(Day)light at the End of the Tunnel

The long, dark tunnel of winter is behind us. Nothing but sunny days ahead (particularly sunny days with the sun up until after 7:30!). I can't really imagine living somewhere without seasons. The build up to and the anticipation of spring is at a record high at my house. We have been counting down the days until we can go on bike rides in the evening again and play outside after dinner. Those days, my friends, are upon us. And, after this week, I think that I'll be able to consistently be able to drop Benny off at school by bike. The past two months or so have been too cold to walk or bike in the morning.

Nate and I were explaining the phenomenon of Daylight Savings (can it really be considered a phenomenon since it's man-made?) at dinner this evening. He said he was excited to use the extra daylight to practice fast bike tricks, which would be welcome since he's been pedaling exxxtraaa slow lately. Lila perked up and said she was excited to ride her balance bike. Since she hasn't seemed to interested in it before, we're going to harness this enthusiasm and get her balancing!

I'm excited for my class to be over. It's been a great class with some very good students, but the evening format has been hard for me. I'm thankful to have the class as a distraction that propels me from the holidays to the onset of spring. I'm also excited for more time to run, maybe start up yoga (again) and get caught up on everything that I've neglected over the past 10 weeks.

Yes, I think this spring is going to treat us very well. Hope you all enjoyed your extra hour of daylight today!

Peddling for The Soup Peddler

When I was sick this week, all I wanted was some soup. Any soup would do, really. When Benny and Lila are sick, I typically make them chicken noodle soup. I don't know if it really helps, but it sure makes me feel better! I ended up finding some locally made carrot ginger soup at Whole Foods and it was amazing. The only thing that would have made it more amazing? Delivery by bike.

And so, the giveaway for contributing to #everydayonabike in March is a copy of The Soup Peddler's Slow & Difficult Soups: Recipes & Reveries by David Ansel. The book is part memoir/part recipe book by the man who has created a soup empire in Austin, Texas. He started out with a bike and a trailer and a few quarts of soup. He (and his employees) still deliver the soup by bike. I remember hearing all about David when I lived in Austin, but I never tried his soups. We're quickly approaching the end of soup weather (yay Spring!), but with this weekend's predicted snowstorm, I have a feeling soup will feel good for a few more weeks.

If you want to play along, just take a picture of you on your bike, your bike or someone else biking with you and upload it to Instagram with the tag of #everydayonabike. For every picture you contribute, you'll be entered once. But, if you post a picture with this month's unofficial theme (GREEN!), you'll be entered twice. Want to increase your chances even more? Leave a comment on this page with the name of your favorite soup . Be careful, though. If it sounds good, I'll ask for the recipe!

Good luck!

*The Soup Peddler is not a sponsor of #everydayonabike.

Friday Never Looked So Good

I regularly "work" for the weekend. While I like my jobs and hanging out with my kids on weekdays, it's always nice to have a break and have Nate home during the day.

This all holds true for even the "easiest" week, but it's particularly relevant for this week. This week has been particularly challenging because Nate has been out of town for work and I was sick for the better part of two days. I was actually happy to be able to teach last night because it required less energy than hanging out with the kids for the evening. As awful as that sounds, it makes me realize that taking care of kids does take a lot of energy - mental and physical - and it's OK to need a break every once in awhile.

The good news is that I delivered my last lecture for class last night. Now I just get to look forward to grading final papers. Nate gets home this evening. And I'm feeling much better today. So, aside from a snow storm moving in tonight, this weekend is shaping up to be a good one.

Happy Friday to you all!

#everydayonabike in Australia!

Cat Hope (@cathope) has been a regular contributor to #everydayonabike for the past two months. I long to post pictures like hers - sunny skies with lots of green foliage. Alas, she's in Australia, so she's enjoying (a very hot) summer right now.

I asked Cat to share a bit about her riding habits. And now I want to bike in Australia!

ss // What kind of bike(s) do you ride?

ch // I ride a a black Electra Amersterdam Royale. It is an 8 speed and I bought it brand new. It's like a Dutch bike meets a beach cruiser. I love it. I also still have the very old junky bike that got me back into cycling. I bought it as a test bike. A no brand, no gears, very poor back pedal braked ladies bike - I thought if I stick with that for awhile, I will earn a better bike for myself. And I did! It's now the "guests'" bike and often goes out on loan. I made sure my new one had a skirt, a chain chard and internal gears so it didn't effect what I want to wear.

ss // Where do you ride? How often?

ch // I try to ride everywhere! To and from my work most days - around 15-20 minutes each way so not that far, often accompanying my 8-year-old son to school on his bike on the way. Here in Perth it can get over 40 degrees Celsius (104 degrees Fahrenheit!) (now), not great and exertion biking. I have a lot of meetings off campus (I am an academic/composer/musician) and ride my bike to those too. I have panniers for when I need to take lots of books or music. I also use (my bike) to get around to concerts in the evenings. Riding at night in summer is my favourite time to ride.

ss // Where do you live?

ch // Inner city Perth, Western Australia.

ss // How long have you been riding?

cc // After years of cycling as a school kid, and brief spates when I lived in Europe - I didn't ride for a long time. The memories of a double cog multi gear slips, greasy chain clothes munchers, racing handlebars and heavy school bags put me off. Also, there just weren't any good "ladies'" bikes to ride for awhile here, everything was too "sporty." But now there are a lot more choices and you can choose a bike that suits what you want. for me, I like to ride at my own pace (so I can drink a coffee at the same time if I so desire) and not have to make fashion sacrifices!

Thank you, Cat, for sharing a bit about your cycling! Also check out Cat's Tumblr of the Perth Slow Riders.

Bikes Are Green

We did it! We survived January and February! Every year I figure if I can survive those two months, I can survive winter. And here we are, March 1. Boy oh boy, I welcome this date with open arms.

Not all bikes are green in color. No, of course not. But all bikes are green, you know, in the carbon footprint sense. So, in this green month (new spring growth - hurrah!, St. Patrick's Day and all that jazz), the unofficial theme for #everydayonabike is GREEN! Post a bike photo with something green in it and you'll be entered TWICE for this month's drawing - yet to be announced.

I, for one, am very excited for this month. My class is over in two weeks. Daylight savings hits on March 10, which will make life infinitely easier. Mornings, while still chilly, will be bearable on bike. I have a feeling I'll be overwhelming #everydayonabike with photos just because I can! I hope to see you there too. Happy March to all of you.