>Stand Alone (part two)

>This video was posted on Facebook today and I thought I’d share it in reference to a previous post. If I can manage to squirrel away the $77.00 I may still get this…but I’m still on the fence about it. I will say that this very brief video is pretty convincing. I’d love to hear what others think about this or if anyone has used one yet (and thanks again to those who offered comments and insights on the previous post on this subject).

Things That Can Be Carried On A Bike (#208)…with a link, a few comments, and another photo.

Sometimes (more often than not, actually) the only thing I carry on this bike is me. While it weighs in the upwards of 60 lbs. and is more then 6 ft. long I still find it the most comfortable and fun bike to ride (out of my 3 main bikes). Not only does it’s upright position and big cushy ride make it super fun, but having the loading capacity capacity available (should I need it) makes it all the more worthwhile. I truly love being both the motor and the cargo (on any bike). I was thinking just that when I rode home tonight and saw the full moon (pictured below)…it literally stopped me in my tracks and I had to snap a picture of it while at an intersection. I stopped and looked at it for a while (something I wouldn’t have been able to do if  were in a car) and was in awe to think that people around the world (if it were night in their part of the world) could see the same moon that I was looking at. It made me feel small, and sometimes I think it is good for a person to really small. It keeps things in perspective for me.

On a different note, I thought I’d share this link to an article that was in the Buffalo News today (our local daily paper). It’s titled, Boost body and mind with bicycling. It’s a brief but good article promoting bicycling as a way of life and all the benefits that are naturally associated with it.

As I’ve stated in many previous posts, I ride for many of the obvious reasons, but the reason I ride for mostly is purely selfish…I ride because I really like it.

>Things That Can Be Carried On A Bike (#208)…with a link, a few comments, and another photo.

>

Sometimes (more often than not, actually) the only thing I carry on this bike is me. While it weighs in the upwards of 60 lbs. and is more then 6 ft. long I still find it the most comfortable and fun bike to ride (out of my 3 main bikes). Not only does it’s upright position and big cushy ride make it super fun, but having the loading capacity capacity available (should I need it) makes it all the more worthwhile. I truly love being both the motor and the cargo (on any bike). I was thinking just that when I rode home tonight and saw the full moon (pictured below)…it literally stopped me in my tracks and I had to snap a picture of it while at an intersection. I stopped and looked at it for a while (something I wouldn’t have been able to do if  were in a car) and was in awe to think that people around the world (if it were night in their part of the world) could see the same moon that I was looking at. It made me feel small, and sometimes I think it is good for a person to really small. It keeps things in perspective for me.

On a different note, I thought I’d share this link to an article that was in the Buffalo News today (our local daily paper). It’s titled, Boost body and mind with bicycling. It’s a brief but good article promoting bicycling as a way of life and all the benefits that are naturally associated with it.

As I’ve stated in many previous posts, I ride for many of the obvious reasons, but the reason I ride for mostly is purely selfish…I ride because I really like it.

Marie and Pierre Curie on Their Honeymoon

Photo downloaded from Britannica.

I find this photo inspiring. The link to it was sent to me by a cousin of mine (thanks Joe!). It’s a photo of the famed physicists and chemist Marie and Pierre Curie. While they shared a Nobel Prize together, Marie was the first person to receive two. The photo was taken in 1895, and while the automobile was not common then they did have other methods of transport from which to choose…but they chose bicycles for their honeymoon transportation. One can only hope that they would have done the same today.

>Marie and Pierre Curie on Their Honeymoon

>

Photo downloaded from Britannica.

I find this photo inspiring. The link to it was sent to me by a cousin of mine (thanks Joe!). It’s a photo of the famed physicists and chemist Marie and Pierre Curie. While they shared a Nobel Prize together, Marie was the first person to receive two. The photo was taken in 1895, and while the automobile was not common then they did have other methods of transport from which to choose…but they chose bicycles for their honeymoon transportation. One can only hope that they would have done the same today.

Squiggly Man Makes Me Smile

I don’t even remember how I came upon this site…you know how it goes…one page leads to the next and then another, not unlike flipping through a magazine I suppose. Anyhow I came across this 4 minute video titled Everything Will Be OK. I kept waiting for something to happen, but nothing ever did…it’s just a clip of the Squiggly Man blowin’ in the wind for 4 minutes. But interestingly at the end of the four minutes I found myself not only relaxed but also smiling. This video is either idiocy at it’s finest  or pure genius.

>Squiggly Man Makes Me Smile

>I don’t even remember how I came upon this site…you know how it goes…one page leads to the next and then another, not unlike flipping through a magazine I suppose. Anyhow I came across this 4 minute video titled Everything Will Be OK. I kept waiting for something to happen, but nothing ever did…it’s just a clip of the Squiggly Man blowin’ in the wind for 4 minutes. But interestingly at the end of the four minutes I found myself not only relaxed but also smiling. This video is either idiocy at it’s finest  or pure genius.

Ezekiel Bread French Toast with Caramelized Nectarine and Apple-Cranberry Syrup

The morning before last as I was pouring my second cup of coffee I heard a common request from my teenage son in the next room, “dad, will you make me breakfast” (translation: will you make me French toast…his favorite breakfast). Having not gone shopping in a while I knew the cupboards were somewhat bare but not entirely, so I said yes straight away. After slicing a few pieces of Ezekiel bread (click here and here for recipes) and soaking them in eggs and milk I looked for the maple syrup only to find none. Ditto on honey; and not even a few grains of sugar. We were, in fact, having a sweetness crises. Not to worry I thought, as I poured my third cup of coffee, pushed my two pugs out of way as they hovered under foot, and answered “In a couple minutes,” to my son’s inquiry as to how long before it were ready. I looked in the fridge and saw we had a partial half-gallon of cranberry-apple juice. Ahhh…sweetness, I said aloud. As any cook knows (lay or professional), when you reduce something (simmer it down), and as it gets less in volume, flavors intensify. If, for example, you left a soup on the edge of the stove to simmer too long it may become salty, and in the case of fruit juices–which are naturally sweet already–they become super sweet and viscous when cooked down…in short, a syrup. To add to the flavor I also included a slightly under-rip nectarine to the pan (being under-ripe it held up nicely to the cooking, but softened and sweetened as it cooked. As my son ate and I checked my email and drank coffee, he stopped momentarily and said, “Dad…this is really good.” That to me meant more than any kudos or accolades I may receive from the many paying customers I cook for almost every day. OK, they are not all kudos and accolades, but on this morning I felt awarded in a way I cannot describe. Anyhow, here it is in pictures.

>Ezekiel Bread French Toast with Caramelized Nectarine and Apple-Cranberry Syrup

>

The morning before last as I was pouring my second cup of coffee I heard a common request from my teenage son in the next room, “dad, will you make me breakfast” (translation: will you make me French toast…his favorite breakfast). Having not gone shopping in a while I knew the cupboards were somewhat bare but not entirely, so I said yes straight away. After slicing a few pieces of Ezekiel bread (click here and here for recipes) and soaking them in eggs and milk I looked for the maple syrup only to find none. Ditto on honey; and not even a few grains of sugar. We were, in fact, having a sweetness crises. Not to worry I thought, as I poured my third cup of coffee, pushed my two pugs out of way as they hovered under foot, and answered “In a couple minutes,” to my son’s inquiry as to how long before it were ready. I looked in the fridge and saw we had a partial half-gallon of cranberry-apple juice. Ahhh…sweetness, I said aloud. As any cook knows (lay or professional), when you reduce something (simmer it down), and as it gets less in volume, flavors intensify. If, for example, you left a soup on the edge of the stove to simmer too long it may become salty, and in the case of fruit juices–which are naturally sweet already–they become super sweet and viscous when cooked down…in short, a syrup. To add to the flavor I also included a slightly under-rip nectarine to the pan (being under-ripe it held up nicely to the cooking, but softened and sweetened as it cooked. As my son ate and I checked my email and drank coffee, he stopped momentarily and said, “Dad…this is really good.” That to me meant more than any kudos or accolades I may receive from the many paying customers I cook for almost every day. OK, they are not all kudos and accolades, but on this morning I felt awarded in a way I cannot describe. Anyhow, here it is in pictures.

Things That Can Be Carried On A Bike (#207)

A canvas bag containing, among other things, three books, a daily planner, pencils, and reading glasses.
A six-foot long cable lock.
A small cardboard box containing three pints of homemade dog food and three sample packages of wild rice from Goose Valley Wild Rice.

Huh?

I don’t understand. In the past I had a problem with spam on this blog so I initiated (at the suggestion of a reader) the use of those swirly letters you have to type in to gain access to comment. This eliminated it mostly, but every once in a while a person (because I’m assuming it has to be a person to get past the swirly letters) will leave a spam post…usually trying to sell something. Today I received one such spam-comment, it was on this recent post regarding tall bikes (you can take a look for yourself). I’ve never spammed a blog before but I’ll just say this…if I were going to spam a blog that mostly focused on bicycles, cooking, and the spiritual side of life, I wouldn’t try to sell large truck parts on it. So I say again…huh?

>Huh?

>

I don’t understand. In the past I had a problem with spam on this blog so I initiated (at the suggestion of a reader) the use of those swirly letters you have to type in to gain access to comment. This eliminated it mostly, but every once in a while a person (because I’m assuming it has to be a person to get past the swirly letters) will leave a spam post…usually trying to sell something. Today I received one such spam-comment, it was on this recent post regarding tall bikes (you can take a look for yourself). I’ve never spammed a blog before but I’ll just say this…if I were going to spam a blog that mostly focused on bicycles, cooking, and the spiritual side of life, I wouldn’t try to sell large truck parts on it. So I say again…huh?

Things That Can Be Carried On A Bike (#205 & #206) with a few comments.

#205: Five pounds of rising bread dough in a plastic bucket; a canvas bag containing books, pencils, reading glasses, and (oddly) a retractable measuring tape.

#206: an empty plastic bucket; a paper bag with a sweaty shirt and 3 pairs of socks; a canvas bag; a cardboard box containing a partial bottle of red wine, 2 1/2 loaves of freshly baked 100% whole wheat bread, and two pints of homemade dog food (beef and rice).

I find it interesting–and am truly thankful–that I am in the rare position to make bread dough at home and carry it to work on a bike where I bake it. This morning I realized that I was low on bread at home (I eat a lot of bread–I am the antithesis of the low carb diet–and make most of my own). I didn’t have enough time to make the bread in it’s entirety, but did have an hour or so to make the preferment and the dough. I’ve done this a few times this summer…the ovens at work are always on; why heat up my home kitchen.

Anyhow, if you’d like additional info and a recipe for bread made with 100% whole wheat flour, including picture, click here. Here’s a few photos of today’s bread making.

>Things That Can Be Carried On A Bike (#205 & #206) with a few comments.

>

#205: Five pounds of rising bread dough in a plastic bucket; a canvas bag containing books, pencils, reading glasses, and (oddly) a retractable measuring tape.

#206: an empty plastic bucket; a paper bag with a sweaty shirt and 3 pairs of socks; a canvas bag; a cardboard box containing a partial bottle of red wine, 2 1/2 loaves of freshly baked 100% whole wheat bread, and two pints of homemade dog food (beef and rice).

I find it interesting–and am truly thankful–that I am in the rare position to make bread dough at home and carry it to work on a bike where I bake it. This morning I realized that I was low on bread at home (I eat a lot of bread–I am the antithesis of the low carb diet–and make most of my own). I didn’t have enough time to make the bread in it’s entirety, but did have an hour or so to make the preferment and the dough. I’ve done this a few times this summer…the ovens at work are always on; why heat up my home kitchen.

Anyhow, if you’d like additional info and a recipe for bread made with 100% whole wheat flour, including picture, click here. Here’s a few photos of today’s bread making.

An Original Tall Bike

Though I’ve never ridden one I’ve been intrigued by tall bikes for a while. I’ve also posted on them in the past, specifically about a local bicyclist-bike builder, Jason (click here and here). Anyhow, I came across this photo at CardCow.com today and was immediately impressed. The site does not say what year this is from–but it’s obviously old–nor does it say where it is from, but it looks like he’s wearing wooden clogs so I’m assuming it is Holland. Pretty cool. He sure looks proud of himself…and he should. I always assumed tall bikes were the product of America, and somewhat current (typical Yank right?…thinking everything he likes comes from the U.S.), but this obviously proves my theory wrong. If anyone knows the history or origin of these bikes I’d love to hear it.

>An Original Tall Bike

>

Though I’ve never ridden one I’ve been intrigued by tall bikes for a while. I’ve also posted on them in the past, specifically about a local bicyclist-bike builder, Jason (click here and here). Anyhow, I came across this photo at CardCow.com today and was immediately impressed. The site does not say what year this is from–but it’s obviously old–nor does it say where it is from, but it looks like he’s wearing wooden clogs so I’m assuming it is Holland. Pretty cool. He sure looks proud of himself…and he should. I always assumed tall bikes were the product of America, and somewhat current (typical Yank right?…thinking everything he likes comes from the U.S.), but this obviously proves my theory wrong. If anyone knows the history or origin of these bikes I’d love to hear it.