Wow, so it had been a really long time since I have done any significant bicycling.  My good friend from high school, Margarita was in town for the weekend (as was my mom, but that is a story for another day).    We did lots of fun stuff this weekend, including beaching it up with Annie up at the lake,

gotta love the paradox of laying on the beach when there's still snow on the mountain

lots of delicious dinners out, laying by the pool at my mom’s hotel, pedicures (Margarita’s first!) and a lovely bike ride up to the University.  Margarita went to UNLV and had never been up here.  So among her weekend of firsts, she wanted to see the beautiful campus of my alma mater.

from the north end, up by the knowledge center

So, Margarita hadn’t been on a bike since middle school!  That’s almost as long as it was for me.  But she was very brave and wanted to ride to UNR.  It was a beautiful, quiet Saturday ride through downtown Reno.  We rode around the campus for a bit and then back down.  We stopped at the River Walk and then to home for some R&R (this was where the pedicures and poolside relaxing came in).

i had no idea i was in this photo, but isn't the river pretty?!

I have to say, it is feeling pretty good to feel like I know what the hell I’m doing when I’m on that “little red bike with a basket.”**  And at this point, I’m just trying to spread the love.  Love of cycling, that is.  You just can not beat that feeling of riding in to work and not needing coffee.

**that is the top search term for finding my blog–how cool is that?!

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!

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.

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!