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.