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By Dan, September 20, 2012 6:17 pm

Every morning that I go to work I face a couple of options on how best to get there.

Option A:

or, Option B:

Any guesses as to which one I end up picking?

I’m not super confident my eagerness to go with Option B will be maintained through the next couple of months. It is 45-50 minutes on the bike, each way (about 9.5 miles), potentially a lengthy time to be exposed to the elements. However, rumor has it that El Niño is brewing, which often means a milder winter for us. So, despite the impending winter season, I may still be opting for Option B.

In the meantime, I will continue to enjoy a saner (not to mention healthier) way to get to work, and hope that by being outside more, my ability to withstand the cooler temperatures will grow (something my still-Ecuadorian blood often objects to).

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By Dan, August 5, 2012 4:01 pm

I’ve taken a crash course (thanks in part to this guy) in bike maintenance these last 24 hours. The reason being I found something on Craigslist (always the danger) I could not pass up:

This lovely two wheeler has been sitting relatively unused for the past thirty-plus years. It’s a Japanese-made bike (a Zebrakenko “Wind,” to be precise) with many, if not all, original parts.

I like the simplicity of design, with a couple of embellishments like this head badge:

Since it’s been sitting around so long, it’s going to need a little rejuvenation. Hence the crash course in, specifically, rear derailleur adjustment. And, for things that I’m not able to do (like truing the wheels), we’re a hop skip and a jump from our local bike shop.

It’s still high biking season, and with all the commuting I’ve been doing on my city bike, I’m looking forward to some road biking, unencumbered by my pannier full of clothes and lunch.

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By Dan, September 11, 2011 3:29 pm

We’re back from a week up at Lake Superior, which is pretty much becoming our home away from home (at least it feels that way whenever we go). There is something so restorative about the lake and the surrounding rocky shores, and I often wonder how different my life would be if day after day I was surrounded by so much beauty.

The early September air was cool and dry. Our hikes around the various parks were accomplished with much vigor (it also helped knowing an afternoon resting by the lake with a cold beer would follow).

For me, perhaps the most amazing part of our stay were the completely stunning sunrises that greeted us every morning. Each one a little different than the previous:

I consider myself a fairly cheerful person, but I can only imagine that a daily routine of sunrises and hikes and watching the water would have a pretty profound effect on my general outlook on life.

Until the day comes when that is possible, we will just have to get by with frequent getaways. And, once there, allow ourselves to absorb as much as we can of what the north has to offer.

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By Dan, August 29, 2011 5:27 pm

I’m not a huge State Fair fan, but I have to say getting there early is the way to go. There’s something almost magical about the stillness before the rush, before the quiet streets are overrun with crowds and the midday heat beats down.

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By Dan, June 3, 2011 8:55 pm

We just got back from a few nights away at our home away from home (not sure if the proprietors would completely agree, but as long as we keep coming back, they probably won’t care what we call it). It’s a cabin just a few yards from the shore of Lake Superior, with a commanding view of the moody waters.

The next couple of days were a perfect combination of crafting, hiking, eating and drinking.

We spent the first full day hiking in the Split Rock State Park, with bright birch and aspen trees framing the various views of the lake and surrounding shorelines.

On Thursday morning I woke up at the crack of dawn (actually, a little before the crack) and found myself facing a serenely calm and beautiful display of light and water.

After breakfast we made our way over to Gooseberry Falls State Park, for another couple of hikes. The sky was bright, the sun full (luckily I remembered to wear a hat) and the trails pretty empty in the morning hours.

Virginia got the prize for most adventurous, hanging out with feet dangling over the Upper Falls.

I stayed a more comfortable distance from the edge.

Back at the cabin, we enjoyed the last of our growler (added bonus: the owner decided to open a brewery earlier this year and had several varieties available – I think he brews in 93 gallon batches, so it’s a small operation, but one we were quite willing to support) while sitting by the fire, all the while wishing we had a few more nights booked.

Still, the trip did the trick. We wore ourselves out during the day, slept well at night, worked on some creative projects, and felt ourselves being restored by the powers of that giant lake.