So, as previously stated, I have today off because of all the graduation hooplah, etc.  However, I found out yesterday that Ch. 2 was thinking about covering the Olsen office since HALF of our staff was planning to bike to work (okay, so there are only eight of us).  Pretty cool, right?  So I was totally bummed that I wouldn’t be biking to work.  But since I inspired so many to ride to work (that’s right, I did) they thought I should show up if I could and share in the local news glory.  So, being that I had been up since 4:30 a.m. (boyfriend defended thesis today, stress + lack of sleep = no bueno … long story) I figured I may as well go.  Plus, my good friend Jen, who lives a few blocks away, was nervous about doing it by herself.  And seeing that I am now a pro, I wanted to help. 

To my dismay, Ch. 2 never showed up.  It was a bummer, but I was glad to have gotten to ride for a bit, because otherwise I don’t think I’d have had the chance today.  Although, if I really wanted to, I suppose I could be riding now instead of writing this blog while my poor sleep-deprived boyfriend naps …

ANYWAY, we decided we’d take it upon ourselves to get Olsen Bike to Work Day covered.  So we took our own picture to send around.

Logo inclusion and everything.

We are such fun people.  Ended up hanging around for a bit just to be sure Ch. 2 wasn’t coming, and then headed home to watch last night’s Grey’s.  Boyfriend and I have a great ride scheduled for Sunday (because that’ll be the first time we can cause of the graduation celebration).  We’re thinking about doing the trail along the river that goes all the way out to Vista Blvd.  Nearly everyone I talk to says it’s a great one.  Have been scoping out mapmyride.com for some potential future rides, too.  Will be sure to document!!

So tomorrow, Friday, May 15, is Nevada Bike to Work Day.  And I think the whole week is actually considered Nevada Bike to Work Week.  I am not totally sure.  Either way, I was pretty bummed that I wasn’t going to be able to bike to work on Friday.  My dad will be in town and I’m not going to work!  Please do not confuse this with my being bummed about my dad being in town and/or taking a day off!  But I am totally and genuinely bummed about not getting to participate in Bike to Work Day.

As stated in my previous entry, I resolved to bike to work the entire week, save Friday.  And here we are on Thursday and I did it!  Even today, which is a half-day.  I’m not gonna lie, I am pretty darn impressed with myself.  Not that it’s a tough or long ride.  It’s relatively short and easy.

As stated in another previous entry:

I definitely need to be on my bike a lot more to have better stories to tell.  Now, the learning part is mostly taken care of.  I can ride the bike.  Now I need to start experiencing life from my bike.

Yes, I just block-quoted my own blog post.

Hopefully after Brad is done with school we can go on some more after-work rides.  I really want to try the trail along the river that goes all the way to Vista.  Anyway, I suppose that’s it for now … yay for a fun weekend of graduating, BBQing, family visiting and hopefully a little bike riding!

I tried uploading a blog post from my phone, but it sure did not work.  Ah well.

So, basically, I sucked this week and hardly rode at all.  I rode to work both Monday and Tuesday, but ended up having Brad come get both me and my bike each day.  Riding home after a 13-hour day just wasn’t appealing enough.  I gave up for the week because 1) I was just too busy and 2) I had places that needed to be driven to.  Boo, I was a lame, excuse-making slacker.

But, by Friday, I was itching to ride, so the boyfriend and I took a ride to check out the Reno River Festival.

pre-ride. in the sun. cute expression.

It was alright.  Mostly just a bunch of people.  We ended up going down to the West Street Market for some gyros at Niko’s and shared a yummy beer at the wine bar.  We rode home and thought we’d stay in for the night, but ended up going back out (on our bikes) to have some drinks at Jungle Vino with my BFF Annie and her boyfriend.  Fun times.  Was the first time I’ve really ridden in the dark.  That was interesting.  I need a much better headlight though, if I’m going to keep doing that.

Even though they’re usually short and not nearly frequent enough, I really love going for bike rides with that boy of mine.  I probably never would have gotten the bike if it weren’t for him.

Yesterday started off rough, but ended with a nice ride to Starbucks and then down to pick up dinner from Jimmy John’s.  Yep, I rode all the way to the University and back!  Sierra at dusk was a little scary though.

Goal for next week: ride to work (and back!!) every day.  Or at least four days.  It’s just TOO pretty out to be driving to work!

For the second day in a row, I have convinced myself out of biking to work and was somehow able to convince myself back into it!  The only thing I can come up with is that I must really, really like it!  Because I have paid a lot more money for an unused gym membership, than I paid for this bike, so I know it’s not that.  Perhaps it’s because I’m doing something good for the environment as well as myself?  Pretty sure the novelty has worn off by now, so I don’t think it’s that. Who knows, but I’m gonna stop questioning it.

Biked to work today–first time on my bike since Thurs.  It felt good.  Not biking for three days = suck.

Hooray!  Brad and I both vowed to not drive at all yesterday, and we rode our bikes everywhere we went!  It was my first day riding to work.  Brad came with me and we make a mini piedibus and he dropped me off at work on his way to school. 

After work, he came to pick me up and we rode to Bicycle Warehouse to pick up the basket I ordered (running to go take a picture):

my adorable wicker basket

We then rode to Sushi Pier 2 for some all you can eat.  We then had to ride home.  Ouchies.

Oh, I almost forgot to gush about our fabulous ride on Tuesday night!  Monday was super nice, but Tuesday was a good, long, hill-ish ride.

We rode down to Wingfield Park and then to Idlewild (which, by the way, is my new favorite park) from there.  We then rode up Hunter Lake to Plumb and home again.  I may have just learned to weeks ago to ride again, but I am feeling really comfortable!

I rode again to work this morning.  This time, by myself.  I think I did pretty well!  Will probably skip tomorrow because it’s supposed to be cold, but I think I could definitely ride to work three or so times a week.  I’m loving it!

I guess that’s all for now.

So, after another surprise boyfriendly visit (I love those, by the way–if you are reading this, boyfriend), I went home to Brad who was already preparing a picnic for us to take on our ride to Wingfield.  It took us a lot longer to prep than we expected, but we still got a decent ride in before dark.  (We also got to take a stroll through our neighbors’ new garden and man am I excited for all the stuff they’re growing!)

So, we finally started on our ride at around 6:30.  Wingfield Park is not even a mile and a half from my house, so that’s not really what scared me, but being on the road with cars on Arlington .. ick.  It ended up being pretty quiet so I did okay.  I think I am almost ready to ride to work soon!

So, we rode to Wingfield and had our little picnic on the grass.

Disclaimer: I was a little camera-happy so prepare yourself for lots of Becca-and-Brad pictures!

Brad, pretending to not notice I'm taking pictures of him.

We had an experimental home-made pasta salad.  We are so cute.  It’s almost disgusting.  Okay, it is.  We are totally that couple I used to hate.  I wanted to lay on the grass some more but Brad wasn’t really enjoying it as much as I was.

me, laying on the grass. brad, not amused.

brad hijacked my phone and caught one of me getting ready to go. good thing i was already smiling

Then we rode around the park a bit.  We were going to sit and have a beer at the Tap House, but it was too crowded, so we decided to just sit down by the river to enjoy our amazingly delicious dessert.

balsamic-honey strawberries with a whipped vanilla bean mascarpone topping. heaven.

No reason for putting this here, I just thought it was super cute.

And that was our evening.  We rode back just as the sun went down (loving that it’s light out til 8 these days!)  Can’t wait to do it again. 

So after my lonely day at work, followed by a lonely weekend, I was feeling pretty sorry for myself.  I was going to go have breakfast, but opted not to, even though I was really craving Sunday brunch from Voila!, one of my favorite places to eat downtown.  I wussed out, though, inspite of the encouragement from friends and my brother on Facebook and bailed on myself to go grocery shopping (for the first time in probably over a month).  I came home and made myself an amazing breakfast panini (this would be a good place for a photo of said panini, but I was far too hungry to waste time with pictures), watched Saved! and decided I had to get out of the house.

So I ventured out on my very first solo bike ride.  To Starbucks.  And on the way back, I even rode on Plumas for a few blocks (scary, I know).  I hung out outside at Starbucks for a while, drinking my coffee, reading and soaking up the sun.  It was great.  Really must do more of that.

Then, last night, my little sis and neighbor came over for some good BBQing, which I love.  There really is nothing better than sitting outside, eating delicious food with friends in beautiful weather.  I am so ready for summer.

Oh yeah, and my public service committee meeting for Ad2 Reno was changed from tonight to tomorrow night, so Brad and I are going to ride down to Wingfield Park and play.  It’ll be my first ride on any type of major, highly-trafficked road.  So, yay!  Yay for beautiful weather and feeling good about life!  Weird to feel this good on a Monday!  Loving it.

So, the forecast said it was supposed to snow all night last night. No snow when I woke up this morning. Then the forecast said snow all day today. Not only have I not seen a single flake, but the sun is coming out! I am going for a ride tonight!

So … here we are.  I am thinking about making this blog mostly about my adventures with my new bike.  I am under the impression it might be easier to write about a particular topic or focus, so we’ll start with that.  But I feel like that might get old quickly–to all of NOBODY that is reading this.  Either way, I anticipate this blog will highlight more than just my bike life.

So, I bought this bike from the Reno Bike Project.  It’s pretty rad, actually.

My late 70s - early 80s schwinn

I am basically in love with it.

So, the last time I was on a bike (not of the stationary-gym variety) was around 1994.  I was 9 and I went “chin surfing,” as my family likes to call it.  Suffice it to say I was kind of over the whole bike thing.  By the time I stopped being afraid of bikes, I never really saw a use/need for them in my life and then the idea just never occurred to me.

So, here I am, living in Reno with gorgeous weather about 3/4 of the year.  I work about five minutes away from my home, which happens to be in a lovely area near downtown.  Why would I NOT have a bike?  So I got a bike.

My outdoor enthusiast boyfriend had NOTHING to do with it either.  Okay, that’s a lie.  He had to teach me how to ride all over again.  At first it was scary, feeling like I was going to topple over if he let go.  But then something overcame me and I wasn’t scared anymore.  I just went.  You really never forget how to ride a bike.

Success!

Turning around on a bike, however, I still have yet to master.  I can’t quite make a u-turn, but am sort of able to do an o-turn.

Days after learning, I was on the real road.  Driving with cars is scary.  And just days after that, I had my first fall.  Note to self: double-knot shoelaces.  I got right back on that horse — er, bike — and rode all the way to Blockbuster!  Okay, that’s a lie too.  I walked with it on the sidewalk on Plumb.  Too scary.

Last night I was a weiner and didn’t really ride at all and now I am regretting that since it’s supposed to thunder/rain/snow through Wednesday night.

Okay, so there it is.  My first blog.  Yay me!