eli, etc.

just a shmattering of fall

2011-11-13T13:20:00.001-05:00

two punkins with punkins after corn mazin'

previously mentioned punkins, carved! "eye <3 boo," plus one
decorated by our two-year-old downstairs neighbor, James

your truly, @ Morris Book Shop

pretty boy showing off his Kentucky string tie

someone's a little obsessed with a certain new EP

2011-11-11T11:33:00.003-05:00

and that someone is me.

Jens Lekman – An Argument With Myself

haircut inspiration

2011-11-10T21:42:00.000-05:00

forever.

thanks, readymade!

five fingers

2011-11-10T11:25:00.000-05:00

Speaking of running, I went out for my first run in my new shoes this morning:

Definitely a different feel, but so much lighter and air-ier. I'm kind of in love. There will be a tiny break-in period with a couple blisters here and there, and probably some sore calves, but for real, I'm sold. I really thought it would take time to adjust my stride to the barefoot running, but it just happens naturally in these shoes.

Plus, they look weird. Which I'm super into. Yay! Goal after graduation: properly train for, and run, a half marathon. Getting myself back into shape now with the Couch to 10k app. A whole semester of not running has made me a little soft, but I'm excited to get back into it. Can't wait to go back out again Saturday!

Comps!

2011-11-10T11:20:00.000-05:00

Took my Comps qualifying exam yesterday to graduate from library school. WHEW! I think I did okay...wrote twelve pages about web 2.0 tools in library environments, the present and future of reference services, and information and intellectual freedom in libraries. Now to wait two weeks for my results...

But alas! So much school still do to in this next month! All I really want to do is run. And eat pie. And play with my niece. And start applying for jobs. JOBS!

LAKE!

2011-05-12T12:38:00.000-04:00

yes, LAKE gets their own post too. part of the draw for heading up to Bloomington was that one of our other favorite bands was playing at the same great Bishop Bar the night after JV and DJ! we loooove these beautiful people. they're the nicest dudes and dudettes ever, and they make the prettiest music too. they played with agesandages (who we hadn't seen/heard but LOVED! and might get to hang out with when we go to Portland this summer!), and Justin Vollmar (who is also super-nice, and who played at Nick's hacker space earlier this year), and it was all just delightful.

we had a super time. love love love LAKE. I video'ed them playing our favorite song, but it's a little jumpy, so bear with it. and just bask in the glory. (seriously, best song ever. we kind of want them to come play it at our hypothetical one-day future wedding!)

'don't give up'

JV + DJ + ER + NW

2011-05-12T12:31:00.000-04:00

last week, we went up to Bloomington to go see some bands. but they weren't just any bands...they were bands that Nick and I had both held dear to our hearts for a long time, yet had never seen live.

Damien Jurado and John Vanderslice played at The Bishop, and we just couldn't resist the trip. I've been mesmerized with Damien Jurado's sad, beautiful soul since starting at IU in 2003, and Nick's been following John Vanderslice since high school. what made this even better was 1) Nick's best friend from high school (Nate - who's been a JV fan forever too) came up also from Louisville, and 2) I've also been obsessed with JV too now for a couple years. I first head (and downloaded) Cellar Door when I started working at WIUS, the student radio station at IU. at the time, I really just though it was......okay. but I loved 'pale horse,' the opening track, so decided to keep the rest of the album. give it some time, I thought. fast-forward to 2009, I'm still doing college radio, but at WRFL in Lexington, and Romanian Names comes out. and it just floors me. I've been hooked ever since, and now even my first JV-experience albums is one of my favorites. every song is beautiful in its own way, and I honestly feel lucky to have this music in my life.

so naturally, this show was amazing. DJ played first, and just held my heart the entire time. finally seeing him live was somewhat cathartic for me - his music has helped me through some rough, lonely times in my life, and I feel like it's a part of my own soul now. he sounded so lovely in the venue too - the stage is completely separate from the bar, and his big voice just bounced all over the place. JV's set was just pure joy. we were right up front, and really, he could play any song and I would've loved the show. after his set, he and his drummer came down in the middle of the audience and played acoustically, and I captured some video. it was such an amazing experience - see for yourself!

'thule fog'

'promising actress'

'white dove'

'time to go' - with DJ!

I could gush about this show and these singers forever. I'll say it again - I feel lucky to have this music in my life. thanks for such a great show, you guys.

2011-04-07T13:31:00.001-04:00

it has been way, way too long since I posted anything here :( to help appease, here are some pictures of my cat going nuts over a bowl of chopped kale:

hope everyone's having a nice spring! I'm gonna spend the day on the porch, reading Twilight (for school!).

bike-envy

2011-02-17T15:27:00.000-05:00

Another day in beautiful weather paradise. A day so lovely, even the motorists want to join in! Riding home from work, a car passed me and a dude yelled out the window, "Hey, can I ride with you?"

Now, let's be honest - I realize this was likely a cat-call.

But I'm going to choose to believe he was soo jealous that I got to be out in the open, enjoying the sunshine on my own little mini-convertible and just wished and wished he could be doing that too! Enough of this cramped little sedan passager-side seat!!!

And frankly, I don't blame him. So I just waved, and kept pedaling my ever-loving Herman. Days like this are just more fun on bikes.

YES.

2011-02-16T16:09:00.000-05:00

Y'all.
I've put in my 7 hours of coffee-slingin',
2.5 miles on the treadmill,
5 miles of glorious bike riding to and fro,
and it is 48 degrees outside, but the basking sunshine makes it feel at least 60.
It is so time for a beer on the porch!

master and commander

2011-02-15T22:26:00.002-05:00

Sabie, in his natural habitat.

smile, boo!

2011-02-14T21:36:00.004-05:00

"Pizza? Soda (beer)? The moon? Someone to share it with? Presents under the tree from Santa?" - Kevin from The Office on what's best about VD.

ps, am totally taking advice from Academichic on wearing a brooch as a necklace. Just got this one in today from FINLAND!!!!!!!! care of Sannica on Etsy.

won't you be mine?

2011-02-14T11:54:00.000-05:00

happy valentine's day!

riveire kids christmas

2010-12-29T22:35:00.001-05:00

came out a little dark, but still cute.

that's my sister-in-law Tricia (who is almost 7 months pregnant with my first niece - the newest Riveire kid!), my brother Jon, yours truly, and my honeypie Nikolai.

icy bike, pt. 2

2010-12-23T10:56:00.002-05:00

Ice biking went so much better yesterday!! Though the majority of the ice has definitely melted, most of our neighborhood is still fairly well covered with the slippery stuff. I took Lucinda to work, and she handled like a champ! We had absolutely no problems, and it was such a good feeling to conquer the ice after the bike fail from last week. Though I usually dont wear a helmet for everyday biking, I decided to wear the Vespa helmet again since it's still icy out there, but I was really glad I did - it is SO WARM! I didn't even need a hat with that thing on. It was pretty awesome.

Anyway. Ice biking with Lucinda was essentially a non-issue. It was just another commute to and from work, and it felt great to get back into the routine. When I got home, I peeled off all my layers from the ride...

...and settled into a wonderful late afternoon libation, a Christmas treat supplied by one of my favorite regular customers at the coffee shop - Mr. Tom Bulleit!

Ahh, the joys of living in the bourbon capital of the world :)

icy bike, pt. 1

2010-12-23T10:25:00.000-05:00

Though it's melting away now, Lexington has essentially been covered with a sheet of ice for about two weeks. It's made everything a little colder, and definitely harder to get around. I feel like I've been cooped up in either my house or my car for about a year! Last week, it was time to get out. Inspired by the ladies at letsgorideabike.com and the intrepid Europeans at copenhagenize.com and bakfiets-en-meer.nl, I decided to brave the icy streets on a bike. I'd been reading various arguments for using skinny tires or fat tires in ice and snow, and I know that Herman is generally easier to ride than Lucinda, so I took him out on my way to work one morning. Don't worry, Mom and Dad, I was wearing a helmet while biking on solid ice (a big Vespa helmet at that!)

We ventured out into the icy street. Herman was a little squirelly, but it was nothing I couldn't handle. He felt like he does when his basket is loaded up with a little too much for his non-Dutch bike frame. I tried to stay in the tire marks closer to the middle of the street, and he seemed to be able to glide along just fine. He even braked well at the stop sign, and turned the corner without hesitation. It was on the next street that we met our first demise. Out of nowhere, we hit a particularly slick patch and PLOP! Suddenly we were both on the ground. It was nothing...I got back up and decided to walk Herman the rest of the way out to the main road (where it would surely be less icy). Once we got out there, though, it really wasn't much better. Apparently, out of all the icy and snowy days we've had in Lexington, I picked THE ICIEST day ever. What luck :) No matter...I had left home with plenty of time and only live a mile from my shop. I walked Herman the rest of the way to work, admiring all the ice in its beautiful splendor.

I decided to walk home after work and just come back for Herman later. I'm very lucky to be able to keep him safely tucked away in a locked back room of my shop while I'm there, so I didn't have to worry about coming back to an ice-covered bike. The walk home was invigorating and wonderful! It was really beautiful getting a different perspective on my everyday commute. So, to celebrate, I took pictures!

Ahh, home sweet home.

Haha. Just kidding. That's the Bell House! It's a giant mansion in a middle of my neighborhood that's now mostly used for things like weddings, private parties, and high school proms. There's a giant park and a little local playhouse right behind it, and we live right across the street from the playhouse.

Right here!

So anyway. My first attempt at ice biking didn't work out so well, but I'm not giving up! I just need to stay patient and brave :) And, in hindsight, Lucinda would've been a much better choice for the task. The next day, Henry from Workcycles had put up this post, in which he slides all around and even falls on ice in his bakfiets. It made me feel better to know it's not just me being a n00b, haha :)

a christmas appears

2010-12-13T00:40:00.001-05:00

time to taunt Nikolai with his presents,

and hang our favorite phrases on a tree, like "wut up,"

"je taime," and "updog."

and, of course, time to hang up the socks that have outgrown our feet this year.

meanwhile, the snow pours down outside!! snow day (and study day) tomorrow!

welcome to my research paper cave

2010-12-11T17:06:00.001-05:00

ooooh, I will so much happier come next Wednesday!

2010-12-10T10:46:00.001-05:00

crystal visions!

homebrew

2010-12-10T00:05:00.000-05:00

sipped on some of the finest beer ever tonight, made, bottled, and aged right in my own kitchen! nick's latest batch of homebrew is a veritable SUCCESS. come on over and try one, we've got the limes!

numbers

2010-12-09T14:09:00.001-05:00

three days off
one research paper
two exams
two cups of kava tea
one rambunctious kitty
twenty-eight degrees (yay!)
five more christmas gifts to find
one kickstand to change out
three christmases in three cities
one semester-from-hell coming to a close
two more semesters to go
one SLIS student needing a mental break
one blog that desperately needs resurrecting!

OH, AND ONE BEAUTIFUL BIKE I GOT TO TEST-RIDE IN CHICAGO LAST MONTH:

that's right, a Workcycles Oma, courtesy of Dutch Bike Chicago.

(wantwantwantwantwantwantwantwantwant)

She was perfect. Just perfect. Sighhh....

bike harassment

2010-10-08T15:04:00.000-04:00

Sigh. Today, we experienced a Bike Fail.

Biking to lunch, we had a choice - take High Street, which would get us there faster and have less back-track, or take Euclid, which has a bike lane, but is out of the way and goes through crazy campus. Being late and in a hurry, we decided to take the quicker route. Keep in mind that while there's no bike lane on High, it is a wide, two-lane one-way street, which makes it decent for biking.

We're biking along, la la la, getting into downtown. There's a lot of traffic, but it's mostly stop and go with all the lights. Cars are going 20 mph, tops, and we're actively pedaling, maybe just sliiiightly slower. As in, there's MAYBE one car length between us and the car ahead of us. No big deal. We're off to the right side, minding our business, when some jerk starts honking his horn behind us. "Get out of the road!! Get your f*****' bikes out the road!!!" We ignore him. He continues, "Get out of my f*****' way, a**holes!! GET IN THE BIKE LANE!!" and makes a big production of getting around us. And then gets caught at a light. And we ride up next to him to wait as well. I didn't hear everything that was said at this point, but Nick tries to explain that there IS NO BIKE LANE, and that according to law, bikes are entitled to take the whole lane, especially on a one-way, two-lane street. Which we weren't even necessarily doing...we were just riding as close to the right as we safely could to not get hit by opening car doors. He kept yelling about how he "doesn't f***ing give a sh**" and "f*** you" over and over again. What I did distinctly hear was him yelling to Nick, "GET IN MY WAY AGAIN AND SEE WHAT HAPPENS," at which point I told him I had his license plate number in case he tried anything. No one threatens my boy. The light changed, and we pedaled away, and he zoomed off to the right turning lane right away, almost clipping me in the process. We collected ourselves, and safely negotiated traffic the rest of the way, like it should be done.

But damn. I am still so mad! There was no way he was going to get anywhere any faster than if we weren't there, and I can't believe that much road rage exists. I've never had an altercation with a driver that bad, and was actually scared that he was going to get out of his car and physically assault Nick (and maybe me), just for riding our bikes with traffic, following all rules of the road.

I do actually have his license plate number...I wonder if there's anything we can do with that information...

victory walker

2010-10-05T00:38:00.000-04:00

one more snippet of joy for you...still flyin's new video! filmed at the caledonia lounge (and the surrounding alleys) at 4am. VICTORIOUS!

dudes, isn't it about time you came back to Lexington? the masses demand it!

BACK

2010-10-05T00:03:00.001-04:00

Well, damn. Somehow I let an entire month go by without an update. I blame school and work, but am going to try not to let that happen again!

In general, things are good. September came and went, and now Fall is finally here, gracing us with its crisp air and nippiness and I couldn't be happier about it. This is perfect bike riding weather! It's just warm enough to not be horrible, but cool enough to not be transformed into a ball of sweat. Plus........scarves. And cozy jackets. Mmmmm fallllllll....

Anyway, we've been riding more than ever, as just part of our daily lives. Nikolai's birthday was a couple weeks ago, and for one of his presents, I got his vintage ride all fixed up! New brake pads, a real kickstand, and a crate for the back rack. So fancy! As a plug for the locals...I took it to Lexington Bicycle Center and let them have their way with it, along with my Lucinda, whose first two gears (of three!) needed some love after mysteriously dropping out last month, and everything all together.........twenty bucks. Such a steal. Best bike store in town!!

Despite the busy-ness, we have done some exciting bike-related things since we last spoke...like Bike Prom! Bike Prom is an alleycat-style event, meaning checkpoints all over town and ultimately a race, but it's more style than speed for most. Dressing up and riding bikes? Sounds perfect! We did the event with a group of Nikolai's buddies, and had a fabulous time. We even wound up winning third place for Bike Prom King and Queen! I only took a few pictures, and didn't really get any of us, but I scavenged these from the Internet. Mwa ha ha!

Super, super fun. The next day was the opening of Lexington's first REAL bike trail, the Legacy Trail! It's an 8-mile long running/biking trail that leads from the Northside Y to the Kentucky Horse Park near Georgetown, where the World Equestrian Games are being held this very minute. It runs along roads for a little while, before splitting off into the beautiful Kentucky countryside. We rode it about halfway to meet some friends for a picnic, and then rode it a little more about a week later with Nick's parents. It's kind of hard to believe this city would put so much effort to a bike trail, but boy, I'm sure glad they did. And apparently they're planning on extending it further into downtown and making it start almost at our neighborhood! I really hope this happens. It's such a nice asset to the city!

In other news, we're going to Chicago in November for our 5th anniversary! I'm so excited. We're going the first weekend, so hopefully it won't be tooo cold yet. Can't wait for all the yummy vegan food, fun shopping (H&M PLEASE), and the bike stores!! Definitely going to hit Dutch Bike Chicago and Copenhagen Cyclery, and WILL be road testing a Workcycles! Best anniversary ever :)

Alright, more later, lovies. Droopy eyelids mean it's definitely time for bed. Enjoy the Autumnal Times, everyone!

victory bikin'

2010-08-27T17:29:00.000-04:00

Oh goodness, there's nothing like a good bike ride home to erase all the evils of bad day at work. FREEEEEDOM!

Rewarding myself now with some strawberry granola, a magic hat #9, and the new Still Flyin' Daytrotter Session. This day's gotten SO MUCH BETTER already!

august, or the month i usually spend holed up in air conditioning.

2010-08-19T22:12:00.001-04:00

Oh my, y'all. Can we just pretend August never happened? Not to say bad things happened...it was just...HOT. It's been so oppressive here in Central Kentucky that I haven't even wanted to go outside to get into a car, let alone ride a bike. Sad times, indeed.

Never fear though, the time of yuckiness always subsides at some point, and thankfully, that time is NOW. It's still warm out there...just not, you know, DEATHLY GROSS.

Anyway. Enough about the weather. August - lots of working, reading (finished Water for Elephants, which I kind of hated but stuck with, now onto Daughter of Fortune with higher hopes), tv watching (DEXTER.), kitty cuddling, and school-preparing. Classes start the 25th and I am so ready to get back into the swing of school. In addition to that excitement, I'm also going to be a research assistant for the lovely Ms. Kakie Urch on the new Information & Communication Technology (ICT) Collaborative! More details on that later, but let's just say it's going to be epic.

Speaking of epic, here's a kitty cuddle for you, courtesy of one Mr. Sabie Butters, Esq. Awww yeah.

Earlier this month, my new iPhone arrived! It's been a real delight, and I've been lovin' on some productive new apps on both sides of the photo experience spectrum:

Fatbooth and Incredibooth!

Isn't technology the best?

That's my girl Shanna and her beau Jonathan in the right-hand strip...I had the wonderful opportunity to get to see them in Louisville, where we were celebrating our friend Josh's birthday. Shanna and I have been friends since 9th grade, and she's one of my favorites.

And now...some bike-geekin'. I've been really loving on Herman lately - he's just so fast that riding with the wind almost makes the heat bearable. I'm still looking for the perfect handlebar setup, but recently switched to mustache bars! I like holding them a lot more than the straight riser bars I had before, and they definitely look prettier and sleeker, but I still have to bend down just a tad bit further than I'd like to brake. Somehow I haven't taken a picture yet - must do that soon.

With the slight drop in temperature yesterday and today, however, Miss Lucinda's really been calling my name. She's so classy and perfect for back to school time. I rode her all over campus yesterday doing paperwork for my assistantship, and today to meet with Kakie. She's just so smooth! Aside from having to dodge rush-ing sorority girls crossing the streets without even a glance, I've had some nice rides. Coming home today, I ran into Nick, who was walking home from the Y. Even though I see him all the time at home, there's still something about unexpectedly running into the boy you love that puts butterflies everywhere. We walked the rest of the way home together, enjoying the sights of Bell Court - green trees, friendly people, neighborhood kitties, and other exotic friends!

Aight, off to bed for another early, early morning tomorrow. 'Til next time!

fleur de boo

2010-08-01T17:05:00.003-04:00

This week was somethin' special.

It didn't start out so great...lots of work stress + hormonal imbalances + not enough sleep lead to a somewhat pathetic breakdown for this girl. I went to bed Tuesday night still feeling pretty low, served coffee all Wednesday morning, still in a sad mood, and then came home hungry and worn out. Nick was out doing work stuff that morning, but was coming home for lunch. What I didn't know was that he was actually surprising me with this:

Flowers AND Jimmy John's! Oh, the way to my heart....

In the almost five years we've been together, this is the first time Nick's gotten me flowers. I used to tell him that I didn't want or need them - that they'd just be a waste of money because the cat would eat them IMMEDIATELY. Or they would die within hours. Or they'd attract bugs. Etcetera, etcetera.

At some point, I changed my stance on this though, and then it became almost a joke between us. "You never bring me flowers, wahhh," that kind of thing.

It's silly, because we do little things to show our love all the time...but there's something about seeing something so pretty as a reminder of that love every time I walk in the door that just turns me into a little happy puddle.

I don't mean to be overly sappy with this - I just feel so happy and lucky to have found such a supportive partner.

This is pretty much the view that greets me whenever I come home now...and Sabie's actually been pretty good about not eating them! I guess this means we can have flowers all the time :)

The rest of this week's been much, MUCH better. I've been going to the Y almost every day, have been getting lots of sleep, and started a new book (Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen).

Last night, we actually went on a real date! We put on pretty clothes and went over to the Mexican place around the corner, then down to Gumbo Ya Ya down the street for an Outside the Spotlight jazz show, featuring the Aram Shelton Quartet. It was so nice spend some time out with my man!

Love you, boo.

post-birthday summer times

2010-07-23T00:27:00.001-04:00

I've always had mixed feelings about my birthday being smack dab in the middle of summer. I spend the first half in anticipation, so excited (even now when birthdays shouldn't be that exciting). After all, July 11th IS the best day ever. But afterwards....it's just summer. And it's hot. That's all there is to it.

Nevertheless, I had a lovely birthday. My parents came over from Louisville, and we all went out to Mellow Mushroom for pizza and beer! The non-vegans of the world may not realize/know about this, but most MM's now serve Daiya cheese (which is vegan, soy-free, and totally delish), making it one of the first mainstream pizza places to offer a vegan option. And surprise! It was awesome. We've already been back for calzones since then. Mwahaha. Take that, waistline!

Anyway. Birthday times ensued.

We didn't realize it, but our party happened to coincide with the first half of the Netherlands/Spain World Cup Final! As any bike lover should, I was of course, rooting for the Dutch. (What a game it turned out to be!)

My mom, watching the game through her compact mirror, haha!

Then back to my place for more happy times. My parents are awesome and I got some really thoughtful gifts this year, including a "layered cake," consisting of different kinds of vegan cookies! Score!

Nick did a wonderful job in the gift department as well. He MADE me a beautiful and useful roll-up bike tool kit!

AND found a lovely set of 4 bicycle glasses on Etsy:

AND got me a gift card to Forever 21, which I promptly used to buy these beauties:

Yup, he's a keeper.

Otherwise, I've been spending most of my time reading (just finished A Prayer for Owen Meany by John Irving), working, and hanging with my boys. Especially the kitty.

Still another month before school starts again. So much time for fun! Future plans for the summer:

more reading
tubing down the Elkhorn Creek (who wants to join?)
biking down that cool trail that goes up to Dayton
RENT at Summerfest with the neighbors this weekend
bouldering at the new gym on National Ave.
more bike exploring!
stay on my established gym schedule
DRINK SO MUCH WATER
Bloomington?
Kickball! (I scored again last week!)

taking it fast!

2010-07-19T15:40:00.000-04:00

A real post is definitely due, but I just wanted to pop in to discuss something rarely lauded on slow-bike blogs: speed.

While I definitely value style over speed, slow bike rides, and taking in the view, sometimes you're just running late to work. Period. Enter Herman B. Wells, my personal speedster!

Herman got me to work in FOUR MINUTES this morning. That's faster than I think I've ever done it by car. And, at a pretty high traffic time, just before 8am. It didn't seem like a hard ride, either. No sweat, and even time for a glass of water and a doppio espresso before clocking in.

Thanks, buddy.

birthday biking

2010-07-11T08:36:00.000-04:00

Last night I turned 25 while riding in a bike gang.

Yesterday was Grace's birthday (in the cute, stripey dress up there), so we went out dancing to celebrate both our birthdays. At midnight, she passed the torch and it became my birthday. Of course, we biked our way through town, riding 6-deep and basically owning the streets. It was super hot and sweaty, but also super fun.

Dancing with Nick was the best. We went down to the Green Lantern for a dj set, and it ended up being great soul, funk, old-school R&B, and psych-rock, which was perfect for a dance party. Couldn't help but keep the party going once we got home:

birthday dance! from eli riveire on Vimeo.

Today - vegan chocolate chip pancakes, soysauge, and peach mimosas for breakfast, then (vegan!) pizza with my parents at Mellow Mushroom. We'll see what else happens too :)

Punctuality award goes to my brother, who texted me a birthday message with 26 exclamation points (one to grow on!), at exactly 12 am. Aww. Thanks, Jon.

Here's to 25!

cargo bikes in action!

2010-07-09T11:58:00.000-04:00

Reposting from Copenhagenize.com, this is just too wonderful not to share:

Moving House With Bicycles in Barcelona from Copenhagenize on Vimeo.

bike detouring

2010-07-08T20:46:00.000-04:00

As part of Round 3 of the LetsGoRideABike.com Summer Games, I took the long way home from work today. I'm fortunate to live only about a mile from my shop, and so no way is really long for me...but I've definitely figured out the quickest ways to and fro and generally stick to them.

Today, though, I needed to refill a prescription anyway, so I decided to to add some errands into my commute, as well as going a different route. I was on Lucinda, who handled everything like a champ. After putting in my refill request at Kroger, we went to the bank,

and then to The Beer Trappe, the local craft beer shop. I just finished a 7-day stretch at work, and some fancy beers are definitely in my stars for this evening.

While there, I also sampled a strawberry beer called Fruli, which was amazingly refreshing for a 99-degree day. The Beer Trappe sells draft beer samples for a dollar, and as it's just right around the corner from my shop, that seems like a delightful home-commute tradition to start!

Went back to Kroger to pick up medicine and trash bags,

and took off back to High Street to ride along Woodland Park.

I usually ride home through the neighborhood around the park, but never get to see the park itself. It was really nice to see so many people out having fun, even on a super-hot day. Rode up through the Woodland Triangle area, eyeing The Black Market's windows for pretty dresses, of course, and turned right onto Woodland Avenue.

Took advantage of some nice downhill action and light traffic, while still getting to see pretty trees and people out walking their dogs. Woodland took me up to Main Street, where I actually got to turn at a light! (gasp!) Usually I just wait it out to get into traffic a couple streets up, which can take FOREVER at a high traffic time. Not today, though.

When that light turns green, it makes all traffic on Main stop, and even gives a left arrow onto my next turn, just a little ways up. Best of all, as a bike rider, I can hop off to go press the magic walk button to speed things up for everyone! If I wait for the green lights, I can safely and successfully ride my bike with the traffic without having to play frogger. It's kind of empowering being the only one to turn left while all cars wait for you!

Ahh....home.

It was a completely sweaty ride, but productive and pleasant. I can definitely see myself going home this way more often! It was nice to get a break from the routine and see some new sights.

Now, time to crack open that beer! For myself, a Rogue Chipotle Ale (spicy beer - yum yum YUM) and Brother David's Double Abbey Style Ale for Nick (something new to try). Cheers!

ees da burn

2010-07-07T22:50:00.000-04:00

Guh. Nothing like a burst of physical activity to make you feel old/out of shape. Less than an hour of kickball last night (which is, ahem, not a very active sport), and today I am feeeeeeling the buuuuuurrrrrn.

In other news, I experimented a bit with the sewing machine today, and turned an ill-fitting band tee shirt with a cute design into a rockin' summery tank! I'm pretty excited about it. Maybe it'll be my kickball jersey.

Not perfect, but definitely more useful. And it's always good to get more experience with the sewing stuff.

Need some DIY inspiration? I started reading this girl's blog and I'm kind of obsessed with it - New Dress A Day. She turns a $1 (usually hideous or huge) thrift store find into something lovely. Every day! For a year! Love it.

Just a couple more long days of work to go, and then....BIRTHDAY WEEKEND! Rah!

kickball!

2010-07-06T20:56:00.000-04:00

For the first time in years, I got to play kickball tonight! There's a new(ish) adult, friendly kickball league in town and they play at the park right across from our house. Nick's been playing, as well as both our upstairs and downstairs neighbors. Our house totally dominates!

Ah, so so fun. I completely sucked out in the field, but managed to get on base every time I kicked and even scored twice! And our team won! Damn. Summer's the best.

Didn't take any pictures, but let's just say I looked "sporty." Ha.

Lexingtonians, if you're interested (and you should be cause it's delightful!), get with the program. It's usually Tuesdays at 7pm. I don't think they've settled quite yet on the location, but it seems like Bell Court's become a front-runner.

And while you're thinking about how much you love kickball and summer, here's a Still Flyin' video to keep the good vibes pumpin'. This jamm's gonna be featured in John C. Reilly and Jonah Hill's new movie "Cyrus," so check it out! So happy for these dudes.

introducing my beautiful girl...

2010-07-05T12:27:00.000-04:00

Before it gets too late, allow me to introduce my pleasure ride...Miss Lucinda!

Lucinda is a Columbia Royale GS 3-speed, dating back somewhere around the mid 60's to the early 70's. She was a Craigslist find, and came from the same loving home as Nick's bike, Peter. We got them from a nice couple living out in Cynthiana, Kentucky, about an hour from Lexington out some of the prettiest country roads you can imagine. We drove out there on a perfect spring day, the drive being almost enough reason for going, with bikes at the end being a happy bonus. Originally we were just going for Peter, the beautiful and handsome 60's AMF Hercules king we saw in the advertisement. I had just gotten Herman B. Wells overhauled and was falling back in love with biking, so we needed to get Nick a bike he loved as well. Once we found the house, out in the middle of seemingly nowhere, we were greeted by the couple and their multiple dogs. The man took us over to his garage and opened the door....and literally hundreds of gorgeous vintage bikes were inside. I really wish I had gotten a picture of his space - it was pretty amazing. We found the Hercules, and my eye found this sky blue beauty in the corner - I couldn't resist. We test-rode the bikes up and down the gravel road and instantly fell in love. The bike-man only charged us $150 for the pair - a steal, in my opinion!

This is what Lucinda looked like the day we brought her home:

As you can see, I haven't really done that much to her. I took her to my LBS (Lexington Bicycle Center) to get a longer kickstand and a big wicker basket. After riding around a little bit on her (and accumulating a couple more paychecks), I decided she needed a Brooks saddle. In what was an incredibly valuable learning experience, I actually put that on myself! A couple weeks later, she started having chain issues. I was happily riding her home from work one day, pulled out onto one of the busier streets I have to cross, and BAM! Chain slippage! Luckily, traffic was light and I was close to home, so nothing major happened. Once home, I was able to get the chain back on, but the next time I took her out, it happened again. Finally took her into my LBS, where they realized her tires weren't even in the same plane! Sheesh! But never fear...two days later and for only $15, they fixed her right up. They even tightened up her brakes and the handlebars for me! At no extra cost. My LBS is the best!!! Now, she rides like a DREAM.

Other fun fact - Lucinda has coaster brakes AND handlebar brakes, which is pretty awesome for neighborhood riding. Her 3 speeds are just enough for the riding that I do, and in fact, she's the first bike that I've had where I actually change the speeds. She's simple, perfect, beautiful, and oh-so comfortable. She's my party girl!

While I was going through my photos for this post, I found some cute ones of Nick and Peter too. Such a handsome pair!

easy, breezy bike adventure

2010-07-04T14:58:00.002-04:00

I've been feeling a bit under the weather this past week - nothing major, just a mixture of summer allergies and the onset of girl-time packed together with a punch. So, I've been mostly spending my days at work or in bed, and as of last Thursday, I couldn't take it anymore. Wednesday and Thursday were some of the most beautiful days I've ever seen in Lexington - bright and sunny, temperatures in the high 70's, and delightfully breezy. I was off Thursday and decided to put the sickyness aside for a little bit and go for a bike ride. And holy moly, I'm glad I did.

Started off the journey by heading over to Ashland, the Henry Clay Estate. Henry Clay was one of Kentucky's most famous politicians, and the grounds of his mansion have been turned into a gorgeous park, complete with stunning gardens, wide open lawns for picnics or frisbee times, and wooded walking trails. It's only about a mile from where we live now, and it's set in Lexington's prettiest neighborhood, Ashland Park. I took a book and a water bottle and set off on Lucinda to enjoy the day.

After soaking up as much pleasurable weather as I could, it was time to move on to the next prettiest place in Lexington - the Arboretum. Made a quick stop at my coffee shop on the way for more water and some delightful vegan cookies (I'm so addicted to these), and took off into one of my other favorite neighborhoods - Hollywood. Lexington's Hollywood has wide, flat streets surrounded by bungalows and mid-century ranch-style homes. Despite its close proximity to the UK campus, it seems like most of its residents are older than college-age, and have families. Its style and charm sort of remind me of the neighborhood where I grew up in Houston, so biking around the area always brings the warm fuzzies.

Hollywood connects through to Cooper Drive, which through some back-ways maneuvering and a bike trail, gets to the Arboretum.

Once I got to the Arboretum, I stopped to take a couple of glamour shots of Lucinda, a couple of the pretty flowers, and then, hearing the call of my bed, turned back home. Isn't Lucinda a beauty?

She even got a cat-call while I was taking this. Someone from the road yelled, "I like your bike and your basket!!" I yelled back, "Thanks, me too!"

Riding home, slightly downhill most of the way in the breeze was absolutely epic. Seriously glorious.

I fell into 5 o'clock rush-hour traffic on the way home and was surprised to see how many bikes were out in traffic as well. Lexington bikers really come alive in summer - we're a force with which to be reckoned for sure! Rode about halfway home, even into my neighborhood, behind this lady cyclist, who looked to be riding home from work on a super cute, basketed bike.

My bike ride helped remind me that while Lexington isn't perfect, it sure knows how to be pretty. Happy July!

ps, I'm counting this one as a LGRAB Summer Games event (Explore a new part of town by bike) because though I've been in and around these neighborhoods, I've never seen some of them by bike! Plus, I found a super secret way to get from Hollywood to the Arboretum, and got to see much of the University of Kentucky's "backroom" sorts of fixtures. And now, I know a quick and easy way to get home from Summerfest coming up :)

sicky girl just wants to watch videos all day long

2010-07-01T11:47:00.000-04:00

I'm kind of obsessed with this video/song right now. Beyonce, can I be you when I grow up?

SO MUCH STYLE. Every single one of those outfits would look so much better on a bike though :p

keepin' the bikes healthy

2010-06-26T14:47:00.000-04:00

Oh bloggy, it's been a while. Life has been so busy lately, but happily so with so much summer fun! But alas, another post for another time. Today, it's time to talk about....bike maintenance.

Can you believe I've been riding bikes for almost 20 years and have never taken a couple moments to lube a chain? Sure, I get it done when I need tuneups or the like, but never on my own. Well guess what - Herman's chain is a little rusty these days...and apparently, that's a problem that's incredibly easy to fix!

Picked up my pretty-party-girl 3-speed Lucinda from the Lexington Bicycle Center (my LBS [she was getting her frame aligned after the mechanics realized her tires weren't even in the same plane! (much more on Lucinda later - she's my beautiful 60's pleasure ride found on Craigslist)]), and bought a can of easy spray-on lube. Got right to work in my driveway after riding home from work this afternoon.

Spritzed a little of this: and spun the wheels to let it drop all through the chain parts. Then took a rag to wipe up the excess....and VOILA! a shiny, happy chain!

It really couldn't have been easier. I'm almost embarrassed that it took me this long to get the nerve up to JUST DO IT! Herman B. Wells is a happy bike again.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

While I was out getting sweaty in the summer mid-afternoon heat, I decided to give Lucinda a little lovin' too. When I put a Brooks on her, I must've locked it on with the nose pointing just a bit too far north. I haven't ridden her any long-distance since I got her, but Nick and I rode out to the Arboretum the other night, and my (ahem) lady parts weren't exactly happy with me afterwards. So! Time for a tilt.

Lucinda before - see how the nose points up just a little too much?

Just a quick twist with a wrench and some downward pressure...

and VOILA!

much, much better.

Yay! Happy bike friends again!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

This is my entry for the Let'sGoRideABike.com Summer Games - Round 2, Bike Maintenance category! Yip!

porch jammin'

2010-06-16T22:32:00.000-04:00

took some time after dinner/wire time tonight to enjoy the beautiful summer evening. no better way than with some brews, a guitar and a uke, and our beloved space overseeing all of the hood - the porch!

what a perfect way to end a wednesday.

big day tomorrow - i'll become a certified food safety manager, and then get some hang time with my girl grace at lexington's newest haunt and first craft brew shop, the beer trappe! can't wait.

2010-06-15T21:24:00.000-04:00

about to start season 3 of the wire, and all i can say is....

MCSULTRY.

rawr.

carry that load!

2010-06-15T16:40:00.000-04:00

everybody knows that bikes are pretty, and are super fun to ride, but what really makes them special is their UTILITY. as part of the Let's Go Ride A Bike Summer Games i've decided to make grocery shopping by bike a more regular occurrence!

we're lucky to live only about a mile from Disco Kroger, and i work just around the corner from it, so popping in and out is easy. the bike ride over there from our house is pleasant, as we get to traverse the wide, low-traffic pretty streets of the woodland park neighborhood. our kroger has most of our standard staples, as well as a fairly decent selection of our specialized vegan stuff, so we only rarely have to venture out to whole foods or the co-op. to top it all off, we ALWAYS see at least one person we know there. as a rule. every single time. usually more than one person too!

we made a BIG TRIP back in april, right after i got my BIG basket (from Dutch Bike Chicago) and while Nick was still riding his basketed road bike. check out this haul!

(minus that cute little furry guy in there, of course)

but....then it rained. and got hot. and we were busy. and mostly grocery-shopped by car. boo :(

now though, in the dead of the summer heat, we're working on getting our bike-balls back and going shopping THE BETTER WAY - by bike! sweat and all!

10 june 2010:

12 june 2010:

question: how does herman handle with a big, heavy load on his back?

answer: admirably.

he is, admittedly, a little squirrelly around the handlebars, but nothing unmanageable. and, i definitely have to be careful when leaving the bike upright - sometimes the load can get a little too heavy for the kickstand i have now. i'd love to get a dutch-style double kickstand on him to solve this problem indefinitely - maybe one day! one of the best parts about grocery-shopping by bike? not having to hunt for parking! mwa ha ha!

Nick explains how much he loves bike grocery shopping with a dance:

more LGRAB Summer Games challenges to come!

herman b. wells, my first two-wheeled love

2010-06-10T15:50:00.000-04:00

allow me to introduce my first bike as an adult....herman b. wells!

named after an iconic indiana university president, herman is my tried-and-true bike lovey. he's been dependable and smooth, and over the years, has been quite willing to adapt to my needs. herman's my go-to bike for anything. a road bike at heart, he glides over the pavement like it's nothing, and turns and stops with style and grace. it's like he's just an extension of me sometimes - i frequently can ride him without hands and still maintain absolute control and maneuverability.

nick first got herman (then, unnamed) at a flea market a couple years before we met, and used to ride him to classes all the time. as a schwinn from the 1970's, he'd definitely seen better days, but could still put his heart into the ride. one year, fairly early on in our relationship, nick gave me herman for christmas, and we've been in love ever since. he's had a couple different overhauls and tune-ups over the years, and now rides like a dream!

herman's biggest overhaul yet was just this past spring, when he (with the help of the fine folks at pedal power) blossomed from a tired, past-its-prime road racer into the elegant commuter workhorse he is today. just a couple months ago, herman b. wells looked like this:

i think we're both happier now :) quite a far cry from where he is today, for sure. brooks saddle (i'm hooked for life!), upright handlebars with faux-wood grips, fenders, free of junky stickers, a bigger and prettier crate for hauling anything i can imagine, and a longer and sturdier kickstand. herman makes bike-commuting a breeze!

we recently took him and nick's new-old bike, peter, to the north carolina coast to enjoy the splendor of the sea. here they are, looking handsome as ever, on the boardwalk:

ahh, the good life of a bike!

santé!

2010-06-09T20:22:00.000-04:00

why yes, it is a good night for a tasty bev on the porch.

orange tom + summer = <3

bonjour, mes amis!

2010-06-09T12:19:00.000-04:00

awwyeah, it's time....for another blog!

my name's eli, and i'll be your friendly neighborhood blogger. this blog will be about me and my life, wherever that may take us. here are some fun facts about me:

i'm 24, and have just finished my first semester of library science graduate school.
i live in a beautiful, victorian-esque downtown neighborhood of lexington, kentucky.
i've been with my best friend/boyfriend nick and his (well, our) sweet kitty sabie for almost five years.
i love bikes. i ride everyday to work, and it's usually the best part of my day. i believe in the slow bicycle movement, and ride in skirts, dresses, or basically, whatever i like. i'm obsessed with bike blogs, and bikes will definitely be a big part of this blog.
i work at a coffee shop, which allows for a pretty flexible schedule. i often have random days off and love to go have adventures while everyone else in the world is at work. bwahaha.
and....just to clarify, i am a GIRL. with the name eli. e-lie. not el-ly. ahem.

welcome to eli, etc.