Good News, Bad News

Good News: I got my car back from the shop and it's all shiny, clean and (on the driver's side) dent free.

Bad News: I filled the gas tank ... $72. I'm riding my bike to work today.

Good News: Little Squid graduates from elementary school tomorrow. (We're taking the subway.)

Bad News: Squidette becomes a teenager on Saturday. (O.k., maybe it's not really bad news.)

Good News: I finished warping the loom.

Bad News: I still haven't finished the blanket. Something about not knitting on it and summer temperatures ...

So ... the verdict is that the good news is really nice and the bad news ... not so bad.

King of the Hill

This morning we set off to ride the 15 miles to our friends in Yonkers. As the quote goes "a journey of a thousand miles starts with a single step," (or something like that) well, a bike trip from Manhattan to Yonkers starts (kind of) with a single hill -- and keeps climbing,

Today it was Little Squid's turn to conquer the hill leading from the base of the George Washington Bridge to street level. Notice the bike. It is his "new" Specialized Dolce Allez. Kind of, sort of. And with it, he conquered the hill. Go Squid! That said, Squidette and I wound up walking part of it. Oops!

We all, then, managed the rest of the hills, including the nasty Riverdale Avenue, and had a lovely afternoon hanging out with our friends in Yonkers.

Coming home saw a series of small mishaps including a flat on Little Squid's bike, due to glass, just after descending the G.W. Bridge hill. While Mike changed the tube the kids and I noticed these swimmers. Going nowhere. Yup. We watched for a few minutes and realized that a few of them were caught in the current and were swimming in place. Eventually they got the clue and swam sideways to the bank and climbed out a bit before the end point, a nice cove a few meters "down" stream. The Hudson River is a tidal estuary down by NYC and the tide must have been going upstream.
There were at least a hundred swimmers emerging from the river and no, we have no idea what the swim was all about. It might have been the annual swim around Manhattan. We used to see it every year when we lived on the East River.

A Little Warping

Remember that empty loom that I showed you on Friday?


It's not empty any more.

I still need to do a little bit more to actually get to the weaving stage ...

Right now, however, we're going for a bike ride to visit friends in Yonkers. 30 miles round trip with good visiting in the middle. Yea!!!

Summer Projects

With two weeks (and a day) to go until summer vacation I am thinking about my summer projects. I joined the Tour de France Knit Along again and am going for a green jersey.

What am I knitting for it? Cycling socks. Not very challenging, I know, but I have an added twist. I am weaving a special garment for a special event that we are having in September. (NO! I'm not pregnant!!!)

Cotton and Silk

This requires that I reassemble my loom stand and clean it up.

See! All nice and oiled with Wood Beams. (Which is now making my hands itch!)
With loom attached ...

The first 60 warp ends are wound. Here we go!!!

Last Night ...

ARISTA PLEDGE

I pledge to uphold the principles of Arista -

To seek knowledge for the sake of knowing

To give service for the pleasure of helping others

And to observe at all times the highest standards

And morals for character growth

This I do swear with all honesty and integrity.

Yup, sounds like my kid!

(The certificate is all crumpled because she used it as a fan. 98 degrees in NYC yesterday.)

Snip!

Following a bit of nagging from Susan, I decided to put some time in on Squidette's blanket. I knit 2 rows and then determined that the air cooling was not up to the challenge of a 95 degree day and a huge wool blanket on my lap. Then I took a long look at the blanket and realized that I was two repeats beyond where I needed to be. Oops.

The blanket went onto the bed and we decided that I did not have to rip back the bottom, I just had to do the planned surgery on the top.

Blanket top, before.
SNIP! and pick up.
More pick up. (I used three sets of circular needles for this part.)
Free at last!
Blanket top, after.
Reattached at the bottom with a three needle bind off.

Tonight, ripping the top back to the safety line and picking up the stitches. There is absolutely no way that I am then going to knit on it. Highs today are going to be around 97 degrees. And I'm riding my bike to and from work. Eep!

A Taste of East Harlem

After working in East Harlem for the last 16 years I can honestly say that I am still fascinated by this neighborhood. From the remnants of the old Italians to the current influx of Dominicans and Mexicans, it is a place that really illustrates the "melting pot" metaphor so often used in New York City.

Most of these photos were taken as I rode west on 115th Street, starting at my school on Pleasant Avenue.
Our Lady of Mount Carmel Shrine. Long a bastion of East Harlem, this institution hosts an annual feast that lasts for 10 days in July and occupies all of the two block stretch in front of my school. Started by Italian immigrants it now serves a mainly spanish speaking population.
Next door to the church is the National Museum of Catholic Art. One of the advantages of being the closest school to the museum is that you get invited over to see new exhibits. I had the pleasure of a tour before it was officially open to the public and was even shown the secret passage from the museum (formerly a catholic school) to the church next door.Row houses on 115th Street.

On the Upper East small markets are called "delis," not to confuse them with say the Second Avenue or Carnegie Deli, places which serve cured meat sandwiches and such. In East Harlem these markets are called bodegas. After all of these years I tend to call all "delis" bodegas, even if they are Korean grocers.A "Project," aka housing project. No, I'm not sure which one. There are lots of them in East Harlem and I didn't stop to read the name.
This is actually on a corner of 112th street. I noticed it as I was riding to work and had to take a shot of it. Look at the contrast on what, on closer examination, are two halves of the same building.

I've started putting my camera on my bike every time I take it out now so, since my car is out of commission* for another two weeks or so, look for more of East Harlem in the weeks to come.

*The insurance adjuster called the damage "extensive," a term which refreaked me for a bit. He also stated that there was glass damage to one of the windows near the back. I missed that one. My folks offered me a car but we keep turning it down. If we don't get the car back by the end of the month then we may borrow one just to do a serious grocery shopping but in the mean time we will patronize the local stores a bit more then usual.

Spring of Pride

Life has not been all about crane crashes and other annoyances. Rather, it really has been about celebrations and that is the real reason why I have not posted this week, I've been too busy!

Musical celebrations include the Manhattan Borough Wide Band concert at Carnegie Hall, Squidette's second appearance on this hallowed stage. Squidette also starred in her middle school band as Concert Mistress for her own band and as supplemental talent for the other seventh grade band.
Little Squid has been shining as well, with performances on the flute with his fifth grade band and with the fourth grade chorus on his violin. Today was his science fair and next week is his school play.

On Wednesday Squidette received her ELA score for the year and did very well and today we finally received Little Squid's middle school acceptance -- to the same school that Squidette attends -- and to the program that he wanted. Woo Hoo! Oh, and Squidette is being inducted into Arista next week, yet another cause for celebration. Little Squid graduates from elementary school in two weeks and school ends for all but poor Mama on the 26th. (Mama has to go until the 30th.)

And there you have it. Life in a nutshell. Tomorrow (maybe) a brief tour of East Harlem -- or at least East 115th Street as seen from my bike cam.

(And thanks to you, gentle reader, I now know that the name "Arista" is another NYC-only thing like Delany cards.)

Squid on Wheels -- Just Peddling Around

Thank you to all who expressed their concerns, relief and general good wishes following my little adventure the other day. It is heartwarming to know that so many people care.

***

We went for a breakfast ride this morning to our new favorite breakfast spot, the Red Hook Fairway. It has a nice patio in the back where you can sit and eat while enjoying the view of New York Harbor and the Statue of Liberty. The sun was shining and the temperature perfect for riding in shorts and tee shirts.

After dispensing with our baked goodies and beverages, we tried to find an esplanade that was just a bit further off from Fairway. We apparently overshot it but did find the Brooklyn Ikea so we are now planning some summertime lunch rides for Swedish meatballs.

The weather was lovely, the streets practically traffic free and we were all happy to be alive. It was a good ride!

Squid Pace Line

Total mileage: 16.5 miles

Never Never Land

Carl Shurz Park is one of Manhattan's larger parks and has many vastly different areas. There is the huge children's playground, a dog run, the walk along the river (Finley Walk), Gracie Mansion and, the Peter Pan alcove.

Yesterday Little Squid attended a birthday party in the alcove and I was his adult companion. Since the weather was iffy, I stayed at the party and knit while he ran around with the boys.

Below are some shots of this lovely, lovely area. I can just see people coming here for quiet contemplation and couples sitting and making out with the scent of rose blossoms surrounding them. (Personally, Mike and I used to make out on the benches on Finley walk, facing the river.)

Peter Pan

LoJack Works ... Sort Of

Apparently LoJack is only good for locating your car if it is actually stolen. They cannot help you locate your car if say ... it is relocated by the police because a crane fell and caused your car (with you in it) to be damaged by falling debris resulting from said crane falling.That's just one of the "dings." Something hit the second row door on that side with enough force to damage the runner and there is a nice dent over my gas tank door. There are some other minor dents and scrapes. Yeah, I have absolutely no idea what actually hit the car. I saw the crane falling, swerved to avoid it and, apparently managed to do so.

The entire incident, including my swerve and the crane missing my car, was witnessed by an angel looking out of her apartment window. She saw the car stop and ran down to the car, and stayed with me for a good two or more hours until just before Mike arrived. Yes, I sent her flowers.

Yes, I'm o.k. and the damage to the car is totally repairable and, except for my deductible, covered by my insurance. And GEICO says that they will attempt to recoup their outlay and my deductible from the responsible party. Yup, sometime 10 years from now I'll get a check for my deductible and Mike and I will have a very nice dinner. 'Cause that's as far as it will go that far down the road.

*The title of this post is due to my LoJack going off and calling me to say my car was in motion. That was about 40 minutes after the Detective called to say that I could finally have it back and about 5 minutes before I actually arrived back on the scene (by bicycle, of course). Took another hour and a half before I finally located my car. LoJack only works if you actually report your car stolen. Not if the police relocate it for more benign reasons.

Mom!

To the woman who taught me that life is good, that love is always out there and, that one should always make sure that there is more than enough food for the masses ...

Happy Birthday!!!

Threes

Things come in threes. Right?

Today it was mildly annoying but ultimately solvable things -- and I had to wait eight hours to figure out what number three was.

First: Little Squid came out of his room, this morning, sobbing and waving a piece of paper. Turns out it was a trip form with the money due last Friday. Oops. Good thing that schools tend to set false deadlines. Since it was only one school day late, there was no problem.

Second: As I unlocked my office door, one of my (male) teachers noted that my skirt zipper was open. Since the thing was so dang tough to close, I thought this highly unlikely. Until I ran my hand over my backside. And felt my underpants. Blush! The zipper decided to part ways in the middle and split from middle to top and bottom. It took a helpful rookie teacher (female), a pair of sweatpants, a pair of pliers, a needle and thread and finally, for good luck, a safety pin to set things somewhat right. Mike will have to cut me out of it later.

As I racked my brains for thing number three, I could not think of one. Then I arrived home.

Pulling into the parking lot, I stopped a bit short and sent some of the stuff in the back rattling around. This reminded me that Mike had gone shopping last week and left some of the non-perishables in the car. I was supposed to bring some of them up with me.

Opening the trunk, I cast my eyes about for likely candidates and came to light on the bag of chocolate chips. Oh, did I mention that the temperature got into the 80s today? Correct my previous statement to read: the bag of chocolate goo.

Ah ha! Thing the third!

(It's now in the fridge hardening into a block of chocolate good for chopping into chips for cookies and such.)

Hello London!

If anyone reading this blog got here via the url flashed in the telectroscope this morning, (evening or afternoon to you) please leave a comment.(That's Little Squid's back (identified by his bike helmet).)

For the rest of my readers ...

We took off to visit the telectroscope when it was, hopefully, less crowded then it was yesterday.

In large letters, we flashed the url of this blog to the watchers across the pond and did some waving of our own. Then, we took off to find a mid-morning snack at the Farirway in Red Hook.

(But first, I paused to take some nice pictures of Manhattan and the Brooklyn Bridge - now 125 years old.)
On the way home we rode over the Brooklyn Bridge and, while Mike was waiting for the rest of us, encountered a fellow Bike Friday devote in the middle of the bridge.

Four FridaysFour Squid

For today's ride, I was equipped with a new saddle -- named "the seat," and Little Squid was riding Squidette's old mount, the Specialized Dolce. The ride was intended to be a "try it out" kind of ride for both of us. I was sold on the saddle almost immediately after mounting, if only because my tender areas from yesterday were not being sat upon. Now I have new tender areas but they are less bothersome then the traditional ones. (Basically, my sit bones are a bit bruised instead of ... well, you know.Little Squid was a bit apprehensive and a little put out that he no longer "fit in" with those of us on folding bikes. Add to that the fact that this bike has a cross bar -- and that he came in contact with it, once, he ended up a bit resistive to the change. New handlebars, brake levers and shifters have been ordered to customize it a bit more to his liking so, hopefully, in a week or two he will be happy with his new ride.

Squid of Wheels -- Tour de Brooklyn 2008

Let me start by saying -- a ride can't be all that bad when it starts here.

Today was the 4th Annual Tour de Brooklyn. Moderately obsessed squid that we are, we had to ride in it.

The ride took us in and out of various Brooklyn neighborhoods including Williamsburg, Crown Heights, Bedford Stuyvesant and Stuyvesant Heights.

We passed cultural institutions such as the Brooklyn Museum of Art (below).


Paused occasionally to let the rest of the group (over 3000) to consolidate.


And ventured into places that do not usually seem like biking destinations.

Evergreen Cemetary

We even got to ride inside the Brooklyn Navy Yard.
Unfortunately, shortly after the picture above was taken, another rider collided with Little Squid, causing a four-bike pile up. Little Squid was uninjured but his back brakes locked into place. Two marshalls assisted us and finally we were able to totally release them, this however, required Little Squid to finish the day with only his front brakes. Not to worry. Turns out that he tends to mostly use the front ones anyway. Needless to say, I stopped taking pictures for a while.

We finally rejoined Papa Squid and Squidette at Cadman Plaza and the official end of the ride. Little Squid took a few minutes to melt down and then, composed again, insisted that we go find the telectroscope.
Not the Telectroscope, just a cool sculpture seen as we headed to the telectroscope.
The Telectroscope, parabolic mirrors set up in a long forgotten tunnel that links Brooklyn and London. We were able to people in London. Cool! I'd love to ride through the tunnel some day ...

Tomorrow we might head back and flash the url of this blog to the Londoners.

Having satisfied our curiosity, and stocked up on chocolate, we headed home by way of Sid's.
Brakes repaired, we are already for tomorrow's adventure.

Actual mileage including the ride to and from the Tour: 29.5 -- recorded mileage, 30 miles. We figure the trauma of a bike crash qualifies for another half a mile.

Riding Through Fleet Week

As May loomed on the horizon, so did the part of my job that I kind of love the most. (Actually it is a love-stress relationship.) When I realized that obligations would keep me at work until late on the day before the long weekend, I started thinking of ways to avoid getting caught in traffic. My school is right by two of the bridges off and gridlock makes crossing the first avenue in my commute (First Avenue, strangely enough) a nightmare. (I've been stranded on the east side of it for over 20 minutes at times.) Finally, after rejecting driving and kind of rejecting the subway, I decided on biking. I would, through force of will, make the weather be nice on this one day in May.

That decided, I managed to move the bike into my daily commute by letting the kids choose between being dropped off at school over an hour early (versus the 10 - 40 minutes early that they are usually dropped off) or, taking the subway by themselves. They opted for the subway and I got to ride my bike. Rah!

For the first two weeks of this testing period (Advanced Placement exams), I rode 2 days each week. This week I rode partway home on Monday, took the subway on Tuesday (Mike had the car, I had to be at a performance starring Little Squid and ... it was raining) and I rode Wednesday and Thursday. I am, through sheer force of will, going to make the weather nice enough to ride tomorrow. Right?

I've played with my uptown route and think I have settled on taking 8th avenue (containing a bike lane) to Central Park and doing much of my uptown ride in the park.

The time in the park is heavenly. One long hill and some smaller "slopes" and no traffic lights. At least none that I stop for.

Coming home, I am now making my way to the park -- entering where I left in the morning -- and riding down the west side of the loop to the south end. This gives me 3 or 4 (maybe 5?) significant hills, including the Great Hill. I am now making it up the Great Hill without huffing and puffing. My breathing is faster but I am no longer panting when I reach the top.

My only problem with my ride home is that, this week, the wind has been really nasty. The gusts are coming from all directions and, once, between the wind and the helicopters (on the Hudson River path) I almost got blown over. I was blown to the other side of the path. Eek! Otherwise, the very act of pushing away from the school sends my stress flying off with the wind.

Yesterday, however, I had a different kind of stress as I got caught in the rain and then, got caught in sailors. Yup. I got caught in a sailor traffic jam. *grin*

Coming down the Hudson River path, just as I was breathing a sigh of relief as I entered the shelter of the piers, I had to slow down and then stop as I, and others, waited for a shipload of sailors to cross the path. After about five minutes (maybe it was only 2) of being polite, I finally, gently and politely, started working my way through to the other side.

Pedaling downtown I had to edge around crowds of Sailors and Marines, always calling my route and saying thank you as I passed. None of my usual New York edge to the groups taking up both lanes of the path. Nope, just a quiet feeling of hoping they weren't insulted as I made my way around them and wishing I could thank them all for everything they do for us.

It was a sobering mile.

It's Fleet Week in New York City. If you see one of our service men or women, give them a wave and a smile. We may not all agree on the politics of it all, but I hope we can agree that these Soldiers, Sailors and Marines deserve our respect.

Enjoy your weekend!

One Word

I picked this up from Dee and thought it was cute. Take it if you want it ... I'm not obligating anyone.

Here goes:


ONE WORD ONLY!

Not as easy as you might think. Now copy, forward, or post this and change the answers to yours and pass it on. It’s really hard to only use one word answers. (I changed one question and deleted one question from the l

1. Where is your cell phone? ………….. lap

2. Your significant other?………………….. desk

3. Your hair? …………………………………….. long

4. Your parents? ……………………………….. wonderful

5. Your dream last night?………………….. strange

6. Your favorite drink? ……………………….. tea

7. Your dream/goal?………………………….. quiet

8. The room you’re in?…………………….. living

9. Your ex?……………………………………….. none

10. Your fear?…………………………………….. loss

11. Where do you want to be in 6 years?…….. home

12. Where were you last night?………….. home

13. What you’re not?………………………….. perceptive

14. Muffins?……………………………………….. cranberry

15. One of your wish list items?………….. loom

16. Where you grew up?…………………….. NYC

17. Your favorite thing? ................... husband

18. The last thing you did?………………….. sync'd

19. What are you wearing?………………….. sweatshirt

20. Your TV?……………………………………….. annoying

21. Your pets?…………………………………….. turtles

22. Your computer? …………………………….. laptop

23. Your life?……………………………………….. interesting

24. Your mood?………………………………….. confused

25. Missing someone?……………………….. no

26. Your car?……………………………………….. minivan

27. Something you’re not wearing?…….. hat

28. Favorite Store?……………………………….. yarn

29. Your summer?……………………………….. happy

30. Like(love) someone?…………………………….. yes

31. Your favorite color?……………………….. pink

32. Last time you laughed?……………….. morning

33. Last time you cried?……………………….. evening

34. Who will re-post this?…………………….. noone

Squid Underground

With gas prices now topping $4 / gallon and parking in Manhattan being difficult in the best of times, we have started reassessing our use of the car for intra-borough trips. For all four of us, it might still make sense since back and forth transportation on the subway runs close to $16 but, for one or two of us, taking the subway is a financial wash or even a gain.

That said, Squidette and I hoped on the subway on Sunday and, arriving at our stop well before we needed to, paused to take some pictures.

All of these were taken at the 81st Street stop on the C train -- also know as the Museum of Natural History stop.

Uptown Platform

Top and Bottom -- Floor Tiles

On the walls

Look on the floor as well!

And, for your enjoyment, and because we were waiting quite a while for the downtown train, I present the Downtown Platform

SQUID!