It's dark outside. Don't fight it. Fiddle around with that manual setting on your camera... You'll see the everyday in a new way... oh...and by the way... We had dinner sitting next to this guy after walking through the darkness.
It was great to get back on the bicycle today. I am so happy I got to visit my Hyggelig, but it meant two weeks off the saddle. October was very mean to us this year - very, very cold, snow flakes and rain, and lot and lots of grey. But November.... ahhhhhh...November, you have been so good to me, warmth, sun, and lots of outdoor time. Thank you November, I needed you before... before... before... sigh*I can't say the word, ok.... before winter sets in. Today has that feeling of one of the last, of freedom ending, of diving off, of things changing, of saying goodbye, of see you around...
We had a mail order relationship, but it didn't work out. I think in person we will be a good fit. Plus, I know you will match perfectly with the road ahead. see you in a few days...
The day started out right. What was that strange thing in the sky?! SUN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! SUN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Trek and I gleefully headed out for a long Autumn ride. AT LAST! Mid-way through it was time for a photo in honour of our momentous occasion... We rolled 1300 miles today. Our first year together, and my personal best. What a year it has been! Trek has been there nearly every step of the way, when I was down, when I was up, and when I was even keel...
I am exalted. Not in my wildest dreams did I ever expect to ride any bicycle 1300 miles in one season. In so many ways I am a better person for it. One big collective sigh.... and WOO HOO!
The day just kept giving. The Sun kept shining and we headed to the lake. Bob's been having a rough few weeks, I think the sun and lakeside viewing did us all a little good. I treasure our family time. So quick to tears I am with my Bob... All this while everyone else was raking leaves... May your November also Exceed all expectations....
It's been brewing for awhile now, Trek is jealous, mostly confined indoors, watching me with Bernina... What's a girl to do? I love them both... dont' worry Trek, to be honest - you are my favorite... just don't tell Bernina
This is my new favourite beer. Sometimes it is the little things. Yum. "hiding from winter's chill", That would be me.
Saw this. HIGHLY recommend it! The Guthrie is an amazinglocal asset to be sure.
Local bicycle flavour... Reconfigured Downtown Bicycle lanes... If you live here what do you think? Personally, I haven't ridden the newest configuration yet, there are so many better places to bicycle here than downtown, but I have seen them from yes, my car. Honestly, I don't like them. I have ridden on other streets downtown in the past thinking the bike lanes on the left made no sense, and that the old center lanes on Hennepin were nonsensical, but this is even odder... They seem dangerous. How could you consult with so many experts and end up with these types of situations? Bless the Mpls. Bicycle folks, they think people will come around once they get 'used' to it, but bicycles and buses seem like a poor combination. We drove down Hennepin today and it does not yet look like this. The signs are up, but there is no lane painting, and it was all cars driving in the right lane. Why is there a dotted white line? Shouldn't it be a double white line or something between the cars and bicycles/buses? I realize they likely need to finish all the lane painting, but I'm feeling a bad vibe on this one... Even Mia isn't a fan. and bicyles and car doors and people hopping over the bicycle lane to feed the meter, also doesn't seem to be a great solution. I GET it - a buffer. But I just think it's not a good solution.
Why can't we just get here now? Trees....how nice....
I cycle all the time and I'm not a fan, I volunteer for a bicycle sharing organization and I am not a fan, if I don't really want to ride downtown and my comfort level with traffic and cars is fairly high, how about those 'regular' folks the City wants to get out on their bicycles? Time will tell. I know Minneapolis is not done yet, so I give them credit for trying, and I will practice patience, but for now, I think Nicollet may be the way to travel. Just my two cents... More info here, here, here, here, here and here. Another meeting here.
Picture from here TV is good for something... Lucky for me, tv is on my computer... I do not recommend it often, but I highly recommend Craft in America. It is beautifully done, it has made me think of things I haven't thought about in years, and in some ways justifies the path I have woven in and out of.
right on brother!
I found the Community episode particularly touching and engaging. Part of being here now is about community. I am social, but more of an independent sort, however I believe in community, and what these people had to say touched me.
Blogging for me was an entry into community when I felt challenged. I am more of an independent sort, but I am trying...
Back when I had my State Fair Adventure,I fell in love with the neighborhood I rode through. I felt like I had discovered a tranquil paradise right in my own backyard.I brought back H later in the day so he could enjoy it tooand we stumbled upon a little slice of Sweden. A beautifully kept up Swedish-style home that begs one to walk in the red door, sit down with a cup of coffee by the fireplace, and look out the y-paned windows at the sea (or street as it may be...). I have a thing for well-designed homes, particularly Swedish-style ones. It was then that I knew I would be backwith my bicycle and my camera. And so began the plan... As Autumn was quickly approaching, I needed to find a new way to get a workout in. The daylight hours were quickly diminishing and squeezing a fast lovin' lycra ride in after work was quickly becoming a challenge. So, I would take Pash back to my little Sweden house, my Bohuslän. I would wait until the peak of Autumn when the leaves were at their most brilliant, and I would take pictures of my hyggelig place. Taking Pash on a Bohuslänian adventure would be a way for me to get a ride in, work some different muscles, enjoy the scenery, discover new things, and stay close to home. We would try to find more Bohuslän adventures in October, and then finally in November we would give in to winter, put the Trek on the trainer, and start up our winter yoga sessions. But until then, Pash and I would go adventuring Bohuslän style.
I was itching to go for a ride. My pausecycle had turned from an intended few weeks of lighter riding into weeks of almost no riding at all and I was starting to feel restless and out of shape. Not part of the plan. I waited, and waited, and waited, but the weather never improved. Autumn never came. Somehow we jumped directly from Summer to Winter in a matter of hours. This also was not part of my plan. So, I stopped waiting. And I decided to get the plan going come rain, sleet, snow, wind and cold. Pash and I needed to go. To build my confidence, I wanted to take a test ride first. See how I felt about the clothes I had on and if mentally I was up for it. Off to the fabric store I went. Returning from that trip feeling confident and even more itching to go on myBohuslän adventure, I knew it was time. As H was suiting up in his winter lycra best, I was wrapping a scarf around my neck and pondering whether the parka would be too much (gladly I decided it would be). We slipped off at the same time with very different trips ahead of us. As I began to pedal I wondered what the heck I thought I was doing. It was a miserable day for a ride and about a mile out I considered turning around. I do not need to be doing this right now I thought to myself. Am I dressed enough for this? Maybe I should do this another day... But I REALLY wanted to do this, and so I kept going. People passing me in their warm cars probably felt sorry for me - that poor girl has to ride her bicycle in this unseasonably cool weather! But little did they know, I was doing this because I wanted to, and I was actually having fun. After a few miles I was warm enough, that when the hill was approaching I took off scarf and mittens before we began the journey up. I eased into the hill as I had a month before and sat in for the climb. Soon I was at my destination with a feeling of elation and satisfaction for having accomplished my goal. Sure, it was not all according to my picture perfect plan, but I did it. And I will do it again.
Those pretty fall colors may not have been embracing my Bohuslän house as I had envisioned, but I found them nonetheless. Had I waited for that perfect weather to come, it is seeming quite possible right now I would be waiting eight months. In life all good plans change. The more we accept the deviation from our path, the more we can sit back and enjoy the ride.
Marc is the best...click on the pic Yup, that's me up there...
David B on a bike with a basket in NYC...
decor8...click on the pic My nose is not receptive to breathing right now. Could my adventure have betrayed me and made me sick? Naaaaaaahhh... I think the bad germs were already there, the cold and wind taunted them out. Don't let getting a cold after a chilly bicycle ride convince you to never bicycle in the cold again... Just deal with it and be glad you did it.
Anyhooo.... Here's some cool sighting's tonight for y'all.
I look forward to being back to biking and blogging normalcy. Until then...
hey! it LOOKS like Summer! only the shadow knows...
My Minnesota life is all about a plan. We have affectionately and not so affectionately called this our time in the woods.
All my little plans are part of our larger Minnesota plan. It's ALL about being in the woods... And finding a mushroom, or a tree, or a bird swooshing by in the sky...
Umm...the pumkins grew hair overnight... does anyone else find that weird?
So...along comes winter. BUT WAIT! I still had my little Autumn plan!
I'm a Summer gal, I've said it before. But, I live where it is cold, seemingly all the time. So, What am I going to do? Sit in the house and eat twinkies for the next eight months while staring at pictures of the formerly in shape me? Well... NO. I need a plan, and a plan leading up to the plan...
So I assessed my gear. That's where the mittens came in... Grabbed the Pash, and decided to test the waters ~ or freezing wind and snow flakes, as it were... and headed to ye old fabric shoppe. i like fabric...
This was a test ride for a bigger plan I had... And I became convinced. The plan would be good, just different than planned...
Uh...yup... that's a mitten on my hand. uh huh... a mitten... Can't quite believe it? Well, here's a close up of said mitten, plus extra mitten in basket. uh...yup... Interestingly, inspiration comes from challenge. More to follow...
Meeting up with an intimate friend at first seemed more like a handshake than a hug. But after a few miles, we settled in... we listened to each other, we grooved together, we watched the sun set together, and the hug became an embrace.
I have spent a majority of my time the last few months on my bicycles. Almost every free moment has been on two wheels. I love it, I am addicted to it, I thrive on it, and it makes me feel good physically and emotionally. But I have to admit, after all those hours, I am a little burnt out. With the new job, and the change in seasons, I am finding myself adjusting to change and taking a pause in my routine. It is pretty much never that we spend a Saturday or Sunday morning together. Years past I spent weekends alone while H was out training or racing. Off on our bicycles for much of the weekend, we typically come back together for hurried weekend afternoons of finding food and running errands. Yes, we are in great shape, but there is not much room left in our lives for anything else. So, before I start up my yoga and trainer season for far too many months, I've been taking a pause from the routine to do other things. Such as picnics on a gorgeous Saturday morning with the boys. Or finishing that bag I have been working on for months. Or taking special walks in new places with Bob. Yes, I dread winter, and I miss riding, A LOT. I miss the meditative solitude. I am sad to see my fitness level naturally decrease for a few months. But without pause, and a change to routine, life becomes very dull indeed. And so do I. Time off the bicycle, makes one appreciate time on the bicycle.
Hyggelig in essence means cozy. To me it is a place in my heart, no matter where I am in the world, that I can go to, that I can share, and that brings warmth, light, and compassion. It is my hope that with this blog I can share a sense of Hyggelig for you to bring into your everyday.
"My Hyggelig in Minneapolis is an all round lovely place to visit and features much chic content." - Copenhagen Cycle Chic
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