009-09-03T07:57:00.000-07:00

Polo Pick-up at Eastwoods Park at 5:30pm! There is a UT bike auction happening at around the same time (pretty sure it is on top of the parking garage that is at Trinity and 15th. Get yourself a beater, pump up the tubes, and come out and play on that rigg!

Those of us going on our November Polo tour are starting to try to raise money for gas, etc. Rob will be making some fly t-shirts (get yourself one, you know you want to represent your favorite athletic social club!), and I will be making yummy baked goods to sell from time to time.
If any of my loyal readers are interested in donating to our fund (whether that means cold hard cash, goods, or services) please feel free to let me know and we will make something happen, and THANKS in advance!

See ya'll at the park- or maybe at the Liberty afterwards for bike beers with the Thursday Night Social Ride crew. Thursday play date, Life in Austin can be such a blast.

xo,
mo

At Last! My Next Travel Adventure!

2009-08-31T09:39:00.000-07:00

November BikePolo Tour! It's bike themed, but the tour will be executed by the aid of a motor and four wheels. The plan is that a few of the Austin Texas Bicycle Polo Social Club will take an extended social outing through the Midwest, Northeast, and Southern polo club cities. We begin and end with tournaments and have tons of fun in between.

My goals for this trip:
-) hit the road, see portions of the country I have yet to see
-) have fun with my friends and make new ones- I believe that is called networking
-) improve my game, strengthen our club's bond, promote ATX and our Polo Club
-) take a few notes on how to host successful and super fun tournaments in the future
-) **I really hope to gain some sponsor(*ahem*, ATX companies especially) support and plan to represent them on the trip and help grow their business
-) i hope to film/document the entire trip and create something to show and share after it is all over
-) personally I hope to see a vast improvement in my performance from the COMO tournament to the NOLA tourney!

Stoked! Get ready to buy some of our printed t-shirts, delicious baked goods, come to a fundraising party or two, hit up my paypal donations button on this page, and help us out getting this ball rolling!

We will be driving and depending on the size of our crew, we will need to plan accordingly for rental fee/gas prices, etc.

BAND FRIENDS: anyone have a van they are comfortable with renting to us for a reasonable rate?! I have a spotless driving record...

Stay tuned here and at ATXBPSC for breaking news and updates on plans!

xo,
mo

Just like a Prayer....

2009-08-30T21:37:00.000-07:00

A friend of mine recently equated [Austin]cycling to a religion. I guffawed at first but then gave it a second thought and considered that he may be on to something. I know that cycling is a lifestyle choice that I have made that directs a lot of the ways that I interact with my friends, and this city, and the places that I live and patron, and where I work, etc.. It determines the amount of consumption I am capable of per day and gives me plenty of time to reflect on my day and my life.

The recent visit of the Bicycle Film Festival, with it's plethora of beautiful and varied velo- themed flicks, reiterated how much people love their bikes and their communities, their lifestyle choices and their beneficial impact on this planet.

I am so proud to know so many tuned-in, totally rad, alternative lifestyle, bike geeks who totally love their two wheeled steeds, their human powers, and their beautiful planet.

Go online, run a search for your local bike community. Read the blogs, get hip to the local cycling politics, look at the flickr pics, donate to cycling fundraisers, support your local bicycle cooperative community, oggle the "chicks and bikes" and "girls on bikes!" pin-up's, connect humans all around the world via their shared passion for the road or the trail, the ramp, or the polo court. Just take a minute to recall the number of cyclists you are starting to see in your neck of the woods. Remember the huge smile they probably had smacked on their face?! Life feeling like a redundant routine? Bored, overweight, under-challenged? Consider opening your heart and your thoughts to the eclectic and ever-accepting social, sport-like, anti-sedentary, serendipitous cycling counter-culture! Like Freddy Mercury and Queen exclaimed, "Get on your bike and RIDE!".

If cycling is like a religion, then I think I have finally found the good word that I can speak to the masses. I plan to teach by example of course, every day, for as long as I live.

Work to eat, eat to live, live to bike, bike to work! -Peggy McKenzie

Bike Love from me to you,
Maureen Mo Grady

Thursday! Polo! Hooray!

2009-08-27T08:53:00.000-07:00

Man, I love having something to look forward to mid- week! I have been MIA for sooooooo long it seems thanks to my wanderlust, but I am back and ready to play!

I have some errands to run today, then I need to get CASH better equipped for polo....cages, etc.

Lookin' forward to seeing my polo pals!
5:30pm, Eastwoods Park, tonight!
ATX Bike Polo Social Club
xoxo,
Mo [Money]

ooops.

2009-08-25T20:50:00.000-07:00

Whoa. I totally forgot about this thing...
...because I have been terribly busy being terribly important cycling, working, playing bike polo and travelling here, there, and everywhere.

I have been on a steady kick of traveling this summer. London, Croatia, Lake Ozark Missouri, Lake Sacandaga New York, and the most epic road trip from Austin to the mountains of west Texas (via Carlsbad Caverns NM, Santa Fe NM, the Grand Canyon AZ, and Balmorhea, Fort Davis, and Marfa TX).

Well, I am back and it is time to dive head first into work and polo. Work because I need to save some major dough so that I can go on my next adventure: Polo Peeps Polo Tour 2009! I want to talk some of my polo teammates into driving north, east, then south with me in November. The goal of this tour is to hit the road and see some new sights, meet polo peeps in new places, play pick-up polo on different turf, compete in a few tourneys, learn some new play, and have a blast of a good time!

Guerilla Polo is starting to happen here for a total of Three days of practice! Awesome!

I plan on getting back in the swing of this writing thing so check back from time to time.

Ah, Wilderness!

2009-06-01T21:28:00.000-07:00

A weekend in the greatest out of doors, Austin, Texas.
Friday was a lovely day- I honestly do not recall what I did with the day, worked probably. I do remember the night! I decided on a last minute whim to head to Barton Spring Pool for free night swim from 9pm-10pm. I pulled up to the empty bike racks right at 9pm and realized that I had forgotten to bring my lock by some freak accident. I sat and pondered my options, (I am not about to practice the honor system when it comes to the safety of my favorite bicycle!) when a flood of cyclists encompassed me! Critical Mass finished at the springs as the Grande Finale of the Beach Party themed ride. I searched the crowd for a familiar face to buddy up with and lock my bike with but all in vain. I didn't recognize a soul. After the mass had meandered through the gates, a lone wolf of sorts rode up and I knew this was my chance. He grudgingly obliged to lock up my bike, and I had a great long night swimming, eating P.Terry's veggie burgers and conversing with an absolute stranger. How real, life, Austin!

Saturday was a work day, then wrapped up at my pal, Clayton Kalman's art opening at the Birdhouse Gallery on East Cesar Chavez. I saw many a familiar face and it was a wonderfully chill night drinking beer, sitting on the porch, talking with old and some new friends(ahem, Rachel Love and Jason!).

Sunday started off a bit rocky. I had some appointments that had to be rescheduled due to the horrifying temperature of my house (AC broken for a solid week- house hovered around 93 degrees F). That said, I had to get the hell out. I had my regular walk/jog with Nancy first thing that morning, then packed up and headed to my summertime haunt, Barton Springs Pool. What a wonderful lazy Sunday spent all by myself with a book, a bottle of suntan lotion, several sporadic laps in the pool, and many a boy to look at! I was there for a good four hours (NO SUNBURN!!!!!), had a smoothie at Daily Juice, then headed north to Polo!

What a turnout! The boys said it themselves, there were a ton of new faces and good times had by all. I was unprepared for my ex-boyfriend to be there, but as chance would have it, we played a game on opposing teams and I rammed the shit out of him and his bike during a play where we were both going for the ball. Talk about a cathartic crash. I'm sure he had a good time in spite of his newly aquired road rash!.
The Fast Folks Femmes were out in force! Nat was showing off her freestyle skillz on her Sword track frame and Annie P came out to play. Jasmine has been playing since the beginning and that makes her one badass babe! I played a fair amount- I think my defense is getting pretty good, now time to work on the offense (still haven't scored a goal!). Speaking of goals, Heather came out for her first time and scored a goal her first game! Go Grrrl!
Andy brought out his new tall bike and let everyone have a go at riding it. So much fun! I was totally freaked about the mount and dismount process, but it is such an experience to ride! I finally get the Tall Bike craze!

I had a blast and look forward to Polo this Thursday! Daniel, way to go with your photo up on Chicks and Bikes! That certainly did not take long at all! Try sending your pics to Girls on Bikes! as well! Hey! Let's see Sunday's photo session soon!

I start an early morning fitness routine tomorrow so it is well past my bedtime. Goodnight to you all.

Ladieeeez! Ride this Friday?! Meet at the Ped Bridge around 6:30pm, ride around a bit, watch some free Shakespeare in the Park at Zilker, skinny dip somewhere! Who's in!? Heather was talking about a Ladieeeez Night Out with the Uncle Billy's Brewery Pub Crawl that happens next Monday as well. Holler for all the deets, mo.grady@gmail.com.

Pleasant dreams of beauties on bikes and tailwinds.
x's and o's,
Mo

re-post: Attention [always] Required!

2009-05-27T04:22:00.000-07:00

As seen on Jason's, ATXBS.com and Les', onelescar, I thought I should re-post and spread the word.
Remember cyclists and everyone else- always keep your wits about you! Get in the habit of being aware of your surroundings, notice the cars around you on the road. Make EYE CONTACT with drivers. Follow traffic laws when you are riding with and as traffic on the road. Look at license plates, practice remembering the numbers. Notice drivers. You must be able to provide this info in order to get any action taken if you happen to be in an accident. It sickens me to think of the number of accidents I have been in, heard about, and witnessed that involve motor vehicles hitting humans on bikes and then driving off. I definitely believe in Karma, and also hope that somewhere in the guilty parties cold hearts that they do have a conscience that will punish them until the day they die for the crime against humanity that they have committed. I hope the cyclist involved in this particular accident is on the mend. I also hope that the young cyclist who passed away over the weekend, and their family is finding peace. Stay safe out there.
Love to you all,
Maureen

Hey Fellow Cyclists,

This is the third case we have received over the past year where a cyclist was seriously injured and the offices eiher failed to take a report, failed to gather witness informtion, or failed to take driver insurance information. This is such a huge problem.

In this particular case, on May 4, 2009 at approx. 5:30 PM, a young man was riding his bike in the bike lane. As he neared the intersection of Academy and So. Congress, directly in front of Docs, an Audi moved from the left turn lane crossed over and made right hand turn into the cyclist. There were no less than 50 witnesses including EMT and Fire personnel having lunch at Docs. The officers responding to the call: Bloodworth #5117 and Johnson #6461 failed to follow a single protocol for an accident injury. They did not take the drivers information and they did not even write a report. The young cyclist was taken by ambulance to St. Davids, he sustained a broken hand, a complete and open broken collar bone, AC tear of his shoulder, back injury, and various nicks and scrapes as well as a mild head injury. They knew of all these injuries at the scene, yet APD did not even bother to write down the driver's information much less take a single witnesses' information.

This is so ridiculously unacceptable! If anyone has witness information, please forward it to our office. If you are on a blog and see any information about this incident, please let us know. I am amazed and overwhelmingly disappointed in the APD and their carlessness for the citizenry, specifically those of us on two wheels.

"I truly believe that in making honorable choices about our lives, we can acknowledge sacrifices we make and the risks we take and recognize that what others view as losses and foolhardiness are the nourishment upon which our spirits thrive." Derrick Bell, Ethical Ambition

The Shefman Law Group
604 Mission Street, 6th Floor
San Francisco, CA 94105
T: 415-357-3681
F: 415-357-3682
http://www.shefmanlaw.net
http://www.cyclistlaw.com

In Austin:
4015 Marathon Boulevard
Austin, Texas 78756
T: 512-386-8117
Toll Free: 877-366-7677
www.thelonestarattorney.com

I think I'm in LOVE

2009-05-25T19:56:00.000-07:00

Well it's official, I think I'm in "like" with everyone who plays bike polo.
Definitely everyone who plays in the Austin, TX Bike Polo Social Club anyway.
I went out to Eastwoods Park on Sunday for the weekly match and finally got up the nerve to play- it is a daunting task to join in to a game played by people who are all friends and teammates especially when you are new to the sport!

I was HORRIBLE! A disgrace and an embarrassment. I definitely created a blackhole affect in the games I participated in. But, no one seemed to mind too much; people still had fun (i think/hope). Everyone was accommodating, helping me out with rules, giving me space now and again, throwing me a bone- and the ball. I had a fantastic time! Luckily for us the weather turned slightly sour and decided to rain but that didn't stop the game. I absolutely love playing -of any sort- out in the rain! I love riding in it (cautiously), swimming (when lightning is at bay), sitting in it, whatever. I can definitely add playing polo in the rain to my list of top tens.

After polo, a group of players decided a swim and a soak in a local hot tub was in order. I had a great night, met a handful of cool new peeps, and developed a love for a new sport. Next step, practice, practice, and practice some more. Polo happens at Eastwoods Park on Thursdays at around 5:30pm and Sundays around 4pm. Bring your bike, beer, and buddies. Thanks to all of you ATXBPSC members, I am your new biggest fan.
Thanks, Daniel, for taking lovely polo shots and sharing them on your site!

Hey! Come eat and drink at my house!

2009-04-21T22:58:00.001-07:00

I just made an "invite" on my facebook page. I hate to be redundant, but here goes:

Nancy and I host a potluck dinner once a month. This is that dinner, only bigger. I am also celebrating my trip to Croatia, my new Grrrlz Rule! Bike gang, spring, and a weekend off of work! Come! Party!
Bring something edible, if you need a theme, think Mediteranean. Bring beverage, especially wine (Croatia apparently makes their own tasty grape brews so I need to develop my palette!).

Critical Massers, come by after your ride! Coworkers, come by after your shift! Bike Polo boys, come meet future lady polo players! Friends, neighbors, lets have a merry time outside, away from the bar for a night!

Here's where I will be the first of May:

Jealous?!
Come to my party, wish me "bon voyage"!

xo,
Maureen Mo Grady
mo.grady@gmail.com
Email me if you have interest in attending! I really want everyone to come, I just don't want to write my address on my blog.

Weekend Wrap-up

2009-04-19T20:56:00.000-07:00

Well ladies, I lied about the Friday ride being rained out. I assumed it was, I understand the lack of desire one feels when thinking about getting soaked, being cold, and being in danger on the roads while riding in less than ideal weather. I went to the bridge just to make sure I wasn't standing anyone up who was planning to ride and to my happy surprise I met a crew of babes waiting for me! There were a handful of ladies who, frankly my dear, just didn't give a damn about the rain!

Our maiden GRRRLZ Rule! ride included Anne D, Lace, Jessica S., Jasmine, Sarah, and me!I fretted over a route earlier in the day, but we decided to nix it due to the weather and thought a quick little cruise to grab a bite and a beer somewhere would be divine. We rode to north Lamar and 35th where we checked out the new P. Terry's Burger Stand restaurant. Very swanky natural fast food joint- definitely a restaurant, not a stand at all like their South Lamar locale. Then we chose to keep truckin' so we headed over to Shoal Creek Rd. and rode north to Anderson and then back down Shoal Creek, to 35th, east over to Guadalupe (where I got a flat at about 24th and had to use a spoon for a tire lever, Doh!), then we made our way back to the Ped Bridge to watch the boys compete in Brian's latest Cyclocross Club race. Many familiar faces, under layers of mud, sweat and tears! Andrew from ATXfixed, James from Cyclebum and Daniel from ThyNeighborsBike. I also ran into long lost Patchen, met Brooks who is a photographer and a part of the Austin Bike Social Events (hosts Thursday night bike social rides that meet on the bridge), and I met some cool new bike riding babes. I had a great time on the ride- my first real ride since my accident, some tall boys on the bridge, met some wonderful new acquaintances, and had a swell night. I trust and hope everyone else did too!

Sorry ladies if I made it seem like the ride was off. All in all, canceling it was a very safe and wise sentiment. However, many cyclists do not have the option of sitting out their daily commute to work or school on rainy days.
It can be very good practice to ride in the rain. Let some air out of your tires, get equipped with a nice rain jacket, avoid puddles, take turns slow, wide, and easy, and develop a heightened sense of awareness and communication with all other vehicles on the road. Next rainy day go out and get wet and muddy. Have fun and experience a different riding condition!

Lovely Ladies, lets talk turkey about our next ride! What days/times work for people this week?
Is anyone interested in volunteering at the Pink a [Love] Courier Service interactive art installation this upcoming weekend? It is downtown at City Hall as part of "Art City Austin" and runs Saturday(10am-11pm) and Sunday(11am-6pm). Email michael81686@yahoo.com with your name and contact info and title the subject line "volunteer cyclist" or "volunteer factory" depending on whether you wish to deliver notes or write them up, respectively. What a great concept and it's sure to be a blast! I plan on participating, you should too (lads and ladies alike!)!!

Also, any ladies interested in participating in the bike polo games they always read about on Jason's blog, ATXBS.com, or Daniel's over at ThyNeighborsBike.com need to just come out and play! I have wanted to soooooo so bad since the first post I read on Jason's blog. I have been super intimidated about it though because I've never played and don't know any of the people involved. I went today for the first time with super awesome bike babe, Jasmine, and had a great time meeting new folks and watching a really fun game! I still pulled the "Yella" card and stayed on the bench, even though many folks insisted I go out and give it a try. It can be a slightly aggressive and physical game, but only to the point where I was worried about my still mending shoulder socket and rotator cuff. I will absolutely get out there and give it a go next Sunday, for sure! Everyone there was so super friendly, and they love the game! Come! Join! Woohoo! They meet between 4 and 6pm every Thursday and Sunday at Eastwoods Park, just north of campus near JPs Java. Let's get enough gals out there (we need at least six if not more!) for a women's league! Woohoo!

Email me (mo.grady@gmail.com)so you can be added to the GRRRLZ Rule! Bike Gang email list. Tell your gal pals to email me too! Ladies unite, ride, play polo, race, session, DIY projects, bike, potlucks, anything, everything!! Yeah!

I sure hope everyone enjoyed their weekend as much as I did!
love to all,
Maureen Mo Grady

Ride Off!

2009-04-17T15:45:00.001-07:00

It's rainy, doesn't look like it's going to let up....
We definitely do not need anyone getting injured on our maiden voyage!
Stay tuned/ holla as soon as the weather clears and everyone is free for a ride!

If you feel like getting wet and muddy, Brian is hosting a Cross Club Race tonight! Meet at the Lamar Ped Bridge at 8:30pm tonight, the ride happens on the Shoal Creek and Hike and Bike Trails- pretty intense, but seem pretty damn fun. (Especially since this will be the first race with proper cyclocross conditions!)

Ladies, don't lose momentum! Stay in touch via the email list (mo.grady@gmail.com) and lets make a ride happen as soon as the weather permits!

x's and o's,
Mo

Lovely Ladies

2009-04-15T18:35:00.001-07:00

Henri Thiriet, Omega Bicycles ad, ca. 1897
Originally uploaded by Gatochy

We ride!

This Friday evening! Show up to the Lamar Pedestrian Bridge at 6:30pm for a quick meet and greet then we cruise. Bring lights!, water, ID, beer/food/whatever money for post ride extravaganza! Rock your helmet if you got it!

A gal on the email list mentioned a party happening on East Riverside, Nancy and I entertained ideas of Rio Rita post- ride (I know I said "no booze focus", but thought a social stop would be nice to get to know each other for the first session.). Feel free to shout out ideas and we can decide as a group! I am also always down for ending at free swim at Barton Spring Pool, that will especially rock during the middle of summer!

Call me, email me so you can be added to the list. Create a facebook.com account and find me (Maureen Grady) and Annie Gunkle and "friend" us. Join the "Babes on Bikes" group and keep checking me out for up to date ride/social info.

mo.grady@gmail.com

Love,
Mo

R-e-s-p-e-c-t , R.I. P.

2009-04-12T11:46:00.000-07:00

I love this town. I love cycling. I love the cycling community here. There are many different cliques within the throng of self-proclaimed cyclists here. That is really my favorite part of the Cyclocross events and the Annual Harvest Moon Ride, and the many other bike-related goings-on. So many different kinds of riders, from different backgrounds come together and unite. We can have fun and revel in the fact that we do have one very important commonality: a love and appreciation for all things two-wheeled. A love for the road, and riding, and the people, and breathing fresh air, admiring and enjoying the great outdoors, healthy competition, and general goodwill towards our fellow humans and our lovely planet.

This recent story I read on NPR about a car involved in a hit and run, killing three of the four passengers, got me riled up and thinking, "what about all of the injustices cyclists, especially the daily commuters, have to face and deal with on these treacherous roads?". Every death is a tragedy, but it truly seems like the newsworthy stories are only ever about drivers. Before I continue,allow me to state that I was deeply saddened by the loss of this young man and I ache for his parents. Just as I feel grief for the loss of two of my family members who died in and at the mercy of motor vehicles. I am in no way discounting this tragedy because it is about car drivers. This story simply re-opened my own car vs. bike wounds and I just need to rant a minute. That being said...

There seems to be a bias against cyclists involved in motor vehicle collisions. One rarely hears about accidents involving car vs. bike. Yet, you can't throw a rock in this town without hitting a cyclist who has been hit by a car. Usually from behind or T-boned, and usually in a hit-and-run situation. From what I gathered today, searching stories and opinion forums online, most people, cops included, are completely IGNORANT about the rights of cyclists on the road, and they feel that cyclists hit were probably impeding traffic (and the unsaid sentiment is that they deserved to get hit!). There needs to be more press about car vs. bike encounters. Harvey Milk style! Put a name, face, and life story on each and every cyclist on the road if that's what it takes to make drivers finally see us and respect us as peers and fellow human beings.

I understand that drivers have to deal with misfortune and "accidents" and danger as well, but at least they are surrounded by steel framing and aluminum, plastic, and air bags. We are flesh and bones, blood and tears. No extra padding other than hopefully a helmet on our heads. Nothing to take the impact of the car's inertia. Just our spinal cord, muscles, cells, nervous system, and maybe our back wheel. We [hopefully] have families and friends who love us and want us to come home safe and in one piece every day from our commute from work or school. For some reason though, the standards of law don't seem to be in the little guy's corner. Procedure when assessing the scene is not the same when ticketing a Car vs. Car collision and a Car vs. Bike collision. Majority of the time, the driver of the motor vehicle gets off with minor tickets, citations, a slap on the wrist. The drivers involved in Car vs Bike fatalities barely seem to rack up "Negligence" citations let alone "Involuntary Manslaughter". I am stumped, baffled, and utterly amazed at that FACT (check these stories from a few years ago). It seems so cut and dry in my mind, if you hit a biker with your car, you should suffer some consequence so you won't do it ever again. Pay a hefty fine, do bike related community service, apologise to the victim and their family in person, something that will have lasting affect on them so they will tell their acquaintances about their recent burden and why it's so important not to hit bikes and the humans riding them. That sounds good right? It seems like a no- brainer to determine that if a human driving a motorized vehicle strikes and kills a bicyclist (or pedestrian, or another driver), that person must suffer the consequence. Period. They just stole a life from someone and that some one's family. That is not ever acceptable. That doesn't go away. That act can't be erased. You can't call that a simple, innocent accident. That was negligence on their behalf. They were not present in that moment, not aware of all of their surroundings. They did not have the foresight to consider the fact that they are in a lethal weapon and the cyclist in front of them in traffic is a human too, just on a different set of wheels. I don't care who you are. I don't care what you drive or ride. We all need to be safe and responsible on the road. We all need to own our actions and all repercussions. We all need to take a different perspective and put ourselves in other people's shoes. And we all need to agree that to take a life is the ultimate offense against humanity. It is wrong. No apology or prayers or legal jargon will be able to turn back time.

The Immortal Class

2009-04-12T10:52:00.000-07:00

Yesterday sure was a dreary day. I got back on my bike for the first time since my shoulder injury an it felt great! (well, until the end of the night when I could feel I definitely went beyond my limit and I think I strained something along the way....but I digress.)
I rode around east for a minute, had some coffee and bagel, rode to campus and checked out the Fritz Henle: In Search of Beauty photography exhibit at the Harry Ransom Center and saw The Black Balloon at Dobie Theatre. I ate a light dinner at Veggie Heaven, then headed south to the Lamar Ped Bridge to watch the start of Brian's regularly hosted cyclocross. Many a man came out to compete, and watch. There were a few ladies in the stands. I saw Les supporting the racers and being friendly and stoked about bikes as usual. The DoubleA Caps Duo, Annie and Andrew showed up and made me smile. PJ shared a Lone Star tall boy with us while discussing his new exciting adventure into bike building! Keep an eye and an ear peeled for Avenue Bikes (I am pretty sure that is his company name!)We also met a chap who was spreading the word about his new product, the raddest wearable light system I've seen! His company name is Flash Back, and it is a battery operated strand of blinking lights the you can clip on to your camel-bak, or messenger bag[back pack] or even onto your shirt. Look for them soon at Bicycle Sport Shop, and hopefully other locations around town. About the race, I will leave the details up to Brian's email re-cap, but I have to shout out to Eardie for taking first place, as usual! Kudos.

Show Tonight

2009-04-07T09:38:00.000-07:00

When Cerridwyn and I were riding down the coast, we met lots of new people and had the pleasure of riding with many of them, or reconvening with our camping partners at the next days campsite. One of the duos (well trio if you consider the poodle that was tagging along!) that we met under the majestic Redwoods was an Uncle/Nephew/Poodle duo. The Uncle was riding on a recumbent, pulling a hand-crafted trailer with a tent on top of it where Poodle just chilled out. Uncle was a legally blind man. He could see shapes and some colors, but no details. He had toured the coast once or twice previously, and he rides at home for his commute since he cannot legally get a driver's license.

Speaking of blind piloting bicycles down the Pacific Coast Highway...

The band, Blind Pilot, who toured down the PCH on their bikes- with their instruments in tow, playing impromptu shows in the MANY small towns that dot the coast- are playing a show tonight. They will be at Mohawk at 912 Red River Austin, TX. Show costs $7 in advance, $9 at door, doors at 8pm.

Come out, Cyclists [and drivers alike], and shake their hands! Hear some pretty tunes, see some pretty people.

Love to you all.
Mo

Standing on my Soap Box

2009-04-04T22:28:00.000-07:00

I recently had a minor crash in which I landed on my frontal bone (that's the forehead in layperson's terms), only to walk away with a cut and a black eye....and other injuries. NO CONCUSSION. No dizziness. No black out, not even for a minute. What dumb fuckin' luck. Talk about having a new lease on life.

You've heard it countless times. You're gonna continue to hear about it. I do not believe that there should be a law demanding this of me but I do believe in protecting myself, and by default, my family and loved ones. What am I talking about? Just read it here folks.

Love to you all.
Maureen

Cars are coffins, cowards, cut-n-run, chumps.

2009-04-03T22:45:00.001-07:00

Maureen
Originally uploaded by BUH-LAKE

Ouch.

For those of you who don't know, I was involved in a spill on Tuesday at around 6pm. (Thanks Blake for the sweet pics!) This happened on my way home from the Fast Folks Cyclery ladies race team photo shoot. I was cruising on my fixie, and had to avoid getting t-boned by a car, and my reaction was the wrong one. I froze up, and then was flung over the bars (only I brought the bike with me. Stayed strapped onto the pedals, and held onto the bars til i hit the concrete. With my face.)

I have some bumps and bruises and a grade one separated shoulder to mend, so no biking [or working] for me for the time being. Bummer. Ladies who have only responded to the call to arms on this blog, please email me so I can add you to the email list. I definitely encourage the rides to begin ASAP, even if I am not able to participate just yet.

Sunday I am meeting Jenn, a contributor of one les car, and other ladies to discuss her new baby, a campaign to get ladies [and everyone else on bikes] to wear helmets when riding. My motto on the tour was a daily mantra of "brains before beauty", we are going more for the message of "brains equal beauty!". I am excited to meet, and greet, and brainstorm slogans.

Anne Dunckle is hosting a LADIES ONLY RACE on May 8th benefiting Mothers Milk Bank of Austin. Sadly, I will be out of the country, but PLEASE COME OUT and make this a success!!!! Check out the boys at ATX Fixed blog for the flier.

Saturday, April 4th, Clown Dog Bikes is having their anniversary party at Scoot Inn. This is a Yellow Bike Project Benefit, so be prepared with cash for the door donation. Great bands, great people, this party is always a good time; a great representation of many different kinds of cyclists in town. Check out Jason's jem of an all things cycling blog, ATXBS.com for more info.

Peace out for now. And remember kids, "Buckle up those brains for safety!".

Love,
mo

LADIEEEZ!!!!

2009-03-26T22:01:00.000-07:00

I was spitting out ideas about a Ladies Only Alleycat for the longest time. I was putting feelers out to friends and strangers alike, talking up sponsors for donations, thinking out a route, location, etc. But all the while this nagging whisper in the back of my mind kept getting louder and louder....

NO LADIES RACE IN THIS TOWN!

Ok, a few race. A FEW! Like THREE, MAX! Come on sisters. Represent already.

I am not writing this to hate on my gender. I am writing this to inspire, to enlist.
I want you, Babes on Bikes, Bombshells on Two Wheels, BMX, Recumbant, X-tracycle, Cruiser, Roadie, Fixie, Tall bike, Tandem, Single Speed Goddesses, "Get on your bikes and Ride" for Spring's sake!

Instead of hosting a race that pits women against one another, I have a better idea. Unity.
I am calling on ladies only, young, old, gay, straight, fast, slow, new to cycling, old pros, to join me in a weekly cruise about town. I want you all, and your mamas, and your friends. I want you to be safe, have fun, and get your legs under you! Wear a helmet without being embarrassed. I am comfortable with being sexy and showing the world the respect I have for my lovely brain. I wear sneakers, pedal pushers, short shorts, and spandex and feel comfortable in them all! I love my strong body, and I want you to love yours too!

My goal is to get ladies comfortable about riding their bikes. Getting sweaty and dirty. Leaving the house with practical attire on (or rocking their fly styles to the 9th degree by accessorizing with their ride!) and maybe even *gasp!* no makeup! Let's ride around, get loud, make new friends, see new sights, get some exercise, and get empowered! I also want to nourish a sense of sisterhood amongst Austin's fairer sex. Generally speaking we can be a downright catty bunch and I want that to stop. No need for rivalries, insecurities, superiority complexes. Those sentiments will be checked at the curb, or you will be asked not to join in future rides. I have no beef about speaking my piece and am very firm on this point.

I envision starting small and growing with demand. Maybe a casual pub-crawl, movie outing, dinner mixer type thing. I really want this to be accessible to any and all lady riders and kept on a positive/feel good note, so maybe a "no booze" focus. A simple ride around town followed by night swim at Barton Spring Pool perhaps? Poker/scrabble/trivial pursuit somewhere? Just a bike ride? We can talk it over, change it up, decide as a group.

Any questions, comments, concerns, please feel free to contact me (mo.grady@gmail.com). I want to know what kind of interest this peaks. I need to get a feel for possible ride days and route ideas. Right now I am thinking Monday afternoon/evening because it is an off day for evenings out, and I am OFF that night. I also think it would be great to do like a 20-30 mile ride or something and then end at the Springs for a refreshing dip during free night swim. What do you think?!
Men who read this blog (does anyone?!), please pass this post/the info on to your ladyfriends and give them any support they need.

Everyone can agree that cyclists are all hot, especially ladies!

Mount up!
xoxo,
mo

Racers, take your mark...

2009-03-15T23:52:00.001-07:00

their bikes
Originally uploaded by faster panda kill kill

my bike in there somewheres....
great shots panda. nice to finally shake your hand!

Racers, take your mark...

2009-03-15T23:51:00.001-07:00

racers
Originally uploaded by faster panda kill kill

Start of the Spring Classic Messenger Alleycat
Austin, TX SXSW 2009

Drop Dead 2

2009-03-15T23:46:00.001-07:00

teaser flyer
Originally uploaded by onelescar

March 28th
yesss.

Subversive Cycling Postcard

2009-03-15T23:35:00.001-07:00

Subversive Cycling Postcard
Originally uploaded by Hugger Industries

Psychlist: Subversive Cycling

Fashionisti

2009-03-15T23:34:00.001-07:00

Fashionisti
Originally uploaded by Hugger Industries

Brandon and BJ backing up the man of the hour, Russell, designer of Psychlist: Subversive Cycling. Thanks for the opportunity to strut your stuff down the catwalk, Russell!

Mellow Johnny's Bike Fashion Show

2009-03-15T23:30:00.001-07:00

Mellow Johnny's Bike Fashion Show
Originally uploaded by Dapper Lad Cycles

BJ repping Mechanic's Apron for Psychlist: Subversive Cycling at Bikehugger.com SXSW afterparty at Mellow Johnnys 3/14/09.

Mellow Johnny's Bike Fashion Show

2009-03-15T23:29:00.001-07:00

Mellow Johnny's Bike Fashion Show
Originally uploaded by Dapper Lad Cycles

me! Representing Russell's, Psychlist: Subversive Cycling designs at Bikehu.gger.com SXSW afterparty at Mellow Johnnys 3/14/09

Mellow Johnny's Bike Fashion Show

2009-03-15T23:27:00.001-07:00

Mellow Johnny's Bike Fashion Show
Originally uploaded by Dapper Lad Cycles

Brandon representing Psychlist: Subversive Cycling at the Bikehugger.com SXSW afterparty at Mellow Johnnys 3/14/09

Adopt your bike route

2008-12-12T11:08:00.000-08:00

Seriously, I have gotten three flats in the past two weeks. I am starting to get annoyed. I am also starting to get into gear, my man friend, Matt, and I were talking about adopting the commonly used bike route near my house and cleaning it up on a weekly basis. Said path is the concrete trail that travels under I-35 on 4th street. I need to just give it up already and cruise on Cesar Chavez or 6th St already, but I am stubborn. This path is ALWAYS riddled with glass from the locksmith, the winos loitering under the highway, the disrespectful drunk drivers throwing beer bottles out of their windows while cruising 4th street on the weekend looking for parties and/or parking spots (I have seen it with my own two eyes!).

Regardless of where it comes from, I cannot control the actions of others afterall, it is there. It is a nuisance. It must be contained and cleaned up. Matt and I are going to get a big ol' broom and sweep the street once a week at first and see what impact that has on the rideability of the path.

I hope to effect other cyclists and catalyze similar action in yer neck of the woods. If you, loyal cyclist and fellow earth lover, have a common route that is littered and makes your commute dangerous and hazardous, take it upon yourself to create the solution! Make it a social event with your pals, host a potluck brunch and have people bring a broom and some gloves and trash receptacles as well as a dish. Eat first, then clean or visa versa. What fun!

We are already grassroots activists by choosing human power transport over gasoline guzzling. Why not take one more small step towards a cleaner environment?! Cheers to you all!
Broom at the ready, it is time to get swept away on this beautiful day!

Love to all,
Maureen

i almost forgot...

2008-12-11T10:28:00.000-08:00

But your Holiday Calendar gifts at WHOLE FOODS!, Mellow Johnnys, Jack and Adams, and Progress Coffee. The Cute Commute Calendar is selling well, let's SELL OUT! $15 for a year of beautifully photographed femme fatale cyclists! Support your people, your local economy! Go buy the calendar today!
Cheers!

xoxo,
mo

baby, is it cold outside yet?

2008-12-11T09:50:00.000-08:00

I lived in Chicago for a while. Have I ever mentioned that? I rode my bike there. I have felt Cold, capital "C". I have lived in the dark. Snow, sleet, rain, wind. I felt it all on my face and hands, in my lungs, in my bones. That shit was cold, it was real. I live in Austin, TX now. It was like 80 degrees on Thanksgiving. Poor Brian Davies really wants a cyclocross season to happen here, but sadly we have no winter weather to mud up the trails. (Brian you are doing great and putting on gruesome races none the less and YES, I will be at the next one, I am off to the gym now for some stair-climbing!)

In spite of the hellish cold I have lived and ridden through,and the lack there of here in the southern sun of Texas, I am still slipping into winter time hibernation. My intention during the day is still golden, the sun is shining, the air is crisp and riding bike all day long sounds and feels like heaven. Soon as the sun sets, it's a different story entirely. The darkness that descends around 5 or 6pm stifles my athletic ability and is leading to muscle atrophy and a few of the seven sins.

Whoa is me, but fear not! There are group rides and races a plenty to provide that extra kick in the rump! Tonight, there is a road ride meeting up at Epoch coffee on Northloop. Ride starts at 7pm and rolls through the western hills about 20 miles. Friday night meet up on the Lamar Pedi Bridge at 11:59pm for the monthly Full Moon Ride! Saturday night is a celebratory one- many college graduates are getting down and dirty before they have to bow down to The Man, and there is a Santa Rampage pub crawl around town. Look for Santa hats and elf ears. Sunday the 14th is an alleycat race dubbed "Snot and Tears", starts at 6pm at Drungo Ice House. $10 entry fee, lots of prizes and fun to be had. Monday is a group ride, officially escorted by APD thank you very much, to and through the Zilker Park Trail of Lights. Join us, Monday, December 15th for the 2008 Jingle Bell Ride. Meet on Toomey Rd. in front of the ball fields(1510 Toomey Rd.)at 5:30pm We will roll out at 6:15pm Sharp. The people in charge are offering hot drinks and cookies at the MoPac bridge after the ride, and Oil Can Harry's is allowing bikes in the bar while you receive a post-ride chair massage and have a holiday cocktail, AND water! And last but not least, Tuesday the 16th, meet up with the Midnite Ridazz at Donn's Depot on W. 5th for the "Pimps and Ho Ho Ho's" Pubcrawl. The info I received was that the ride is taking a tour of all strip clubs on the edges of downtown. I am not really into this concept, but I like the people putting the ride on, go out and have a blast with it! Feel free to dress accordingly!

Wow, almost a solid week of organized (to some degree...) rides! I think I can get my act together to get out and ride, for recreation and as a messenger sub for a couple days! See you on the streets, clad in bright reflective gear and blinky lights!

Cheers and Happy Holidays! Remember to drink plenty of water, hot tea, and take your vitamins this cold season!
Love, Maureen

Eat Local, Tour Local Farms

2008-11-12T09:34:00.000-08:00

Howdy ya'll! I thought I would take a minute to reiterate a point that has been brought up quietly for years now. It is time to shout it from the rooftops, "Stop giving money to giant corporations (in this case food companies)who guzzle gas and energy during harvesting, production, processing, and distributing of food and goods! Shop locally already!"!!!!
According to all the newspapers, and television personalities, and stock market reports, we are in for hard times ahead of us so no time like the present to support the community in which you reside.
Don't run to the 7-eleven or CVS, or Target or Walmart for a quick snack or lunch. Head over to that locally owned deli or mini mart, like Austin's own Royal Blue Grocery, up the street instead. Have a conversation with the person behind the counter. Introduce yourself, you might meet the owner or another neighbor from your community.
Don't hit the drive-thru Starbucks for an unhealthy, coffee drink delivered by computer operated espresso machine and pushy retailer who must upsell 70% of all transactions during their work day. Be honest, are you really in that much of a hurry? If you live in Austin, TX, you should head over to Little City or Rio Ritas, or Hideout Coffee House and Theatre, OR Progress Coffee. All locally owned and operated, and intending to help support the community in which they are located. Make sure you stop in to Progress Coffee on November 20th. It is their 4 year anniversary, and they are offering everything for free to say thanks to their patrons and to give back to the people in need. 100% of the day's proceeds will be donated to the Capital Area Food Bank and to Bread of the World. Wow. Talk about Progress.
Instead of shuffling into the same old warehouse of a grocery store, complete with fluorescent lighting, strategically placed food stuffs, and robotic cashiers, shop fresh in the great out of doors. Find the Farmer's Market happening in your area. They usually occur Saturday mornings, but Austin has a few markets open on Wednesday as well. They are growing in popularity and demand. You are able to buy everything the Food Pyramid claims you must consume for optimal health. Even better, you are eating seasonally as well, which means during the summer you eat watery, light, colorful and hydrating foods and hearty, warming, heavier stuff in the winter. By buying strait from farmers, you are supporting a healthy earth, healthy community, and healthy mind and body. Good for you!

On the note of local farms, a local bike shop, Bicycle Sport Shop is organizing a Local Farms Bicycle Tour in conjunction with Edible Austin and Urban Roots. Click on the links to find out the details and get registered!

Now go outside, it's a BEAUTIFUL DAY, and ride your bike. Burn some calories instead of gasoline and have a wonderful week!

Love,
Maureen

Cute Commute Calendar Availble for Purchase!

2008-11-05T23:13:00.000-08:00

$15 ya'll.
Available locally: Mellow Johnny's (pick one up when you are at the swap meet on Sat!), Jack and Adams, Pure Austin, Whole Foods (?), Whole Earth Provisions (?), Progress Coffee.

Available online, free shipping: bikeaustin@gmail.com

Strong Austin Cyclists, including ME!

Support the future austin cycling web community. Buy the Cute Commute Calendar and tell your friends!

xoxo, Miss April

Oh Heavenly Day!

2008-11-05T08:25:00.000-08:00

GOBAMA!

What a day! What a country! What a world!

2008-11-05T07:46:00.001-08:00

"If there is anyone out there who still doubts that America is a place where all things are possible; who still wonders if the dream of our founders is alive in our time; who still questions the power of our democracy, tonight is your answer." -President Elect, Barack Obama

From npr.com:
'"We have witnessed a nonviolent revolution, a revolution of ideas," Rep. John Lewis of Georgia told NPR. Lewis shared the stage with the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. the day the civil rights leader delivered his "I Have a Dream Speech" and said he was thinking of King as Obama's strong showing became apparent.'

Change!
We have started making it, no time like the current to gather momentum, grab the baton, and carry on down the track. Our active role in this historic event is not over now that it is November 5th. We need to volunteer locally, stay educated on politics and proposed changes.
The apathetic, the repressed, those angry and fed up with the system, etc. made their voices heard yesterday. Didn't it feel good? I am FINALLY PROUD to say I am an American! I am proud of my neighbors like I have never been before! I want to run in the streets and hug everyone! I am going to start by opening up to my neighbors, those less fortunate or less educated than myself. I want to share my love and my strength with those who have lost their own. I want to help breathe new life into the moral fiber that holds our country together. I request every other American do the same!

"The road ahead will be long. Our climb will be steep. We may not get there in one year, or even one term, but America — I have never been more hopeful than I am tonight that we will get there. I promise you: We as a people will get there.

There will be setbacks and false starts. There are many who won't agree with every decision or policy I make as president, and we know that government can't solve every problem. But I will always be honest with you about the challenges we face. I will listen to you, especially when we disagree. And, above all, I will ask you join in the work of remaking this nation the only way it's been done in America for 221 years — block by block, brick by brick, callused hand by callused hand.

What began 21 months ago in the depths of winter must not end on this autumn night. This victory alone is not the change we seek — it is only the chance for us to make that change. And that cannot happen if we go back to the way things were. It cannot happen without you.

So let us summon a new spirit of patriotism; of service and responsibility where each of us resolves to pitch in and work harder and look after not only ourselves, but each other. Let us remember that if this financial crisis taught us anything, it's that we cannot have a thriving Wall Street while Main Street suffers. In this country, we rise or fall as one nation — as one people.

Let us resist the temptation to fall back on the same partisanship and pettiness and immaturity that has poisoned our politics for so long. Let us remember that it was a man from this state who first carried the banner of the Republican Party to the White House — a party founded on the values of self-reliance, individual liberty and national unity. Those are values we all share, and while the Democratic Party has won a great victory tonight, we do so with a measure of humility and determination to heal the divides that have held back our progress." - President Elect, Barack Obama

Hello Stranger

2008-10-30T10:52:00.000-07:00

Back in the saddle again!
...I mean this literally and metaphorically.

Please accept my apologies for dropping this blog like a hot potato! The trip came to a successful, yet abrupt end due to a disappearance of funding, and we all made it home safe for supper. I am back in Austin, TX living the LIFE. I am back at milk + honey day spa: Tues 11am-7pm, Wed 3pm-9pm, Thurs 3pm-9pm, Sat 3pm-9pm (Book a massage appointment with me when you are in town!!), I have subbed as a cycle courier a few times, competed in a few alleycat races, modeled in a women cycling calendar, Cute Commute, and am brainstorming for my first race: a Women Only Race!

I am kicking off my home massage practice (call or email: mo.grady@gmail.com) to book an appointment. My usual business hours are Sunday 10am-9pm, Monday 10am-5pm, and Friday 10am-9pm, and I am open to special scheduling in the morning hours other weekdays. My availability can change from week to week, so please book in advance as much as possible. My rates are flexible and affordable. I focus on therapeutic and relaxation massage. I work with athletes, weekend warriors, workout newbies, musicians, mothers-to-be, and computer geeks.I practice Reflexology as well as Cranial Sacral Therapy and Structural Integration. I have a simple workspace, a simple price, and offer a simply wonderful experience.

Life is pretty great these days. Busy, but great. I am looking forward to the upcoming holidays, I am planning on giving back to the community during the Thanksgiving hooplah. I am also planning on becoming more regular in my posts. The theme will still center around cycling: tips, trips, planning, tour gear, etc. I will also tie in Austin cycling news, Cycling politics and urban infrastructure ideas/necessities, and health and wellness blurbs about massage, yoga, and other "tree-huggin' hippie-drippy" ideas!

I hope you enjoy, and I hope to re-captivate an audience here on "Let's Take the One", a cool, casual glimpse into an alternative lifestyle.

xoxo, mo

Postcards from the Edge....

2008-08-08T16:34:00.000-07:00

...of reality.

We are done. The trip is over. I am home, Cerridwyn is home. We finished our trip in Santa Cruz. What a beautiful finish line. I swam in the ocean; complete submersion, and emerged a little taller, a little stronger....a little tanner than before. What a trip this was! I learned a lot about myself that I had no idea about. I am capable of climbing hills over 1,000 feet high

****I just found this in my drafts archive. I wrote this soon after the trip. Sad. I was not able to process what had just occurred for months. People still see me and ask about the trip, but I can't really conjure up any stories to satisfy them. Occassionally, I am starting to volunteer tidbits and antecdotes from my recent experience on the road, but mostly it is almost as though it never happened... thanks for reading! -Mo

San Francisco!

2008-07-31T14:39:00.000-07:00

Itchy!!

2008-07-19T14:56:00.000-07:00

So here i am, Cerridwyn, finally making a post on our wonderful blog.
I guess i am not so confident in my writing skills.
But here it goes..
Currently i am waiting for my Flickr page to complete my downloads which seems to be almost impossible at these expensive Internet cafes!
Hmmmm, yes, ITCHY!!
If you have ever had the pleasure of experiencing a massive allergic reaction that comes out through the skin then you know what Hives feel like.
An itch that never goes away and if you satisfy your urge the result is an even more unsatisfying burning feeling followed by huge welts all over the body. Not what i consider to be fun to say the least. After a night of relaxation and some good ole steroids and oral itching relief i am feeling almost at 100%.
I do feel bad for the inconvenience this has been, but it really is not under our control, at times you really just have to listen to your body and give it a rest.
On the tour as a whole, i feel great. This has been way more that we bargained for mentally and physically(at least for me). It does seem that every time i am feeling stronger something kicks me in the face and sets me back. In the long run that too will make me stronger but it is a struggle. Feeling like a drag is almost as bad as hives.
I am so glad to be back near the ocean and the trees in my home state, the redwoods the deep turquoise sea the waves the madrone and manzanitas the birds and chipalops and the interested people as well as the weirdos, it is all familiar to me and new for Maureen i am so glad that we can experience this is new way for the both of us. It has been a blast, and we still have a ways to go. Well it's off to Mendo for us, till next time, Farewell.
~Cerridwyn~

Pitstop on the Skunk Train

2008-07-19T13:41:00.000-07:00

Hello from Fort Bragg, CA. We are in Mendocino County...taking our time enjoying the sights and a little R&R. A quick sum up: we met a bunch of kids in Orick, CA and rode as a posse for a spell. We had a house call in Eureka, a late start and a mad rush through the Avenue of the Giants to Weott where we reconvened with our new friends. We spent a quiet night under the massive Redwoods and rode off to Garberville in a group the next day where we had lunch and said farewell to our friends. C-dwyn and I stayed in Garberville for the night, and got a late start the next day when we headed south to Standish-Hickey State Park, just north of the great Leggett Hill. We joined some of our crew there and had some fun in the setting sun- drinking Laguanita's IPA and swimming in the Eel River. The next morning is where we started to run into some trouble. Cerridwyn had an allergic reaction to something and we had a few moments of freak out, standing around doing nothing, doping up, then hitting the most strenuous portion of the trip so far. Leggett Hill was not a super killer by any means, but it was long and steep, and narrow, and winding. Then we had a quick descent into yet another climb in Rockport, and then winding, curving hills all the way into dusk at McKerricher State Park in Cleone, CA. Definitely the hardest day so far. Morale was at an all time low, we were all tired and dirty and COLD by the time we got to camp. No one was expecting the day to be as difficult as it turned out. Our new friends, Miles and Casey were even feeling the strain of the day, and they are definitely upbeat dudes.
Yesterday we packed up and rolled down the road to Fort Bragg and set up in the Headlands Cafe and got down to the business of taking care of Cerridwyn. She found a Doc, got some drugs for her skin, got some food with Miles and Casey at Los Gallitos, said goodbye to the guys, got a hotel room, and took some major chill pills. We had a fun conversation with the Innkeeper and Owner of the Beach House Inn, Charles, then had an organic breakfast at the Cafe 1 where we met a hardcore solo rider averaging about 90-100 miles a day!

I was freaking out- yet again- feeling that this was the end of the ride. I am recognizing this personal flaw of mine where I can't seem to trust my partner. I am coming around to the idea of just taking it easy and getting as far as we can each day. The tour has morphed and changed so much every day, and I am realizing that that is just the way it is. I have to be able to adapt to it otherwise I am not able to enjoy this amazing adventure. Plenty of soul searching and Life's Lessons learned here on the Coast.

New rule: there are no rules! Seriously. I wake every morning with certain expectations swirling in my head- about the day, my performance, Cerridwyn's performance, the sights, the towns, the people we meet, the inspiration I will find...all of that must go. I am here, riding my bike, running into new people and places, and I can't block out those experiences by having a chip on my shoulder and a veil over my eyes.

Cheerio to you all from a chipper Cerridwyn and a newly relaxed Maureen!

A quick note

2008-07-15T23:00:00.000-07:00

We are halfway to our final destination of Santa Cruz. Our biggest climb happens tomorrow at a whopping 2,000ft high! Leggett Hill, here we come! We are spending the night in a hidden away olive grove in Garberville, CA with some of Cerridwyn's friends. Laundry, *free* hot showers, white wine, and a roof to sleep under. What a welcome little detour...
We have parted from our new tour friends, but hope to meet up in San Francisco. All is well with us, we have been out of cell phone range thanks to the wondrous redwoods we have been sleeping under, but should be in open air soon enough. So mama's and dad's, worry not! We should be able to call and connect to you soon!

Love to you all!
Cerridwyn and Maureen

Birds, Bees, Butterflies, and Bones...

2008-07-14T13:29:00.000-07:00

....These are the many things we have seen on the side of the rode. Oh yes, and Bicycles! We stayed in Eureka, CA last night and are still kicking around town today. We emerged from the great Redwoods Forest with new experience on camping in Bear and Mountain Lion country, and with a gaggle of new touring companions. We stayed in Elk Creek State Park and first solo rider, Richard from Arizona, rolled in. An hour later, Susan and Eric from Portland, landed, and an hour after them, Miles and Casey from Portland showed up! We had quite a time talking, laughing about the bear situation, sitting by the fire, and planning our next day. We all woke together and rode into Orick, CA as a group. We posted up at the Palm Cafe for greasy spoon breakfast, then we headed on to Arcata as a group. Richard dropped off for some hiking, and Dan from Canada joined our posse. We rode almost 58 miles yesterday! What a day for Cerridwyn and myself! I think it was inspiring and fun riding with a laid back group of cyclists. We climbed many hills and made many stops, rolled into Arcata and had some pizza and coffee, then buckled down for the last 10 miles of the day into Eureka. I had a blast!
Cerridwyn's sister, Rhianna, was our gracious host last night, and we all charged up (electronics and our bodies), and we all hope to meet up again tonight in Weott, CA (another 50 mile day!).

Having a blast! THANKS SOOOOOOO MUCH TO EVERYONE WHO DONATED TO MY TRAVEL FUND!!!!!
I can't believe I am out here doing this most days, and I am having the time of my life! I am also very excited to get home and get back to it! I miss you all and wish everyone of you were experiencing this with me!
Love to you,
Cerridwyn and Maureen

Meltdowns and Makeups

2008-07-07T09:49:00.000-07:00

What an amazing and emotional ride this has been so far! I knew it was going to be a challenge, but my every sense and nerve has gone through the ringer these past couple weeks! Teamwork, solidarity, activism, feminism, compromise, homesickness, weather exposure, aggression, fear, adrenaline, lust, and whimsy are only a handful of emotions we have felt and had to bat off of others. It is a big deal to ride on sometimes measly, haggard shoulders of a highway, along a rocky cliff, over a rough and ice cold ocean. It is really intense having RV after bus after truck accelerate past us, sometimes buzzing pretty damn close.
I wouldn't change a minute of this ride though. I simply remind myself why we are having aggression tossed our way. Envy. This is a feat not everyone can accomplish. We are being tried. We are going to make it only as far as we can, but that is still further than most in this world. We had a few days of fun in Eugene, and an amazing woman named Celeste told us a mantra she has been living by this summer. We have decided to adopt it a repeat it to ourselves often. (* Warning: Hippie Jargon!*) The phrase is, "I AM THE CREATOR OF MY OWN UNIVERSE!", said as loudly or as often as needed. That helped us get over the scariest, longest, highest, narrowest bridge I have ever conquered. The phrase got us through two blowouts and a broken spoke yesterday. The phrase is carrying us through the windblown town of Northbend today, Humboldt Mountain tomorrow, Brookings the following days, then into CALIFORNIA!

...slow but steady is our other mantra for this trip.
Love to you all from a comfortable Comfort Inn in Norhtbend, OR. Our joints were softened in the hot tub last night, we slept on cushy mattresses, and we were able to spend a night out of the wind. We feel gloriously rested today and ready for a challenge!
Missing you all.
Cerridwyn and Maureen

Lincoln City, and Yachats, and Florence, Oh my!

2008-07-02T16:48:00.000-07:00

Well, so much has happened in the past three days. We have met beautiful, amazingly positive people riding the same route as us. Matt and Erin were our coffee and campsite pals the first two days. Stefanie and Fabrece are our new french friends whom we met in South Beach,OR, and we warmed our toes by the fire with Eric, the lone wolf from Cali, last night in the Carl G Washburne State Park. We had a big blow out in NewPort, then a big heart to heart and we have reworked our goals for the trip slightly, and have found a new lighthearted perspective to our trip. We rode strong yesterday and today and are having a blast! NewPort is my new favorite Oregon town. Cute, quaint, beachy town. We had awesome pizza and foccaccia bread from Panini Bakery. Yachats is the cutest and most scenic point on the coast so far. We had fantastic burgers, "Bicycle Bob's Veggie Burgers" from Grand Occasions Deli, and met a friendly and accomodating man from Florence. People seem to be so excited by two young women on bikes, obviously carrying their wordly possesions from town to town. Many friendly faces and well wishes! It's awesome! Old Towne Florence is sweet and touristy. It is on the Suisoux River and we had coffee at the local roaster, and a yummy snack and beer at a bar and grill. ( I am spacing on the names of these businesses. I will go back and edit in the info when I collect it!)

Next stop, inland to Eugene through the Fourth of July! Stay tuned for new pics and new posts.

Love to all,
Cerridwyn and Maureen

Push and Pull

2008-06-29T15:04:00.000-07:00

I am meditating on this subject so I won't expunge too much now. I will say that the very unique dynamic of a two person touring team is one of the most challenging experiences of my life. What a lesson to learn. I have to trust her, motivate and support her, allow her to motivate and support me, and most important, we have to stick together. I have already expressed feelings of excitement and enjoyment, followed by frustration and resentment, impatience, and then shear joy when we race down whatever climb we just puffed our way up, and re-set my emotions. I wonder what Cerridwyn is feeling?! I am so happy I am doing this with a friend. I would not change a single thing about our trip- other than a little less gear, a little more reflective and warm clothes!- I am certain I will do a solo tour someday, but you can't beat having a pal to share the beautiful views with!

We are enjoying a pit stop in the picturesque, Cape Kiwanda, an awesome surf town. We are warming our mitts and enjoying our coffee fix at Cafe Stimulus, and are about to hit the road for climb numero dos, and about 20 more miles until camp at Devil's Lake State Park in Lincoln City, OR.
So long for now. Remember to check out our pics through the flickr slideshow.
Peace and Love,
Cerridwyn and Maureen

Adventure

2008-06-28T00:23:00.000-07:00

Today we met up with an old pal of Cerridwyn's who is also a cyclist. Troy is his name and biking, traveling, and grad school is the name of his game. We rode to the top of Mt. Tabor and had a lovely time of it. It felt great to get the heart pumping, the legs warm, and the lungs full of fresh mountain air. Mt. Tabor is not any real mountain- it is a volcanic vent for Mt. Hood, which was picturesque on the horizon- but we still experienced a change in elevation and a nice, mild climb to the top. This got me revved up and ready to start tomorrow. Tillamook or bust! After the ride, we stopped at Stumptown Coffee for a double soy machiatto and some good conversation. Troy ran into some pals from his hometown in Michigan and we all chilled and enjoyed the beautiful weather. We went to Andy and Bax Army surplus store for fun and final supplies before we leave and made a quick stop by the Whole Foods for a simple yet hearty dinner of black beans, brown rice and fried egg. I foresee that being a very regular meal for the next month and a half! It is getting late and time to pack up the gear for an early start tomorrow.

My Uncle Randy recently wrote me an email on June 23rd saying that his son, my cousin Mike, and Mike's girlfriend, Anna, set off on their exciting journeys around China the same day as I left with Cerridwyn to start this adventure. I started thinking about the importance of travel and the experience of new cultures in my life and am so happy to come from a family that embraces that philosophy and promotes it. I am definitely not cut from the normal nine to five, Monday through Friday lifestyle that so many Americans believe in, and I am so happy and lucky to be supported by my beloved family members and friends in spite of that fact(that difference!). I know that this is the start of many adventures for me. I hope to inspire the pursuit of adventure in all of you. THANK YOU to everyone who has donated to my travels! Expect a personalized thanks via post!

It is really time to get packing and grab some shut eye before morning.
Pleasant dreams to all!

Love,
Cerridwyn and Maureen

* THANKS ANDREA! *

2008-06-26T20:15:00.001-07:00

I was without the digi cam my last night in Seattle, WA when I hung with my dear old CBH buddy, Andrea. We had a grand ol' time and she took me out on the town! We went to Capital Hill and had a pitcher of Manny's and dinner at Linda's, then shot some pool and knocked back a Mac N' Jack's Amber Ale at the Garage. Thanks a million for contributing to the "Feed Mo" fund!
Love,
Mo
p.s. can't wait to see you soon in Halifax!

Live from the City of Roses!

2008-06-26T19:28:00.000-07:00

Greetings!

We are taking a minute for correspondence and coffee at Stumptown Coffee Roasters and bought fun ink pens and weird food for the ride. We had a three hour trek around the Puget Sound in Portland, Oregon. We missed our first train from Seattle to Portland on Wednesday, so we kicked it in Chinatown for a couple of hours. We went to an awesome market called Uwajimayawhich took us through Tacoma, Olympia, and Vancouver, Washington. What a beautiful ride. Small towns and farms sprinkled the land as well as breathtaking waterfronts and woods.

We got off the train and were met by friendly people, bikes everywhere, a tasty hefeweizen at a nearby bar, and the setting sun creating a warm, golden city. We are staying with Robyn, an old Santa Cruz friend of Cerridwyn's. She is swell. We had a vegetarian southern comfort brunch at the Tin Shed this morning, and were serenaded by the Old 97's throughout! I like Portland. I may LOVE Portland. The weather is just right- cool mornings and evenings and warm, sunny days. I can't seem to breathe in enough of the fresh air here. Lush, overflowing gardens full of roses, ferns, ivy, daisies, flowers, flowers, and more flowers. Green, emerald, and moss colors everywhere. We just missed the Rose Parade and came across a compost pile full of the remains of that day. Decomposing petals of every color....I grabbed a few for drying.

We went to a local bike co-op called City Bikes and met Mike from Moscow, Idaho. He was awesome, and helpful! We really like that shop and may go back again before we leave. Check 'em out if you ever get to Portland.

Two more nights in Portland then the journey begins! Next stop- Tillamook, Oregon! Stay tuned for stories of the cheese factory tour and later constipation woes!
Happy Summer!

xoxo,
Cerridwyn and Maureen

Seattle

2008-06-23T22:27:00.000-07:00

Our journey has begun. We had a wonderful farewell party on Friday night and got to hang with lots of good people. (Thanks to all who stopped by and who provided food and drink!)

Today we broke down our bicycles and headed to the airport. Boxing the bikes was a bit of an ordeal, but we figured it out. We had a van taxi pick us up and it cost us $50 to check our bikes. Austin to Seattle is quite a flight. We had a layover in Denver but all in all it was uneventful...just long.

We arrived to our stay in style...via limousine, and were greeted by a cute house full of crafty bike kids having their weekly movie night.Washington is gorgeous. The sun stayed out until almost 10 pm and the weather is in the 60's. I am in heaven, and I know it is only going to get better!Looking forward to a good night's rest and building our bikes back up tomorrow. One more night in Seattle then we train to Portland.Stay tuned.

Love,
Maureen and Cerridwyn