Winter Commuting on New Wheels

Today marked my second day of winter bike commuting since the big 11 inch snow fell on the Twin Cities about a month ago. I'm feeling a little out of shape in the legs but loving the cold temperature invigoration and thinking space my bike commute provides. 

This view of the Mississippi River Gorge along my commute route is a far cry from the one taken during the autumn picture below!  Ahh, the joys of experiencing the seasons from the bike lane.

All this has been made possible by my new 16-year old Specialized Hardrock mountain bike that I got off Craig's list.   Its condition is a far cry from my previous 18-year old Specialized mountain bike, I.N.D.Y. (It's Not Dead Yet). With its terribly rusted gears, worn out bearings, and its propensity for large maintenance bills, it now ought to be named, I.I.D.N. (It is Dead Now).  I will strip some parts of I.I.D.N and donate the rest to a great new organization called SPOKES where hopefully its frame will be renewed as the core of a new bike.

Holiday Light Tour (aka last night with the borrowed car)

Hillary was determined to drive around with the boys to see neighborhood holiday light displays. Between that and it being our last night with the borrowed car, we were off on the drive after a quick cheese and bean quesadilla dinner. We ended up driving along Saint Paul's stately Summit Avenue which also serves as my bike commute route to work. We saw some impressive lights but only one light-choked, somewhat tacky yard. By that time both kids had fallen asleep. So we suspended the tour to stop by the nearby Whole Foods and pick up a few critical groceries, namely the cereal bars the boys apparently like so much. Hillary shopped like a seasoned car-free mama.  She got a whole case of the cereal bars at 10% off.  We should be set for months.

The unexpected perk of the tour was that I got to assess the condition of the Summit Avenue bike lane. Some chunky icy/snowy sections persist, but otherwise it was pretty good. After over three weeks without bike commuting due to an 11 inch snowstorm, I am itching to ride again.

After Summit Avenue we drove through our south Minneapolis neighborhood and saw some fine displays, especially this great arrangement of ice lanterns.  As Hillary took photos from the car, the homeowner waved through his window as she waved back.  Home sweet home. 

Lucky for us, the kids transferred right into bed without waking up. 

Home for the Holidays...with a car

For the first time in our 12 years in Minnesota we did not travel to spend Christmas with our families. We avoided the expensive airline tickets, the hassle of holiday travel, the two-way lugging/shipping of gifts, the wonderful yet sometimes exhausting visiting with friends and family.  For the first time in our lives and in our kids' lives, we could stay home and begin to nurture our own holiday traditions.    We hosted our third annual Christmas party, we got a full-size Christmas tree, we went to the family Christmas Eve service at our church, we figured out where to hang the stockings, we addressed the challenge of Santa getting into our chimney-less house (thanks be to the "Santa Key").  We took advantage of the perks of "FaceTime" to share our Christmas experiences and favorite gifts with our family members in Pennsylvania, Washington D.C., and Canada. We also got to do more things around town.  We went as a family to see the fantastic "China's Terracotta Warriors" exhibit at the Minneapolis Institute of Art.  Hillary and I got to see "A Christmas Carol" at the Guthrie for the first time.  But best of all, we just got to hang out as a family.  Theo was busy making his own Christmas cards and making and wrapping gifts.  He and I got to play carols on the piano.  Theo is mastering "Jolly Old St. Nicholas" and "Jingle Bells".  I loved just watching the kids play with their new toys, games, and puzzles for hours on Christmas and the days after.  And of course we got to play too.

 All of this would not have been the same without having some family with us. We were blessed to have Hil's mom and her partner John with us for our first Christmas in Minnesota.  They helped so much in making this a special time for us and the kids.  And they helped us get some time away from the kids.

We also have a loaner car for about ten days.  With the cold weather and snow it has been a great gift!  Thanks so much to Jim and Emily who graciously loaned us their car while they traveled for the holidays.  And thanks to everyone else who similarly offered the use of their car while they were away during this time. On those bitterly cold day and nights around Christmas it was nice to not be waiting at the bus stop after a Guthrie show, or able to run up to Matthews Park so Theo could try out his new snowboard. We even managed to avoid the common pitfall of trying to do too much just because we had access to wheels. Many days were still spent just hanging out with each other at home. And that was the greatest gift of all.

 

Putting the Christmas Eve star on the beautiful Advent calendar made by our friend Martha Z. 

Theo sporting his snazzy Christmas vest at the family Christmas Eve service at church.  

Mormor gave the boys tickets to "How the Grinch Stole Christmas" at the Children's Theater Company. 

Hillary gave me these awesome Batman super hero boxer shorts.  Yes, they even have a cape behind!  The boys got quite a kick out of them, especially when their powers allowed me to zoom them around the house on my shoulder. 

Studded tire at last!

It was such a mild winter last year that we squeaked by without a studded tire on our Winther Kangaroo. But with the 11 inch dump last weekend, there is no skirting it this year. After many late night public meetings for work this week, I took this morning off to winterize the Roo. Henry's trike helped out nicely.

First Snow Ride

There is nothing like the first snow to get two young boys excited. By the time Henry and I left for his pre-school, nearly an inch had fallen and sun and blue sky made for a beautiful winter one-mile bike ride to pre-school. Henry marveled at the beautiful scene and giggled as I gave him the"wiggly-ride". The "wiggly-ride" consists of quick, small left-right swerves down the sidewalk, all made safe with the benefit of the three wheels of the Winther Kangaroo.

Here's Henry and our "sleigh-dog" Moxie at school.

Morning Commute: No Eagle Today, Maybe Tomorrow

Late night errands with a Cargo Bike

As a car-free family we have a lot of bikes for various uses. But sometimes they're spread around at various locations, or in need of repair. I had concert band rehearsal last night and expected to use my wife's bike "All Sass No Gas". But I forgot it still had a flat tire (second one in two weeks :( ). Then I figured I'd use my commuter bike "The Italian Stallion". But it was in my bike locker at work since I took the bus home yesterday afternoon. So I went with our family cargo bike, the head turning Winther Kangaroo. It was no big deal biking the cargo bike the 1.75 miles to rehearsal. Then I had it to pick up the 33 lbs of dog food and some sale item storage bins. Go Twin Cities cargo biking!