Bike & Blog

And We're Off

2008-06-11T08:54:00.002-04:00

I leave for orientation and the official start of whats going to be an awesome summer in just a couple hours so this is going to be a very short blog since I have yet to figure out how to get my gear into my backpack since my sleeping bag takes up the ENTIRE thing.

Thanks again to all of you who supported me in one way or the other to make all this possible.

Here's my schedule for the summer, and please visit www.bikeandbuild.org and check out our journals and pictures once we got on the road.

Week:
Date
City - State
Mi.
06/11
Boston - MA
0
06/12
Boston - MA
0
06/13
Andover - MA
23
06/14
BUILD DAY
0
06/15
Fitchburg - MA
40
06/16
Amherst - MA
51
06/17
Pittsfield - MA
48

06/18
Poughkeepsie - NY
77
06/19
BUILD DAY
0
06/20
Port Jervis - NY
57
06/21
Mount Pocono - PA
51
06/22
Berwick - PA
53
06/23
State College - PA
94
06/24
Johnstown - PA
80

06/25
Pittsburgh - PA
74
06/26
DAY OFF
0
06/27
Steubenville - OH
45
06/28
Newcomerstown - OH
85
06/29
Columbus - OH
87
06/30
BUILD DAY
52
07/1
Rushville - IN
92

07/2
Bloomington - IN
76
07/3
BUILD DAY
0
07/4
Lawrenceville - IL
82
07/5
Salem - IL
71
07/6
St Louis - MO
71
07/7
DAY OFF
0
07/8
Potosi - MO
68

07/9
Houston - MO
95
07/10
Springfield - MO
91
07/11
BUILD DAY
0
07/12
Joplin - MO
79
07/13
Vinita - OK
62
07/14
Tulsa - OK
66
07/15
BUILD DAY
0

07/16
Chandler - OK
72
07/17
Yukon - OK
61
07/18
Cordell - OK
84
07/19
Wheeler - TX
78
07/20
Amarillo - TX
98
07/21
BUILD DAY
0
07/22
Hereford - TX
52

07/23
Portales - NM
75
07/24
Roswell - NM
92
07/25
DAY OFF
0
07/26
Carrizozo - NM
90
07/27
Socorro - NM
76
07/28
Pie Town - NM
84
07/29
Springerville - AZ
71

07/30
Houck - AZ
82
07/31
Winslow - AZ
88
08/1
Flagstaff - AZ
74
08/2
BUILD DAY
0
08/3
Grand Canyon South Rim - AZ
79
08/4
DAY OFF
0
08/5
Ash Fork - AZ
76

08/6
Kingman - AZ
112
08/7
Las Vegas - NV
103
08/8
BUILD DAY
0
08/9
Baker - CA
93
08/10
Barstow - CA
67
08/11
Palmdale - CA
97
08/12
Santa Clarita - CA
35

08/13
Santa Paula - CA
33
08/14
BUILD DAY DAY OFF
43
08/15
BUILD DAY
0

Automotive Darwinism

2008-05-29T13:55:00.010-04:00

An excerpt from Thomas Friedman's NY Times article Truth or Consequences:

I can’t say it better than my friend Tim Shriver, the chairman of Special Olympics, did in a Memorial Day essay in The Washington Post: “So Dodge wants to sell you a car you don’t really want to buy, that is not fuel-efficient, will further damage our environment, and will further subsidize oil states, some of which are on the other side of the wars we’re currently fighting. ... The planet be damned, the troops be forgotten, the economy be ignored: buy a Dodge.”

At a time when Americans are finally considering making major lifestyle changes, if not for the sake of the environment, then at least for the sake of their wallets, the attempts by companies like Dodge and Jeep to suck customers in with promises of $2.99/gallon gas for the next three years, and promises from two presidential candidates of summertime gas tax repeals, are borderline criminal.

I can't decide if its stubborn, or just plain stupid. Obviously there are still going to be people out there who will insist on driving large SUVs and trucks, and there are plenty of people who can afford to do so, even if gas sky rockets to $5 a gallon, as expected. However, the logistics of this offer don't really pan out, especially when compared to the efficiency of hybrids, you still end up paying more to drive a 14 mpg vehicle at 2.99 a gallon, than a 30-40 mpg car at much higher gas prices.

If there is still a demand for big cars and trucks, which for many small business operations there always will be (contractors, landscapers, etc.) then these companies should be focusing on how to deliver the same size vehicle, with comparable performance and power while using much less fuel, or alternative sources of energy. They aren't doing that though, and it seems that survival of the fittest will prevail even in the auto market. Overall car sales have been down by 4% across the U.S., but the demand for small, fuel efficient cars is skyrocketing. Companies like Ford, whose 2008 sales have dropped 1% since April, are kept afloat by a 44% increase in sales of the Focus, a compact, affordable car that boasts up to 34 MPG. Toyota, who makes the increasingly ubiquitous and space-ship-like Prius, has had a 3% boost in overall sales, and now has a two month waiting period for anyone who would like to purchase their hybrids.

Regardless of whether your car gets 10 or 40 MPG, the real question is, if gas prices reach 5-6 dollars a gallon, and suddenly it costs upwards of $100 to fill up, what are you going to do when you can no longer afford it? Basically, what is your plan B? Could you walk or bike to work? Carpool? Work from home? Take public transportation? Would you sacrifice going away for vacations? Many businesses will have to be especially resourceful and creative to get around rising prices, either by making up the difference in other ways, skillfully avoiding rising costs, or simply passing the higher prices right on to customers (the first two being more difficult, but preferable in the long run to the last one).

Unfortunately, the cost of food and virtually everything that needs to be transported from manufacturer to retailer in order to reach the customer is already rising. That doesn't bode well for people who already struggle to put food on the table, and a roof over their heads. In fact, when the cost of a tank of gas escalates to the point where it doesn't fit into a low-income budget, and that tank reaches empty, it may prevent someone from making it to work. In the worst case scenario, a low-wage worker could lose her job for missing a day, or being late, and then be unable to find another because she can't drive out to an interview, or would be confined to the jobs available within walking distance of home, or within reasonable reach via public transportation. Barbara Ehrenreich writes about this dilemma in her book Nickel and Dimed, and illustrates the cyclical, inescapable nature of poverty in America. The most important point Ehrenreich makes in her book is that even while working 40, 50 or 60 hour weeks, and many times juggling several jobs (as so many of Americas impoverished do), it is damn near impossible to live comfortably on low-wage salary, let alone the Federal Minimum wage. The Working Poor by David Shipler gives specific examples of hard working people who were sent into a swift downward spiral into poverty by either one unexpected large bill that could not be met, such as car repair or a medical expense, and suddenly found themselves with bad credit, no savings, and no where to turn for help.

One of the greatest things about riding a bike cross country this summer is that it makes you temporarily impervious to the prices at the pump. Once I get home though, I think I will be forced to say byebye to my little hatchback as I move out of the suburbs and into the city, leaving myself at the mercy of the inefficient..and sometimes deadly MBTA.

Consistent Blogging is Hard

2008-05-22T10:07:00.004-04:00

During the last three weeks, while I was dutifully neglecting my blog, a series of events of both quotidian (I'm psyched to find use for this seemingly useless, pesky GRE word) and cataclysmic proportions took place that seem to be somewhat in tandem with my own life. First, as we all know, an earthquake ripped through the heart of China, taking thousands of lives and destroying thousands of homes, schools, and villages. Every clip and photograph that crossed the papers and news broadcasts have caused a lump to well up in my throat, and a rush of gratitude that my Chinese and American friends still over there were miles away from the site of the quake. The images from Sichuan province brought a flood of memories of my own over-crowded classroom in Inner Mongolia, of the shanty villages outside the school campus, and the city stacks of crumbling cement buildings that shelter dozens of families at once, and lend testament to the fragility of Chinese infrastructure. It also speaks to the importance of an organization like Habitat for Humanity, which responded to the earthquake of 2007 that destroyed 90,000 homes in Yunnan province, and I am sure will be quick to respond to this most recent one.

Coincidentally, I recently SURPASSED my fundraising goal with 4,155 dollars raised, which is enough to sponsor a Habitat for Humanity home in China. Unfortunately, it takes a lot more to build in the States, but after spending a recent Saturday afternoon with some fellow Bike&Builders at a Lawrence Habitat site, I am all the more impressed by the institution, and excited to get more involved. Our Boston to Santa Barbara trip is actually donating the bulk of our funds to the Merrimack Valley Habitat that is building in Lawrence, which makes me happy because it's in my home state, Lawrence has the second highest rate of foreclosures in Massachusetts, and a rate of 34.4% of the population living below the poverty line, so I know it is time and money well spent.

In other news, I spent my past two Sundays out on awesomely long bike rides with former Bike & Builders. In just those two rides I learned a great deal about my bike and surviving out on the road. I did make the classic rookie mistake of not clipping out early enough when coming to a stop, and as a result I took a wobbly, slo-mo digger onto the pavement. Fortunately, the only thing hurt was my pride. However, last night I found out a long-time Westford "cyclist", that my friends and I lovingly refer to as "DUI", also took a spill and was not so lucky. He was struck by a car and was seen cradling his bloodied head on the side of the road during yesterday's rush hour. "DUI" is a crotchety, bearded, flannel-clad old man whom we assume has had his license permanently revoked. As long as we can remember this guy has been hoofing it through the streets of Westford on a one speed bike, with two 12-packs of Natty Ice in each pannier basket, a Marlboro red hanging from his lips, and an emphatically extended middle finger for passing motorists.

Wherever you are DUI, may you have a speedy recovery, and someone to keep you fully stocked with watered-down, fizzy beer.

I should also mention that the first of the 2008 Bike & Build trips is underway! The Central US group left Virginia Beach just a few days ago, and the North Carolina trip is starting as we speak. Bon Voyage to all of you, and as they say: lets keep the rubber side down.

Boston 2 Santa Barbara departs in less than 3 weeks which means...tomorrow I'm giving my two weeks notice (decidedly one of the greatest feelings on earth)! YESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS.

Lastly, a big thanks to recent donors, my fellow "low-belts" Karen, Ed and Lee from Alpha TKD, the Lawlors, the Pearsons, the Dorados, Frank and Jen, Mark M., Travis S. and Donnie M. Also, thanks mom for stocking me up with lots of Kashi energy bars for the trip...and for feeding me for the past 23 years ;)

Funds Were Raised, Good Times Were Had

2008-05-07T22:37:00.004-04:00

Thank you to everyone who made it out to the fundraiser on Friday, and thanks for the folks at The Good Life Bar for hosting, I'm now a mere 40 bucks away from 4,000!
Here are a few pictures from the night:

Hopefully the houses I help build this summer will be a bit more structurally sound than this one:

Setting a good example..

Mingling Westfordites

Dysfunctional Family Portrait Time!

Someone is really happy to be the manmeat in this sandwich

Friar Reunion!

The Home Stretch

2008-04-30T15:58:00.005-04:00

This Friday night I am hosting a fundraiser for Bike & Build at The Good Life Bar on Kingston street in Boston. (Easily accessible from Downtown Crossing and South Station via Summer St.) I encourage anyone and everyone to come and bring all your friends. I will be asking for a $10 donation at the door, and soliciting donations from strangers with a house-shaped donation jar, however, if you are a Bike & Builder yourself, or have already given me a donation, you are exempt from this. It starts at 7:30 and the early birds will get free pizza.

The next morning a few Bike & Builders and I will be wielding hammers and powertools at a Merrimack Valley Habitat for Humanity project in Lawrence. All B&Bers have sweat equity requirements to fulfill before the start of their trips, this includes a minimum of 8 hours volunteering at an affordable housing site, and several hours researching affordable housing and poverty in the U.S. in preparation for a presentation to be made along the journey. While I have already been stuffing my brain with stats and facts about poverty housing for some time now, I have yet to volunteer, and I am still shy of the $4,000 mark. However, I am hoping with a solid turnout on Friday night, and a full day on site Saturday, I can cross fundraising and sweat equity off my "to-do" list in one fell swoop. That would be nice since there are little over 6 weeks left (yikes!) til departure and in that time I have about 5 work-free, obligation-free days to work with. That doesn't leave much time to get my sorry butt into shape...

Thank you Chris and Moira for putting a giant dent in my remaining fundraising goal :)

When it Comes to Biking, It IS All About the Benjamins, Baby

2008-04-25T13:57:00.005-04:00

If there is one thing I now know for certain about cycling, it is that it's an incredibly expensive and materialistic sport, and I can barely afford it. Buying and maintaining a bike is an investment of time and resources in itself, yet the sheer amount of products available to make the human body faster, more efficient, or more comfortable while riding a bike is unbelievable. There is a piece of equiptment ergonomically and anatomically designed for every inch of the male and female body. The line between what is necessary and unecessary seems permanently blurred. Once you decide you actually do need something, you have to decide between tens, sometimes hundreds of options ranging in price and quality, but all claiming to be the best at the pressure-relieving, moisture-wicking, skin-protecting or power-transferring properties that they were designed for. I realized all these years I took for granted the convenience of only needing a decent pair of sneaks to compete and train as a runner. Those days are over.

Let's take, for example, feet. One with little or no knowledge of cycling may assume that a cyclists feet are of little importance since a rider spends most of his or her time sitting; WRONG. On the contrary, there is a whole parallel universe in sports equiptment dedicated to a cyclist's footsies. Shoes, for instance, can be divided into two general categories of "Road shoes" and "Mountain Biking Shoes". Those two categories can be sub-divided according to the type of cleats they have, which correspond to the pedals on the bike. Pedals are a whole new can of worms, so lets assume, for sanity's sake, that our hypothetical cyclist has Shimano pedals, which would require her to get shoes that are SPD compatible, simple enough. She has also decided to get mountain biking shoes because she is not racing, and will need to be getting on and off her bike frequently in the course of a day. Now, each shoe is made of different materials making it breathable, or durable, stiff or flexible. A stiffer sole is going to get more power out of every stroke of the pedals because there is less resistance when the foot pushes down on it, yet these may be less comfortable, and certainly harder to walk around in when off the bike. The opposite holds true for a softer sole; easier to walk in, but less power in each stroke. Once a decision has been made on this front, there is always the issue of price, (which can range from $80 to well over 2 or 300), which seems to correlate directly with appearance, (some shoes say "I'm the next Lance Armstrong, while others say "I bought these online for a discount, and now I have elephant feet").

Then theres the issue of socks, yes, socks. A cyclist can't wear just your run-of-the-mill cotton tubes or gold toes...oh no. A cyclist needs a sock that will wick sweat, dry itself, and have acceptable air permeability. Not only do these babies run for up to 15 buckaroos a pop...but they are like snowflakes, no two pairs are alike. That means, when you inevitably lose one in the dryer, your feet are going to suffocate and sweat profusely, and you're out 15 bucks. Of course, you can find them for cheaper online, but all the cool looking ones are always gone, so the bargain hunters get stuck with the crappy designs like the red, white and blue ones that say "Vive La France". I'm not kidding. In fact, as an aspiring art historian, I am considering doing some research on the underground art movement that is cycling sock design, and up until a month ago was previously unbeknownst to me.

I was also recently made aware of little things called "Booties". Booties are are meant to slip over the cycling shoe to block wind and keep feet warm. So while a cyclist may have just spent her life savings on shoes and socks with adequate "air permeability" it is also necessary to buy booties in case the permeating air is too cold. Fantastic.

So I admit, I am a little bent out of shape over the superfluous spending necessary to go for a ride on my new bike, but when I took it out last night (without incident!) for the first time with new Shimano MTB shoes, black and white striped cycling socks, and clipless pedals, it felt pretty darn good.

Thanks to the great guys at Back Bay Bicycles in Boston for their help and the generous discount they offer to Bike and Builders. I went in needing pretty much everything except for a bike, and I came out 45 minutes later fully equipped to shlepp across the US of A. Also, A big thank you to the Studley family, and the Mandeville family for their generous and unexpected contributions.
I have raised 3,420 dollars! That's 86% of my goal, I can't believe it.

L'Allez Est Arrivé!

2008-04-17T09:20:00.000-04:00

Yesterday was an excrutiatingly endless day at the office because I came in and found an email in my box from UPS that said my new bike had spent the night in Chelmsford and was going to be delivered that day! I have a hard enough time sitting still and waiting for 5pm to roll around as it is, but when I have to sit in this dismal cement slab of a building and rot under fluorescent lights as the last hours of a very bikeable, bright and balmy spring day trickle away, it literally makes time stand still.

Fortunately 5:00 did eventually come around and I sped home to play with my new toy...

Wally was way skeptical about letting this intruder into his house...

He let me lug it in anyways...

A "welcome to your new home" hug...

Smells like factory fresh rubber and plastic!

Big box did not contain Bicycle Mechanic...Must not screw this up...

Dad to the rescue...

Sooooo bad ass...

In other exciting news, we now have less than two months before the departure date. Time to up the ante with training, fundraising, and cramming affordable housing information into my brain.

Thank you to the Quinn Family for their generous donation!

Fundraising Frenzy!

2008-04-09T11:09:00.000-04:00

My last post was a little on the angry side, so to make up for that, this one is going to be all great news!

First of all, and most importantly, I surpassed the halfway mark in funds raised and I am well on my way to hitting the 3,000 dollar mark! I am so grateful to all of you who have made donations and made this possible. Honestly, there were points not too long ago when I was staring at a grand total of a few measly hundred dollars, and it really felt like raising 4,000 would be nearly impossible. That is no longer the case, and with a few more donations, and the proceeds from upcoming events I have planned, that foreboding number with its ever-impending deadlines will be eating my bicycle dust.

Speaking of bicycles, I ordered my bike and it is on it's merry way! I decided at long last to cough up the extra money and upgrade to the Specialized Allez Elite Compact. I figure I am going to have it for a very long time, and it is going to be getting alot of use this summer alone, I might as well. I am so excited for it to arrive, and I its totally going to feel like Christmas when it does. For some reason, it is so much more fun to get things in the mail delivered to you, even when you know it's coming.

Here's a picture, ain't she a beaut...

Thank you to Rene Chase, Bill Chase & Family, Debbie T., Linda W. & The Welles Emporium, for your donations!

That's all for now,

Happy Cycling

Not So Pretty in Pink

2008-03-28T22:30:00.000-04:00

I have a few pet peeves. One of them, which I've had since being a kid, is when something that is made specifically for a woman is colored pink or purple and decked out in flowers. Maybe its the dislike for gender conditioning that began the moment I popped out of the womb and was swaddled in a pink blanket and topped with a pink hat. Or maybe it was all the frilly dresses and bows my mom forced me to wear as a kid when all I wanted was to play sports and wear my Jordache jeans (c'mon don't laugh, I know you owned a pair, too). All I know, is that it bothers me.

Another pet peeve of mine is know-it-alls, especially know-it-alls that are trying to sell me something. So I went to a local bike shop today that I had never been to before. I had no intention of buying anything, I just wanted to check it out. I went in and a nice young guy asked me if I was looking for anything specific, I said "No, but since you're here, can you tell me if you carry the Specialized Allez?" After asking me what a Specialized Allez was (it's a bike) he told me he didn't know because he hadn't been there very long. So he called over an older guy, who turned out to be the owner, and a royal pain in my butt. I told him I was thinking about getting the Specialized Allez Elite Compact and that I just wanted to see it in person. He immediately shot back "No, you don't want that bike, that bike is for a man, you want the Dolce". I smiled and said I knew of plenty of women who cycled with this model and that I would be just fine because I am tall, long limbed..and I sort of have freakishly big hands for a woman. He huffed and said.."well maybe for a woman you have big hands, but that doesn't mean you should be riding a man's bike". I should have just told him I was just looking around and left then and there, but instead I got suckered into his sales scheme which involved getting a "full body scan" that would normally cost a customer at this place 75 bucks, but he was so convinced he was going to sell me a bike that he said he would do it for free, even when I insisted that I wouldn't be buying anything that day. So he measured my height, inseam,etc, and had me put my palms to the floor to see how flexible my hamstrings are (they are very flexible). He admitted, to his chagrin, that I might actually fit on a men's bike, but then went and got out the woman's version of the bike I wanted anyway. I was appalled to see him roll out a midget sized bike in powdery white with disgustingly pink, flowery decals. I wouldn't ride that bike if every inch and crevice of it were custom built to fit my body, and gave me superpowers. Maybe I shouldn't have been so offended by this, but just imagine if a man who was smaller than me (I know plenty of them) came in and was told that he had to ride a little boys bike...it would never happen, but I think most guys would be thoroughly ticked off if it did.

To put the icing on the cake, the owner's wife brought over a bright pink cycling jersey to show me and proudly exclaimed that she had just received pink clipless pedals that would not only match the color scheme on the bike, but would match my hair. I smiled again and told her no thanks, it wasn't really my style.

So after listening to this guy drone on about why I needed every exorbitantly priced piece of equipment in his store, and then tell me to be careful when buying a pump, because many women aren't strong enough to use them, he asked me why I was interested in cycling. I gave him the Bike and Build schpiel, and he scoffed, cut me off mid sentence and said "You people are cycling the wrong direction! Don't you know about the fierce prairie winds that blow from west to east!?"

That was pretty much the last straw. I could deal with with being told I'm part of an inferior sex, this guy was far too crotchety and stubborn to change his ways at this point, but when he started mocking the very reason I was in his lousy shop in the first place, I got mad.

I said Bike & Builders had been cycling that direction for years, and they all made it just fine, and walked out.

Needless to say, I won't be going back!

Thank you to my recent donors, The Lincoln Family, Nana and Poppa, and Mike Holland...I'm almost to the halfway mark and I couldn't have done it without you all.

Filling the Tank with Premium

2008-03-21T12:23:00.000-04:00

So I have been thinking a lot about food lately, which is really nothing out of the ordinary for me, however, I should note that yesterday (Easter) marked the end of Lent, during which I abstained from eating all meat. Naturally, I celebrated my successful meat free stint with a heaping plate of my Aunt Kathleen's pot roast.

For the most part, it was surprisingly easy to cut meat out of my life completely. There were demons to fight of course, especially in the presence of Italian sausages and buffalo chicken wings, but I am fortunate enough to like just about every food on earth, so it wasn't hard to come up with alternatives. Plus, I really believe it is entirely possible, and even somewhat easy to get any vitamin or nutrient you could ever need without touching meat, and that in the end you will be better off for it because of the mechanized, unnatural process of meat raising, slaughtering, and packing.

It even made me more ambitious in the kitchen, I made everything from coconut-curried-squash to quinoa salad to blackened tilapia. (I have lots of recipes if anyone wants) Ultimately, the whole idea was to find out two things; first, I wanted to know if I would feel healthier by not eating meat, and second, I wanted to know if being a vegetarian is something I could do permanently.

The answers, of course, are never a simple yes or no.

In fact, the whole topic of food and eating in this country is one of the most confusing, misleading, and misunderstood aspects of the American lifestyle. For a society that spends billions of dollars annually on dieting books, dieting plans, gym memberships, equipment and personal trainers, we are still fat, unhealthy, and pretty much clueless about one of the most fundamental necessities in life. Who can blame us though,

it seems as though the lines between actual food and substances that resemble food have become so blurred that it is often hard to tell which is which. Shopping for real, unmodified, healthy food in American grocery stores is almost as hard and confusing as trying to find something edible in the "salty regerable" aisle at a Chinese supermarket (see photo).All of this is much more eloquently and explicitly laid out by Michael Pollan in his books, The Omnivore's Dilemma, and In Defense of Food, but you can get his gist from a fantastic article he wrote for the Times last year called Unhappy Meals. One of his most poignant and logical arguments is that if a food is wrapped in a package that is covered in health claims, it is probably not healthy at all. He packs his whole philosophy in a few simple words: Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants.

As I said before, I gave up meat to find out if it would make me feel better, I guess because I have too often felt crummy after eating something. After spending last year in China, and having little control over what I was eating, let alone even knowing what I was eating, I sort of felt like toxic waste, like I'd overdosed on MSG or something, and ever since then I have paid deliberate attention to how I feel after I eat certain things. What it all boils down to is the simple fact that food should make you feel good! Like you can conquer the world! Unfortunately, most of the stuff that is readily available, and especially in restaurants, leaves you downing a bottle of mint Tums or in a food coma. While that foggy, lethargic feeling is totally desirable and acceptable after Thanksgiving dinner, it should not be an every day occurrence.

While I don't think there are absolutes when it comes to what to eat, and what not to, I do think that it can be as simple as using common sense and listening to what the ol' body is saying. It will tell you if it needs iron or potassium, it is smarter than you think. It may also tell you that it wants to gorge on a tub of Ben and Jerry's Phish Food, that's when you give it a little bit, and tell it to shut up.

Another thing I have found to be true over the years is that we are very adaptable creatures, us humans, and the stomach is no exception. If you give it good, real food, it will not only learn to like it, it will learn to crave it.

Thanks to the following for their generous donations to Bike & Build: Denise Lynch, Kathleen and Joe August, Aunt Gerry, Grammie, M. Herbert, and Murray Clark

And also thank you to those who made it to my fundraiser last week ... I greatly appreciate all your support

-Erin

Pleasure Spiked with Pain

2008-03-10T22:27:00.000-04:00

I went running yesterday and today for the first time in months.

It was horrible.

I was struggling to put one foot in front of the other and keep going. The whole time-which was only a measly 20 minutes-if I wasn't wishing to be put out of my misery, I was wondering how I ever enjoyed running so much, or how anyone actually enjoys running, for that matter. I used to believe a long, hard run could remedy not only physical deficiencies by making every part of the body stronger, but mental and emotional ones as well. If I was angry or stressed, it only took 4-5 quick miles to run myself ragged, and like magic, I would feel too tired to feel anything but tired. It was this poor-college student's panacea, and it worked like a charm.

I ran every single day. I ran 8 seasons of high school track, and 2 in college. I've probably run thousands of miles and hundreds of races, and there I was, wheezing my way up an ant hill like it was Mount Everest.

But as I finally rounded that last bend and my house came into view, the last few drops of saved daylight were setting behind it, I felt a hint of the old runner in me. Maybe not the old runner who felt a race well run was completed by heaving that pre-game Powerbar into the trashcan (they don't taste good going up or down, by the way), but maybe a bit of the runner who was addicted to the burn, the sweat, and the feeling of air reaching parts of your lungs it rarely goes.

It was only a hint, but hopefully enough to ignite an old flame.

Finding the "Fun" in Fundraising

2008-03-02T17:13:00.000-05:00

4,000 is a big and scary number.

Whether you're talking about almost 4,000 calories consumed by the average American every day, 4,000 annual deaths caused by ingesting inedible objects and suffocating on them, or in my case, 4,000 miles that need to be cycled, and 4,000 dollars that need to be raised, it's a whole lot.

Right now I am focusing on the $4,000 that need to be raised. That number has been taunting me since late January, and ever since then I have been scrambling for ideas for ways to bring it down to $0.

I've asked several Bike and Build alums what their most successful fundraising techniques were, and the simple, unanimous answer was: ask people for money. While I was hoping for something a little more inventive or exciting, say perhaps, the location of a secret vault full of free money, or seeds to grow a money tree, deep down I knew the answer already, I just really didn't want it to accept it.

I recently started writing letters to close friends and family, and so far I have found that my friends and family are very generous, supportive people. Therefore, today I decided to try my luck on complete strangers. I patched together a donations jar, stuffed my pockets with B&B pamphlets, filled a bowl with chocolates and set out on my merry way.

I was surprised to find that most people were more than happy to contribute. Many took it as a wonderful opportunity to pawn those pesky Sacajawea Dollar coins off onto someone else. So after two hours of trudging door to door, my sneakers were soggy from traipsing through unshoveled walkways, my arms ached from carrying four pounds of chocolate, but I had a tin can full of money. I rushed back home and emptied the contents out onto the kitchen table. It contained one 20, three 10's, three 5's, twelve 1's, three Sacajawea's, two metal screws (I have no idea who snuck those in there) and about 15 dollars in coins...that's $95.00 total!

I also learned a great deal in those 2 hours. For one, never judge the proverbial book by its cover, meaning, just because there is a Benz parked next to the million-dollar home and the doorbell plays Pachelbel's Canon, it does not mean the people living inside are going to give you a dime. Of course, that rule goes the other way as well.

I did find however, that a house with all the shades tightly drawn, and a mountain of snow between the driveway and the front door, was a pretty accurate indicator that I should just keep walking. When I did decide to take my chances on one of these homes, I was met by a crotchety old man who practically screamed at me to "get that chocolate out of here" because he was a diabetic. i called it a day after that.

That's all for now, more on this later

Erin

The Veteran

2008-02-27T21:38:00.000-05:00

This is the story of a bike.

I arrived in Florence, Italy in January 2005. One of the very first things I noticed was, much like the other European cities I had visited, there were bicycles everywhere. They crowded the streets, clogged the sidewalks, filled school yards, and could be found locked up to every sign post and wrought iron fence. What really amazed me however, were the Italian women cruising the cobblestones streets going about their day with one kid perched over the front wheel, another side-saddling the back, two bags of groceries dangling off either side of the handlebars, a cigarette casually poised between two polished fingers and a cellphone tucked under one ear.

It was clear to me then, if I were to be living in Florence, I would be needing a bike. I soon learned that the best place to get one for a good price was at a nearby mental institution, where the patients learned bicycle mechanics and turned pieces of junk into masterpieces. I navigated my way through ancient streets on foot to another part of town, taking frequent but somewhat discreet peeks at a map so as to not look entirely like the lost tourist I was. I found myself, at last, behind a decrepit building and avoiding the shifty glances from several nightgown-clad residents who were shuffling around the courtyard. I introduced myself to someone working on a bike and he told me to take a look at the 7 or 8 bikes that were available and take my pick. Suddenly, it was as if the clouds had parted and God himself shone his light down upon it and said in a booming voice "This One". There was only one bike there for me; it was white with a basket, a bell, and a plaque on the crossbar that read "The Veteran". In a word, it was perfect: a paradigm of human engineering and design. I quickly paid the 60 Euros and shoved my map into my back pocket and set out on my way.

The Veteran and I soon became inseparable. I got to know the city streets like the back of my hand and before I knew it I was sitting in rush hour-bike traffic like the Italian women I so admired. Of course, rather than appearing chic and collected as they did, I looked nerdy and artsy as I fumbled to keep a roll of canvas under my arm as I crossed the road.

Then the unthinkable happened. It was a month before I was supposed to leave to go back to the States. I was avoiding the particularly perilous main stretch in front of my apartment by riding on the wide sidewalk when the front end of a black sedan came roaring out of a gated residence. I slammed on the brakes causing my back wheel to come up in the air. My fingers were crushed between the handlebars and the black Fiat. My paints flew off the bike and scattered into the road just as the car screeched to a halt. The man driving it rolled down his window and muttered something to me as I picked myself up off the ground, shell shocked and speechless.

My bloodied fingers and my pride healed, The Veteran, my noble steed, was not so lucky. It had a warped front wheel, a bent crank and some serious scrapes. I dragged it the rest of the way home, choking back the tears.

I begrudgingly returned to the States not long after selling my beloved Veteran for 20 Euro. I tried to resume my carefree cycling ways, but found myself despising the car-oriented American lifestyle, and cursing the tiny shoulders on busy roads, and mammoth SUVs and trucks that made every mile a precarious journey.

I've since stopped longing for my former vita Italianna and instead become entranced by the slow movement in this country to what could one day be a much more bike-friendly place. This has become a reality in places like Portland, OR, and even in Boston, a small city with plenty of wide flat roads the potential is hardly realized, but it is there.

The moral of the story? Drive slowly and courteously. Bike carefully and defensively, and resist the urges to flip the bird!

A special thanks to Diane Marinilli, and my parents for their generous contributions to Bike&Build.

Erin

The Inaugural Entry

2008-02-24T20:16:00.000-05:00

It has taken some time to get this blog started for two reasons: the first reason is that I tend to procrastinate, the second being that in order to begin writing content that is out there for all eyes to see, one makes the presumption that she has something of substance to write about, and that people will actually take interest in it.

Admittedly, I am a bit skeptical of the latter.

I should preface the next few entries with a little introduction. For those of you who don't know already, this summer I will be riding a bicycle from Boston to Santa Barbara, CA with 30 other 20-somethings for a non-profit called Bike & Build. This organization is dedicated to eliminating poverty housing by creating more affordable housing. In addition biking thousands of miles, developing massive quad muscles, and building houses, I also have to raise $4,000 before I leave on June 11th. That money goes towards funding the trip, keeping Bike&Build on its feet, and as part of large contributions donated to affordable housing projects all over the U.S.
You can read more about the organization here, read my bio here, and make a donation here!

I think that eventually this blog will serve as a travel journal once the trip gets underway but in the meantime I hope to put my two cents out in cyberspace on topics generally related to (but not limited to) biking, building, travel, poverty and social change.

Oh, and just to let you know, the U.S. recently surpassed Spain as the world's 2nd largest producer of energy from wind (Germany produces the most) and Komodo dragons-when unable to mate for long periods of time-can immaculately conceive by making embryos that are genetic clones of themselves! Neato.

Till next time

Erin