about getting from point A to point B in the most interesting ways possible

If you're a large woman in America, your whole life is an opportunity to feel self-conscious, embarrassed, resentful and way too big. You can hide in the corner or on the couch, you can go to therapy, or you can put on your lycra bike shorts and get out there and move.
—Jayne Williams, Slow Fat Triathlete

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June 20, 2005

perfect bikes and goofy storms permalink

Yesterday, I rode the townie a couple miles over to the Hollywood Bike Gallery to have all of its new stuff put on it. I had ordered black plastic fenders, a back rack, a bell, lights—in short, everything save the "Hawaii" accessories, which are pretty damn cool.

I took Alameda Street, which meant I had to climb that awful hill between 19th & 22nd, and I admit, I walked the bike up. Someday... Otherwise, the ride was easy, and so much fun. I keep waiting for bicycling to become a chore.

The roads were strangely quiet. It was 3ish, the sun was out, but I barely saw any cars, bikes or pedestrians. Was there some sort of alert that everyone must stay inside? It was spooky. Course, it was awful warm, and it did seem like the sun was set on broil.

Strange Stormy sky over NE Portland
But then I arrived at the Bike Gallery, and I saw that everyone was in there. So I brought my goofy pink bike inside and went to the service area. I stood there for a little bit, while various guys scurried around. Every female employee in the shop complimented the bike and said that the flowers on the basket were beautiful and a nice touch. Gosh, you guys!

I left the bike there, and caught the bus home almost immediately. I barely got any knitting done at all! The second bus ride was a quintessential bus experience: the guy in front of me smelled intensely bad (a recent bender, and no contact with water for either him or his clothes), and the teenagers sitting across from me who had the opposite problem. They had obviously changed clothes since they left the house, and were displaying hickies on their breasts, and thongs, and all manner of behavior that made me feel like a prude and like I am so middle-aged! Well, I guess I am so middle-aged!
...
I came home and we watched X: the Unheard Music. I love X, and I love that movie, and it cracks me up to see how Exene seems so messed up in some concert footage, and so lucid in others. We both grooved on Billy Zoom's guitar. Damn. Nice.

To top off the evening, we had an amazing storm, maybe even a perfect storm. No, probably not a perfect storm, but an incredible storm all the same. As I mentioned in the last post, it really was wild. A number of my neighbors and I ended up outside, watching the rainbows, the clouds and ever-changing sky. Incredible!

I took some pictures, and there are some others on flickr as well.

Posted at June 20, 2005

Comments

VJ, those are some amazing pictures -- the colors are spectacular. You should totally frame one.

That parade sounds like so much fun. I love that you went out and participated in a community event like that.

Hey -- on your suggestion I'm about halfway through "After Delores". Really cool so far. Have you ever read "Aquamarine" by Carol Anshaw or "The Blue Place" by Nicola Griffith or any of the Sarah Waters books? Those are some of my favorite queer authors.

Posted by: Megan at June 22, 2005 6:45 AM