Pregnancy Part 12

Today I want to check-in. We have had our fetal echocardiogram at 21 weeks. We have had our 22 week appointment at the OB. Everything is looking good. No "holes" where they shouldn't be in baby's anatomy. Cervical length is good. Upcoming appointments at 24 weeks will re-check cervical length and at 26 weeks test for gestational diabetes. I thought my blood pressure was high at 137/77 but my birth class teacher says that something like 150/90 would be cause for alarm.

Here's the roundup of symptoms:

Week 19 - Oct 14-20 headache, neckache, heartburn, tender breasts, nipple soreness, increased thirst, appetite increase, shortness of breath
Week 20 - Oct 21-27 nipple soreness, bleeding gums/nose, headache
Week 21 - Oct 28-Nov 3 headache, abdominal (back) itchiness, heartburn, fatigue/exhaustion

Tonight is the fourth of my pregnancy HIIT workout classes (out of 6). I think it came along in just the right time of my pregnancy, where I had energy, which I am starting to feel is dwindling.

Last night was the second of our Bradley birth class. I am grateful for the information we get in these classes. Such as, the Babycentre diet I've been following lists papaya as a common food for the second trimester but I didn't know why. Our teacher explained that it is a natural source of digestive enzymes which can act as a natural antacid. The Bradley birth diet emphasizes eggs as a protein source. I also didn't know why, but our teacher explained that eggs represent complete protein that is easy to digest. As the baby gets larger, he will occupy more of the volume of my body cavity, leaving less and less room for my stomach. Hence, I will need to rely on eggs to get the protein I need rather than beef or other slower-digesting foods.

I started to google "bicycling while pregnant" this past weekend. The articles I found suggested that women experience a range of reactions from stopping entirely right from the moment you get a positive pregnancy test (like myself) all the way to biking until delivery. I feel comfortable with my decision, I don't regret deciding to step away from the bicycle, but some days I do miss it. For example, there is a CicLAvia coming up near our house and I guess I'll be supporting it in some way other than on a bicycle. Maybe we'll do some tabling.

We completed the third part of our three-weekend babymoon. First, Sept 13-15. Second, Oct 11-13.

Third, Oct 25-27: It was kind of sad because my nephew tore his ACL in a football game so he is out for the rest of the season. But we did have a great time walking around Dana Point. We parked at the corner of Golden Lantern and Dana Point Harbor Drive. Then we walked to the Ocean Institute. It was beautiful and so relaxing. On the map it looks small, but in person it felt like a very long walk. Luckily there were restrooms along the way so nobody had to be uncomfortable.

I've been assigned a nurse by my insurance company who follows up with me about lots of things. She gave me some dietary guidelines to follow:

• whole grains (1/2 cup cooked or 1 cup raw)
• vegetables (3 cup)
• fruits (2 pieces)
• milk (3 cup)
• protein (6 oz = 170 g)
• water (64 oz)

The Bradley method diet recommends similar things:

• whole grains (4 servings)
• vegetables (3 servings)
• fruits (1 serving)
• milk products (4 servings)
• protein (80-100 g)
• water (to thirst)

I have been feeling well when I eat 2100 calories and unwell if I eat 1600-1700 only. Last post, I wrote that I was afraid of gaining too much weight too fast. My birth class teacher suggested that I wouldn't need to worry about an overweight baby (9 lbs or greater) unless I start to show symptoms of gestational diabetes. So I think I'm going to stop worrying about gaining too much weight, because restricting my calories really made me feel like crap (bad headache) and I lost 2 pounds pretty quickly. A big take-home of yesterday's class meeting is that diet is something we do have control over so we might as well be mindful of it. And a healthy mom has more choices when it comes to labor and delivery. Next class, we'll be getting into drugs.

Another great thing about our babymoon holidays was that I got into the swimming pool. It felt good the first time in mid-October (pregnancy week 18). I mostly just stood there in the water. I also tried taking a shallow bath at the hotel. I was scared the water was too hot and I was scared to fall getting in or out of the tub so dear husband helped and supervised me. It felt really good getting in the pool during the third babymoon weekend at the end of October (pregnancy week 20). I actually did some light treading water and swam some very slow laps. This past Sunday night (pregnancy week 22), I took a bath at our house. My birth class teacher said that swimming pools and bath tubs, in general, are good for baby unless there is any reason to suspect that the cervical plug has been disrupted. If we get any leakage of amniotic fluid, then public bathing will have to stop.

I had a big technology scare last week. My work computer wouldn't turn on (semester week 10). This was a big problem because my home computer also wouldn't turn on and we got rid of it mid-October (semester week 5). Time is flying by so quickly yet slowly. It didn't seem like that long ago but it didn't seem like such a crisis because we were starting to consider nursery configurations. But to have both computers go out, I started panicking because I still have 5 weeks to go in the semester and I need to do a lot of grading and preparing lessons. I ended up using an old laptop from 2011 that had Word 2003 installed. It was crazy. I couldn't find any of the functions because they've all moved around. But dear husband found a PC that wasn't being used. We put my hard drive in there and it booted right up (after we bought a $30 cable to convert from DisplayPort to HDMI).

We finished-ish our baby registry. It was kind of fun trying on babywearing stuff. I bought a couple pairs of new shoes in 1 size up from my normal size. They are both slip-ons because tying shoes is getting trickier by the day. I got a few new pieces of maternity clothing. I started getting excited about the upcoming holidays (Thanksgiving and Christmas) and wanted to have a few nice things to wear. It seems like each month is more expensive than the one before it, there are just so many little expenses that we have as we prepare for the arrival of this baby. Tomorrow we're touring a day care. They don't accept children under 12 months of age and they want a deposit to hold our spot.

I am looking forward to that time in pregnancy when I can stay at home and lounge around in yoga pants and a sweatshirt. I want to take my dog out on dog walks and eat whenever I feel like it.

eLearning

I can't believe that soooo much time has passed since my last post. What went down was the eLearning Institute in July and then August...

#eclipse #nebraska

A post shared by Kayla Kaiser (@hamerk02) on Aug 21, 2017 at 4:24pm PDT

Last weekend, I ended up clearing off the kitchen table and doing 7 loads of laundry, some of which went back to the impromptu drive to Nebraska to view the eclipse in its totality.

Photos of the eclipse don't really do it justice.  I made a painting that expressed more of what it felt like to actually be there and experience it in person.

Eclipse, baby!

It felt like the arms of the sun were reaching down and hugging me.  I'm on Earth standing down at the bottom of the rainbow.  In awe.

I painted that at the Reseda Blvd Summer Series... which came right after the eclipse.

It was a challenge to load those cube parts into the panniers of my mountain bike and ride it down there, then put it together in triple-digit heat. But after the sun went down, and my lights came on, things really got cool!  I didn't sell any of my artwork, but I did create 3 new pieces, so it was definitely a good event.  I really enjoyed the live music and all the positive energy from people walking by.  Other artists were inspired by my cubicle.

Green mandala

Climate change

We saw a couple of movies: An Inconvenient Sequel, which probably influenced the painting above.

'All Saints' was about a church community coming together, turning the land around their building into a profitable farm. Very apropos considering I'm getting involved with the Seed Library of Los Angeles and raising a new generation from seed.

Rosa Bianca eggplant

Zucchini grey

These aren't pictures from my garden, but those are seeds I borrowed from the SLOLA and have actually germinated.  They're in the nursery right now awaiting transplantation outdoors.

During the eLearning Institute, in July, I made the following "welcome video" for CHEM 100, then found out I was not only NOT teaching that class, but I was also moving my office.  So I guess the video can serve as a historical recording of what I was thinking and feeling in July in regards to where I thought I would be in September.  But where I'm at in September turns out to be pretty far away from where I thought I would be.  But I'm improving at letting go of my expectations and serving in whatever capacity I can.

I'm grateful to be part of a community of teachers and learners at CSUN and Pasadena City College. I'm working pretty hard this semester.  I just submitted our eLearning Project Prospectus, so I'm feeling some sense of closure on that commitment.  Monday, I'll be going into two other professors' classrooms to introduce our eLearning Project and ask for their participation (since I'm not teaching CHEM 100 this semester).  This will continue all semester and then we'll look at the data.

I'm teaching "SCI 100: Science for Life" as part of a cohort of professors. We had a great meeting yesterday to discuss commonalities among our courses and ways that we can emphasize what each other are teaching. I'm honored to be a part of this group of teachers and administrators who are focused on student success for first-generation college students that are a part of the Educational Opportunity Programs (EOP).

I'm making "Problem-Based Learning" (PBL) modules for my students at PCC based on conversations with Katie Rodriguez (Natural Sciences) and faculty from Dental Hygiene, Nursing, Physiology, Anatomy, and Nutrition. It's exhausting writing so much new content, but I do believe that students will benefit from the connections made between the course content and applications in their intended careers.

I had a great time connecting with faculty at the California Community College Success Network (3CSN) event "Creating Equitable Learning Environments through Growth Mindset & Interdisciplinary Apprenticeship." I learned about unstuffing the curriculum to create space for meaningful student growth. We discussed encouraging resilience in math teaching through offering assignment revisions.  Using this approach at Fullerton College, the percentage of students who submitted assignments increased from 20% to 80%.

WHY BE AN ORDINARY PROFESSOR WHEN YOU CAN BE EXTRAORDINARY? WHAT'S STOPPING YOU?

My mantra for this semester. eLearning = extraordinary learning.

Messenger Game

Confession: in my free time, I pretend I'm a bike messenger.  I love biking to the post office, like I'm on some important assignment from a client, locking up real fast, and dropping off some mail or a package.  I love the challenge of trying to fit oddly shaped boxes into a messenger bag.  I don't have any kind of fancy bag, I just use a rectangular cross-body bag that sits comfortably on my back.  Why I don't use a backpack when I'm pretending to be a messenger, I don't know.  Maybe it's for the speed. Like, it just takes too long to take a backpack on and off, messengers gotta be quick.  Whip that bag from the back to the front, make the delivery, and get on to the next stop.

Northridge, CA

I love a post office with great bicycle parking.  I used to enjoy waiting in line for 20-35 minutes at the Glendale, CA Main Post Office because the interior is absolutely gorgeous.

Glendale, CA
Photo from Oltmans Construction Co
http://www.oltmans.com/projects/glendale-main-post-office-renovation-and-restoration

The exterior of the Glendale, CA Main Post office is great, too.  Conveniently located (Broadway is a Class 3 Bicycle Route) on a major East-West corridor, the building is clearly a civic and architectural landmark.

Glendale, CA
Photo from Oltmans Construction Co
http://www.oltmans.com/projects/glendale-main-post-office-renovation-and-restoration

For East-West travel in Glendale, my favorite street is Wilson.  It goes by all the stuff I like: KFC, the YMCA, Big 5 Sporting Goods... and if you get the timing of the lights just right, you can have a Green Wave (which is another fun game I play while I'm pretending to be a bike messenger).  I took a group of women on a Walk Bike Glendale women's ride, we rode across Wilson Ave, and the ladies were impressed how cars used the center turning lane as a passing lane and gave us a very wide passing margin.  I hope it inspired them to ride through the city more confidently.

Wilson Ave at Louise St in Glendale, CA

Another street I like for East-West travel through South Glendale is Maple St.  Especially I enjoy going under the skybridge at CalStar Motors.  I don't know why, maybe it's just a novelty.  I think some of the best bike rides involve tunnels, bridges, and unexpected landmarks.  

Maple St at Brand Blvd in Glendale, CA

Even though the post office is on the northeast corner of Louise and Broadway, I wouldn't recommend taking Louise Street as your North-South corridor, I biked it this past weekend and it's been torn up for a long time.  Louise is very narrow around the YMCA and Glendale Central Library and STILL under construction!  Also, Louise accommodates street parking and car doors are a strong possibility.

Broadway SHARROWS in Glendale, CA

Following the route of Glendale's CicLAvia on June 11, 2017, I would recommend Central Ave as your safest North-South corridor.  Although Central Ave is labeled as a MAJOR ARTERIAL, it is the fastest way.  The street is wide enough for all road users and there are signs posted with the message "Bicycles May Use Full Lane."  Although Glendale's bicycle infrastructure tends to rely on sharrows and road signs (Class 3) instead of bike lanes (Class 2) or cycletracks (Class 1), nothing will change if the city doesn't see cyclists out there.  It's kind of like the same thing with Metrolink... bikecar101 learned that you don't get more space for bikes on trains unless the board sees pictures of lots of bikes on trains.

Bike parking on the East side of the Glendale, CA Post Office

Glendale has done a great job IMHO at providing bicycle parking for the destinations I bike to.  At the Glendale CicLAvia, some residents expressed that they wanted more bicycle parking along Central Ave for example.  I usually park along Brand, since there's lots of bike racks there, and then walk over to Central.  But that was some feedback for the City that we collected through talking to people at the event (public outreach).

Bike parking on the West side of the Glendale, CA Post Office

I would say that the "bike messenger game" is the best way to take care of some errands.  It motivates me to be in a hurry, carry my own lock, practice locking up and unlocking quickly, and be visible in the community on a bicycle on major traffic corridors.  What motivates you?

Vision Zero

Last month, I attended a ceremony where a ghost bike was placed for a man killed while bicycling home from his job.  That man was killed by a hit-and-run automobile driver.

I do my best to avoid calling cars "death machines" as I bike around town, but some days are tougher than others.  When someone actually dies at the hands of a motorist, in the area where I've just moved to, it shakes me up.

I am calling this an act of terrorism defined as: unlawful violence and intimidation, especially against civilians, in the pursuit of political aims.

Militant motorists want to keep the streets purely for vehicles, with unrestricted flow, at high speed. There are groups of residents who exert political pressure on city council to maintain this agenda.

The man killed in Winnetka is said to have been the victim of a purposeful crime.  A truck swerved in order to hit the man on his bicycle.  Has the criminal been found?  Yes.  But what will be the consequences?  What value will be placed on the human life that was ended?

Victims of terrorism tend to want to do something.  Feelings such as shock, outrage, sadness, rage, depression, and anger are normal.  At the placement of the ghost bike, we were directed to pray for the 2nd man who was in critical condition at a local hospital.  This did give me something (peaceful) to do.  Has the second man recovered?  What were the extent of his injuries?  Will the motorist be financially liable for the hospital bills of this man?

Of cyclists, I am of the populist vehicular variety. At a recent community meeting where a "road diet" was presented, a resident of my city suggested that if I were cycling in the street, he may just "tap" me with his truck to let me know that he's there.  He asked me what I'd do.  I told him that I would turn over GoPro footage of the incident to the police.  He asked if I've ever done that before.  I said, "not yet."

I feel like some motorists are engaging in intentional intimidation in an effort to reduce the number of people who will ride their bicycles on city streets in a vehicular manner.

While I agree with John Forester, that creating off-street bike paths reduces the visibility of cyclists and therefore does nothing to bridge the bikes vs. cars debate, if you want to see more miles of bike paths, consider signing this petition to support a feasibility study for the Verdugo Wash.  If you prefer to sign in person, come visit me at CicLAvia ~ Glendale Meets Atwater.  I'll be at the Walk Bike Glendale / LACBC / Bikecar101 booth at the Central Hub from 1-3pm.

I don't think the idea of Vision Zero is to actually reduce the number of pedestrians and cyclists killed by automobiles to zero, but to invest in infrastructure improvements that would continue to make the streets safer for the most "vulnerable road users."  I actually don't like that term, but it's true.  When I don't have 2000 lbs of steel and airbags surrounding me, I am literally more vulnerable!  Maybe I don't like the term because I have to believe I will survive out there in order to continue the vehicular cycling behavior I enjoy.  I don't like to think about how vulnerable I am out there.

One thing I got out of the ghost bike placement is that we acknowledged that "that could have been me."  Or any number of other people I know and love that engage in vehicular cycling.

My personal reaction to my fear (generated from the man killed while cycling on Winnetka) was to put on more blinky lights than usual and bike to the ceremony.  My husband thought I was being crazy, but if you let your fear prevent you from vehicular cycling then the terrorists win.

https://www.wired.com/2014/11/9-things-drivers-need-stop-saying-bikes-vs-cars-debate/

http://www.peopleforbikes.org/blog/entry/real-talk-bikes-cant-reduce-congestion-without-bike-lanes

Putting up a sign that says "bike route" on a road without any cycling infrastructure doesn't make it a bike route. Nice try, though. pic.twitter.com/0XCjcOHMra

— Robin Mazumder (@RobinMazumder) June 5, 2017

New Feels

I'm enjoying the new house.  Although moving is stressful, we did it!  Nothing changes if nothing changes.



Cooking in the new kitchen has been fantastic.  I am even enjoying washing dishes.  The lack of clutter is inspiring.

One thing we Nebraskans always say about the month of March is: "In like a lamb, out like a lion" or vice versa "In like a lion, out like a lamb."  The weather has been mondo windy (lion-like).  But I feel a sense of contentment (lamb-like).

I'm getting ready to attend the ACS meeting in San Francisco.  Taking a "red-eye" Greyhound bus from LA to SF.  My poster is printed and so are my tickets and name badge!

I've been biking to school all week and LOVING IT!!!!  For St. Patrick's Day I wrote a post for Los Angeles County Bicycle Coalition (LACBC) about our motivation for moving to Northridge. http://www.la-bike.org/green_on_the_ground_reseda_blvd

I'm feeling so much.  Making new friends.  Finding new places.  Biking new routes.  Getting lost.  Going to the dog park.  Getting mail.  Rollerskating.  It's scary and exhilarating, exhausting and comforting, risk with rewards.  Trying to pace myself.  I do not need to make everything perfect immediately.

And happy anniversary to my husband of 9 years.  I'm grateful to have found such a super teammate to run this rat race with.

Ye Olde Holiday Tyme

How to decorate your bike for the holidays!


$19.99 Fry's Electronics Cosmic Brightz http://www.frys.com/product/8141075

• 10 feet of LEDs 
• 3 AA batteries=20+ hours
• 8 colors
• Waterproof 

$14.99 per wheel Fry's Electronics Wheel Brightz http://www.frys.com/product/8140975

• 20 LEDs in clear, flexible tubing
• 3 AA batteries=48+ hours
• Durable battery pack attaches onto spokes
• 8 colors
• Waterproof

$12.99 for a 2-pack at Target http://www.target.com/p/led-decorative-ultra-slim-wire-multicolor-2pk/-/A-13506341 (or $15.51 at Home Depot) (or $13.38 for Martha Stewart's Brand)

• 9 Ft long with 36 lights
• 3 AA Battery Operated
• Phasing and flashing options
• 4 colors

$6.99 per light Fry's Electronics Spokelit Green http://www.frys.com/product/6828866

• 2 Button Cell batteries=20+ hours
• attaches onto spokes

Then join us on Sunday, December 18th at 5:30pm at Nibley Park in Glendale, CA.  We'll be riding a little over 6 miles at a SLOW pace through neighborhoods.  We'll be enjoying FREE HOT COCOA at Gaucho's Village as well. Bring water, a helmet, and a bike in good working condition. ALL AGES WELCOME!  Kids younger than 8 should be able to ride several miles or be on a safe child carrying device to participate on the ride.

The route is posted here: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/17669774 There will be a competition for "safest and brightest bike" and "safety facts for safe night riding."  Spread the word!

 

MultiModal Weekend (Part II)

On Saturday, October 15th we took Metro Bus 94 from Glendale to Downtown LA.  It was totally liberating to travel without a car or bicycle.  It was also totally convenient since we live 0.3 miles from the San Fernando / California bus stop, and the training we were going to is 0.2 miles from the Hill St / 6th bus stop.

Of course, we wouldn't have had to leave our bikes at home to take the bus... you can always put your bike on a bus.  Also we learned that Metro has purchased enough 3-bike racks for all their buses, but they won't replace a bike rack on a bus until the old one breaks!

When people complain that Glendale isn't well served by public transit, I have to laugh because that just isn't true.  They'll say, well I have to drive because it isn't convenient for me to get to a bus stop. Or something about their schedule being not so flexible.  We left our house an hour before the event we were trying to get to, waited at the bus stop for over 10 minutes and still arrived at our destination 20 minutes early.  

Taking transit gives you the freedom to allow yourself extra time.  Therefore you arrive at your destination less stressed.  We were the first to arrive at the training we were going to.  We had time to get a cup of coffee and relax before the meeting got underway.  It's a good thing we were there early so that we were there to greet the other attendees who were worried about being in the wrong place. We didn't have to pay for parking or remember where we had left our car.

An interesting thing we learned was that 80% of people in Los Angeles county live within biking distance of Metro Rail or fixed-guideway bus service like the Orange Line.  I learned this fact from downloading the podcasts of KPFK Bike Talk.  If you haven't listened to it, it's a great way to feel like less of a bike nut.  Another thing I learned from Bike Talk is that when someone in a car makes you angry (or almost runs you over), the best thing to do is wave at them with all 5 fingers.  It sounds simple, but really just hearing someone else tell me to do that goes through my mind when I really want to wave only 1 finger.

When Metro holds an open house workshop, it's important that community members participate because many of the city planning professionals don't bike, take transit, or walk.  For example, we recently attended a Walkabout in our community.  The planners that are writing the Community Plan asked the people who actually live in the community to come out and let them know what needs fixing in their neighborhood.  

Unfortunately turnout was low and it was mostly people from outside our neighborhood who were making the observations.  The planners are objective, but they don't have the perspective of how those streets actually work on a day-to-day basis because they don't live here.  Maybe a Saturday observation is nothing like a Monday-Friday observation. A morning observation is not reflective of how that street flows in the evenings.

My apologies for the tangent... back to the 94 bus.  It was great.  We've taken it from our house before, but going in the opposite direction.  When we've left our car at the Downtown Burbank Metrolink station, we can take this bus (stop Olive / San Fernando) walk over the I-5 freeway on a bridge, then take an elevator down to the train platform. We have also taken it to see a movie at AMC Burbank 16.  

This MultiModal weekend showed us that we can take the 94 bus to access Angel's Flight, Metro Bike Share, the Jewelry District, and Chinatown.  At Pershing Square, it's also possible to access the Metro Red or Purple lines (below-ground light rail, a.k.a. subway). It would also be possible to access the Mission San Fernando on the 94 bus, if you don't mind a 1.8 mile walk.  It could also get you to the Sylmar/San Fernando Metrolink station (which actually runs on the weekend) to Newhall, Palmdale, and Lancaster.

Transit really works wonderfully when different modes have points of contact or intersections. Sometimes I think people are simply unaware of how to make those connections.  For example, those city planners I mentioned gave us a token to take the bus and the bus driver said, "we don't accept those tokens anymore." Again, those who are making transit planning decisions don't even take transit enough to know how it works and how it has evolved.

We (my dear husband) and I were at odds with how to get to downtown LA.  I insisted (for Friday night at least) on biking, while he insisted on driving.  What we found using Google Maps is that Google suggested that the bus was actually the best way at 5:00pm on a Friday.  After driving, dear husband acquiesced the next day and agreed to ride the bus.  We both enjoyed the trip.  

The NextBus app has really changed our lives and our confidence and security with taking transit. If you allow the app to use your phone's location, it will tell you the nearest bus stops and routes on the "Nearby" tab. For visual people, you can click on the "Map" tab and get the same information.  For more sophistocated users, click on the "Transit" tab and define what Authority (e.g. Los Angeles Metro) and the stop number (if you're not using the location from your phone) or route (if you already know what bus number you want to take).  Tell it which direction you're going and it will tell you the length of time until your next bus arrives.  

Then if you click on a little folding-map icon with a location droplet on it, it shows you exactly where all the buses on that route are currently located.  So cool!  The last feature is most useful if you're walking to the stop but aren't there yet or you're in a meeting but haven't left yet and want to define which route you'll be taking to get home even if that route doesn't have a stop that is the closest to your current location.  With a smart phone in hand, you can actually free yourself from having to drive your car.

Research has shown that apps like NextBus can reduce uncertainty in wait times, which makes taking transit more competitive with driving your car. For your next visit to Downtown LA, consider taking a bus!

MultiModal Weekend (Part I)

The weekend of October 14-16th was a big experiment for me.  I used bike, bus, car and train to get around LA County.  I have been wanting to write about the experience and compare each way of getting to and from downtown Los Angeles for a resident of Glendale.

https://www.strava.com/activities/744729565

Friday, October 14th, after work I left California State University, Northridge around 2pm.  I rode along the Orange Line Busway Bike Path.  I rarely ride at this time, but there were lots of school-age teenagers walking on the sidewalks of Reseda and Van Nuys.  I got a little bored in NoHo, but that's normal.  It's not that fun riding in the bike lane along Chandler Blvd, especially when there aren't any other cyclists out there to chase.  After cutting down Keystone, I took an unplanned left turn on Alameda, which had a pretty nice bike lane (that I'm not seeing on Google Maps).  The video below shows it at 53 seconds in.

I went down Victory Blvd to a little side street called Ruberta, which used to have a cool "Halloween House" but now it doesn't.  I refilled my water bottles in the drinking fountain at the Glendale Narrows, then rode/pushed/carried my bike across the Bette Davis Picnic Area (Cyclocross training) and up to Riverside Dr to gawk at the closure of the Los Angeles River Path.  

The Army Corps of Engineers will be hosting a public meeting on Monday, November 7th, from 6:30 p.m. – 8:30 p.m. at the Friendship Auditorium by Griffith Park (3201 Riverside Drive) and LACBC encourages all to attend and speak up.

All that being said, I took the detour through Griffith Park and entered the bike path by the dog park. I exited the path at Fletcher and took the route through Silver Lake and along Sunset Blvd to reach Spring St. I don't know why other people don't like going that way. It was also the first time I really didn't need a route sheet. That's what I love about CicLAvia, it makes me understand how to reach downtown LA without a car.

Raw crunchy four kale mix, shredded cabbage, apples, shredded carrots and avocado, grape tomato, tossed w/ maple orange dressing, topped w/ currants, hemp seeds & creamy hummus dressing drizzle 

http://thelacafe.com/salads.html

After reaching LACBC headquarters, I had dinner at the LA Cafe.  I don't know if it was the 2 hours and 40 minutes I'd just spent winding my way gradually from The Valley to Downtown LA, or if the salad was REALLY GREAT but I haven't had a better meal in years.  There were picnic tables in a parklet, a couple of nice bike racks to lock up.  It was the ideal way to wind down from my ride and take in a street view of the city.

Now I'm off to make the City of Glendale more walkable.  I'll have to finish this post in a multi-part series.

Value Update

I wrote a post titled "value" about 3 years ago, and my views on the topic have evolved since.  Rightly so.  I was riding (one of) my bikes to school last night and thinking how privileged I am to be able to do that.  Not that I'm special, but "having the rare opportunity to do something that brings particular pleasure."  We were brainstorming the theme for Earth Day 2017 and we came up with "Biking is for Everyone."  Which is to say that everyone has access to the privilege of riding a bike.

$0.15 per week

I was thinking about the bikes that I ride.  The first is a 1987 steel MTB.  I've been riding the mountain bike since I could stand over the top tube, maybe like 1993.  Taking into account the amount my dad paid for it and the length of time I've been riding it, it's like he paid 15-cents per week for me to have the privilege of riding this bike.  I read an article about custom steel frames and this bike isn't custom to me, but I feel like it is because we are aging together.  In the article, the frame builder points out that the bike will often outlive the rider.  I hope to keep riding this bike until it costs $0.10 per week, which is only about 11 years from now.  By then, I'll have my student loans paid off.  Everyone has goals, right?

The red bike has had about 3 or 4 different seats, 3 or 4 sets of handlebar grips, and now has front and rear racks.  The picture above makes it look like the bike has front suspension, but it doesn't.  Instead there is a lovely curving front fork that is graceful and attractive.  Also the top tube is more horizontal.  Right now, the bike has 1.95 inch wide tires, which are a comfort on pothole-infested streets.  They are knobby on the outer edge and smooth where the rubber meets the road, causing some people to say, "hey your tires are bald," but the tires were made like that.  In the past, I've bolted a milk crate to the rear rack, which was fantastic for carrying things like textbooks and birthday cakes.  This bike has only one water-bottle cage.  I have a cup-holder that could be attached to the handlebars, but it's not on there now.  I use a dog hiking backpack as a mini-pannier toolbag when we go out on group rides.  Also, I have a sweet flag mount that fits on the rear wheel quick release, and we ziptie the flag to the rear rack to prevent it from flapping around too wildly.

$0.61 per week

The blue bike is a repurposed mountain bike that I found on Craigslist back in 2010.  It was made in the late 1990s, and is branded Performance M505.  It's a steel frame, but some components are aluminum (like the handlebars).  It's a fantastic city bike.  The bike has a sturdy rear rack that I hook panniers on, or bungee my backpack on top of.  Of the time that I've had it versus how much I paid for it, it's cost me 61-cents per week.  It easily fits on the rack of a bus.  I rode it from San Francisco down to Salinas loaded down with camping gear.  I ride it back and forth to Pasadena, loaded down with textbooks and homework.

I've been looking for pedal toe clips and straps to make climbing easier, either new or vintage, but for now the bike has platform pedals.  This bike has two water bottle cages. My coffee in a 40 oz hydroflask is bungeed to the rear rack while milk and an empty coffee mug are in the bottle cages.  Perfect for work.  I am considering a handlebar bag.  I had one on a bike that I rode as a kid, and totally loved it.  What would I put in there?  My new big smart phone, which is too big for the old seatbag that I used to put my old phone in.  I always carry a pump, spare tube, tire irons, and a patch kit in my backpack.  By the time the price of this bike comes down to $0.10 per week, I will be 68 years old.  I could still be riding a bike then!  Why not?

$3.40 per week

The road bike I have is the only rack-less bike.  It's great for traveling ultra-light, with the exception of two water bottle cages.  I include a pump on the down tube and a seatbag with tire levers, spare tube(s), patch kit, and an emergency phone.  This bike has clipless pedals.  On a recent layover at LA Union Station, we had 2 minutes to run from the Metro Red Line to the Metrolink Orange County Line.  On the marble floors, my shoes made quite a horrible noise.  Maybe I should get some shoe covers.  I would have to live to be 336 years old for this bike to cost $0.10 per week, so I'm guessing that won't happen.  But I do think of this bike as a gym membership.  We pay $40 to use the YMCA per month, and after owning this bike for over 7 years, it has been cheaper than paying a monthly fee for gym access.  When I belonged to Bella Fitness, that was $80/month and so it would have worked out to pay for the bike within 2 years (in case you're looking to justify buying a new bike).

We're going down to the beach this weekend for a pre-4th of July LACBC Sunday Funday ride. I'm considering going to the party store to get some patriotic decorations and cover the bikes in stars and stripes.  Reminds me of the J. E. George 4th of July Parade that went through my neighborhood in Omaha, NE.  This year is the 66th year of the parade.  Although I won't be there, I really want to decorate our bikes with streamers and such.

Strava Heatmap

Speaking of my new smartphone, I'm starting to use Strava.  All the data from Strava users is put on a map, which city planners can use to justify adding more cycling infrastructure where people actually ride.  So I'm trying to ride where I wish there were more infrastructure and mapping it on Strava.  For other stuff like walks and regular commutes, I am still using MapMyRide.  No more Nike+ device, no more Garmin Forerunner 110, just one smartphone with GPS.

I tried to ask myself if I could exist with only one bike and one pair of shoes.  It would be difficult for me.  But we're definitely working to simplify our lives as much as possible.  As we're approaching an ideal level of space vs. clutter, I will try to make a vlog about our tiny house and post it/share about it here.