More Local shopping

Thursday morning I had to get some holiday errands done before my two college friends came to visit for the day. I originally planned to go to yoga, and then run errands but felt like I needed the full morning to get everything in- so I skipped yoga for a leisurely coffee and planned my day. The day was threatening to rain, however my car was still in the shop so I had no other way to get around. I liked this actually and I realize that having no choice makes me feel like I can explain my riding in miserable weather to people better. It seems so hardcore of me to actively choose to ride in the cold and rain when there is a perfectly good alternative in my driveway. Yet, I felt happier with no choice and thus on my bike.

As I sat with a cup of coffee and a donut muffin, it began to rain. I had parked the bike under a big cement awning just in case of rain. I had many things to do by foot for the morning so I knew I could handle walking around in the rain with my umbrella. I just hoped it wouldn't be at a downpour when it was time for me to go back home.

I hit up the Local Bookstore- Newtonville Books for some good reads for the kids and B. Later I saw the owner of the bookstore walking down the street and she commented about my bike. I pointed to show her that inside was a nice big bag from her store. I'm so grateful that store is there. Girlpie loves going there after school some days and has become quite good at asking to have books put on order.

Then I moseyed down to Newtonville Camera to purchase my own christmas present. ( B and I end up buying our own items. He had done some half hearted camera research and sent me a link for the camera he thought I would like and well, it was not anywhere near what I actually wanted so it was good that I spent all month visiting my camera and checking out others. B got himself a sweet workbench.) The owner of Newtonville Camera helped me with my order and we talked about shopping local.

My friends contacted me to tell me they would arrive about 30 minutes earlier- so I quickly raced through Shaw's to grab some things for lunch and dinner and then piled everything in to the bike and rode home. Best part was that the rain only lasted about 10 minutes and I had a nice, seasonally warm ride home.

It's good to be prepared though. I wore my raincoat with fleece underneath to keep me dry and warm and snapped the rain cover over the box to make sure my blanket and things didn't get soaked in case of rain.

Today I wanted to get on the bike as I had spent the weekend in hibernation mode. I pretty much stayed home all day saturday and went for a quick trip to a holiday open house with the kids by car on sunday evening. I was restless for a good outdoor ride, especially while the sun was out.

I went down for a well needed coffee ( I don't like B's coffee if you are wondering why I always go out...) and then stopped at CVS to get wrapping paper and then a quick grocery run to ensure I had snacks for the kids lunches. Home again to wrap and package gifts that need to be shipped and then back out again to the Post Office to ship gifts to family in NYC and Canada.

Then it was time to pick up the rental ski/boot packages for the kids. We picked them out two weeks ago and I was a week overdue from picking them up. I rode down Washington street on the sidewalk. I also decided I needed a new super warm helmet- one to use for skiing and biking in winter. I was wearing my Bern helmet but decided that a small is too small with all of my hair plus the winter insert padding. As I picked the helmet, the store guy asked if I wanted the box and I explained I was on my bike and would wear it home. Then I handed him the receipt for the skis and he looked at me and said " you can't take these home on your bike... TWO sets of skis AND boots?!!!" I said " Oh yes I can. You haven't seen my bike". He asked if I was the person with a big box on the bike and I explained I was. Apparently he has passed me in the street just this morning.

I am so pleased with my new helmet. It feels warm and is completely black and has a molded visor, just like I wanted. I happen to be wearing a lot of black and white today, but I think this helmet will look good with my splashes of color throughout the wintertime too.

In any case, I feel it looks a hell of a lot better than this one.

I realize with my face and hair- I need a visor of some kind. Either the brimmed hat cover of the Yakkay or a molded plastic one like the Giro.

weekly log 12/5 & 12/12

Monday:

Ride: Public, Jetta, Boxbike

Destination: yoga and grocery shopping by public.

Destination: To Watertown's Target to by a donation holiday gift.

Destination: To monthly mom group lecture series 1 mile away by boxbike.

Total distances: 2 miles by public. 6/7 miles by car, 2 miles by boxbike.

I wanted to ride to Target- but didn't think I could make it there and back in time for school bus pick up. I wish I had planned the target run another day but oh well. I had lost the name age and wish of the child I was buying for and it wasn't until late in the day when I found it. I rode the boxbike to the meeting mainly b/c I was carrying my donated gift as well as my neighbors, I could have fit both in my back or basket- but I knew I would appreciate a motor ride on the way home later that night. Plus everyone keeps asking about the box bike at those meetings so I thought it would be fun to show it off.

Tuesday:

Ride: Jetta

Destination: Delivering CSA meat to my friend 1.5 miles away. Run by the Toy store in Newton Highlands and try to drop by 51 Lincoln to make reservations for dinner.

Distance- eh 3.5 miles?

I'm annoyed with myself as the weather said it would rain steadily all day. When I was getting ready to leave it was barely drizzling but the rain was slowly picking up and I figured it would only get worse, not better. As I got in the car for my first stop it was at it's hardest and by the time I got to the toy store- it was barely raining again. It ended up being a lovely overcast wet day and I would have enjoyed being on my bike. Bah humbag- I gambled and gambled wrong.

Wednesday:

Ride: Jetta-

Destination-random errands that I can't even remember.

Distance- again it's two weeks later and I can't remember. Not too much.

It was pouring most of the day today so I drove.

Thursday:

Ride: Jetta ( grrr)

Destination: Dentist 6 miles away

Distance- maybe 20 miles. I stopped at Legacy Place since I was nearby.

Today was a beautiful sunny day. I wished I could have been on my bike- but it was a good thing I was driving as that is when I found out that Wednesday's downpour flooded my car. After a nervous stop at the mall, I went home to shop-vac my car.

Friday

Ride: Jetta

Destination: Monthly meeting/ supervision group around Narrative therapy. Natick Mall afterward

Distance- 20+ miles?

I was feeling cranky about the flooded car. I drove it to try to think about what to do to fix it. I needed to go to Natick so I decided to do it before it ended up in the shop for forever.

Later that evening I with a friend too a train into brookline to meet other friends and then carpooled with two overnight guests back home.

Week of 12/12

Monday

Ride: Boxbike

Destination: Yoga, grocery store.

3 miles.

It was cold. I donned my winter helmet with ear flaps.

Tuesday:

Ride: Jetta/ VW shuttle

Destination: VW dealer

Total distance: around 18 miles.

Dropped the car off at the dealer and took shuttle home. Had the shuttle drop me off at the library and then I walked home from there.

Wednesday:

Ride: boxbike

Destination: Holiday errands. Meeting, shopping and lots of cold cheer.

Distance 5.5 miles.

Thursday

Ride Boxbike, friend's car and Jetta

Destination: morning errands. Later back to VW dealer and back

Distance 2 miles by bike and that lovely 18 by car.

I was happy to get some good stuff done this morning before two college friends arrived for a visit. After Girlpie came home from school, we all piled in to drive to the dealer and then back home for a lovely pasta and garlic bread dinner.

Friday:

Ride: friend's car. jetta

Destination: School library, home, church

Distance 3 miles.

One friend stayed over night and in the morning, she suggested we grab some breakfast. We went close by, but ended up taking her car b/c of timing. I was assuming she would leave directly from breakfast, while I walked over to the school to volunteer. Coming home from school I ran into a friend who offered a ride home and mainly because I wanted to chat I accepted the ride. Later that evening I had a night event with the kids at church. I had wanted to go solo and walk but going with the kids I honestly didn't want them out late at night longer than necessary and Tuber had a bad cold, so I wanted him warm. Plus my lighting system on the box bike is less than ideal.

Shop local- Newton has got good stuff.

For a lot of people, having one's car break down ( has a major leak somewhere and was found filled with water on thursday) in the middle of December would put a lot of problems into the holiday season.

Not me. I *am* grateful that I had a dentist appointment last Thursday in Dedham that required that I drive my car though- Otherwise I would not have noticed that it was filled with water for quite a few days ( although the icicles on the INSIDE of the windows would have tipped me off around Sat am I would guess.)

Anyway, I dropped the car off at the dealer for them to figure it all out and when the guy said " Well you are going to have to leave it here for at least a few days..." I easily said " No problem" and handed over the keys.

I like to shop local. I like to bike. However the connection of the two has never been more clear to me than today. Often even if I am in a car- I tend to stay near by. But today I had major errands to run and major shopping to take care of.

I am so thankful that I was able to go to my biweekly meeting, take a swing by the grocery store and then head over to the Learning Express toy store in Newton Center to check out the Star Wars LEGO selection. Ran into a friend and picked up a few good items for Tuber, Girlpie as well as two cousins and my goddaughter. Rawk. Then as I was loading up again I realized I needed two items for friends around the corner. So glad there is a Big Picture Frame store in Newton Center as well. I made my purchases, ran into another friend and caught up. I then called B asking if he could think of any local errand I should run while I was out and he asked me to place our Christmas rib roast order down at Dewars' Butcher. Walked over and now we are sure to have a stunning and yummy meal. Quickly had a slice of pizza at Sweet Tomatoes and then window shopped at Karma which sells Tibetan arts. I decided I was cold and tired and needed to get home to put toys in hiding spot and clean up before the rugrats come home.

I still need to pick up the rental ski packages for the kids which luckily is a mile away near Harris and buy a book for B at Newtonville Books as well as complete the camera shopping in Newtonville Camera. Last week I did some small toy shopping over at Green Planet Kids in Newton Highlands.

I will admit that I will have to do some online shopping to round out my purchases, but being able to 100% complete errands today without compromise while on bike was a big deal to me.

I'm glad Newton has such a varied business life in its many villages.

A difference a year makes.

Last year, the first Saturday in December was a wonderful day. I remember it well.

Our chruch has it's holiday fair each year that weekend and a local neighborhood library was having a holiday craft session that morning. I also decided to try to take Girlpie to the drop in knitting class held at that same library.

See around December last year- I had kind of given up on the family cycling for long jaunts. The library is about 3 hilly miles and I knew it was out of my range. Before this, I still had this feeling that driving to a library was out of the question and since I could not bike to this particular one, well I just didn't go. But I was missing out on things- like drop in knitting classes. So that first Saturday in December I gave up my guilt around my limitations of family biking and just decided that I would drive where ever whenever and be cool with it.

So we drove to the library and then after spending a long happy time there ( knitting, then crafting, then reading and taking out books) we stopped at the bakery near by for cookies and then headed out toward church. I remember parking near the church and walking with the kids to Dunkin Donuts for an egg sandwhich lunch which they loved and then we went to enjoy the fair. The day was December cold and sunny and I loved just our short walk from Dunkin Donuts to the church, looking at the Magnolia on the corner already making buds. We did the fair, and brought home a wreath and got home in time to relax on the couch and revel in a good long day out of the house. Pure wonderful.

Well, this year I have an electric trike that makes riding most places in town not a problem anymore. In fact I have ridden to that aformentioned library a few times this fall and a while back before Halloween I wrote about a wonderful long day out that involved pancakes and library and errands all by bike that equalled that busy family saturday day out feeling. So this first Saturday in December I was happy with the knowledge that the memory of last year could only be enhanced by my ability to do it car free.

This year B was home and not on call. We four took off for the fair together, me trailing B and Tuber shouting at me to "turn the motor on- beat daddy!". We did all the fair things we usually do, hot chocolate, buy a toy for each kid in the toy sale ( $1 sutffed animals and a police boat for $5) and then we went downstairs to make our wreath before heading out home. ( I even made a small swag for my public basket)

A difference a year makes. I still had a great beginning to the holiday season. It was all the more sweeter to do it by bike.

Weekly Log 11/28

Monday

Ride- Boxbike

Destination: Grocery stores. 1+ miles to whole foods and then another .75 miles to Stop and Shop and then 2.5 miles home.

( I was lucky to have friends come over for coffee and scones and lots of talking all morning. After shopping, I virtually window shopped for xmas presents. Plan to buy in brick and mortar store this week!)

Tuesday

Ride- Jetta, Public

Destination- Vet. Yoga. B-day party, Dentist.

I long to bike my cat to the vet. However he is a sensitive soul who requires cat meds for his anxiety so I decided it might be cruel to give him a bumpy ride twice as long as the car ride over. It's a shame as it is so bikable. So drove to vet. Home to drop car off and biked to Yoga ( I actually was running early so I went to the Camera Shop to buy Girlpie's Christmas present and look at the choices for mine right before yoga). Home to get kids from bus and then drive to party to drop off tuber and drive Girlpie to the dentist which is 7 miles away. ( one day I'll bike that solo)

Total distances: 2 miles by bike, 20 miles by car.

Wednesday

Ride-public

Destination: bi weekly meeting and then later errands in the village one mile away.

Total distance 6 miles.

Thursday

Ride-public and boxbike

Destination: yoga and early release lunch with kids. Public to yoga. Boxbike to pick up four kids and meet my friend (mom to the other two!) for lunch. Rode three back home ( the two kids basically fought over who got to ride. I didn't think I could do all four up the hill even with motor- but after doing the three I am sure I could. The 9 yr old won the fight and rode with me)

Total distance, 4 miles

Friday

Ride-Public

Destination: Volunteering during 3rd grade library, Whole Foods stop and a swing by at the camera shop to re-compare the cameras I want for Christmas ( lumix LX5 vs the comparable Olympus model- any thoughts??).

Total distance: approx 3 miles?

And that's my week. Tuesday was a driving day. I put more time on the public because I have been ignoring her. Later today I will catch a ride with three other women into Boston. We'll park somewhere and then stroll around doing our annual City Christmas Shopping outing and end the evening with drinks and dinner. Obviously, I'd rather take the T, but feel that four women in one car does make sense. It also means getting home will be short and sweet which I appreciate.