Busy McDoingstuff!

Oh man, I have been busy this week. Doing lots of crazy things, and I really haven't had time to blog. Sunday July 1st was my Grandpa's 90th birthday! All of the kids and grandkids showed up (at one point or another) and we did our traditional "Christmas in July" gift exchange (we used to do it around the 25th, but ever since Aunt Linda's moved to Florida, we've been having it around Grandpa's birthday when he's up north with Aunt Linda). 


The Christmas in July exchange is a white elephant, where we pick from a pile of wrapped gifts or steal from another (while the gift is still wrapped). The funny part is seeing what gift everyone obsesses over. This year, it was a white plastic bag that everyone said felt like a stump (weight-wise and texture-wise). Turns out it WAS... a stump that can become a mini-campfire. I was trying to find a picture of it, but googling "stump campfire" has pretty much turned into finding expensive campfire "chairs" that are just lacquered stumps. Really, who would pay $379 for something you can find in the woods near your house? I digress... I ended up getting a flashlight. Andrew got a table for our porch which is actually something we need, so yay!


My Gramma also came up for Grandpa's 90th. She's been staying at my parents' ever since, so I've been going over almost every day to talk to her. It's also been about 4000°F out every day, so I haven't done much exercising. I did get in a good run this morning though, phew! It had been too long. 


I will tell you that to compensate for my lack of exercise I have been making up time being creative in the kitchen! I made some delicious cookies for Grandpa's 90th -- blueberry almond, craisin white chocolate oatmeal, and vegan banana peanut butter chocolate (I have a few hippies in my family). They all turned out okay, but the craisin white chocolate were my favorite. Then today after camp, I decided to make cupcakes. Because apparently, it's good to make up for not burning calories by consuming more of them? Alas.


The other thing I've been obsessing over recently is redoing my organizational habits. Because really, I have very few. I think if I get everything exactly as I want it, I'll be awesome. One of my biggest faults is that I'm a bit of a perfectionist, but if I don't think it'll be perfect I'll give up right away. My first project is my bedroom closet. So I'll get to doing before/afters of that and we'll see how it goes from there!


I don't know. Just in general I've always been so blah and unmotivated. Here, now I'll say it: I'm going to blog more with my best friend and hopefully she can really help me get out there and moving! She's doing a great job!!


Speaking of best friends, doesn't a yoga retreat in the Bahamas sound particularly amazing if you go with a best friend? I think so... I found a cheap-o one that is only $69 for a tent on the beach (because what better way to do a yoga retreat than to camp in a tent on the beach?) I've got to do more research, but this sounds almost... reasonable. Minus air fair. I totally need to look more into this. 


Okay, more later! Thanks for listening to me ramble about nothing important!

Bike!! continued ...

Last week I bought a bike helmet.  It's the Bern Lenox in turquoise and I love it!  It's a pretty color, comfortable, and super cute (as far as bike helmets go).  Also, it passes all the bike helmet certifications so it fulfills it's primary objective of being safe.

It also has air vents, but you can't see them very well from the picture.  If I get into serious, hard, summer biking I might get one of the more traditional looking helmets because they have more air vents.  For commuting around Boston and the occasional recreational ride, I think this is great.  

On Sunday, I tried out the Hubway bike sharing program with a day pass.  

I biked to and from MGH, about 8 miles total.  I was on the Esplanade, a bike/walking path along the Boston side of the Charles river.  Unfortunately, there are no Hubway stations in Cambridge yet, so I had to walk about half a mile to pick up the bike.  Still, it was a great way to get introduced to biking in the city.  Also, there's a Hubway station right next to MGH so it's very convenient on that end.  I got another day pass yesterday and biked to and from work.  

On Sunday, I also went browsing at different bike stores with my friend (also a co-resident).  

Things I'm looking for in a bike...

1. A hybrid bike (maybe a comfort bike that's on the faster side).  I want to be more sitting up, not hunched over, so I can notice traffic better and just be more comfortable.  
2. An aluminum frame - since it won't rust and will be lighter.  
3. Multiple gears - ideally 21 or more. I may settle for 7 if everything else is great and I'm able to maneuver on hills well on my test ride
4. Fenders - ideally included, but at least able to be added
5. Chain guard - not a necessity but a nice extra
6. Straight handlebars - not the racing curved ones
7. Slanted top bar - not necessarily a full "women's" model but something to make it easier to get on and off and to wear a skirt.
8. Comfortable seat - ideally included, but at least the ability to switch out
9. Kick stand
10. The capability to have racks/add a basket
11. Cuteness - or at least something that is not completely hideous

Here are a few bikes that interest me.  I've test-ridden the first two at Broadway Bicycle School (a great place - I would love to support them if possible).  I want to go back and try riding on a couple hills.  I still need to see and test-ride the third.

Marin Bridgeway Step-thru:  I saw this in the cutest green color. It rides great, comes with fenders, a chain guard, and a comfortable seat.  The only draw back is that it only has 7 gears.

Marin Kentfield cs1: A bit cheaper than the Bridgeway but the price evens out when you add the fenders and a kickstand (can't add a chain guard).  Maybe not as cute but not ugly either.  Very comfortable seat and smooth ride.  21 gears which is a plus - you might be able to ride a bit faster(?) and navigate hills better.

Trek Allant WSD: I haven't seen or ridden this yet.  Well, I did see it parked on the sidewalk (someone else's) and it looked really nice.  It's the most expensive of the bunch but still within my price range.  Comes with matching fenders, a front rack, and the seat looks comfy.  I don't think you can add a chain guard.  21 gears. 

Bike!!

Hi Rachel!! This is my first post and I hope it actually goes through.  I was on VACATION (!) when I first got the blogger link in my email.  I spent a week in Maine having a wonderful time in Acadia National Park.  More details to come, but to summarize -- I spent a whole bunch of time outside in one of the most beautiful places hiking, strolling, biking, and hanging out with my family.

What was that?  Yes, you heard me right.  After about three years of neglect, I went biking again and I had such a good time!!  I used to bike all the time as a kid.  Seriously, all the time.  I could amuse myself biking in circles for hours.  I also biked all through college because that's how we got around campus.  However, after graduating undergrad I kind of let the interest go dormant.  I moved to Philly and although there is a serious biking community in Philly, I've always been a little scared of biking in traffic.

But my vacation made me brave.  I now have bike fever.  First, I'm getting a helmet.  I'm really into the Bern Lenox in turquoise.

 (cyclechic.co.uk)

I saw it in City Sports today, but they didn't have my size.  They do have it in one of their other branches and will send it to their Harvard Square store.  I should have it by Thursday!

Next, I'm going to get a day pass to Hubway, Boston's bike sharing program.  That way I can see if I'm comfortable biking on city streets.  (There is also a dedicated biking/walking path right next to the river that goes pretty much directly from my apartment to the hospital).

Finally, if that all goes well, I may buy my own bike.  I kind of want a grown up bike-- one that rides well, is sturdy but light, has convenient commuter things like fenders...  This is my dream bike at the moment.

 (bikereviews.com)

It's pricey, but if I could find something like it, I would be so happy!

p.s. Aren't you proud of how I included these pictures into my blog entry? I had to some research to figure out how to do so.

Better than Summer Vacay?

Is there much better than the first day of summer vacation for a beleaguered inner-city teacher? 


Yes! The answer is the first day of summer vacation blogging with one's best friend! Hi Sushila!


I'm really excited about this summer. It'll be my 10th at camp, and the first where I'm directing BOTH shows, one for the middle camp (ages 7-9) and one for the senior camp (ages 10-12). I'm also excited to start planning for my first year with 1st grade! I've been an 8th grade math teacher the past two years, and as much as I love teaching hormonal teenagers (...), I think I am truly an elementary school teacher at heart. 
Actually, I've been finding blogs and things all morning to get ideas for 1st grade. I know the school year is a whole summer away, but for the first time since I started teaching, I can actually plan for the year before it happens! (My first year I was hired three days into the school year, my second year I was laid off and rehired right before school started.) It's said good teachers borrow ideas from others, and the best teachers make ideas worth borrowing. I'm going to start off by being a "good" teacher, I think. Also, teachers are prone to share information with others, so there is a mound of information out there that I can "steal," as it were. 


Other summer plans include getting back into shape. My idea so far is to have a morning run, bike to camp, followed by a morning swim at least three times a week. Maybe more, if I can. I was hoping to do another triathlon in the future, so working on those three components is important. 


I also want to get into strength training. I've heard a couple of good things about Crossfit, so I might try to do some of those workouts, but I've always been a yoga fanatic. I also found a great website: Do Yoga With Me. FREE YOGA VIDEOS FOR EVERYTHING. I'm definitely going to be investing time in this website over the summer. Really, I'm about 10lbs overweight now, and probably about 20lbs from where I would like to be ideally. (A weight I haven't been since college, but hey, one can dream, right?)  Hopefully I can really commit this summer. But blogging with Sushila... that's something that should help me! :oD


I'm also planning on reading a lot this summer, thank you Kindle! Actually, as much as I love writing to you, I think I'm going to go dive into the fourth book in the series A Song of Ice and Fire by George R.R. Martin, on which the amazing series Game of Thrones is based on. It's kind of addicting. Better addicted to reading than Facebook, amiright? 


I will keep updating to update you, blog, hopefully once a day! Go team!