A "Special" Sunrise!

Why is this sunrise special? 'Tis the anniversary of my birth! The morning of February 17th was a little chilly but it turned out to be a splendid day. A beautiful sunrise. Blue Skies. Sunshine All Day. Temperatures in the upper 60s.

After spending three days in San Antonio with my friend Diana (also a Joslin cousin, 3rd cousin once removed - and thanks Diana for your hospitality!) I checked the weather forecast and saw that Padre Island and Corpus Christi were supposed to have several really nice days, I headed back east. I wasn't disappointed.

I arrived at Padre Island National Seashore at about noon on Tuesday to clear skies and sunshine and left on Thursday morning with gray clouds blanketing the sky and blocking out the sun. But it was still warm! Two days of strolling the beach and soaking up the vitamin D. Quite nice, thank you very much.

Unexpected Not So Fun Trip

We were so excited to settle into one of our favorite places to land, and catch up with the local crowd here. I have said before how much the people here make this place so great. They are seriously the most friendly crowd of any of the parks.



We played some pickleball with them. We signed up for the (Ken and Faye's) Labor Day pickleball tournament. Then we headed to bed. A few hours later, I woke up in intense pain. I was sitting in the living room doubled over and only a few choice words kept rolling through my brain. By the time Nathan got up to check on me, I told him I think we need to get to the hospital.



We get to the hospital where it seems they have an unusually busy night. I was having so much pain that I wasn't helpful in telling them where it hurt. So it took them some time to narrow down what exactly was wrong. Early in the morning they said they could tell the gallbladder was enlarged and there was water around it. They thought it needed to come out.



Long story short, at 8 am the next day I had my gallbladder removed. It was infected and had needed to come out. This is not a trip I wanted to take at all. The upside to this trip was I couldn't imagine a better place to have this surgery done. The entire staff that we encountered was top notch. I have never had a staff be more interactive with us, explaining each and every step of the way what was going on. This is by far the best experience I have ever had in a hospital.



The funny part of this story: I realized the next day that I came in wearing my PJ's. I am guessing I was in a LOT of pain for this to happen because I don't think I've ever left my house in my PJ's. Well, not entirely true. I used to wear my PJ bottoms to pickleball. I will probably still wear my PJ bottoms to pickleball but I can't recall ever wearing the top out and about.



I am grateful to be not working so I can fully rest. Mom gave me a gracious gift towards my scrapbooking fun, so I will rest while doing something I love. Right now I'm very, very sore and very, very tired. I think surgeries are like having babies, they are probably easiest on the body when you are young and bounce back quicker. Sadly with surgery stuff, you tend to have more of them when older and not the other way around. Here's to hoping this is the last surgery I have for a long, long time.

The Bicycle Boutique: a Prognosis of the Future?

Bicycle shops in the US can be divided into several categories. Typical local bike shops sell a wide range of bicycles, from road, to mountain, to utility bikes and beyond. Then there are the specialised bike shops that stock only a specific kind of bicycle - for example, European city bikes. There are also the community co-op bike shops and the used bike shops. And finally, there are the bicycle boutiques.

The boutique bike shop is a relatively new phenomenon. It is designed to resemble a gallery space rather than a store, and often incorporates a coffee shop or a lounge area. The space features an open floor plan and minimalist decor. The stock of bicycles and accessories is kept intentionally sparse, so that each item receives individual attention. The staff usually have a personal connection to the shop. Instead of sales pitches, there is a calm curatorial demeanor. And the careful selection of bicycles tends to be on the high-end side.



In the Boston area, the latest and much talked about bicycle boutique is the Ride Studio Cafe in Lexington, and I have stopped by a couple of times when cycling through the area.



TheRide Studio Cafe sells mainly two types of bicycles. There are high end road bikes by the world-famous Seven Cycles that are built right here in Watertown, MA.



And there are budget city bicycles (diamond frame and mixtes) from the San Francisco-based Public Bikes.



There is also apparel by Rapha and Campagnolo, as well as a variety of chamois creams and embrocation lotions.

In the back is a small workshop and storage area that is separated from the main floor, but accessible to visitors.



My first reaction upon entering the store, was an intimidated amazement upon seeing so many (titanium?) Seven bicycles in the same place, casually propped against walls here and there. Though I am not normally attracted to modern, non-lugged roadbikes, there is something about Seven Cycles that is just so impeccable that my eye cannot help but be drawn to them. I moved one of the bikes aside in order to photograph it, but got so nervous touching and positioning the beautiful, feather-light and extremely expensive machine, that after one picture with shaking hands I decided to put it back. Later it occurred to me that these bicycles are floor models and people probably test ride them all the time. Not sure whether I would be able to handle that, but the idea of test riding a Seven is tempting.



During the several months of its fledgling existence, theRide Studio Cafehas been a frequent topic of conversation among local bicycle enthusiasts, with speculations regarding its long-term feasibility. Is the population of Lexington and the surrounding towns really so affluent as to keep the boutique afloat with regular purchases of Seven bicycles and Rapha gear? And while the affordablePublic bikes are a good way to diversify, is it enough? If the answer to all of that is "yes", I think it is a fantastic sign of changing priorities among the segment of population with disposable income. Interestingly, the worse the economy is doing, the more of such boutiques are opening up. Could that indicate that more affluent suburban residents are choosing to purchase a silver Seveninstead of the usual silver Lexus?

Too Local? Not to Worry!

Today I made the decision to do something new and exciting: to rent an art studio close to home. My current studio situation is kind of disjointed. I have a small painting studio in our apartment, and the Co-Habitant and I share a photography studio outside of Boston. Neither has been working out very well. I have a difficult time painting at home, often feeling stir-crazy and unable to focus. And the photo studio, while a great space in theory, takes so long to get to that we do not go there as much as we envisioned. Some restructuring is in order if we want to be more productive.



When I began to look for studio space, I was hoping for a moderate bicycle commute. A manageable distance would be key to maintaining a daily practice - especially in the winter when it gets unpleasant to cycle in the snow in traffic. Good studio spaces are pretty scarce around these parts, but I didn't want to settle for something so far away that I'd end up never going there. I looked around and didn't find much. Then suddenly a great space turned up a 10 minute ride from my house. That's almost too local!




But while the studio is close by, it is in a neighbourhood I do not normally venture to - separated from my neighbourhood by a great big hill. In fact, the entire trip is basically the hill: Both going there and coming back, the first portion of the ride I spent climbing and panting, taking care not to weave in front of moving cars. The second portion I spent descending - careful not to go too fast, as cars appeared out of nowhere. Oh boy. This is what awaits me every day, twice or more a day, in high traffic and on an upright city bike! Laden with a heavy pannier, my 3-speed climbed faithfully, maintaining a consistent line of travel. I did it, but I didn't like it. Hopefully I will get really strong in a couple of months without breaking my knees first. Of course I could also just walk; it's close enough... but what would be the fun in that?

Parisian morning: A stroll on the River Seine and a quick encounter with a Parisian stranger

It’s just been 2 weeks since I was in Paris and now it felt like forever. My life is fast-paced, mostly because of my work, so I try to squeeze in a lot of ‘me’ and ‘doing nothing much’ time into my schedule to recover, keep my sanity and put my feet firmly on the ground. Work can sometimes be overwhelming so a short or long trip in between to unwind and forget about corporate slavery is always welcome. I should not complain because this slavery has rewarded me the €€€.

So on our second day in Paris, we will be taking the free boat trip from the hotel but before doing so Bru and I would like to do a typical Parisian stroll along the River Seine, from Bastille to the Notre Dame Church area where we will have coffee.

Here’s some of the pictures we took during the stroll:

Bru and I. Bru does not like the sun. She avoids it more than I do =)

Playing the tourist here.

At the café around the corner of Notre Dame we had coffee. Our table was tactically located for people watching, which I never take any less anyway. We were sitting right on the corner street with a view to the Notre Dame Church.

While Bru was at the toilet freshening herself up, I briefly and awkwardly met a Parisian stranger.

French men by the way are generally not my type. I don’t know why. But they are a charming lot, and romantic and often tell a woman that she is beautiful. Something that the Dutch totally lack. A French man can woo a woman and sweep her off her feet, while the Dutch will never get the hint even if she says, ‘It would be nice if you surprise me tonight with some flowers, or a dinner perhaps.’ But the smooth talker French man has higher chances of taking a mistress on the side than the boring, loyal and reliable Dutch man.

Alright, there goes your stereotypes =). Haha.

Anyway, I was totally embarrassed, red-faced. In front of everyone, this Parisian man just came up to me and declared his admiration. I felt the ground swallowing me up. He even wanted to sit down but I told him that I am with someone. He got the hint and left me with quixotic phrases to mull over about. And I was puzzled like--Huh, what was that all about? These kinds of encounters rarely happen in the Netherlands you know. But I do not go out a lot as well sitting on cafe teracces...

Situations like these always reminds me the risks of a female travelling alone. I’ve had worse encounters with men in Spain and in Italy. But the French remains the ones with finesse. They know the complex art called ‘woman’.

I am a sucker for strategic cafe seating and people watching. Best spot near Notre Dame.

Bru and moi having morning coffee around the corner of Notre Dame Church.

More Paris stories soon! BISOUS.

Signs of Autumn

We are definitely starting to see the summer slipping out of reach from our perch high on Rainier. A couple of days ago the weather brought a fresh dusting of snow all the way down to Pan Point, and while it quickly melted away it was a reminder of what is to come. (More Snow)

Rangers navigating late season conditions on the Ingraham

Besides the short snow squall, conditions on the upper mountain have been generally sunny and warm. Climbers have still been heading up the DC on a daily basis and with the hard and consolidated surface conditions more climbers have been making daytime and sunset climbs, saving headlamp batteries and keeping circadian rhythms more normal.



The Climbing Information Center will be closed during the weekdays but still open on weekends throughout September. Rangers will be on duty from 7am to 3pm Saturday and Sunday to register climbers and answer questions. When the CIC is closed self registration is in effect and all climbers are still required to register. The self registration box is located at Paradise in the hallway of the Climbing Information Center for the time being.



Check out recent updates on the Muir Snowfield and DC for the latest Beta before you come up. Conditions are still great for a hike and a climb, but there are a few things to watch out for these days, like more exposed ice and crevasses in unexpected places. Plan well, Have fun.

Great comments on lwt skiing....

Ski season is about over here....just a bit more to be had.



For another look inside the current cutting edge, from Brian's blog:







"It's no longer "all about the down" and I have addressed the issue of boot weight previously. The only thing I will say is that taking weight off your feet is one of the best "weighs" to get your motor running. Any of the offerings from Dynafit, La Sportiva and Scarpa involving carbon fiber will do the trick."



http://www.getstrongergolonger.com/journal//7/17/grand-teton-speed-project-update-weight-matters.html





Next up...hopefully some sun in the NW, rock, road bikes, tris and thealpine. August OR show coming up quickly as well.