Parisian market bike

Just for Sunday fun!

Have I mentioned how much I love French commercials and advertising?



Ooh la la! C'est magnifique!

Here are some more from the old version of this blog:

http://pearlinparis.typepad.com/myblog/2010/07/paris-is-hot.html

http://pearlinparis.typepad.com/myblog/2008/12/orangina-youtube.html

http://pearlinparis.typepad.com/myblog/2008/12/orangina.html

And my favorite:

http://pearlinparis.typepad.com/myblog/2008/12/public-service-announcements.html

This morning's adventure

This morning early -- before the daily heat wave -- Bella, the bike, and I went along to Whole Foods for some provisions. This was my first time in the New Apartment taking the trip, and it was a huge success. Only the initial (and final) crossing of the road was nervy, with huge amounts of fast-moving traffic due to to monring commutes.

But overall, it was all good. And hey. by 9 am I was done with my "required" daily exercise. Pretty good!

Wednesday = Bike Day #2

Rode Bella in to work today... not so bad today I wanted to die. Now if my helmet didn't make me look dorky and my hair didn't end up "helmetty." Ah, vanity!

My morning ride, Bella

Biking in Paris...

Found this on one of my favorite biking blogs, Copenhagen Cycle Chic. Tina Dico, Danish singer, riding her Velibe through Paris...

2011 Goal #1: Improve Overall Health

Sitting here with Jack this morning, drinking my coffee and writing this blog, I am really thinking about what this goal entails: physical, mental, financial, and creative health, in fact. Again, I am not using the word "resolution"; instead, I like goal or, yes, intention. Something to suggest the 12-month process ahead of me.

Physical: I have put on too much weight in the last five years, after several life upheavals. Sooooo, okay, time to dump it, which will definitely improve my mental and emotional health! And eventually my financial health, when I don't get the viruses and diseases flowing regularly through my department or worse things brought about by unaddressed stress and poor habits. I'd like to start by losing about twenty pounds, which would take me down to well below the weight gain.

This means more mindful eating--as a life choice, not a diet!--and being aware of my own metabolism which is SSLLLOOOOOOOWWW! It means being mindful of preparing ahead of time: breakfast, lunches, snacks--not just dinners. And being more mindful when I eat out: I love eating out, I love eating delicious, well-prepared food, and I sometimes simply love someone else cooking, cleaning, and thinking about meals. Eating out is so connected with friends, while my current apartment is not designed for entertaining friends, even one at a time (see goal #2).

And we all know food alone won't do it, not at my age, so movement of some kind every day is necessary. Necessary. Necessary. Which is normal for sensible people. And, joy of joys, that will require biking and walking to work... on errands... and signing up for a yoga class weekly (which I JUST did!). And it is possible that the yoga class will require biking to and from...

Mental health will definitely be improved by the increased physical movement, and by the subsequent weight loss. I am also going to change my own internal scripting: being more aware of how I talk to myself. For example, Friday I had scheduled a phone meeting, but left my phone in my car... and missed the meeting. I spent about ten minutes buffeting myself for messing up--and I realized that I do that all the time, when I am not "perfect." So rewriting those internal mental scripts is necessary. I called back and rescheduled the meeting--no sweat. I listened to what I was saying to myself (and how I was subsequently feeling) about making a small mistake... so I stopped.

That kind of self-talk is not only paralyzing, but ridiculous because it always make the incident seem larger than it is.

Creative health, of course, means continuing what I've been working on: writing everyday, and developing a process to make that as painless as possible. And I mean enabling myself to start everyday. As well as developing my interest in drawing with pastels and photography. Maybe even taking a class in one or the other. The writing has been delightful this past semester: productive and, again, emotionally stimulating. I've built early morning time into six days weekly for writing, including two days outside the house.

So:
Goal/specific: lose 20 pounds or two dress sizes.
Goal/general: improve physical stamina/endurance by adding daily movement.
Goal/general: change lifestyle and eating habits, including making it a habit to be prepared for weekly menus.

Goal/specific: change mental self-talk script to be kinder, gentler with myself.
Goal/general: set and accomplish creative goals weekly.

Bella in the shop

Finally, I took Bella for her annual check-up to the new location of my bike shop, the same place I bought her from. They've moved south of DownTown Big D to a funkier, warehouse-y area that will probably all too soon be gentrified and bland.

I strapped her to the back of the car using the new bike rack and gendered-holding bar, and actually drove through the busy streets of Big D yesterday.

Bad news: the beautiful panniers I bought are disintegrating. The straps apparently cannot hold up to the sun, heat, and nasty water of the area, and literally fell off in my hands. Ugh.

Good news: Bike store is fully-functional in new space and funkier than ever. They are checking her tires (both flat!) and gears and springs, etc. Picking her up Saturday.

She needs a hosing down, too: lots of mud from the last couple of weeks.

Oxford Bikes, 2010

I just found a folder full of photos from this summer that I never uploaded. Bikes from Oxford's City Center.

Day Eight,Week Two of the Commute

Thus far, everything is... going smoothly. I am finally getting a handle on the timing involved in getting everything papcked into the bike, commuting, and then unpacking and preparing me for class each day. I teach four days weekly, so there are two distinctly different commutes: one that is for an all-day, two course + meetings commute, and one that is a single class, then gym commute.

I am definitely getting braver and more assertive about cars. Drivers in my 'hood tend to want to rule the road--especially in their Lexus/Mercedes-Benz/range Rover/Hummer mentalities (Big Expensive Cars). They do not want to dawdle behind a bike, even one as spiffy as mine. Luckily, there is little traffic, and everyone has been courteous when push came to shove. At stop signs or lights, for example.

Ironically, by near-collision came as a result of a mother opening the road-side backseat door to load her toddler into the car seat from THAT SIDE. Huh? The road is one parking lane and two driving lanes wide, with either side parking. The mother has the door wide open--into the lane, while the toddler stands next to her. Cars coming both ways, me on the bike... looked like disaster. Mom wasn't exactly rushing to get toddler out of harm's way, either.

Fortunately, both cars and I slowed way down and let her finish whatever.

My panniers have come in handy, since I am loading up backpack and panniers. Laptop, textbooks, and lunchbox go in panniers, while everything else goes in backpack. I am already considering ways to lighten the load by duplicating items to store at my office. But I still want to carry lunch: cost of lunch on-campus is just short of $10 daily (all you can eat buffet with sandwiches, salads, omelettes, etc.--healthy options!) and I can carry lunch for 1/4 of that. Since saving is one of my goals...

And the big weight will be relieved when I get my new laptop next week--a smaller, lighter MacBook. I am also investigating ways to cheat by not bringing textbooks, but copied pages/chapters... which means I won't feel so guilty marking them up, either.

Slowly, slowly.

Pearl

First Week

This morning I can report that four days of riding Bella to My U has been... interesting.

Monday and Tuesday were just trial runs with no luggage on board. Very smooth, although I learned (as I said on Tuesday) that the route there is uphill. Wednesday and Thursday I added the junk I use for class--laptop, textbooks, dry-rase markers, folders, etc--lunch, and extra clothes... and "uphill" became a dirty word.

Wednesday was slightly fraught, although I had prepped much of the stuff the ngiht before, but I had to be at My U before 9 am (class time) through the heaviest traffic of the day in my 'hood.

And, ironically, the city decided to tear up the street one block from the entrance to the university grounds for one full block--putting up detour signs, bringing in heavy trucks, and molto guys in hard hats by 8 am. The day classes started is the same day the roadwork began: timing is everything.

Despite that, I arrived early, locked up and unloaded the bike, changed clothes and refreshed makeup in the ladies room next to my classroom, and got myself set up and on-line in time for class. Thank goodness I brought a clean blouse to change into, because the t-shirt I wore was soaked.

Going home, the roadway was blocked not only with roadwork, but gardening truck. This is always the case by mid-afternoon in my 'hood. One truck parked illegally and three guys weed-whacking. next block, one bigger truck with a crane planting mid-life trees. With about seven guys "helping."

And... I arrived home safely. Happy that the road home was all downhill.

Thursday, much the same, except that I travel in for a 2 pm class, so the traffic issues are different. Surprisingly, less sweaty arrival--although I notice my thighs are protesting earlier in the ride! I was also carrying about 5 lbs less weight yesterday than Wednesday. Each trip has been lighter, since things were left in my office or given away to students.

So far, good riding and good exercise. I am puffing like a blowfish when I stop at the traffic light at the edge of My U's grounds (always have to stop, never green my way), and aching quad and calf muscles, but I think that will actually be better by the end of next week. I feel much more confident even after only two days of class-specific riding, negotiating the streets and sidewalks on campus as well as in my neighborhood. I'll try a new route next week, as well.

Pearl

Bella, The Bike

Turns out my bike is a Bella Beach Cruiser Bike made by Firmstrong. I thought it was a Felt from my discussion with the person who sold me Bella, but having visited the Felt site for information on the recall and doodled around, nuh-uh.

Instead, my research led me around to the ABikeStore.com site, where my beauty resides. Since this was one of my favorites when I was (briefly) considering ordering a bike online, I am pleased about that.

Ironically or perhaps by the hand of fate, Isabelle is one of my favorite names.

Hmmm.

Synchronicity. Synergy. Syncopation.

Pearl

Skirting the Bike

First, I love the skort. It's shorts, it's a skirt... it's a skort.

I don't wear shorts. I cannot find any length, style, or shape that I think flatters my short legs and heart-shaped butt. Yeah, I've tried. My philosophy is much like this one.

Even the New York Times has jumped on board: "SKIRTS aren't just for tennis players anymore. In the last year, skirts specially designed for runners have hit the market. No longer do women need to 'imitate men down to the last thread,' said Nicole DeBoom, a triathlete whose company, Skirt Sports, sells three skirts and a marathon dress. 'Now, as you bounce past a guy in a skirt and he grunts, "I'm getting beat by a skirt," you can smile to yourself,' she said."

I am also a "girl" in these matters, meaning I like skirts for their shape, their femininity, their flip. Not to be confused with being a woman or a feminist--both of which I am also, everyday--I like the extra styling of the skort on bike or walking. And no one sees my panties. 'Cause I'm also a lady.

(Confusing for you? Shouldn't be. None of those things are mutually exclusive.)

Apparently, skorts are generally for school uniforms, athletic uniforms, weird porn wear, or poor dressers... according to the web. Don't care.

In matters biking, I have found three sites that offer appropriate wear, which will supplement the two older skorts I have that are falling apart. First, RunningSkirts.com, which offers very very short running skorts and longer skorts for "athletic" use. The really short ones only have briefs underneath--not my favorite option. Lots of colors, sizes, and some great videos of them in action. Then there's SkirtSports.com with better patterns--very cute. And finally Terry, which offers a slew of gear and apparel; not as cute or flippy, but serviceable.

There are a million other choices. Unfortunately, Champion--where I bought my first two--has nothing available on their website. And Adidas is all golf skorts, a whole different thing.

I won't be wearing these to class in the fall, although they are my favorite gym gear, including for the on-campus gym.

Pearl

David Byrne on biking

If biking wasn't cool enough (environment, freedom, wind in your face, etc.) David Byrne has just published The Bicycle Diaries, his personal observations on biking. On the Guardian's Bike Blog, he discusses his love of biking through cities and countrysides.


Wow.

Pearl

Biking Style

my style by pearl2164 featuring Old Navy


Before and since purchasing The Bike--which I still haven't named, obviously--I have become a passionate reader of sites about biking. Most recently, sites that combine my interest in commuter biking (what one friend calls non-spandex biking) and biking style.

Like Let's Go Ride A Bike and Bike Skirt and http://www.copenhagencyclechic.com/.

Since my big plan is to ride The Bike to work daily and the heat in DFW will continue to be intense (picture Venutian) until late October, this is a concern. The commute is only .75 miles without major hills or road blocks, so that is not the problem. It is the heat. THE HEAT.

No matter that the commute will take 15-20 minutes, because in that time I can and will become a sweaty, bedraggled mess. Even with the panniers, I will be carrying a backpack. That is clear since necessary for every class meeting is my laptop, once the Powers That Be removed the convenient computer/AV towers in every classroom, decreeing that professors could utilize our university-provided laptops. Mine is analogous to the Tyrannosaurus Rex of laptops: big, heavy, unwieldy, with a too-small brain requiring electrical cords and a mouse. I keep everything on stix and discs after having had my desktop model stolen from my office (that was the T.R. of deskstops too--which seems to be my legacy from My U--I get the biggest, heaviest versions available... I do not know why, for the love of Bill Gates, but it is so). So the discs and stix I need for any given university day must also accompany me to and from My U, carrying lectures, power point material, iconography, current in-process paperwork, and my link to the wonderful worlds of email and Blackboard.

And the anthology, the textbook, the papers, the gradebook, the pens. The dry-erase markers and chalk (yeah, can't actually find them in a classroom any more, so I carry my own). And then of course the lunch, the water bottle, the cosmetics, the wallet, the phone, the iPod and buds, the daybook, the journal, the camera... The Stuff (is it necessary? No... not until you don't bring it!).

Oh, and the gym clothes and shoes. And a portable bike pump and repair kit. (Don't learn the hard way!)

So, uh, yes, panniers and backpack.

I do not teach physical classes, but theatre history, performance studies, playwriting. All read-and-write classes that enable me to indulge my personal style. Which is sort of classic casual (see above).

Soooooooooo... the question remains: carry clothes for changing (more stuff) after short but sweaty commute or keep clothes in the office for said change? And wait for (brief) fall. Probably carry face wipes and plan to wash/makeup at school. Just more planning.

This would not be on my mind if I was content to teach in sloppy sweats every day. For a jeans/T-shirt/boots day, little to no problem. But on hot days, to teach I wear dresses, linen shirts, skirts, boho cotton tops, linen pants and heeled sandals--not shorts or sweats. Better for teaching, better for meetings, better for running into dean, provost, or president at My U. Which I do, often.

And while academics know it is superficial to judge people by their outer packages... yeah, we do. A lot. Male administrators on my campus wear suits, shirts, and ties everyday. Many male professors do, too. Female administrators and professors wear pants suits, dresses with jackets, and skirted suits. And even though we are in the arts school, no one wants to see a professor wearing sloppy sweats, paint covered jeans, or shapeless Ts... unless they're in the classroom in the middle of an exercise. Parents, patrons, admnistrators and students react quite differently to these cues. I've seen it and felt it.

Beyond all that, I know I get better responses from students when I am dressed more formally: they speak up more, they test better, and they pay more attention. I know, that sounds ridiculous: but it is so. Maybe it is my attitude: I feel better, therefore the class goes better. Maybe it is because they need a prompt to see a middle-aged woman as someone to respect: in our culture, middle-aged women become invisible and unimportant easily and I might remind them more of their mom than of a professional authority. Maybe it is because it gives a bit of distance between us: most students call me by my first name and consider that means we're friends and equals, or they see themselves as customers in a department store talking to a clerk doing them a service (thanks, Edu-Speak!). Maybe it is all of the above... whatever, it works and I do not mess with success in the classroom.

In any case, while I am planning my syllabi and assignments for fall, I am also planning my commute, a little more closely than I did when I drove the car and simply threw whatever in the backseat. No backseat.

Oh, well. Despite all this fussing, I am pleased and excited to look forward to riding The Bike everyday. Happy to know that come December, I will be in better shape, my car will be less messy, and my wallet will be fat from gas savings. Or at least not as lean. And I will have all my answers about biking in style answered, whether I like the answers or not.

True Love

I am really loving The Bike.

What's not to love, after all? It is awfully pretty, riding on it is cooler than standing or walking... or even driving in the car, and it is good for me to have this relationship. Good physically, good emotionally, and probably good spiritually.

The newest escapade is the rear rack and panniers that will make it so simple to commute to My U every day, rain or shine. I have also added a water bottle carrier, for obvious reasons.

True love: who knew it was this simple?

Pearl

Finally!

'Cause I know you've all been waiting: The Bike.

Next: covered panniers with a rear rack.

And here's the new sofa:

Forgive the mess.

Pearl

The Bike

Here it is.

Well, it would be, but I am being restrained by my computer for "administrative issues" so it won't let me download photos. It doesn't recognize me an administrator... which basically means that my computer is telling me that I am not the boss of it.

Which is true... but I digress.

The blue bike in the foreground: my exact bike.

I rode The Bike home and felt the wind flying through my hair. Whee!

OK, I have short hair cut extra short for summer heat and wore a ball cap... but still: Wheeeeeee!
Remember this post on frugality back this spring? Well, I got the front basket (detachable, too!), the bell, and even light blue color-coordinated grips.

All on monies saved from coupons, deals, EBates, and selling books on Amazon. Now I'm going to start saving for the next "big" project: a new mattress and box spring. Good times.

Whhhhhhhhhhheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!

Pearl

Friday Plans

Yes, it is Friday, which is a No Class Day. My big plans include:

1. Picking up THE BIKE: walking to the shop, getting my photo taken (the shop's Friday ritual!), then riding home. Ah, exercise... in the blazing/relentless/nasty DFW midday heat... good plan, eh?
2. Dinner out with girlfriends at chic local eatery featuring pizza and salads: Fireside Pies.
3. Laundry (gotta love the No Class Day, which translates to Home Rituals and Cleaning Day).
4. Reading the latest issue of Dwell magazine, my new favorite magazine. I dream of buying/building a small pre-fab house... also Entertainment Weekly and Fast Company.
5. Reading about Parisian visual culture of the 19th century. More interesting than it sounds, perhaps.
6. Replying to emails I have neglected all week.
7. Tuning my radio to Michael Jackson tribute stations, hopefully for the pre-scary years. Rest in peace, MJ.
8. Feeling envy about my friends' trip to Scotland: weeks in that lovely country, visiting Edinburgh, Glasgow, and the B&B I stayed in the Mactalla.
9. Did I mention picking up THE BIKE? Oh, I did.

Pearl

Tomorrow

Tomorrow--Friday--I will pick up my NEW BIKE!
Yes. I ordered it on Tuesday, and will pick it up TOMORROW!
Can you tell I am EXCITED!
I hope I will have pictures, but my camera is refusing to intersect interrogate interact interface with the laptop, so it may not be immediately possible.

HOWEVER

it is a light blue Cruiser bike, with light blue rubber grips, a white front basket, a side mirror, a zingy bell, and, yes, the LOCK OF LOCKS so that it doesn't go walkabout.
I will be very cool, in a short-middle-aged-lady-in-a-skirt cool manner.

Pearl