I Think I Have a Problem with Saddle bags

... No, not those kind (well, yeah, I guess I have a problem with those too!). But, I was referring specifically to this kind:

Ostrich Saddle Bag
*Photo from Velo Orange

I am, for some strange reason, obsessing over the Ostrich bag in particular, but there are others I have seen recently, such as one featured on Chic Cyclist that I couldn't quite get a good enough look at to tell what the material was, but I was nonetheless entranced by it. It's not even specifically saddle bags that have drawn me in, but rather any device which can carry items on a bicycle. One of the more recent obsessions is the fendi box that is not really a saddle bag, but rather a handlebar box (as I suppose it would be called), that just draws me in.

fendi abici amante donna bicycle with accessories
*Photo from superfuture.com

I've tried to find the fendi box just alone, but it is apparently something that can only be purchased with the bicycle. Either way, it is an accessory that I find myself longing for in the wee hours of the morning. Of course, this is merely a fantasy, as I am in no way financially able to afford such a luxurious item.

My tastes seem to range from the fanciful to the rugged, as I find myself even wanting the slightly rougher looking, but nonetheless fabulous bags such as the one pictured here on Etsy.

Swiss Army Bicycle Bike Pannier Bag in Shmattson's on Etsy

*Photo from Shmattson on etsy.com

Though I've sworn not to purchase anymore bicycles (at least for the time being), I think the Ostrich saddlebag could be a lovely addition to the Pashley. I realize it's a little more rugged than the Pashley appears to be, but I think she can pull it off.  One can never have too many places to stick things when riding, right?

Abstraction: Not for Me?

I'm feeling like such a failure today. I have had several weeks to work on an abstract painting for my watermedia class, and I have ultimately come up with nothing. Well, I have something, but it looks like something a small child sat down and completed in about five minutes. Despite the fact that I spent several hours working on it, and attempting to come up with something that made sense, at least compositionally, I just want to hang my head in shame, go in a corner and rock, and never touch a paint brush again. I don't know why abstraction is so difficult for me. It goes beyond difficult into a point where I just swirl into an extremely downward spiral, and have no desire to do anything anymore, even the projects that I was enjoying.

Jackson Pollock abstraction
*Photo from arthistoryspot.com

When I think back over the course of my nearly two and half years at this college, every abstract assignment has produced the same exact emotion. In the early days of drawing and painting, I was so concerned that I wouldn't be able to make something look even semi-realistic, that I never even stopped to think that I couldn't do abstract. I always assumed it would be something natural to me; an innate gift, if you will. After all, I always thought, 'how hard can abstraction be?' Instead, I get so angry with myself for being unable to paint/draw anything that is even remotely acceptable, and I find myself just wanting to drop out of the class and not deal with the failure (I won't drop the class, but I start having these thoughts). I don't understand why I can appreciate it, see others' work and admire it, study it endlessly, and still be unable to put out anything that looks like I spent time on it.

Hans Burkhardt: Burial of Gorky
*Photo from artknowledgenews.com

I've been told that some artist's go through shifts in their lives, and that they may do abstraction for long stretches and then suddenly turn to realism for a spell, and then trying something else entirely. Maybe this is just not the time in my life for abstraction. It's unfortunate, as it seems there is at least one (if not more) in each class to contend with, and I wish I could at least make peace with the genre, so that it wouldn't be such a struggle to get through these assignments. Unfortunately for me, I'm dealing with two abstract projects at the moment, and I'm hoping I am able to keep all of my hair through this process.

Quick Turn-Around

Farewell, clipless pedals. I have said au revoir to the clip in pedals, as the experience just wasn't what I had hoped it would be. It was quite short lived, I am aware, but it was enough to know when something isn't right. I should also add that I don't look at this as a failure by any stretch. Rather, I used the time and riding with the clipless pedals as an opportunity to overcome a fear, and additionally to see if the pedals would alleviate some of the issues I've had while riding. The final ride was yesterday, when I rode over to the post office and bank, and realized that they just aren't for me.

The Hillborne waits outside the bank on the last ride with the clipless pedals

I had read that using clipless pedals can rid a cyclist of numb feet and possibly bring more speed to the ride. I found neither of these to be true over the approximate 50 miles total they were used, and if anything my feet were actually experiencing more numbness on longer rides. Perhaps I needed to give them more time, but they were becoming more of a nuisance than a help in cycling, so last night, off they came, and on to E-bay they went.

Clipless pedals: not quite right for me

Certainly, I don't regret my time with these pedals, and I think for someone more concerned with racing, perhaps they would be worth trying, but I realized that I enjoy being able to wear whatever shoes I choose, and having my feet attached to the pedals just isn't worth it for me. I am glad that I got back on and rode after falling, so that I don't hold on to some sort of fear of falling with these pedals, but I think I'm learning more each day that sometimes, we just have to try things to see if they work for us as an individual, and when they don't work, we have to be willing to move on.

Eight Legged Foe

Spiders are a subject that I definitely try to avoid talking about. I've had a phobia of them since I was a small child. I call it a phobia because it goes far, far beyond a fear. The fact that I can even sit here typing the word spider without cringing is pretty amazing, actually. During this time of year though, the house seems to become overwhelmed by my eight-legged 'friends,' and while I've tried to use my Jedi mind tricks to convince them to stay outside of the house, this rarely seems to work. My deal has been, as long as they stay outdoors, I will have no reason to have them killed, but once they come indoors, they've invaded our home, and this is unacceptable to me.

For the last couple of weeks, we've had two visitors hanging out quite near the front of the house, but not actually coming into our home. I've kept my word to leave them undisturbed, but I'm starting to become disturbed and a bit concerned because they are growing astronomically in size. I was able to get a couple of pictures using my extra long lens (as I cannot be too close to them).

The first one is a type of spider I've seen around, but even posting the picture below, is causing shivers to run through my body. For some reason, it looks as though it's just ready to burst and hundreds of little Charlotte babies will come spewing out (likely into our house, since the spider is a mere couple feet from the front door).

Spider is spinning its web, making me nervous about baby spiders
I've just discovered these are called Cat Faced spiders

The second one is truly one of the most beautiful spiders I've ever seen, and even despite my utter fear of being anywhere near these creatures, I couldn't help but be fascinated by the color and long legs of this creature.

Colorful, long-legged spider, hanging out in our front bushes
This one is called a Banded Garden spider

Though it's difficult to see here because the bush is so green, his color is actually a bit of a sap green, and the patterns on his rear side are absolutely gorgeous!

While I'm not a fan of these insects, I truly don't want to disturb them, but I believe Sam has intentions to remove them from their current resting positions (mostly for my benefit), because if I happen to come fact to face with one of these indoors or walking out the front, it may just send me over the edge.

Home Hunting in Denver

Today began an exhaustive search for Will's new home. When Sam's friend moved here last September from South Carolina (via a year long stay over in Oregon), he wanted to live the urban life in an apartment and have things within walking distance. Seemed reasonable to us. Now, he's in the market to purchase his own home rather than renting, and we decided to help him out by being the annoying tag-a-longs as we searched out various areas. Will's brilliant idea is to find a single story duplex, buy it, rent us one half, while we in turn rent out our house (since there is no way we can sell our current house in this market). If this were to actually take place, we would want the new home to be in a place that is in an area that has a lot of things within walking/riding distance, otherwise, there would be no point in moving.

But, before the big search got under way, I had to stop and pick up some art supplies, and since we were in Denver anyway, might as well go to one of the best little shops around, especially if one is looking for paper (which I was).

Kozo's store front: small, unassuming, but great people inside

After picking up supplies I needed (for the work I should've been at home completing), we were all hungry, so we stepped across the street to a little pub for some lunch.

Turkey wrap, with some all too greasy (though good) fries.

 We sucked down some water, people watched from the outdoor patio, and the boys had a good time being silly (particularly Will).

Empty water glass: More please!

Will being weird, Sam hiding his disgust

Having the opportunity to be in Denver and feel like a part of the community is always nice. I know I spend a lot of time there anyway when in class, but I don't ever get to experience the city because I'm in my little protective bubble and I stay focused on the tasks at hand while there, only departing the art building to head home.

People bicycling, walking, and just enjoying city living

It's easy to see why people want to live close to things. Accessibility, convenience, and enjoying life is so much more fun when you aren't driving tons of miles to get to where you're going. After a nearly day-long hunt for the perfect area, I don't think we are any closer to a find for Will, but I did realize that I absolutely don't want to stay where we are any longer than we must, as ditching the cars for two-wheeled, or two-legged transportation is so much more appealing!

Gloves vs No Gloves

Yesterday, on my bicycle ride, I decided to try an experiment. On the ride out, I wore my cycling gloves, and when I reached the half way point, I took them off, threw them in my bag, and rode back without gloves at all.  Why would I do such a thing? Well, for starters, I'm not entirely sure the gloves are doing anything for my hands and wrists.

Riding gloveless on the return ride home

I've noticed recently that, even after purchasing a smaller size of gloves, there seems to be a lot of movement of the gloves on my hand; so much so that it creates strange blisters that are highly uncomfortable. I also don't believe that the gel gloves are reducing any vibrations or road shaking to my hands.  I wasn't sure if this was all in my head, so I thought I'd try riding without them.

Because the Hillborne is a steel bicycle, the vibrations are pretty minimal. I don't notice having aching in my hands from vibrations, though I do, at times have pressure issues (this is true on all of my bicycles though, including upright style bikes). The verdict on the gloves vs no gloves question?  I'm not sure they are making any kind of difference, and in fact, I may be better off without them. Time will tell, but I thought this was an interesting aspect to find about longer distance rides.

Battle with Clipless: Conquered Fear?

Clipless pedals have been a source of anxiety in my bicycle life for some time. When Sam and I first met, I remember watching him clip into his pedals to go mountain biking, and having a twinge of fear ring through my body. I can't help it. I'm just one of those people who can literally feel pain when someone falls. An empath is the term some would use, though I think I'm just very open to my emotions. While Sam doesn't regularly fall off his bicycle, I have built up in my mind that these 'evil pedals' can bring no good. The mere mention of clip/clipless pedals in the past instantly brought a sensation of being trapped and of falling to the ground.

Clipless pedals on the Raleigh... do I dare ride?

Because of this innate fear and caution when even seeing clipless pedals, you can imagine Sam's surprise when I started talking about the possibility of putting them on the Hillborne. I have to admit, I surprised even myself with this matter. So, after a bit of talking, discussion, back and forth on the issue, I finally decided to order a pair, and set about a plan to conquer the mighty clipless pedals.

Shimano clipless pedal on Raleigh Super Course

While it may not be a factor for some individuals, one of the other things that bothered me about the idea of clipping into pedals (though this was a minor issue in comparison to my fears) is that the shoes, much like cycling apparel, are so unattractive in my opinion. I just wanted to find a shoe that looked like a semi-normal shoe, rather than one that looks as though I'm about to enter the Tour de France. It's just a personal opinion, but I was happy to find a few different choices in a more every day kind of shoe. I ended up getting a pair of Keen Presidio shoes that had compatibility with the Shimano pedals I purchased.

Normal looking shoes, which is just what I wanted, rather than a more typical 'road' shoe

The bottoms of the seemingly normal shoes have a small clip on them
to attach to the pedal (please, ignore the dog hair)

While looks are certainly not everything, there is something helpful in being excited to put something on, rather than not loving it, or even liking it remotely. I think I was able to find the happy medium with this shoe. It's not the most attractive, but it doesn't repulse me either.

So, after having both pedals and shoes, it was time to start practicing.

Day One:  We (the royal we, of course, as Sam is the one who did the work) put the pedals on the hooptie bicycle. Just looking at the pedals kind of made my stomach drop, so I had to get used to the idea first.

First try was in the house to see how the clips worked

Day Two:  First, I tried the pedals out indoors to see what they felt like and where the clips were in relationship to the shoe/pedal. Then, I got on the saddle and sat with one leg up on the curb and practiced clipping in and out of the other pedal. Then, I switched sides and tried clipping in and out of the other side. I never once pedaled the bicycle.

Trying out the pedals outdoors on day three

Day Three: I repeated day two's activities, and then was brave enough to try riding with only one side clipped in to the pedals. After practicing this a few times, I decided to take the leap and attach both sides and hope for the best. Miraculously, I didn't fall over; but, since the brakes on the Raleigh aren't great, and probably need to be replaced, it was a little scary stopping at times. On this evening, I asked Sam to go ahead and put the clipless pedals on the Hillborne, so that I could ride it on day four. A scary prospect, but it needed to be done eventually anyway.

Clipless pedals on the Hillborne! Woo hoo!!

Day Four:  I decided that in order to feel comfortable enough with these pedals, I needed to take an actual ride somewhere that involved lots of stop signs and signals. Having them on the bike that I'm comfortable riding made more sense to me than trying to make things work on the Raleigh which is in all honesty, too big for me. I had made the decision not to go on too long of a ride this first time out, so I took a path I'm familiar with that is about 20 miles. Seemed like a long enough ride and I'd be able to stop and start plenty of times to test my proficiency with the clipless pedals.

A familiar road that runs along the major interstate. Though not many stops, I had plenty of room
to start and stop the bike as I saw fit.

All was going well. I was riding along, stopping at will, all the while preparing myself by clipping out of the pedals before I started braking, to know that I would be able to put my foot down when the time came. I was able to take in the beautiful sites, and even though things are quite dry/dead right now, the skies were just beautiful!

Beautiful, partially cloudy skies in Colorado today

I considered going on a longer ride because all was going so well, but instead decided that I should return home. Riding home, I was becoming so confident, that I even took out the little camera to take some cool pictures of the shadows of the Hillborne.

Look at me! Riding with one hand, taking pictures AND pedaling in clipless pedals.
Who would have thought?

I was nearing home, and debating another fear I have: curbs. When I was about 8 or 9 years old, I had an incident in which I was riding on my mothers' road bicycle (which was, of course, too large for me) that had super skinny tires. I remember riding up on the curb to the house, and falling on my elbow. Not only did I do this once, but I did it three times in a matter of four days. I ended up with this horrible, scabby elbow that was green and pussy for months. I've never forgotten that, and have been working on this fear slowly, as I know that I won't actually fall over on a curb, but always remember that. As I neared the house, I unclipped the right foot, so I could prepare to ride up the curb of the driveway. I suppose I should point out that these aren't flat curbs like those in many neighborhoods, but rather are sloped curbs that don't recede to the ground at all. As I approached the curb, I decided to go for it. I rode up and had no problem at all!

Until..........  As you will recall, I had unclipped my right foot, but I forgot that when I come home, my habit has been to put my left foot on the ground.  As I was nearly stopped, I attempted to put my left foot on the ground, but it was, of course, still clipped into the pedal. In an instant, I was on the ground. Ugh! So close to a perfect ride. As I lay there laughing at myself, two neighbors came rushing to my aid. One of these neighbors doesn't even speak English, but was still trying to help, the other just kept asking if I was okay. I couldn't stop laughing, but tried to choke out, "I'm okay. I'm okay." I really was okay, sans a bit of a bruised ego, a small scrape on my hand/elbow, and a bit of a sore left ankle (from trying to twist out at the last second, I presume).

Small scrape on the outside of my hand/palm

A tiny bit of blood, and a little scrape, though very hard to see with all my freckles!

While my biggest fear was realized in one quick moment, I understand now that it isn't that bad to fall. I had read prior to doing this that everyone falls at least once in their clip/clipless pedals, and I guess I was no exception to this rule. I'm just hoping it was the first and only time it happens, mostly because I felt like a complete idiot for falling in my own driveway.

I rock! Riding in the clipless pedals and taking a picture. :o)

In all of it though, I have to say that there's something to be said for conquering a fear. I felt free, and as though I could do anything in these moments of riding. I didn't feel trapped by the pedals at all, and in reality, didn't notice them much, other than knowing that I needed to be aware of stopping and prepare for it before the last second.

Though the unknown is scary, it can be freeing to conquer a fear

I've discovered in all of this that it is important to overcome fears, especially when they are irrational. While I am a klutz (as was proven by my tumble this morning), I think this is helping me be more aware of my surroundings, and to take chances with things that I might not otherwise try at all. I am very proud of myself for working through this fear, and I truly believe that if I can use these pedals, anyone who can ride a bicycle can do so as well. While clipless pedals may not be something everyone needs or wants, I would encourage those who have a fear to try to work through it. You may surprise even yourself! Now, I must go and ice my ankle, as I believe it is swelling before my eyes. Probably should check the Hillborne for scratches as well. :o)

Struggles with Abstraction

My current painting project in progress is an abstract piece. Normally, I would be entirely thrilled about the prospect of being able to paint something abstract, as realism seems to be the focus of most of my painting classes. The assignment is to paint something that is an abstraction from nature, which does not use any of the local/natural colors of said nature, and (this is the kicker for me) that has a recognizable/identifiable concept.

Helen Frankenthaler abstract piece, Nature Abhors a Vacuum
Source: nga.gov

Abstract art is defined loosely as 'art that does not depict recognizable scenes or objects, but instead is made up of forms and colors that exist for their own expressive sake' (from the Dictionary of 20th Century Art). While there are different ways that artist's express abstract art, to me, the beauty of abstraction is that it doesn't have to be about anything. Of course, for some artist's it is 'about' something.

Vance Kirkland's Forces of Nature
Source: csfineartscenter.org

If you've ever been to the Kirkland Museum in Denver, it is quickly recognizable that Mr. Kirkland was a huge admirer of nature and space themes, and even though his work is very abstract, and his ideas were purely hypothetical of what could happen, there is a definite idea behind his work.


For my project, I have a definite concept/idea. I am a lover of all things related to elephants, and have strong feelings regarding poaching the animals simply for their tusks. Even though killing elephants has long been banned, they are still being killed in large numbers simply to remove what is essentially two large teeth, which are then made into jewelry and other items. One of the interesting and rather sad things about the poaching is that elephants with large tusks are the ones who are killed to get the most for the deed. This has created a genetic shift in the animal, because the elephants with small or no tusks are left alive, thus creating a genetic mutation of sorts with elephants being born with no tusks at all. 

Tuskless elephants are increasing in numbers due to poaching
Source: abc.net.au

 The idea is clear for the project, but causing said idea to come through in the painting is another story. I've done about a dozen color sketches, trying to reach some kind of sense or conclusion, but nothing comes from it. This seems silly to me as an abstraction may not show a clear idea at all. I'm struggling with how abstract to make the piece and how much I really want to worry about it. In the end, I think I need to do what I think is visually best, but I'm struggling with pleasing the instructor (e.g. following instructions) and doing what seems natural to me. I suppose that the truth remains: no one ever says art is easy.

Decoding Clipless

G.E.: "So, why are they called 'clipless' pedals?"
Sam: "What?"
G.E.: "Clipless pedals. Why are they called 'clipless' if you have to actually clip into them? It doesn't make any sense. Why not call them clip pedals?"
Sam: "Well, there are clip pedals."
G.E.: "Okay. So, what is the difference between the two?"
Sam: (After a long story that I honestly can't recall in detail, which also didn't answer the question) "I don't know."


This is the (summarized) conversation that took place regarding clipless pedals in our household a few weeks ago. Since Sam's been a mountain biker for so many years, and uses pedals that he clips into, I thought he'd be the perfect source to get a definitive answer to my questions. Unfortunately, he just confused me more, so I took it upon myself to do some research to find out why the term 'clipless' is used for pedals that are in fact not even remotely clip-less. After all, if someone who has used them for so many years doesn't know, who could I turn to for a clear answer?

The whole issue was bothering me, and I couldn't put it to rest until I was able to get an answer. This is what I discovered. Apparently, in bicycling days of yore, bicycle pedals were either platform style (with no straps or clips used), or they had toe clips and straps to hold your foot in place.  The clip was almost always made from steel and formed a space at the front side of the pedal that the cyclist would slide his/her foot into. The foot stayed in place by utilizing a leather or nylon strap that the rider could pull tighter to keep the foot in place (similar devices are still found on some bicycles today, generally, though not exclusively, in less expensive price ranges).

Side by side difference between two different pedal types

When clipless pedals came into existence, marketers of the product needed a way to set apart these new pedals from what was more commonly known. To distinguish these new pedals from the toe-clip pedals described above, they decided to call them clipless pedals. Clipless was meant to refer to pedals that were non toe-clipped. Today, we hear these pedals referred to both as clipless and clipped pedals, but they are the same pedal type. The name has just stuck, and even though the former toe-clip pedals aren't as commonly seen, it seems that the more modern version of clip pedals may forever be known as "clipless".

While there are innumerable different pedals out in the world of bicycles, the general information is the same for the two basic types that allow one's foot to be secured to the pedal. And, after a bit of time investigating, I was able to put the issue to rest. Even though it still seems silly to me to call something 'clipless' that is by no means clip-less, I can at least now know why the term exists, and put that section of questions in my head to rest.

*Information obtained from Bike 101; photo from The Future Place

Giving In to Temptation

Early last week I finally gave in to my curiosity, and despite my utter fear of clipless pedals, I ordered a pair (as well as shoes) for the Hillborne, and they are scheduled to arrive today!

One of the funniest parts about this decision is that for the last few nights, I've had the most bizarre dreams about clipless pedals, sometimes finding clipless pedals in very strange places. For instance, one night I had a dream that I had to use a public lavatory, but the only ones I could find had toilets that only came with clipless pedals that the user had to clip in to in order to use the facilities. Another night I was dreaming about bizarrely shaped clips (they were long, triangular shapes) that wouldn't fit into the shoe (and vice versa), so I just kept falling over, because I would get trapped or hooked trying to get clipped in properly.

These are the Shimano pedals I ordered. They are single release pedals, so we'll see how it goes.

Though I seem to be having some anxiety about this (at least as the dream analysts would likely see it), I am actually looking forward to trying these out to see if it is something I can use functionally. The plan is to put the pedals on the hooptie bicycle first, so that if I do fall over, I won't harm the Hillborne. I'm hoping that I don't fall at all, but knowing how klutzy I can be, I'm sure there will be at least one fumble and tumble before the learning process is through.  Am I completely crazy for even trying this? I'm not sure, but I am looking forward to the experience, even if it doesn't work out.

Sweet Treats Request/Trial Run

Cupcakes seem to be all the rage these days. From cupcake contest shows, to giveaways online, to cupcakes being 'banned' in schools, it's difficult to escape the barrage of cupcake-related entertainment. While I understand that good nutrition is an absolute necessity for the health of our present and future, I also believe in everything in moderation. There's nothing wrong with a sweet treat every now and again. Though not one to indulge very often in a cupcake treat myself, Sam's co-workers have requested that I bake some cupcakes for an upcoming potluck they'll be having. I decided today to give the cupcakes a trial run to make sure they wouldn't turn out horrible during the week when I'll have limited time to get them baked.

The first thing I did was pull out  my trusty cookbook. Though I use the book to remember measurements, I often add in my own ingredients or try substitutions because I enjoy trying to figure out the best consistency for the cupcakes.

Cookbook is beaten and battered (no pun intended), but invaluable to me

One of the most difficult things to figure out was moving from sea level to nearly a mile high in elevation. I never realized how much of a difference elevation can make in baking, but over the last seven years, I've had the opportunity to try out different tips and tricks. The biggest one is adding in more flour so that baked goods don't come out too runny.

Paper cupcake holders make removing the treat a much easier task

After mixing up the batter, the next thing I do is put paper cups inside the cupcake pans. While I have made cupcakes without the paper, and it is certainly more green not to use the paper, getting the cupcakes out of the pan is much, much easier with the paper cup. Plus, it makes handling them easier as I don't want others to worry about someone having touched the food they're eating.

Chocolate cupcake batter being scooped out

Spooning out the batter can be the trickiest part of making cupcakes, I think. If they are filled to different levels, they don't bake at the same rate and you end up with some cupcakes that are underdone and some that are overdone (and sometimes a few in between).

Batter-filled chocolate cupcakes-to-be

While I never seem to be able to perfectly portion the batter, I do my best to make sure they are at approximately the same volume so as to have consistent work in the end. Of course, then the next step is putting the cupcakes into the oven.

Center of the oven to bake helps keep things even

While the cupcakes are baking, there is almost always a bit of batter left in the bowl (unless you're one of those perfect bakers). Sometimes it is necessary to take a little batter taste, just to make sure the cupcakes will be good.

Taking a quick taste - Quality Assurance is important! :o)

I like to keep an eye on the cupcakes as they are baking because I have found that, depending on what I've substituted or added to the recipe, it can take more or less time for them to bake. In the end, I hope to see that the cupcakes are rising, and that they are looking scrumptious.

Looking as though the cupcakes are almost ready to come out

Once the cupcakes are out and cooling, I start working on the frosting. For this batch, I decided to make a chocolate frosting as well.

Mixing up butter, sugar, baking chocolate, etc for the frosting

As you can see, I got a bit carried away with liquid, and unfortunately, the frosting is a bit runnier than it should have been.

Icing is easily slopping off the spatula, so I know I overdid the milk in the frosting

Since this was just a practice run, it isn't the end of the world, but I should've paid better attention to the amounts I was adding. I tend to just add without measuring when I make frosting, and it makes for a guessing game as to how it will turn out.  After the cupcakes have cooled for several minutes, I went ahead and added the frosting.

Runny frosting makes for sloppy results

Of course, the official taste tester had to have one (and a half, as I couldn't get through mine because they are SO sweet!). He seems to be enjoying them though, with no complaints about the taste.

Sam mmm's over his chocolate cupcake

The trial run was a good test, and now I know not to cook them quite as long and not to add so much liquid to the frosting. In the mean time, Sam will have the opportunity to have a few sweet treats to enjoy. Wouldn't having a cupcakery be so much fun?

Local Couple Cycle Across the U.S.

I'm not entirely sure how I missed this article, but the Times-Call wrote a story a few weeks ago about a local couple who decided to take an 87-day "vacation," and bicycle from Yorktown, Virginia, to Florence, Oregon. Apparently, they started cycling again after moving to Colorado 17 years ago.

What an amazing trip it must have been! Just to see the countryside from a different perspective is a treat, but to see so much of it, and during a gorgeous time of year, well, that's just icing on the cake.

Belated B-day Brunch

It wasn't exactly 'brunch' per se, really more of an early lunch, but I had a whole "B" thing going, so I went with it. A friend of mine and I decided that rather than doing birthday gifts for each other, we would just figure out a time to do a lunch or dinner together, as that's really more important than any material things we can get. The problem has been working out a schedule to do so, but today the day finally arrived. Despite my desperate need to get work done, I decided to ride over to meet with Kelly for a little gab time before she started off on a mini vacation and I headed home to do all of the work that's been put off this week.

Pashley is ready to roll!

Even though Sam and I did a ride on the Hillborne/Surly bicycles this morning, the meeting up spot was so close that I just couldn't bring myself to drive, particularly because it's such a beautiful day. The Pashley waited patiently, while I thought about whether or not I was forgetting anything (apparently, I'm an angry thinker!).

Pondering, while holding up the Pashley

Once I realized that I was good to go, we were off and rolling for our quick ride to lunch, errr... brunch.

It's hard to take pictures of yourself while riding a bicycle, especially with a DSLR! I don't know how all these folks in web-land are so coordinated. I managed not to fall off the bicycle though, nor did I drop the camera, so all is right with the world.

I would just like to say how frustrating it is to go to meet up with someone and not have bike racks available. Though I believe it is a requirement for new builds in Longmont to actually install a certain number of racks, in Firestone (adjacent to Longmont) it is not a requirement, apparently, so I was forced to lock my girl up to a metal fence... so unbecoming of a lady!  After munching on lunch and chatting for a while, it was time to go, and we got so busy with talking I didn't get to take any pictures. {sigh} Well, life will move on, and the Pashley was happy to be released from her metal prison once again.

And, we're ready to go home

Happy Thursday to all, and a yummy and happy belated birthday to me! Now, seriously, I must get my work done.