ahh the Fort Reno concert days of summer…
June 26th, 2008
After work today I rode the one-wheel-newly-replaced and the other-wheel-newly-realigned bicycle over to Fort Reno Park in Tenleytown for one in a series of outdoor concerts… Why is the bike wheel new you might ask? Well that would be because the bikes crashed to the ground this morning while attached to our now-broken bike rack as we careened over a poorly marked speed bump on Gallatin Road NW. Let me present all the facts, fair and honest, and we’ll let our readers decide where to place the blame for my $80 spent at Silver Cycles repair shop today.
Throwing blame around is mostly healthy, so… is the offender: me (Lori)? is it Matt? the bike rack company? the DC government/road surfacing department? the early morning hour?
fact #1. Matt was driving. Lori was navigating. (For the record, this is already quite a backwards situation.)
fact #2. The speed bump is not painted. It is the same color as the road. The road is wider that most DC side streets. There is small sign indicating speed bump, it is on the side of the road. It is difficult to see the sign (this is unbiased).
fact #3. I have previously careened over the speed bump in question on a prior trip to the pool.
fact #4. It was 6 am. We were *almost* at the pool.
fact #5. Lori and Matt attached the trunk-mounted bike rack together this morning.
fact #6. Lori and Matt first trial-installed the bike rack 2 nights ago, while Lori read the instructions for doing so. Today it was discovered that Lori did not read aloud (this is important) the very last step, which involved tying off the straps, BUT
fact #7. the Straps had previously been tied off by Matt on a successful bike trip yesterday in which no bikes were spilled onto the road.
fact #8. Straps were not tied down this morning when the bikes flew off.
fact #9. Lori’s bike wheel got mangled.
fact #10. Matt’s seat, previously wobbly, got miraculously re-tightened during the flying-off of the bike rack and bikes!! Thank goodness for a silver lining.
fact #11. The bike rack is missing two pieces of plastic tie-downs. Actually, they’re broken, they’re not missing… because they are resting on the side of Gallatin Road where I flung them this morning.
So it’s up to our loyal readers to decide in the comments who is to blame here. Do remember, Matt was driving.
Ok, fine, I will say that, after writing out the facts, I think I am to blame. SAD FACE. 
If there was a moral or an end to this story, and there is, it would be this: it’s better to sleep in past 5:30 am like a normal human being instead of trying to bike *and* swim before working a 10 hour day.
I also just noticed that this post started out with the title of “ahh the Fort Reno concert days of summer…” and I didn’t even get to that part. In summation of the concert, there was a lot of mostly crappy acoustic singing, and lots of teenagers, so we went and got Thai food. Goodnight!
earthday
April 22nd, 2008
Happy Earth Day from Washington, DC! People across the globe (and especially my good friend Lazyeye who embraces every day as if it were Earth Day) are celebrating by doing something good for the planet. Need some ideas? — this earthday network is a good place to look.
So here is my resolution #1: stop using plastic bags from the stores! Instead, I will promise to just put things that I buy straight in my monster-size purses, if I happen to be carrying one, or I will plan ahead by bringing a reusable canvas bag. I have actually been somewhat good about doing this already at the grocery, but I need to start doing it everywhere. Especially because its great to watch Matt help me carry any type of non-plastic, semi-feminine looking bag. The term “Man-handling” comes immediately to mind. When it is blue and tan and says “Delaware Marathon” on the side of it, lets be honest, it’s not quite a murse (man-purse) but the “Delaware” association is bad enough.
Resolution #2: Ride my bike to work twice a month. I’d like to work up to more than that, but I also hate setting unrealistic goals. So I will leave it at that.
Spontaneous Resolution #3: Stop making fun of Delaware, especially on Earth Day! A lot of great things have come out of that state such as the Del. Mem. Br., Fischer’s popcorn, Dover Downs, tax free shopping, the first John Deere tractor, and of course Matt himself!
Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious Tuesday!
February 5th, 2008
Super crazy, super exciting, super nail-biting, SUPER TUESDAY!
Will it be McRomabee???? Will Clinbama pull away with the vote?? Who will win the traditionally Purple States? Only time shall tell.
I’m so not going to be able to sleep a wink tonight.
‘merica. nuff said.
the roar of the crowd…
February 4th, 2008
I had one more roll from the Vivitar Ultra Wide and Slim developed by my good friends at the Tenley CVS Pharmacy Photo Center. Now a subsequent rant about the drugstore hoodlums. This is a lovely little place that irregardless of the time of day is overrun with kids from the surrounding schools (both public and private). At the risk of sounding like a dinosaur, don’t these frickin’ kids ever actually attend class? They are always just hanging around the entrance to the store making you weave in and out just to get to the front door. God forbid you need to ask them to move so you can get through or happen to bump into someone…
So, to the kids constantly outside of the Tenley CVS: Go to class! Stopping trying to bum cigarettes! Leave a clear path on the sidewalk so people can get through with out inconveniencing you!
Drugstores, true neighborhood serving retail.
Veni Vidi VIVI
January 7th, 2008
So, a while back I picked up a little 35mm toy camera off ebay called the Vivitar Ultra Wide and Thin. The Vivi is a tiny little silver plastic thing that has a very wide lens and is apparently very prone to breaking after a few uses. However, while it is still alive it takes some pretty awesome photos, particularly when shot directly into the sun (usually a photography faux pas). So, take a look and be sure to tell me how much you enjoy the results of my new toy. Other general comments of praise and admiration will also be accepted.
_
The picture above is looking west on Fairmont St. NW right near the Cummins abode.
_
I hope I can get a few more rolls out of this guy.
