luck or stupidity

This morning the weather was cool, the sun was hidden beneath a cloudy sky, and I took my first summer bike ride to Montrose beach.  Actually, my first bike ride to Montrose beach ever.  It was a non-stop trek, as I traveled north on Damen from the Bucktown neighborhood.  I am slowly falling in love with Damen.  It's an easy street to bike, as there's not too much traffic (cars, bikes, pedestrians) and clearly marked bike lanes in the more congested neighborhoods, but I digress.  After heading north on Damen, I went east on Montrose to the lake front path to loop south to Fullerton and eventually over to Armitage.  Traveling south on the lake front, I was reminded how nice it is to bike continuously without having any stops.  It wasn't very crowded, since I was biking mid morning and the morning commute was over.  It was a good route and the ride lasted an hour.  After an hour long walk earlier this morning and then the ride, I was quite exhausted by lunch time.  Afternoon cat nap was quickly add to my day's to do list.  As a side note, I am on vacation from my job this week, so this is atypical, and am not a lady of leisure.

The next time I take this route, I will definitely pause for a moment or two to enjoy the scenery, and maybe snap a photograph or two.  However, with the overcast skies, I wasn't interested in a dreary photo, and pushed on to get home before the inevitable rain.  Instead, a cat I stumbled on during my morning walk.

Throughout the ride, there was one thought that consumed my mind.  "I am completely unprepared, if something happens to my bike, I am going to have a long walk back to my apartment."  After making a mental list of items to bring along during the ride, I brought water, my bike lock, phone and driver's license.  I had planned to bring money or a credit card or even my transit pass.  But, no, not this ride, and I was lucky.  No accident on this trek 12 mile trek.  Next time, I'll at least bring along the transit pass (or credit card).  Should something happen and my bike is unridable, at least I'd be able to lock up the bike, and not have to walk home.

This time, I was lucky.

hello, to the start of a new evening

As the sun sets in the distance, I find myself pondering a new project.  Lately, I felt uninspired and extremely lazy.  I've become a hermit as the sun spends more time gracing the earth each day.  It should be time to explore and enjoy the amazing weather, outside.  Instead, I find myself visiting a different land or world through the eyes of books residing at the public library.  Occasionally, I find myself outside at my local favorite coffee house or on the back porch of my apartment, but primarily, I remain in the comfort of my own apartment.  Sadly, these books are not enough.  I need creativity, enthusiasm, a change, and, possibly, a challenge.

I live in the greatest city in the United States.  Yes, this is my opinion, and I hope that you will agree or at least agree with a few of its nicknames - the Windy City, the Second City and Chi-town.  It is the home to the Blackhawks, the Cubs, the White Sox, the Bulls, the Fire and probably many more minor (not that they are less important) sport teams.  It has a beautiful lakefront and wonderful parks, and amazing restaurants and friendly bars.  The neighborhoods have their individual stamp on the city.

It is my kind of town, Chicago, and my home for the last ten years.  I love the winters, especially the snow, and I even manage to survive the arctic like temperatures with a brief complaint and a smile on my face, accentuated by rosy cheeks.  I love to the hate the humid summers and all the misery it entails. I typically find myself hoping and wishing for the perfect brisk fall day that will bring back the cooler weather and snow.

This year, different to years past, I challenged myself to start biking to and from work.  It has opened me to a new world, and I hope, as I get more familiar with the bike community, it will introduce me to a completely new side of my city that I never knew existed.

Welcome and thank you for reading.  I hope that my trials and tribulation are a source of inspiration to bikers old and new and non bikers.  I will try to keep the rant and ravings to a minimum, and, in keeping true to the title of the blog, include some couture biking, as that is my ultimate.  After getting settled into the commuter biking world, I do hope to be one of those many men and women that I see biking fashionably and effortlessly, even during the most humid and the coldest days.  And, until then, I hope and think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship.