A joyous and healthy New Year to all my friends and family.
Location : Hudson River Greenway, New York, NY 10036,
Wednesday, September 08, 2010
L'shana tova
A joyous and healthy New Year to all my friends and family.
Location : Hudson River Greenway, New York, NY 10036,
Thursday, August 26, 2010
Squid on Wheels: Erie Canal Adventure Days 9 and 10
Little Falls to Amsterdam and Amsterdam to Albany
As we were warned when we left Senaca Falls, there were far more hills on the eastern end of our journey than on the western side. From the time we left the canal in Clyde, we had ridden more and more on roads and less and less on trail. The roads , while paralleling the canal do not keep the even level imposed on the tow paths. For the most part, the hills are not horrible, and, for some one not toting an addition 20 pounds or so of stuff, might even be enjoyable.
Leaving Little Falls was fairly straight forward though we did make one unnecessary circle getting to the trail, adding all of half a mile or so to the day.By this point in the trip we had established pretty set patterns to our trek. Mike and Squidette took the lead and Little Squid and I trailed behind. Periodically I would get Little Squid singing which worked to quicken his pace -- otherwise he tended to get lost in his thoughts as he looked around and when that happened, he slowed down quite a bit. Since I do the same thing, I really only nudged him forward when I could no longer see Mike and Squidette up ahead. That said, he and I had a great time working our way through a variety of Broadway musicals. West Side Story, by the way, does not really lend itself to quick cycling.Every 5 miles or so, Mike would pull over and wait for us to catch up and we would make a quick assessment of people's needs regarding food, water and bladder status. Stops occurred at other times as well, usually surrounding the last item in that list. We noticed that on the western end of the Canal, there were porta-potties at almost every lock. That was sadly not true for the eastern end and we found ourselves having to go away from the trail to find relief.
The ride to Fultonville, our lunch stop, was uneventful. The journey from Fultonville to Amsterdam, almost so.As we approached Fort Hunter, the trail changed from asphalt (a lovely relief from the stone dust of previous days) to concrete as we crossed an old railroad bridge. I was pondering the change in pavement when I caught up to Mike, who was talking with a couple of riders heading in the opposite direction. One was heading to Buffalo and planning on doing it in 2 days. As it was after 2 when we met him, and we were barely 50 miles out of Albany, I seriously wonder if he was able to make it. The other, was a local who taught us a bit about the area. The bridge we were on was apparently (as I had assumed) an old railroad bridge. The reason it was covered in concrete was because in 1987 a bridge on the NYS thruway had collapsed and this old railroad bridge had been quickly repaved in order to accommodate the necessary detour. Just north of this bridge were the remains of an aqueduct that had carried the Erie Canal over Schoarie Crossing. The aqueduct was still largely intact and was holding up far better than the doomed, modern, bridge.From the bridge, we detoured a few miles to historic Fort Hunter where, after making several wrong turns, we learned more about the canal and got a look at more remains of the old canal.
Finishing with the fort, hot and tired, we wearily pedaled into Amsterdam, a town that has seen far better days but which boasts a fantastic Indian restaurant in the hotel we stayed in (the only lodging in town). Here, my brother Mike and his s.o., Maria, joined us for a lovely dinner (which stood up favorably to some of the best Indian food that we've ever had) . Sleep came fairly quickly, to be rudely interrupted by some college kids (an assumption regarding age based on behavior) being very loud and banging doors and basically acting like kids, at 2 a.m. I was very tempted to get my revenge the next morning as we packed up at 7 a.m., but restrained myself in consideration of any other guests.
The last day found us mostly on paved trail, some of which was absolutely delightful to ride. As we rode the last miles into Albany we experienced rolling hills that were actually fun to ride. They reminded me why we were doing this and revived my joy in riding despite my sleep deprived and sore state at that point.
We rolled into Albany around 3:00 and immediately headed to the Amtrak station in Rennsaeler where we traded our tickets for the next day in for tickets for the next train out.
By 4:00 we were safely seated and heading for home.
420 miles over 9 days of riding.
We traversed New York state at its widest point, saw some beautiful scenery and some, sadly run down towns. We met great people and had lots of satisfying meals. No one got sick, injuries were limited to some minor scrapes and we had practically no mechanical problems.
Will we do this again? Maybe. The major drawback with this kind of trip is that every night is in a different place. The pressure to get from one place to the next and to ride a minimum number of miles each day was a little wearing. I, personally, never got to ride at my own pace. I was always either bringing up the rear, with the tired or slower child of the moment, or racing to catch up to the three of them when sudden energy spurts hit Little Squid.
Overall, I had a great time and really feel a sense of accomplishment. I want to do something similar next year.
As we were warned when we left Senaca Falls, there were far more hills on the eastern end of our journey than on the western side. From the time we left the canal in Clyde, we had ridden more and more on roads and less and less on trail. The roads , while paralleling the canal do not keep the even level imposed on the tow paths. For the most part, the hills are not horrible, and, for some one not toting an addition 20 pounds or so of stuff, might even be enjoyable.
Leaving Little Falls was fairly straight forward though we did make one unnecessary circle getting to the trail, adding all of half a mile or so to the day.By this point in the trip we had established pretty set patterns to our trek. Mike and Squidette took the lead and Little Squid and I trailed behind. Periodically I would get Little Squid singing which worked to quicken his pace -- otherwise he tended to get lost in his thoughts as he looked around and when that happened, he slowed down quite a bit. Since I do the same thing, I really only nudged him forward when I could no longer see Mike and Squidette up ahead. That said, he and I had a great time working our way through a variety of Broadway musicals. West Side Story, by the way, does not really lend itself to quick cycling.Every 5 miles or so, Mike would pull over and wait for us to catch up and we would make a quick assessment of people's needs regarding food, water and bladder status. Stops occurred at other times as well, usually surrounding the last item in that list. We noticed that on the western end of the Canal, there were porta-potties at almost every lock. That was sadly not true for the eastern end and we found ourselves having to go away from the trail to find relief.
The ride to Fultonville, our lunch stop, was uneventful. The journey from Fultonville to Amsterdam, almost so.As we approached Fort Hunter, the trail changed from asphalt (a lovely relief from the stone dust of previous days) to concrete as we crossed an old railroad bridge. I was pondering the change in pavement when I caught up to Mike, who was talking with a couple of riders heading in the opposite direction. One was heading to Buffalo and planning on doing it in 2 days. As it was after 2 when we met him, and we were barely 50 miles out of Albany, I seriously wonder if he was able to make it. The other, was a local who taught us a bit about the area. The bridge we were on was apparently (as I had assumed) an old railroad bridge. The reason it was covered in concrete was because in 1987 a bridge on the NYS thruway had collapsed and this old railroad bridge had been quickly repaved in order to accommodate the necessary detour. Just north of this bridge were the remains of an aqueduct that had carried the Erie Canal over Schoarie Crossing. The aqueduct was still largely intact and was holding up far better than the doomed, modern, bridge.From the bridge, we detoured a few miles to historic Fort Hunter where, after making several wrong turns, we learned more about the canal and got a look at more remains of the old canal.
Finishing with the fort, hot and tired, we wearily pedaled into Amsterdam, a town that has seen far better days but which boasts a fantastic Indian restaurant in the hotel we stayed in (the only lodging in town). Here, my brother Mike and his s.o., Maria, joined us for a lovely dinner (which stood up favorably to some of the best Indian food that we've ever had) . Sleep came fairly quickly, to be rudely interrupted by some college kids (an assumption regarding age based on behavior) being very loud and banging doors and basically acting like kids, at 2 a.m. I was very tempted to get my revenge the next morning as we packed up at 7 a.m., but restrained myself in consideration of any other guests.
The last day found us mostly on paved trail, some of which was absolutely delightful to ride. As we rode the last miles into Albany we experienced rolling hills that were actually fun to ride. They reminded me why we were doing this and revived my joy in riding despite my sleep deprived and sore state at that point.We rolled into Albany around 3:00 and immediately headed to the Amtrak station in Rennsaeler where we traded our tickets for the next day in for tickets for the next train out.
By 4:00 we were safely seated and heading for home.
420 miles over 9 days of riding.
We traversed New York state at its widest point, saw some beautiful scenery and some, sadly run down towns. We met great people and had lots of satisfying meals. No one got sick, injuries were limited to some minor scrapes and we had practically no mechanical problems.Will we do this again? Maybe. The major drawback with this kind of trip is that every night is in a different place. The pressure to get from one place to the next and to ride a minimum number of miles each day was a little wearing. I, personally, never got to ride at my own pace. I was always either bringing up the rear, with the tired or slower child of the moment, or racing to catch up to the three of them when sudden energy spurts hit Little Squid.
Overall, I had a great time and really feel a sense of accomplishment. I want to do something similar next year.
Tuesday, August 17, 2010
Squid on Wheels: Erie Canal Adventure Day 8
Rome to Little Falls
[A brief thought before I get started ... when we arrived home on Saturday, we first went to Whole Foods to stock up on some necessities. While Mike and Squidette went into the store, Little Squid and I watched the bikes. In the ten minutes that I was waiting on the street, I saw more people than I had seen for all of the preceding 10 days. I'm not sure what that means but it is significant. We saw very few people on the streets in any of the towns and cities we visited. Now, we did, mostly, stay confined to one narrow corridor as defined by the Erie Canal but, we also spent an entire 36 hours in Syracuse. Was the lack of people on the streets due to the pervasive car culture? Was it just that these places are so small that there just aren't that many people to see? Or, could it be that New York City is just way too crowded? Or, all of the above. What do you think?]
***
We had some difficulty leaving Rome. It seems, that while all roads may lead to Rome, not all roads lead away from it. Some, in fact, pretend to lead away but circle right back.
Once we did finally find the trail out of Rome, we had little difficulty with directions for the rest of the day. The only mechanical difficulties of the trip occurred on the final stretch into Little Falls when my chain lost it's moorings. A quick flick of the fingers (making them rather dirty) restored order to my world and we landed there safely.
Our day started with the only chain restaurant of the trip, a Denny's for breakfast. Lunch was at a nice diner in Frankfort which was followed by a trip to the Remington Arms Museum in nearby Illion.
No, I am not really a gun loving type of gal. I don't dislike them, per se, but my passions run to fiber, not flintlocks. Despite that, the museum was quite interesting (and very small) and had some nice examples of workmanship on the firearms on display.
Then, eying threatening skies, we hustled on to Little Falls and our Inn for the night.
The Canal Side Inn is known more for its food than its lodgings, mainly because the food is fabulous and the rooms are few. The rooms we had, however, a suite, were lovely, clean, well appointed, and the sofa bed much more comfortable that the one in the high class hotel in Syracuse.
The chef is also the owner of the whole establishment and he and his staff graciously fed us the bistro menu (lighter fare and lower prices) in the main dining room. We left feeling well fed.
Once again, we had landed in a town too late to go into any of the shops (no museums here) but had a lovely walk on the waterfront and in the historic canal area.
[A brief thought before I get started ... when we arrived home on Saturday, we first went to Whole Foods to stock up on some necessities. While Mike and Squidette went into the store, Little Squid and I watched the bikes. In the ten minutes that I was waiting on the street, I saw more people than I had seen for all of the preceding 10 days. I'm not sure what that means but it is significant. We saw very few people on the streets in any of the towns and cities we visited. Now, we did, mostly, stay confined to one narrow corridor as defined by the Erie Canal but, we also spent an entire 36 hours in Syracuse. Was the lack of people on the streets due to the pervasive car culture? Was it just that these places are so small that there just aren't that many people to see? Or, could it be that New York City is just way too crowded? Or, all of the above. What do you think?]
***
We had some difficulty leaving Rome. It seems, that while all roads may lead to Rome, not all roads lead away from it. Some, in fact, pretend to lead away but circle right back.
Once we did finally find the trail out of Rome, we had little difficulty with directions for the rest of the day. The only mechanical difficulties of the trip occurred on the final stretch into Little Falls when my chain lost it's moorings. A quick flick of the fingers (making them rather dirty) restored order to my world and we landed there safely.
Our day started with the only chain restaurant of the trip, a Denny's for breakfast. Lunch was at a nice diner in Frankfort which was followed by a trip to the Remington Arms Museum in nearby Illion.
No, I am not really a gun loving type of gal. I don't dislike them, per se, but my passions run to fiber, not flintlocks. Despite that, the museum was quite interesting (and very small) and had some nice examples of workmanship on the firearms on display.
Then, eying threatening skies, we hustled on to Little Falls and our Inn for the night.
The Canal Side Inn is known more for its food than its lodgings, mainly because the food is fabulous and the rooms are few. The rooms we had, however, a suite, were lovely, clean, well appointed, and the sofa bed much more comfortable that the one in the high class hotel in Syracuse.The chef is also the owner of the whole establishment and he and his staff graciously fed us the bistro menu (lighter fare and lower prices) in the main dining room. We left feeling well fed.
Once again, we had landed in a town too late to go into any of the shops (no museums here) but had a lovely walk on the waterfront and in the historic canal area.
Monday, August 16, 2010
Squid on Wheels: Erie Canal Adventure Day 7
Syracuse to Rome
During our rest day we ventured out to the Erie Canal Museum, located in an old weigh-lock building. There we learned how the boats were weighed in order to assess tolls and, that we had some hills ahead of us in the next day of cycling.Sure enough, the day started with some long hills out of the valley that is Syracuse's downtown area. Fortunately we got an early start and didn't have to deal with the hills during the heat of the day.
Leaving the roads, we encountered stonedust trails that persisted for the remainder of the day whenever we were not actually on the road instead of off-road.
About 10-15 miles in, the ladies needed a rest stop with no appropriate facility in view. Fortunately, we were just a mile or so from Green Lake State park where we got off the trail, briefly, to relieve ourselves. This was the only time that Squidette and I divested ourselves of our saddlebags and left Mike and Little Squid to do our thing. It worked and we were in and out of the park fairly quickly.
Meanwhile, Little Squid had finally spotted the elusive Canal Monster.
We were sure we'd missed him (her?) when we left the main canal for the Old Canal but apparently the monster prefers the quieter and murkier waters of the Old Canal.
Pedaling on, we came to the village of Chittenago and visited the only dry-dock still in existence on the old canal. A museum has sprung up around its remains and it is the first time I've visited a restoration that is still in the process of being restored.
After touring the site, we continued eastward, making sure to view the remains of sunken barges (look for the rebar outlines, that is all that is left).
Then on to Rome over trail that became increasingly difficult to pedal, ironically enough, because they were restoring it.
In Rome we walked around the outside of Fort Stanwix because, by the time we showered and recovered, it was already closed.
Dinner at a nice Italian restaurant ended with fabulous desserts and then early to bed.
More pictures can be found here, along with a fairly complete geotagged map.
Mike's version of the trip can be found here.
During our rest day we ventured out to the Erie Canal Museum, located in an old weigh-lock building. There we learned how the boats were weighed in order to assess tolls and, that we had some hills ahead of us in the next day of cycling.Sure enough, the day started with some long hills out of the valley that is Syracuse's downtown area. Fortunately we got an early start and didn't have to deal with the hills during the heat of the day.
Leaving the roads, we encountered stonedust trails that persisted for the remainder of the day whenever we were not actually on the road instead of off-road.
About 10-15 miles in, the ladies needed a rest stop with no appropriate facility in view. Fortunately, we were just a mile or so from Green Lake State park where we got off the trail, briefly, to relieve ourselves. This was the only time that Squidette and I divested ourselves of our saddlebags and left Mike and Little Squid to do our thing. It worked and we were in and out of the park fairly quickly.
Meanwhile, Little Squid had finally spotted the elusive Canal Monster.
We were sure we'd missed him (her?) when we left the main canal for the Old Canal but apparently the monster prefers the quieter and murkier waters of the Old Canal.Pedaling on, we came to the village of Chittenago and visited the only dry-dock still in existence on the old canal. A museum has sprung up around its remains and it is the first time I've visited a restoration that is still in the process of being restored.
After touring the site, we continued eastward, making sure to view the remains of sunken barges (look for the rebar outlines, that is all that is left).
Then on to Rome over trail that became increasingly difficult to pedal, ironically enough, because they were restoring it.
In Rome we walked around the outside of Fort Stanwix because, by the time we showered and recovered, it was already closed.
Dinner at a nice Italian restaurant ended with fabulous desserts and then early to bed.More pictures can be found here, along with a fairly complete geotagged map.
Mike's version of the trip can be found here.
Sunday, August 15, 2010
Home at Last
Give me a day or so to process and then I will finish the synopsis of our journey. We are now home and recovering from our journey ... and getting ready for our annual jaunt to Lancaster, PA.
There is some food back in the apartment and the turtle tank desperately needs cleaning.
I'll start uploading pictures and writing a little later. I think I'll post in small bits to make it easier and quicker to read and write.
See you later.
There is some food back in the apartment and the turtle tank desperately needs cleaning.
I'll start uploading pictures and writing a little later. I think I'll post in small bits to make it easier and quicker to read and write.
See you later.
Saturday, August 14, 2010
The sunblock is farting ...
Otherwise known as ... Last day on the road.
Our bottles of sunblock are down to dregs.
Good timing.
Location : 92 Guy Park Ave, Amsterdam, NY 12010,
Friday, August 13, 2010
Little Falls, NY
No cell phone coverage but a lovely town. 45 miles yesterday
Location : 401-403 S Ann St, Little Falls, NY 13365,
Tuesday, August 10, 2010
Monday, August 09, 2010
Squid on Wheels: Riding the Erie Canal Days: 5 and 6
We are now sitting in our lovely hotel room in Syracuse, New York, having completed a 44.5 mile day and a 42 day yesterday. For those keeping track, we have now cycled 221.5 miles over 5 days. Yes, we are tired. Yes, some of us are very sore while others are moderately sore. Mike claims to be just fine. There's also some sunburn and some funky tan lines from the bike shorts and gloves. Except for Little Squid. Who refuses to wear bike gloves. The backs of his hands look like they belong to someone from a much darker gene pool.
Meanwhile, the backs of our legs are still mad white. ;-) (Yes, daddy, we are using sunblock!)
The ride from Palmyra to Senaca Falls was fairly quick but involved many hills as we pedaled the last 15 miles south. We reached the town of Clyde by 11:30 a.m. and had a wonderful lunch at the Brickoven Cafe. Squidette and I redid breakfast with french toast for her and eggs and bacon and toast (home made cinnamon bread) for me. Little Squid chowed down on a turkey Ruben and Mike feasted on homemade hash. We followed it up with really good pie resulting in a much happier Squidette.
In Senaca Falls we stayed at a lovely Bed and Breakfast -- Van Cleef Homestead and walked around the historic downtown. If you want the history of the area, feel free to go over to Mike's blog. He already wrote it out, saving me the effort.
From Senaca Falls, we pedaled north east, through the Montezuma Wildlife Refuge (where we did not see Big Foot) and up and down over rolling hills to lunch in Jordan. Unfortunately our good lunch luck did not hold up and we settled for decent pizza in an unairconditioned storefront.
Then on over some recently restone-dusted trails which made for more difficult riding until we got to the outskirts of Syracuse and a fair amount of road riding.
As we rolled our bikes into our hotel - the historic Jefferson Clinton Hotel - the desk staff took one look at us as proclaimed "we've been waiting for you!" They relieved us of our bikes, upgraded our room and were incredibly nice.
We showered off the road dust and sunblock in a fabulous double-headed shower and then rested for a while before heading out to the famous Dinosaur Barbque for a good, solid, dinner.
This morning we slept in for a bit with Little Squid being the last to rise at about 7:30, ate breakfast and walked around downtown Syracuse. We attempted to visit the campus of Syracuse University in the morning but conclude that we were a little lost and, with everyone rather hot (at 9:30 a.m.) we gave up and headed back down town.
Meanwhile, the backs of our legs are still mad white. ;-) (Yes, daddy, we are using sunblock!)
The ride from Palmyra to Senaca Falls was fairly quick but involved many hills as we pedaled the last 15 miles south. We reached the town of Clyde by 11:30 a.m. and had a wonderful lunch at the Brickoven Cafe. Squidette and I redid breakfast with french toast for her and eggs and bacon and toast (home made cinnamon bread) for me. Little Squid chowed down on a turkey Ruben and Mike feasted on homemade hash. We followed it up with really good pie resulting in a much happier Squidette.
In Senaca Falls we stayed at a lovely Bed and Breakfast -- Van Cleef Homestead and walked around the historic downtown. If you want the history of the area, feel free to go over to Mike's blog. He already wrote it out, saving me the effort.
From Senaca Falls, we pedaled north east, through the Montezuma Wildlife Refuge (where we did not see Big Foot) and up and down over rolling hills to lunch in Jordan. Unfortunately our good lunch luck did not hold up and we settled for decent pizza in an unairconditioned storefront.
Then on over some recently restone-dusted trails which made for more difficult riding until we got to the outskirts of Syracuse and a fair amount of road riding.
As we rolled our bikes into our hotel - the historic Jefferson Clinton Hotel - the desk staff took one look at us as proclaimed "we've been waiting for you!" They relieved us of our bikes, upgraded our room and were incredibly nice.
We showered off the road dust and sunblock in a fabulous double-headed shower and then rested for a while before heading out to the famous Dinosaur Barbque for a good, solid, dinner.
This morning we slept in for a bit with Little Squid being the last to rise at about 7:30, ate breakfast and walked around downtown Syracuse. We attempted to visit the campus of Syracuse University in the morning but conclude that we were a little lost and, with everyone rather hot (at 9:30 a.m.) we gave up and headed back down town.
We finally visited a Canal Museum and got a good taste of the history of the Canal and the different boats that travel it. The Syracuse Canal Museum is located in the only remaining Weigh-lock building. Weigh-locks were like truck weigh stations but for barges so they could determine how much toll to charge.
We then attempted to visit, in turn, the Science Museum and two sets of galleries and found them all closed. So we headed back to the hotel to veg for a bit before getting lunch and then vegging and napping for a while.
Finally, Squidette and I headed out, determined to really see the Syracuse University Campus and, armed with a map and Squidette's innate confidence in her sense of direction, we made it all the way onto campus, up to Mount Olympus and back down via the Carrier Dome.
Now, fed with some pretty good pasta, I am running a load of laundry and we are doing some more vegging and stocking up on energy as we get ready for a 47 mile day tomorrow.
Tomorrow, we continue our trek through New York State on our way to Rome.
Saturday, August 07, 2010
Squid on Wheels: Riding the Erie Canal Day 4
Brockport to Palmyra
There is lots to see and do in Palmyra. Unfortunately, by the time we got here we were so wiped out that we did not see or do any of it. Don't be sad for us, though. We did have a lovely day and saw lots of pretty canal and other stuff.
We started out in Brockport about 9:15 this morning and made fairly good time to our first few potty breaks in Adams Basin and Spencerport. We've started keeping a very close eye on the map for potential relief breaks -- while the guys can pick out a likely tree along side the Squidette and I are stuck waiting for a porta-potty or an actual bathroom. There are no woods in which to disappear into and besides, we really are not quite that down to earth. (The need for frequent "natural breaks" is a side effect of our making sure that we are drinking enough and has the added benefit of forcing us to stop for a few minutes and drink even more. It's a self-fulfilling cycle.)
Last night I rinsed out a set of jerseys and bike shorts. This morning, the jerseys were dry but the shorts were not. Mike decided that they could be bungeed to the back of the bikes and dry as we rode. Conceptually, it was a good idea.
As it turned out, today was our absolute dustiest day of riding so far. I look at our bikes and bags now and almost don't recognize them, so faded are they with the dust.
That said, we did not actually notice the dust as we rode, just when we stopped and had to brush off the tops of the water bottles before drinking.
Continuing on from Spencerport, we rode though Greece and South Greece and then came to Rochester.
If you check out Mike's album you can see that we were, indeed, in Rochester. Mike managed to miss that fact despite having taken the picture.
The trail in Rochester was rolling asphalt. The asphalt part was great, the rolling, not so much for the kids. Mike and I did the "hills" fairly easily but the kids, carrying a larger proportion of stuff relative to body weight, had a rougher time. Mike got ahead of us by a bit and, when we finally reconvened at Lock 33, asked "when do we get to Rochester." D'oh!
The trail in Rochester, by the by, does not have any indications of bathrooms. Fortunately, there was one fairly soon after we regrouped.
Moving on, we rode on to Pittsford where we had a fabulous lunch and then continued riding the still asphalt trail to Fairport. At that point the trail switched back to stone dust and we continued, stopping periodically for beverage and relief breaks, through Egypt to Macedon. In Macedon we stopped to watch a canal lock in action and ... well you probably get the idea by now.
A mere four miles after Macedon is Palmyra, birthplace of the Church of Jesus Christ and the Latter Day Saints, where we are currently holed up for the night.
Squidette had a rough afternoon, energy wise and pushed through the last few miles on sheer will. Once here, she rested and joined us in the Inn's spa tub and is now much refreshed. That said, our Inn is more than a mile out of town and none of us really wanted to walk back into town to get dinner -- so we ordered in pizza and sandwiches and are now fed and in good moods. I also took advantage of the Inn's washer and dryer and got all of our gear reasonably clean. Even the shorts that got all dusty drying on the back of the bikes.
Photos for today, and all of the days can be found here, here and here.
Miles for today: 50
Miles so far: rail: 135
Tomorrow, we leave the Erie Canal and head to Senaca Falls.
There is lots to see and do in Palmyra. Unfortunately, by the time we got here we were so wiped out that we did not see or do any of it. Don't be sad for us, though. We did have a lovely day and saw lots of pretty canal and other stuff.
We started out in Brockport about 9:15 this morning and made fairly good time to our first few potty breaks in Adams Basin and Spencerport. We've started keeping a very close eye on the map for potential relief breaks -- while the guys can pick out a likely tree along side the Squidette and I are stuck waiting for a porta-potty or an actual bathroom. There are no woods in which to disappear into and besides, we really are not quite that down to earth. (The need for frequent "natural breaks" is a side effect of our making sure that we are drinking enough and has the added benefit of forcing us to stop for a few minutes and drink even more. It's a self-fulfilling cycle.)
Last night I rinsed out a set of jerseys and bike shorts. This morning, the jerseys were dry but the shorts were not. Mike decided that they could be bungeed to the back of the bikes and dry as we rode. Conceptually, it was a good idea.
As it turned out, today was our absolute dustiest day of riding so far. I look at our bikes and bags now and almost don't recognize them, so faded are they with the dust.
That said, we did not actually notice the dust as we rode, just when we stopped and had to brush off the tops of the water bottles before drinking.
Continuing on from Spencerport, we rode though Greece and South Greece and then came to Rochester.
If you check out Mike's album you can see that we were, indeed, in Rochester. Mike managed to miss that fact despite having taken the picture.
The trail in Rochester was rolling asphalt. The asphalt part was great, the rolling, not so much for the kids. Mike and I did the "hills" fairly easily but the kids, carrying a larger proportion of stuff relative to body weight, had a rougher time. Mike got ahead of us by a bit and, when we finally reconvened at Lock 33, asked "when do we get to Rochester." D'oh!
The trail in Rochester, by the by, does not have any indications of bathrooms. Fortunately, there was one fairly soon after we regrouped.
Moving on, we rode on to Pittsford where we had a fabulous lunch and then continued riding the still asphalt trail to Fairport. At that point the trail switched back to stone dust and we continued, stopping periodically for beverage and relief breaks, through Egypt to Macedon. In Macedon we stopped to watch a canal lock in action and ... well you probably get the idea by now.
A mere four miles after Macedon is Palmyra, birthplace of the Church of Jesus Christ and the Latter Day Saints, where we are currently holed up for the night.
Squidette had a rough afternoon, energy wise and pushed through the last few miles on sheer will. Once here, she rested and joined us in the Inn's spa tub and is now much refreshed. That said, our Inn is more than a mile out of town and none of us really wanted to walk back into town to get dinner -- so we ordered in pizza and sandwiches and are now fed and in good moods. I also took advantage of the Inn's washer and dryer and got all of our gear reasonably clean. Even the shorts that got all dusty drying on the back of the bikes.
Photos for today, and all of the days can be found here, here and here.
Miles for today: 50
Miles so far: rail: 135
Tomorrow, we leave the Erie Canal and head to Senaca Falls.
Pittsford, NY
Lunch break, 25 miles so far today. No canal monster siting yet.
Location : Canalway Trail- Erie Canal Heritage Trail, Pittsford, NY 14534,
Friday, August 06, 2010
Squid on Wheels: Riding the Erie Canal Day 3
Lockport to Brockport.
(Pictures are slowing uploading from my phone to the Erie Canal album.)
We started out the day with a very nice breakfast at our Inn in Lockport and then took off on the trail. Most of today's ride was off-road, on stone dust path along the Canal We saw many, many lift bridges -- these bridges sit very close to the canal and lift whenever a boat comes by. Each of them has an operator who listens to the radio, waiting for boats to arrive. While eating lunch in Albion, we got to see our first bridge lifting and then saw another a few towns later.
The day was fairly uneventful, with a clear and sunny sky and nice cool temps.
In Holley, we made a short detour to see a very nice waterfall and in Brockport, where we are spending the night, we walked around the waterfront and got some really good ice cream.
Time to get some shut eye and prepare for the ride to Palmyra in the morning. Squidette has already scrutinized the map and figured out where the bathrooms and port-a-potties should be located. Lunch, I think, will be in Rochester.
Total miles for the day: 47
Total miles for the journey: 85
(Pictures are slowing uploading from my phone to the Erie Canal album.)
We started out the day with a very nice breakfast at our Inn in Lockport and then took off on the trail. Most of today's ride was off-road, on stone dust path along the Canal We saw many, many lift bridges -- these bridges sit very close to the canal and lift whenever a boat comes by. Each of them has an operator who listens to the radio, waiting for boats to arrive. While eating lunch in Albion, we got to see our first bridge lifting and then saw another a few towns later.
The day was fairly uneventful, with a clear and sunny sky and nice cool temps.
In Holley, we made a short detour to see a very nice waterfall and in Brockport, where we are spending the night, we walked around the waterfront and got some really good ice cream.
Time to get some shut eye and prepare for the ride to Palmyra in the morning. Squidette has already scrutinized the map and figured out where the bathrooms and port-a-potties should be located. Lunch, I think, will be in Rochester.
Total miles for the day: 47
Total miles for the journey: 85
Thursday, August 05, 2010
Squid on Wheels: Riding the Erie Canal Days 1 and 2
This is one of those rare vacation posts that is actually being written on a computer. We brought a single netbook with us so each of us has a very limited amount of time on it -- hence the very short, single picture posts that you have seen so far. Those are coming from my phone.
If you wish to see even more vacation photos, keep an eye on this album. Most of today's and yesterday's photos uploaded to the July 2010 album, but the rest will go directly to this Erie Canal album.
Yesterday we boarded a 7 am train from Penn Station to Toronto. We disembarked at Niagara Falls, Ontario and not Lake Huron, MI as one of my blog posts may have led you to believe. (Technology sometimes fails me as it did with geotagging that photo and again when I tried to get the weather and it still thought I was in Michigan.)
The train ride was relatively uneventful. We read our books, I knit my sock (just have to kitchener the toe tonight) and just generally hung out. Getting on the train. Now that was an adventure! But an adventure to be told another day.
After what seemed to be a very long wait for Customs to clear the train, we finally got out, unfolded our bikes and rode all of a quarter mile from the train station to our hotel. Yes, I chose our lodgings based on proximity to the train station.
Settling in, we hopped on the hotel shuttle to downtown, had a quick meal and then walked over to the falls. If you haven't seen them, my photos cannot possibly do them justice -- but their not bad (they are in this folder).
We gawked at the Falls for quite a while and then made our way back to the hotel for the night.
This morning we left the hotel all kitted out in our yellow jerseys and rode from Niagara Falls, across the Rainbow Bridge to Tonawanda, New York. Tonawanda is famous for ... well I really don't know. But it has a neat carosel museum and is home of Wurletzer Organs. It also is home to Lou's, a very nice diner type place with good, solid food and very nice folks.
From Tonawanda we rode along the Canal Trail, both on and off road, to Lockport, from where I am writing this post. Lockport boasts the only 5 step, paired set of locks. Only one of the original 5 flights still exists but does not function any more. The other side was replaced with a two step set of locks which we had the pleasure of watching operate.
We are currently ensconced in Hambleton House, a lovely Bed and Breakfast. Tomorrow we will cycle on to Brockport.
Today's mileage: 37
If you wish to see even more vacation photos, keep an eye on this album. Most of today's and yesterday's photos uploaded to the July 2010 album, but the rest will go directly to this Erie Canal album.
Yesterday we boarded a 7 am train from Penn Station to Toronto. We disembarked at Niagara Falls, Ontario and not Lake Huron, MI as one of my blog posts may have led you to believe. (Technology sometimes fails me as it did with geotagging that photo and again when I tried to get the weather and it still thought I was in Michigan.)
The train ride was relatively uneventful. We read our books, I knit my sock (just have to kitchener the toe tonight) and just generally hung out. Getting on the train. Now that was an adventure! But an adventure to be told another day.
After what seemed to be a very long wait for Customs to clear the train, we finally got out, unfolded our bikes and rode all of a quarter mile from the train station to our hotel. Yes, I chose our lodgings based on proximity to the train station.
Settling in, we hopped on the hotel shuttle to downtown, had a quick meal and then walked over to the falls. If you haven't seen them, my photos cannot possibly do them justice -- but their not bad (they are in this folder).
We gawked at the Falls for quite a while and then made our way back to the hotel for the night.
This morning we left the hotel all kitted out in our yellow jerseys and rode from Niagara Falls, across the Rainbow Bridge to Tonawanda, New York. Tonawanda is famous for ... well I really don't know. But it has a neat carosel museum and is home of Wurletzer Organs. It also is home to Lou's, a very nice diner type place with good, solid food and very nice folks.
From Tonawanda we rode along the Canal Trail, both on and off road, to Lockport, from where I am writing this post. Lockport boasts the only 5 step, paired set of locks. Only one of the original 5 flights still exists but does not function any more. The other side was replaced with a two step set of locks which we had the pleasure of watching operate.
We are currently ensconced in Hambleton House, a lovely Bed and Breakfast. Tomorrow we will cycle on to Brockport.
Today's mileage: 37
Wednesday, August 04, 2010
Erie Adventure Day One
Horseshoe Falls
Since I am blogging from my phone this will be short.
The train ride was long but uneventful.
We found the hotel easily and then took the hotel shuttle down to the falls area.
Awesome!
Tomorrow, we start riding the erie canal.
Then a long walk back to the hotel and now to sleep.
Tomorrow, we start riding the canal.
Location : Port Huron, MI,
On our way!
On the Amtrak Maple Leaf heading to Niagara Falls, (Ontario). The plan? Ride our bikes along the Erie Canal to Albany.
Location : Hudson River Greenway, New York, NY 10027,
Tuesday, August 03, 2010
Ten on Tuesday
I do not usually do this but today's Ten on Tuesday fits perfectly!
Ten Things to Bring on Vacation:
1. Bike Shorts -- standard black with good padding. (Pearl Izumi for the gals and Mike, Performance for Little Squid.)
2. Bike Jerseys -- Velowear in yellow and red with our Squid on Wheels logo ironed on. (Velowear is not our favorite but is the only brand easily and inexpensively obtainable in four different sizes at once.)
3. Knitting -- socks for this trip -- enough yarn for 3 pair. Yes, I am overly fearful of having too much knitting time.
4. Geocaching swag (mini socks for us)
5. Maps, guide books and more maps
6. Nuun! (and the water bottles to go with it)
7. Ebooks! Lots of books in a very compact package. No fear of running out of reading material on this trip.
8. Easily schelped games for summer evenings -- Quiddler and Set.
9. Folding Bicycles. Can't have a bike trip without the bikes.
10. The rest of the family. 'Cause it just wouldn't be as much fun without them!
Ten Things to Bring on Vacation:
1. Bike Shorts -- standard black with good padding. (Pearl Izumi for the gals and Mike, Performance for Little Squid.)
2. Bike Jerseys -- Velowear in yellow and red with our Squid on Wheels logo ironed on. (Velowear is not our favorite but is the only brand easily and inexpensively obtainable in four different sizes at once.)
3. Knitting -- socks for this trip -- enough yarn for 3 pair. Yes, I am overly fearful of having too much knitting time.
4. Geocaching swag (mini socks for us)
5. Maps, guide books and more maps
6. Nuun! (and the water bottles to go with it)
7. Ebooks! Lots of books in a very compact package. No fear of running out of reading material on this trip.
8. Easily schelped games for summer evenings -- Quiddler and Set.
9. Folding Bicycles. Can't have a bike trip without the bikes.
10. The rest of the family. 'Cause it just wouldn't be as much fun without them!
Monday, August 02, 2010
No Cycling Miles but some Knitting
No miles today but lots of packing and a little knitting.
Several weeks ago I started a Pi Shawl using some pretty purple-grey handspun. My goal was to just knit and knit until the yarn ran out. When I started what I thought would be the last round before the edging, I started racing the yarn. You know (at least the knitters do), knitting faster and faster in hopes of getting to the end of the row before running out of yarn.
I was doing this while sitting on a bed in a hotel in Pittsburgh. On the other bed was my sister, frantically crocheting as if her life depended on it, trying to finish a baby blanket before our nephew's bris the next day.
When I got to the end of the row, I had about 18 inches worth of yarn left. Phew!
My sister finished her crocheting about the same time and, it an act of true sisterhood, I helped her hide the ends.
The next morning I started the edging. And the same scenario (the yarn race) played itself out yesterday as I did the laundry. This time I lost with several inches of edging still to be knit.
Did I lose it? Did I throw a tantrum? No, I calmly (really) took a smaller needle and started reknitting the edging from the dangling end. I'm really hoping that this works!
If you came here today looking for miles, come back on Thursday.
Several weeks ago I started a Pi Shawl using some pretty purple-grey handspun. My goal was to just knit and knit until the yarn ran out. When I started what I thought would be the last round before the edging, I started racing the yarn. You know (at least the knitters do), knitting faster and faster in hopes of getting to the end of the row before running out of yarn.
I was doing this while sitting on a bed in a hotel in Pittsburgh. On the other bed was my sister, frantically crocheting as if her life depended on it, trying to finish a baby blanket before our nephew's bris the next day.
When I got to the end of the row, I had about 18 inches worth of yarn left. Phew!
My sister finished her crocheting about the same time and, it an act of true sisterhood, I helped her hide the ends.
The next morning I started the edging. And the same scenario (the yarn race) played itself out yesterday as I did the laundry. This time I lost with several inches of edging still to be knit.
Did I lose it? Did I throw a tantrum? No, I calmly (really) took a smaller needle and started reknitting the edging from the dangling end. I'm really hoping that this works!
If you came here today looking for miles, come back on Thursday.
Sunday, August 01, 2010
Saturday, July 31, 2010
Squid on Wheels: Guess our Mileage!
After taking a brief hiatus last year, the Squid on Wheels mileage contest is back!
Guess how many miles Squid on Wheels will ride for the period encompassing January 1, 2010 through October 31, 2010. Any mileage accumulated after October 31 will count in our totals but will not count for contest purposes. (We figure that the riding season (for the kids) really ends once outdoor temperatures stay below 60 degrees.)
Closest guess will get a package of goodies tailored specifically toward that person.
So far this year we have ridden 507 miles as a family. (The term family is defined as at least one adult and both kids on the counted ride -- the adults do far more mileage just commuting to work.) There are some Squidette-alone and Little Squid-alone miles that will be mashed together and added in once school begins.
Entries are due August 30 which means that you will really only have to guess our September and October mileage. Feel free to submit initial guesses and change them any time up until the deadline. I'm curious as to what people think we can do.
Starting tomorrow, I will post whenever we ride and what the mileage is so you can keep track if you so wish. We have some nice rides planned for the month of August so if you want to stay up to date, check back frequently. There will, hopefully, be lots of small posts with pictures from interesting locations sent from my phone. I will only post the mileage once a day though there may be several blog entries in a day. (Now you kind of know the reason for all the test posts over the last month.) Those of you who are Facebook friends will see different pictures and updates since posting the same picture to both is kind of silly.
Anyone wanting a slightly different take on these rides can check out Mike's blog.
Now to just decide what knitting to take on all these rides ...
Guess how many miles Squid on Wheels will ride for the period encompassing January 1, 2010 through October 31, 2010. Any mileage accumulated after October 31 will count in our totals but will not count for contest purposes. (We figure that the riding season (for the kids) really ends once outdoor temperatures stay below 60 degrees.)
Closest guess will get a package of goodies tailored specifically toward that person.
So far this year we have ridden 507 miles as a family. (The term family is defined as at least one adult and both kids on the counted ride -- the adults do far more mileage just commuting to work.) There are some Squidette-alone and Little Squid-alone miles that will be mashed together and added in once school begins.
Entries are due August 30 which means that you will really only have to guess our September and October mileage. Feel free to submit initial guesses and change them any time up until the deadline. I'm curious as to what people think we can do.
Starting tomorrow, I will post whenever we ride and what the mileage is so you can keep track if you so wish. We have some nice rides planned for the month of August so if you want to stay up to date, check back frequently. There will, hopefully, be lots of small posts with pictures from interesting locations sent from my phone. I will only post the mileage once a day though there may be several blog entries in a day. (Now you kind of know the reason for all the test posts over the last month.) Those of you who are Facebook friends will see different pictures and updates since posting the same picture to both is kind of silly.
Anyone wanting a slightly different take on these rides can check out Mike's blog.
Now to just decide what knitting to take on all these rides ...
Sunday, July 25, 2010
Saturday, July 24, 2010
Super Mommy Strikes Again
When in doubt, take a step back, give up for a little while and then try again. Me.
That's kind of been one of my mottos for a while now but tonight proved the rule.
Little Squid has been frustrated by how quickly his bike GPS eats batteries. Basically, he has to replace them (rechargeables) before every ride or risk the gadget losing power before the end of the day. He's also been a little peeved that we always go with the mileage that Squidette has on her bike computer instead of what the rest of us display on our GPSs. So, to avoid the inevitable frustration on our upcoming bike trip, we offered to get him a bike computer just like Squidette. Less technology for our techo-geek but hopefully greater accuracy. He readily agreed and we ordered post-haste.
It arrived last night but we put off the installation until this evening, guaranteeing that we'd be under pressure to have it working by tomorrow's ride.
Mike futzed with it for about half an hour, then I joined him for another half hour.
Finally, I suggested that we just pack up the blasted thing and return it and go to our local bike shop, get what they suggested and have them install it.
Then I took a break.
And then I tried again.
And got it on the first shot.
I'm feeling a little smug right now ... where's the anvil that's about to fall on my head?
That's kind of been one of my mottos for a while now but tonight proved the rule.
Little Squid has been frustrated by how quickly his bike GPS eats batteries. Basically, he has to replace them (rechargeables) before every ride or risk the gadget losing power before the end of the day. He's also been a little peeved that we always go with the mileage that Squidette has on her bike computer instead of what the rest of us display on our GPSs. So, to avoid the inevitable frustration on our upcoming bike trip, we offered to get him a bike computer just like Squidette. Less technology for our techo-geek but hopefully greater accuracy. He readily agreed and we ordered post-haste.
It arrived last night but we put off the installation until this evening, guaranteeing that we'd be under pressure to have it working by tomorrow's ride.
Mike futzed with it for about half an hour, then I joined him for another half hour.
Finally, I suggested that we just pack up the blasted thing and return it and go to our local bike shop, get what they suggested and have them install it.
Then I took a break.
And then I tried again.
And got it on the first shot.
I'm feeling a little smug right now ... where's the anvil that's about to fall on my head?
Friday, July 16, 2010
Feathers
Feathers are apparently the item of choice when out comes to wiping out an oboe.
Yesterday, my very talented son managed to get his feather stuck inside the top of his oboe. Tightly.
It took the power of a mother, who knows that her son absolutely needs his oboe for camp, to get enough of the feather out of the oboe so that the job could be finished. Imagine, if you will, Mike pulling the feather with a pair of pliers while I hung on to the oboe for dear life. We totally awed his teacher, who was convinced that we'd have to take out for repairs.
This morning I causally mentioned that little squid would need a new feather. No, I was told, his instructor gave him A new one.
This post is being written from the garden of the Manhattan School of Music where I wait for little squid to get out of camp. On my way here I saw no fewer than six feathers scattered across the bike path.
A sign?
Yet another test
Picture is my mom, my new nephew, my younger sister and my brother's cat
--
http://www.squid-knits.blogspot.com
Thursday, July 15, 2010
Mobile blogging once again
So my last attempt at mobile blogging was an epic failure. Now I'm trying it again using the real interface but on my new phone. I think it may work. That said, expect my posts to be a bit shorter and more error prone when I post things way. Proofing is not easy on the small screen. And, I'm trying to figure out how to add pictures.
Wednesday, July 14, 2010
I Stole My Own Car
The day started out like any other rainy July day. I assessed the weather and decided that making Little Squid ride his bike to camp in the rain was just cruel. And, as I was in "nice mommy" mode, I decided to drive him instead of making him take the subway.
Grabbing my keys from the hook by the door, I quickly determined that there were two sets of keys attached and, that the second set MUST be my car keys.
And so it starts ...
We get to the car and I realize that the second set of keys on my ring are the keys to our bike locks, not the car. (Just goes to show how often I've driven since school let out.)
Not really wanting to go back to the apartment, I borrowed the keys that our parking lot keeps on file, promising to return them when I returned.
An uneventful trip to camp ensues and, having dropped off Little Squid, I head over to my school's summer school site to do some work. A few blocks later, my phone rings. Good, lawabiding citizen that I am, I wait until I am stopped at a light to dig it out and answer it.
It's LoJack. Telling me that my car is being moved without my authorization.
Then I see a missed call from Mike indicating that he also got the alert.
And I just start laughing! (Then I text Mike to let him know that I am actually in the car.)
(The battery in the fob on the parking attendant's set of keys had died. We knew it was old and I was intending to replace it this week after having already replaced the batteries in our sets. I've have now replaced the battery so if LoJack calls again, we'll know the car is really being stolen. Maybe.)
Grabbing my keys from the hook by the door, I quickly determined that there were two sets of keys attached and, that the second set MUST be my car keys.
And so it starts ...
We get to the car and I realize that the second set of keys on my ring are the keys to our bike locks, not the car. (Just goes to show how often I've driven since school let out.)
Not really wanting to go back to the apartment, I borrowed the keys that our parking lot keeps on file, promising to return them when I returned.
An uneventful trip to camp ensues and, having dropped off Little Squid, I head over to my school's summer school site to do some work. A few blocks later, my phone rings. Good, lawabiding citizen that I am, I wait until I am stopped at a light to dig it out and answer it.
It's LoJack. Telling me that my car is being moved without my authorization.
Then I see a missed call from Mike indicating that he also got the alert.
And I just start laughing! (Then I text Mike to let him know that I am actually in the car.)
(The battery in the fob on the parking attendant's set of keys had died. We knew it was old and I was intending to replace it this week after having already replaced the batteries in our sets. I've have now replaced the battery so if LoJack calls again, we'll know the car is really being stolen. Maybe.)
Sunday, July 11, 2010
Friday, July 09, 2010
Friday, July 02, 2010
Unwinding ... yeah, right!
I have a small problem. I can't wind down.
The last few weeks of work each spring are like a whirlwind. I get to work really early and leave no earlier than usual -- often working 10-12 hour days.
By the time I get to July 1, the official start of my summer vacation, I am so used to running on the proverbial treadmill that I can't get off.
That tends to translate into frantic cleaning of the apartment. And by cleaning, I mean scrubbing, not just straightening.
Today, for example, I got up, read my email, played some Farmville and then bleached and scrubbed all the painted surfaces in the bathroom.
Then, after waiting for the bleach smell to wear off, scraped and spackled. Took a walk with the family and picked up some supplies for my new watering system for the terrace.
Now I'm waiting for the primer to dry so I can paint it ...
I should be weaving but the loom is kind of blocked in with all the stuff that came out of the bathroom ...
I could sit and read a book ...
but I can't sit still for more than a few minutes at a time ... I think I'll set up the watering system.
(oh, and I might have done some work type work while waiting for the primer to dry ...)
The last few weeks of work each spring are like a whirlwind. I get to work really early and leave no earlier than usual -- often working 10-12 hour days.
By the time I get to July 1, the official start of my summer vacation, I am so used to running on the proverbial treadmill that I can't get off.
That tends to translate into frantic cleaning of the apartment. And by cleaning, I mean scrubbing, not just straightening.
Today, for example, I got up, read my email, played some Farmville and then bleached and scrubbed all the painted surfaces in the bathroom.
Then, after waiting for the bleach smell to wear off, scraped and spackled. Took a walk with the family and picked up some supplies for my new watering system for the terrace.
Now I'm waiting for the primer to dry so I can paint it ...
I should be weaving but the loom is kind of blocked in with all the stuff that came out of the bathroom ...
I could sit and read a book ...
but I can't sit still for more than a few minutes at a time ... I think I'll set up the watering system.
(oh, and I might have done some work type work while waiting for the primer to dry ...)
Sunday, June 20, 2010
Daughter Mine
It's been a big year for Squidette. She will complete her first year of high school in just a few days (poor kid has a final today). All indications are that it was a good one. She came out of it as she went in, a sweet, caring young lady, one who can always find the joy in life.
I could list all that she has done, but that would be bragging and I try to model how I wish my children to be -- modest about their accomplishments without downplaying them too much. Basically, shes done good. (Bad grammar intentional.)
She's a Hebrew School dropout who spent what should have been 3 Sundays a month of service with her peers, serving in her own way, in a long-term project that was more meaningful then the random ones chosen for the group.
She's a High School celebrity, handling the constant inquiries of "are you Mr. Z's daughter?" with grace and charm. Just wait until next year when many of her counterparts actually have Mike as a teacher!
She's a loving and devoted daughter, always willing to lend a hand.
She's a caring sister, willing to put up with the occasional absurdities of Little Squid.
She's a devoted friend -- who will allow her self-made study guides to be wrenched from her hands just before today's final.
She's my daughter and I am very proud to be her mother.
I could list all that she has done, but that would be bragging and I try to model how I wish my children to be -- modest about their accomplishments without downplaying them too much. Basically, shes done good. (Bad grammar intentional.)
She's a Hebrew School dropout who spent what should have been 3 Sundays a month of service with her peers, serving in her own way, in a long-term project that was more meaningful then the random ones chosen for the group.
She's a High School celebrity, handling the constant inquiries of "are you Mr. Z's daughter?" with grace and charm. Just wait until next year when many of her counterparts actually have Mike as a teacher!
She's a loving and devoted daughter, always willing to lend a hand.
She's a caring sister, willing to put up with the occasional absurdities of Little Squid.
She's a devoted friend -- who will allow her self-made study guides to be wrenched from her hands just before today's final.
She's my daughter and I am very proud to be her mother.
Happy Birthday, Squidette!!!
Child Mine
(From left to right: Lil' Sis, Older-younger Bro, Younger-younger Bro, Mom, Daddy, Big Sis and me)Somewhere over the course of those 4 hours my dad called Squidette "Puss." Now Puss is an endearment that my father has used on both of my sisters and myself over the years and I found it charming that he now uses it on his granddaughter.
Just a short while ago I found myself using another fatherly endearment on the same child. "Child mine," I said, "put this away (handing her some laundry)."
Which started me thinking ... the expression "child mine" is one I have heard probably thousands of times over the years as my father used in on anyone of his five children. It seems only fitting that I make a public acknowledgment of the origin of this phrase on Father's Day.
Somethings just get better as they get passed though the generations.
So from my family to yours, and to my Daddy ... Happy Father's Day.
And as for that child of mine ... she turns 15 in just a few hours. Watch out world!
Saturday, June 19, 2010
Squid on Wheels: Circling Manhattan ... Counter clockwise
In the past, when we have chosen to circumnavigate Manhattan, we've done so in a clockwise direction, starting on the west side and riding north.
Today, however, three out of four squid refused to ride clockwise, citing the hill at the G.W. Bridge (aka the Little Red Lighthouse hill) as the main point of contention. Let me just state now, and for the record, that there are other hills, almost as bad, elsewhere on the ride and you find them regardless of the direction of the ride. What goes up must come down and visa versa ...
Oh, and we also decided to leave lower Manhattan, with its throngs of tourists, out of the ride, a move that cut about 8 miles and well over an hour, off the total.
First stop, the U.N. where we got a good view of the statute of St. George slaying the missile-dragon and where a kind passerby agreed to take a family photo. (First, however, a not-so-kind passerby refused to take our photo. Well, this is New York.)
Four Squid, Four Bike Fridays
Next stop, Hells Gate. The Hells Gate bridge is the arch-shaped one in the background. The really long one is the Tri-boro. (Or the RFK Bridge if you have a newer map or GPS ... but it will always be the Tri-boro to us real New Yorkers.)
Then a nice view of the Highbridge water tower ...
and on into Inwood Park.
Following Inwood Park, we headed back south, stopping to pick up a new rearview mirror for my glasses and continuing down to Fairway where we saw these people.
And then saw them in the river.
They were headed on a 2-3 mile swim uptown. The finish line (cove) was just south of the Little Red lighthouse.
After they headed uptown, we headed downtown to cool drinks and showers.
Today, however, three out of four squid refused to ride clockwise, citing the hill at the G.W. Bridge (aka the Little Red Lighthouse hill) as the main point of contention. Let me just state now, and for the record, that there are other hills, almost as bad, elsewhere on the ride and you find them regardless of the direction of the ride. What goes up must come down and visa versa ...
Oh, and we also decided to leave lower Manhattan, with its throngs of tourists, out of the ride, a move that cut about 8 miles and well over an hour, off the total.
First stop, the U.N. where we got a good view of the statute of St. George slaying the missile-dragon and where a kind passerby agreed to take a family photo. (First, however, a not-so-kind passerby refused to take our photo. Well, this is New York.)
Four Squid, Four Bike Fridays
Next stop, Hells Gate. The Hells Gate bridge is the arch-shaped one in the background. The really long one is the Tri-boro. (Or the RFK Bridge if you have a newer map or GPS ... but it will always be the Tri-boro to us real New Yorkers.)
Then a nice view of the Highbridge water tower ...
and on into Inwood Park.Following Inwood Park, we headed back south, stopping to pick up a new rearview mirror for my glasses and continuing down to Fairway where we saw these people.
And then saw them in the river. 
They were headed on a 2-3 mile swim uptown. The finish line (cove) was just south of the Little Red lighthouse.
After they headed uptown, we headed downtown to cool drinks and showers.
Monday, May 31, 2010
Row, Row, Row Your Boat
gently across the Hudson River!
Early this morning, Mike and Squidette rode to the Village Community boathouse on Pier 40 to take a day long coxswain certification course. They have both been involved with the Stuyvesant H.S. rowing club -- Mike as a faculty adviser and Squidette as a novice club member. Today was the day that they got certified to Cox a boat on their own. That means that both of them can essential captain one of these craft.
These craft are 25" Whitehall Skiffs which are crewed by 4 rowers and a coxswain. They are, according to Mike, capable of going about 3 knots. No, I really do not understand what I just typed but know it has something to do with speed.
Not-So-Little (aka Preteen) Squid and I went out on a public row while Mike and Squidette split their time between the water and the classroom as they earned their certifications.
It was a lot of fun and I learned the following:
We all had fun and are all now pretty tired. I fully expect Preteen Squid to fall asleep as soon as his head hits the pillow despite his being rather perky right now.
This may turn into a weekly activity once school ends.
Early this morning, Mike and Squidette rode to the Village Community boathouse on Pier 40 to take a day long coxswain certification course. They have both been involved with the Stuyvesant H.S. rowing club -- Mike as a faculty adviser and Squidette as a novice club member. Today was the day that they got certified to Cox a boat on their own. That means that both of them can essential captain one of these craft.These craft are 25" Whitehall Skiffs which are crewed by 4 rowers and a coxswain. They are, according to Mike, capable of going about 3 knots. No, I really do not understand what I just typed but know it has something to do with speed.
Not-So-Little (aka Preteen) Squid and I went out on a public row while Mike and Squidette split their time between the water and the classroom as they earned their certifications.
It was a lot of fun and I learned the following:
- Even the best sunblock, properly applied, cannot combat 3 hours on the water at midday.
- I have no padding on my sitbones.
- My biking callouses are mostly sufficient for rowing -- I only have one blister on my right hand and none on my left.
- The Hudson River really is salty!
We all had fun and are all now pretty tired. I fully expect Preteen Squid to fall asleep as soon as his head hits the pillow despite his being rather perky right now.
This may turn into a weekly activity once school ends.
Monday, May 17, 2010
Crafting Update
Yes, there has been knitting, sewing, spinning and weaving going on -- just not much photo uploading!
So, for your crafting fix ...
Baby Blanket with Lamby thrown in for size contrast. Handwoven center. If you look close you can see where I stopped for a week and then forgot which way I was treadling. It's actually more obvious in the photo then it is in real life.
Back side of the blanket.
And an oldie but a goodie ...
The first shawl I ever knit. I used a blue coned cotton that my mother-in-law was given by a friend. It was knit about 10-12 years ago using Elizabeth Zimmerman's Pi Shawl pattern and has been well worn. I broke it out to wear to synagogue this weekend and received several compliments on it Those prompted me to wash it and think about repairing a few of the snags that it has accumulated over the years. It is not my best work but I love it!
So, for your crafting fix ...
Baby Blanket with Lamby thrown in for size contrast. Handwoven center. If you look close you can see where I stopped for a week and then forgot which way I was treadling. It's actually more obvious in the photo then it is in real life.
Back side of the blanket.And an oldie but a goodie ...
The first shawl I ever knit. I used a blue coned cotton that my mother-in-law was given by a friend. It was knit about 10-12 years ago using Elizabeth Zimmerman's Pi Shawl pattern and has been well worn. I broke it out to wear to synagogue this weekend and received several compliments on it Those prompted me to wash it and think about repairing a few of the snags that it has accumulated over the years. It is not my best work but I love it!
Sunday, May 16, 2010
Performance Season
May is student performance month.
For us, it started off with the New York City All City High School Concert (Squidette on clarinet), moved on to the Wagner Middle School production of Annie (Little Squid in an assortment of minor roles) and continued last night with the Manhattan Borough-Wide Salute to Music concert (Little Squid on oboe).
Still to come ... the Stuyvesant High School spring concert (Squidette with a potential Alto solo) and the Wagner Middle School Spring Concert (Little Squid on oboe for both 7th grade bands).
And, inserted with in there may be Little Squid giving a go at a Klezmer jam (on oboe).
Add to that our obligations within our own school communities (awards ceremony for Mike, 2 graduations and a prom for me), we are putting on our roller skates to get to the end of the school year.
But let me pause for a minute to reflect on last night.
The few glimpses I had of Little Squid (tough to see the oboe player as the conductor stands right in front of him) were of a kid who was thoroughly enjoying himself. I smiled so wide that I practically split my lip. I clapped so hard that my hands hurt. And they were good! Not just middle school good, but GOOD! No, they will not be a threat to the New York (or Boston) Pops, but they were good just the same,
I'd like say that these are the best kids in the borough, but frankly, unlike the All City programs, no one gets rejected from the Manhattan program. I can't speak for the other boroughs.
What you do have, however, is the most dedicated public school students. The ones who want to play. Who are willing to get up early on a Saturday morning and play for three hours. The ones who are willing to schlep to East Harlem, or who are schleped by patient and loving parents, when the subways are at their worst -- and the school is a good half mile or more from the nearest station.
I had the pleasure of listening to many of their rehearsals in bits and pieces. (They practice in my school so I often worked in my office while the kids played in the cafeteria.) On the rare occasions when I wandered down during their break, I'd hear kids just tooling around on their instruments in between bites of granola bars and drinks of water. Sometimes they'd be playing the ensemble music, sometimes they'd just be playing with music. It was such a delight to witness!
As school budgets get tighter and tighter, music gets squeezed out. Instruments are expensive to obtain and to maintain. Evening performances, while a source of revenue to schools for their programs, cannot pay for teacher salaries and the overtime required for the concerts.
The Manhattan Borough-Wide program ran all this year with just two instructors. They are supposed to have three but the missing teacher was never replaced. There were a few days this year when the program ran with only one instructor. I offered my services but, with no musical training or talent, I was useless. They didn't need a crowd control person -- the kids controlled themselves.
The Borough-wide program has been running for 52 years. 52 years.
Mike and his siblings played in the program. He and I are racking our brains trying to think of professional musicians who came out of the program but, aside from the concert master during Mike's second year, we are clueless.
What it comes down to is that while I do not think the program is in danger of being cut just yet, there are fewer and fewer kids in the Manhattan program each year. Why? Because fewer and fewer elementary and middle schools can afford to teach instrumental music. As far as I can tell, only two middle schools in Manhattan have serious instrumental (band) programs, Wagner and Manhattan East.
Instruments cost money. Lots of money. My kids' elementary school required the parents to rent / lease / buy the instruments and only provided school instruments for kids who qualified for free lunch. Their middle school provides instruments but they are hard used and, by the end of each year, sounding it.
When a school has to decide between books and instruments, books are winning out. Schools shouldn't have to decide. They should be able to provide books AND instruments.
Kids who are exposed to music are just so much more well rounded. Their brains are challenged to work in different ways. Neuropathways are formed and nerve connections made that just would not happen otherwise. They experience the frustration of trying to get a nice sound, and the joy that comes with finally doing it. They learn to play with music, to learn rules ... and break them with impunity. They are given yet one more thing to care about and to appreciate.
So ... if you have a few bucks to spare, donate it to your local elementary, middle or high school music program. Or, if you don't have one, contact me (email button on the right) and I'll provide you with an address or two -- the Salute to Music Program and Little Squid's middle school. I promise you, they will do the right thing with the money.
For us, it started off with the New York City All City High School Concert (Squidette on clarinet), moved on to the Wagner Middle School production of Annie (Little Squid in an assortment of minor roles) and continued last night with the Manhattan Borough-Wide Salute to Music concert (Little Squid on oboe).
Still to come ... the Stuyvesant High School spring concert (Squidette with a potential Alto solo) and the Wagner Middle School Spring Concert (Little Squid on oboe for both 7th grade bands).
And, inserted with in there may be Little Squid giving a go at a Klezmer jam (on oboe).
Add to that our obligations within our own school communities (awards ceremony for Mike, 2 graduations and a prom for me), we are putting on our roller skates to get to the end of the school year.
But let me pause for a minute to reflect on last night.
***
Roughly 50 students, primarily from two Manhattan middle schools, came together to put on an awesome performance. They played classical, jazz, marches and Broadway tunes. They made a delightful sound and smiled through every note of it. The few glimpses I had of Little Squid (tough to see the oboe player as the conductor stands right in front of him) were of a kid who was thoroughly enjoying himself. I smiled so wide that I practically split my lip. I clapped so hard that my hands hurt. And they were good! Not just middle school good, but GOOD! No, they will not be a threat to the New York (or Boston) Pops, but they were good just the same,
I'd like say that these are the best kids in the borough, but frankly, unlike the All City programs, no one gets rejected from the Manhattan program. I can't speak for the other boroughs.
What you do have, however, is the most dedicated public school students. The ones who want to play. Who are willing to get up early on a Saturday morning and play for three hours. The ones who are willing to schlep to East Harlem, or who are schleped by patient and loving parents, when the subways are at their worst -- and the school is a good half mile or more from the nearest station.
I had the pleasure of listening to many of their rehearsals in bits and pieces. (They practice in my school so I often worked in my office while the kids played in the cafeteria.) On the rare occasions when I wandered down during their break, I'd hear kids just tooling around on their instruments in between bites of granola bars and drinks of water. Sometimes they'd be playing the ensemble music, sometimes they'd just be playing with music. It was such a delight to witness!
***
As school budgets get tighter and tighter, music gets squeezed out. Instruments are expensive to obtain and to maintain. Evening performances, while a source of revenue to schools for their programs, cannot pay for teacher salaries and the overtime required for the concerts.
The Manhattan Borough-Wide program ran all this year with just two instructors. They are supposed to have three but the missing teacher was never replaced. There were a few days this year when the program ran with only one instructor. I offered my services but, with no musical training or talent, I was useless. They didn't need a crowd control person -- the kids controlled themselves.
***
I wish there was a way to really express all that I saw each week but it boils down to kids doing something they love while being taught by people who love what they teach. The Borough-wide program has been running for 52 years. 52 years.
Mike and his siblings played in the program. He and I are racking our brains trying to think of professional musicians who came out of the program but, aside from the concert master during Mike's second year, we are clueless.
What it comes down to is that while I do not think the program is in danger of being cut just yet, there are fewer and fewer kids in the Manhattan program each year. Why? Because fewer and fewer elementary and middle schools can afford to teach instrumental music. As far as I can tell, only two middle schools in Manhattan have serious instrumental (band) programs, Wagner and Manhattan East.
Instruments cost money. Lots of money. My kids' elementary school required the parents to rent / lease / buy the instruments and only provided school instruments for kids who qualified for free lunch. Their middle school provides instruments but they are hard used and, by the end of each year, sounding it.
When a school has to decide between books and instruments, books are winning out. Schools shouldn't have to decide. They should be able to provide books AND instruments.
Kids who are exposed to music are just so much more well rounded. Their brains are challenged to work in different ways. Neuropathways are formed and nerve connections made that just would not happen otherwise. They experience the frustration of trying to get a nice sound, and the joy that comes with finally doing it. They learn to play with music, to learn rules ... and break them with impunity. They are given yet one more thing to care about and to appreciate.
So ... if you have a few bucks to spare, donate it to your local elementary, middle or high school music program. Or, if you don't have one, contact me (email button on the right) and I'll provide you with an address or two -- the Salute to Music Program and Little Squid's middle school. I promise you, they will do the right thing with the money.
Thursday, April 29, 2010
And so it begins ...
I rushed home yesterday to make it back in time for the start of Little Squid's oboe lesson. With the later start time required due to his participation in the school play, I managed to walk into an absolutely empty and clean (thanks Maria!) apartment. It was so quiet that I tiptoed around for a few minutes, not wanting to disturb the peace. I had a glorious 15 minutes before Little Squid arrived, followed closely by his oboe teacher ...
About an hour later I was beginning to wonder where my other child was. I knew where Mike was, and that he might not be back for hours -- but I thought my older child was at chorus rehearsal. A few minutes later, she called. She was rowing. Which was where Mike was. So, since she was with her father, she figured she didn't have to call. Neither thought that I would be worrying ...
And so it goes.
Below, a repost of my last post. Only 2 more days to vote for worthy causes and this one is currently on the edge of getting the funding. As of this posting, it is at #9 which could go up or down, very easily. Help it go down enough so that it is guaranteed the funding. Thanks!
The following post is a shameless appeal for help. It may take the form of guilting but, if you persist and decide to help, note that the help will cost you less than one minute per day for the next 19 days. Seriously!
The Boys and Girls Clubs across the country provide a safe place for kids to hang out after school. They provide all sorts of interesting programs and many Clubs also provide meals.
The Boys and Girls Club of Schenectady is trying to build a new playground. They have applied for a grant from Pepsi. The catch is, this is a popularity contest. The ideas that land in the top 10 at the end of the month will win the funding.
Right now the Craig Street Clubhouse of Schenectady is in the top 15 or so. Your vote, each and every day, can help propel them into the top ten. I've been promoting this idea on Facebook for the last 10 days and have watched this project climb from 44 to it's current place. Yes, I am affiliated, kind of, with the Club -- my brother works there.
I work with the kind of kid that this club serves. The tales my brother tells mesh so very closely with the tales of my own students in East Harlem. Kids who go home to an empty apartment because their parent is working. Kids who feel unloved. Kids who have nowhere else to turn. All these kids want is a safe place staffed by people they feel they can trust. In some places schools serve that need -- the stairs outside my office a often crowded late into the evening with kids who have no place else to go to safely socialize. The Boys and Girls Clubs provide a safe, supportive environment.
Please take a minute out of your day, today, tomorrow and for the rest of April, to vote for the idea linked here. And peruse the offerings in the other funding categories. The Boys and Girls Club of Monroe, Iowa is looking to build a community center. And there are so many other worthwhile projects in other funding categories. But vote for Craig Street first!
About an hour later I was beginning to wonder where my other child was. I knew where Mike was, and that he might not be back for hours -- but I thought my older child was at chorus rehearsal. A few minutes later, she called. She was rowing. Which was where Mike was. So, since she was with her father, she figured she didn't have to call. Neither thought that I would be worrying ...
And so it goes.
Below, a repost of my last post. Only 2 more days to vote for worthy causes and this one is currently on the edge of getting the funding. As of this posting, it is at #9 which could go up or down, very easily. Help it go down enough so that it is guaranteed the funding. Thanks!
***
The following post is a shameless appeal for help. It may take the form of guilting but, if you persist and decide to help, note that the help will cost you less than one minute per day for the next 19 days. Seriously!
The Boys and Girls Clubs across the country provide a safe place for kids to hang out after school. They provide all sorts of interesting programs and many Clubs also provide meals.
The Boys and Girls Club of Schenectady is trying to build a new playground. They have applied for a grant from Pepsi. The catch is, this is a popularity contest. The ideas that land in the top 10 at the end of the month will win the funding.
Right now the Craig Street Clubhouse of Schenectady is in the top 15 or so. Your vote, each and every day, can help propel them into the top ten. I've been promoting this idea on Facebook for the last 10 days and have watched this project climb from 44 to it's current place. Yes, I am affiliated, kind of, with the Club -- my brother works there.
I work with the kind of kid that this club serves. The tales my brother tells mesh so very closely with the tales of my own students in East Harlem. Kids who go home to an empty apartment because their parent is working. Kids who feel unloved. Kids who have nowhere else to turn. All these kids want is a safe place staffed by people they feel they can trust. In some places schools serve that need -- the stairs outside my office a often crowded late into the evening with kids who have no place else to go to safely socialize. The Boys and Girls Clubs provide a safe, supportive environment.
Please take a minute out of your day, today, tomorrow and for the rest of April, to vote for the idea linked here. And peruse the offerings in the other funding categories. The Boys and Girls Club of Monroe, Iowa is looking to build a community center. And there are so many other worthwhile projects in other funding categories. But vote for Craig Street first!
Sunday, April 11, 2010
Good Things for Kids!
The following post is a shameless appeal for help. It may take the form of guilting but, if you persist and decide to help, note that the help will cost you less than one minute per day for the next 19 days. Seriously!
The Boys and Girls Clubs across the country provide a safe place for kids to hang out after school. They provide all sorts of interesting programs and many Clubs also provide meals.
The Boys and Girls Club of Schenectady is trying to build a new playground. They have applied for a grant from Pepsi. The catch is, this is a popularity contest. The ideas that land in the top 10 at the end of the month will win the funding.
Right now the Craig Street Clubhouse of Schenectady is in the top 15 or so. Your vote, each and every day, can help propel them into the top ten. I've been promoting this idea on Facebook for the last 10 days and have watched this project climb from 44 to it's current place. Yes, I am affiliated, kind of, with the Club -- my brother works there.
I work with the kind of kid that this club serves. The tales my brother tells mesh so very closely with the tales of my own students in East Harlem. Kids who go home to an empty apartment because their parent is working. Kids who feel unloved. Kids who have nowhere else to turn. All these kids want is a safe place staffed by people they feel they can trust. In some places schools serve that need -- the stairs outside my office a often crowded late into the evening with kids who have no place else to go to safely socialize. The Boys and Girls Clubs provide a safe, supportive environment.
Please take a minute out of your day, today, tomorrow and for the rest of April, to vote for the idea linked here. And peruse the offerings in the other funding categories. The Boys and Girls Club of Monroe, Iowa is looking to build a community center. And there are so many other worthwhile projects in other funding categories. But vote for Craig Street first!
The Boys and Girls Clubs across the country provide a safe place for kids to hang out after school. They provide all sorts of interesting programs and many Clubs also provide meals.
The Boys and Girls Club of Schenectady is trying to build a new playground. They have applied for a grant from Pepsi. The catch is, this is a popularity contest. The ideas that land in the top 10 at the end of the month will win the funding.
Right now the Craig Street Clubhouse of Schenectady is in the top 15 or so. Your vote, each and every day, can help propel them into the top ten. I've been promoting this idea on Facebook for the last 10 days and have watched this project climb from 44 to it's current place. Yes, I am affiliated, kind of, with the Club -- my brother works there.
I work with the kind of kid that this club serves. The tales my brother tells mesh so very closely with the tales of my own students in East Harlem. Kids who go home to an empty apartment because their parent is working. Kids who feel unloved. Kids who have nowhere else to turn. All these kids want is a safe place staffed by people they feel they can trust. In some places schools serve that need -- the stairs outside my office a often crowded late into the evening with kids who have no place else to go to safely socialize. The Boys and Girls Clubs provide a safe, supportive environment.
Please take a minute out of your day, today, tomorrow and for the rest of April, to vote for the idea linked here. And peruse the offerings in the other funding categories. The Boys and Girls Club of Monroe, Iowa is looking to build a community center. And there are so many other worthwhile projects in other funding categories. But vote for Craig Street first!
Saturday, April 03, 2010
Squid on Wheels: Jamaica Bay
The weather report was for a lovely, clear day with highs in the 70s. So we set out to circumnavigate Jamaica Bay. The first indication that we'd made a bad choice was when we could not see most of the Verazzano Bridge as we approached it ...
It started out chilly and got progressively chillier and damper with absolutely no views of the bay due to ground level fog.
We kept saying ... "it will be better on the next turn." But it wasn't. With each turn it got colder, windier and damper ...
On the other hand, we got to stand on the Gil Hodges Memorial Bridge for 15 minutes listening to fog horns and waiting to see the boat emerge from the fog -- which it did, mere moments before reaching the now elevated bridge opening. And then we got to witness and feel the elevated section of bridge (think like an elevator, not draw bridge) come down. Very cool! Made the ride totally worth it!
It started out chilly and got progressively chillier and damper with absolutely no views of the bay due to ground level fog.
We kept saying ... "it will be better on the next turn." But it wasn't. With each turn it got colder, windier and damper ...
On the other hand, we got to stand on the Gil Hodges Memorial Bridge for 15 minutes listening to fog horns and waiting to see the boat emerge from the fog -- which it did, mere moments before reaching the now elevated bridge opening. And then we got to witness and feel the elevated section of bridge (think like an elevator, not draw bridge) come down. Very cool! Made the ride totally worth it!
Sunday, March 21, 2010
Back on the Road
After yesterday's glorious weather we woke up raring to go on a family breakfast ride.
O.k., not all of us woke raring to go. A certain teen actually had to be woken up ...
The first part of our ride was fairly quick and uneventful, ending at the Brooklyn Fairway where we chowed down on apple fritters, muffins, hot chocolate, coffee and tea on the patio. We were a bit chilly because we had all managed to underdress just a wee bit.
Properly fed, we then pedaled the short distance to Ikea -- to discover that they did not open for another 45 minutes. That led us to look for and find 2 geocaches. Yea!
Returning to Ikea, Mike went in and restocked our supply of lingonberry juice concentrate. And chocolate.
Now that we had secured life's necessities, Mike was eager to play with the geocaching mode on his new phone and was quite amiable to more caching. All told, we attempted 7 caches and found 4 today, bringing our total to 150. Not-So-Little Squid and I have declared a goal of at least 200 caches by the end of the summer. This means that we may actually have to cache outside of Manhattan and Brooklyn.
While approaching the site of our third cache of the day, we skidded to a halt when we spotted this:
These folks are building bamboo frame bikes. Cool!
Over all, a good day. 23 miles over 4 hours with lots of stops for caching.
O.k., not all of us woke raring to go. A certain teen actually had to be woken up ...
The first part of our ride was fairly quick and uneventful, ending at the Brooklyn Fairway where we chowed down on apple fritters, muffins, hot chocolate, coffee and tea on the patio. We were a bit chilly because we had all managed to underdress just a wee bit.
Properly fed, we then pedaled the short distance to Ikea -- to discover that they did not open for another 45 minutes. That led us to look for and find 2 geocaches. Yea!Returning to Ikea, Mike went in and restocked our supply of lingonberry juice concentrate. And chocolate.
Now that we had secured life's necessities, Mike was eager to play with the geocaching mode on his new phone and was quite amiable to more caching. All told, we attempted 7 caches and found 4 today, bringing our total to 150. Not-So-Little Squid and I have declared a goal of at least 200 caches by the end of the summer. This means that we may actually have to cache outside of Manhattan and Brooklyn.
While approaching the site of our third cache of the day, we skidded to a halt when we spotted this:
These folks are building bamboo frame bikes. Cool!
Over all, a good day. 23 miles over 4 hours with lots of stops for caching.
Saturday, March 13, 2010
More Dish Towels
I've been admiring Dave's weaving and absolutely had to try one particular pattern. So, I threaded the loom in a straight twill, alternating white and blue cotton.
Unfortunately, to get the pattern to come out the way that I wanted, I had to beat very firmly, resulting in a rather stiff fabric. (look at the bottom 20 inches)
Then I started playing with different tie ups. The last one (on the left and at the top) is my favorite. It has a nice drape and looks really cool.
I also really like the second from the left but I ran out of white 14 inches in so it will be more of a dish cloth then a dish towel.
Next up, baby blankets!
Unfortunately, to get the pattern to come out the way that I wanted, I had to beat very firmly, resulting in a rather stiff fabric. (look at the bottom 20 inches)
Then I started playing with different tie ups. The last one (on the left and at the top) is my favorite. It has a nice drape and looks really cool.
I also really like the second from the left but I ran out of white 14 inches in so it will be more of a dish cloth then a dish towel.Next up, baby blankets!
Sunday, March 07, 2010
Squid On Wheels: First Ride of 2010
Notice, if you will, that we are all now riding Bike Friday folding bicycles. Little Squid was upgraded and brought into the fold yesterday, so today we had to do a quick shakedown ride.Go Squid!
Sunday, February 28, 2010
What do Squidlings do on a Snow Day?
They build snowpeople! Which, unfortunately, were knocked down just a few hours later by some anonymous jerks.
Friday, February 26, 2010
Snow Day Redux
Yup, for the second time in a month, we have a snow day. We'll ignore the fact that the last snow day was off by a day (we should have been off the day after and not the day of).
Plans for the day? Maybe to weave off this warp that has proved to be a challenge.
There have been broken warp thread galore, threading issues and the challenge of weaving off a 39 shot repeat. The challenge there is that I keep getting interrupted and lose my place in the pattern. Despite all these issues, however, I love how it is coming out.
The yarn is some that has been marinating in the stash for 10 years or so. The weft is a slubby, loosely spun yarn, the warp, a nice wool two-ply that keeps breaking.
Next up on the loom, some more blue and white cotton for, I think, baby blankets. I have some cotton of unknown provenance that has been marinating in the stash for even longer than the wool above. My only questions are: is it thick enough for baby blankets and ... what pattern?
Plans for the day? Maybe to weave off this warp that has proved to be a challenge.
There have been broken warp thread galore, threading issues and the challenge of weaving off a 39 shot repeat. The challenge there is that I keep getting interrupted and lose my place in the pattern. Despite all these issues, however, I love how it is coming out.
The yarn is some that has been marinating in the stash for 10 years or so. The weft is a slubby, loosely spun yarn, the warp, a nice wool two-ply that keeps breaking.
Next up on the loom, some more blue and white cotton for, I think, baby blankets. I have some cotton of unknown provenance that has been marinating in the stash for even longer than the wool above. My only questions are: is it thick enough for baby blankets and ... what pattern?
Saturday, February 20, 2010
Just Strolling Along ...
Schacht did not ship my stroller at the same time as the loom. Why? I have no idea but the good folks at The Woolery were on top of it even before I emailed them and the stroller arrived last night.
This morning, with no warp on the loom to worry about, I tackled the stroller installation.
Forewarned by Dave, I paid close attention to the pictures and gave up early on interpreting their badly written instructions. (I also kept Dave's post on the subject open on my laptop near at hand.)
After a minor misstep or two, I was finally on the right track. With the assistance of my fabulous husband, I managed to get everything together in about half an hour.
See?
Just a note to the folks at Schacht ... wouldn't it make more sense if there were a notch at the bottom of each brace instead of a slot? This is something that we may attempt to "remedy" with the dremel tool. Just not now.
And this? Look closely at the "middle" bolt. It snapped off as Mike was putting the nut on. I'll hit home depot tomorrow and replace it. Can't blame the manufacturer for this one and not worth contacting them for something I can get easily right here.
And there you have it, a loom on wheels. Something to make my downstairs neighbor a little happier as I fold and unfold the loom. It also now makes it possible to easily bring the loom into the living room should I so desire. But not out on to the terrace. Navigating the narrow door is still a bit more effort then I think I want to tackle right now even though I LOVE weaving outside.
Back to threading my third warp!
This morning, with no warp on the loom to worry about, I tackled the stroller installation.
Forewarned by Dave, I paid close attention to the pictures and gave up early on interpreting their badly written instructions. (I also kept Dave's post on the subject open on my laptop near at hand.)
After a minor misstep or two, I was finally on the right track. With the assistance of my fabulous husband, I managed to get everything together in about half an hour.
See?
Just a note to the folks at Schacht ... wouldn't it make more sense if there were a notch at the bottom of each brace instead of a slot? This is something that we may attempt to "remedy" with the dremel tool. Just not now.
And this? Look closely at the "middle" bolt. It snapped off as Mike was putting the nut on. I'll hit home depot tomorrow and replace it. Can't blame the manufacturer for this one and not worth contacting them for something I can get easily right here.
And there you have it, a loom on wheels. Something to make my downstairs neighbor a little happier as I fold and unfold the loom. It also now makes it possible to easily bring the loom into the living room should I so desire. But not out on to the terrace. Navigating the narrow door is still a bit more effort then I think I want to tackle right now even though I LOVE weaving outside.Back to threading my third warp!
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