Errandonnee #6
Date: Friday, 13 March 2015
Errand: Get drugs (!)
Category: Personal Care
Destination: Local pharmacy
Steed: Lorelei the Puch Princess
What I learned/observations:
I had my timing wrong and reached the village just at school leaving time. The streets were heaving with children... and with people driving their cars for the school run. I saw two other people on bikes: one a young lad cycling slowly on the sidewalk keeping pace with his mum who was pushing a stroller and a small girl about 5. The other was a teenage boy who lives near us, who walked by our house just as I was leaving home. He was hammering back up the street towards the village again, riding no-hands as he shrugged into a jacket. Late for his after-school job, I reckon. I envied his no-hands skills and was pleased to see him putting them to practical use rather than showing off!
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| Deja vu! Today was warmer and the bike has been rebuilt. |
Date: Friday, 13 March 2015
Errand: Post Junk Mail Back to Sender
Category: Non-Store Errand
Destination: Village Post Box
Steed: Lorelei the Puch Princess
What I learned/observations:
The last collection from this post box is 5.30pm on weekdays. Good to know.
The last collection from this post box is 5.30pm on weekdays. Good to know.
I noticed the new railings a few evenings ago in the dark and had a good look at them today. Apparently they are in response to all the illegal car parking in this area - on the pavements (sidewalks) and even on the pedestrian crossing. I'd rather see ticketing and don't really have much confidence this will help. In fact, as I walked along here, a car that had been parked up behind one of these railings was pulling away.
Errandonnee #6
Date: Friday, 13 March 2015
Errand: Get a few groceries
Category: Store
Destination: Local convenience store
Steed: Lorelei the Puch Princess
What I learned/observations:
In the few minutes it took (total) to lock and unlock, six people came up and put something in the litter bin next to The Village Bicycle Parking Stand. It was disconcerting to catch, out of the corner of my eye as I bent to my task, someone striding purposefully (in one case, running) straight toward me. The bin was the attraction, however - not me, not my beautiful bike, not The One And Only Bicycle Parking Stand.
In the few minutes it took (total) to lock and unlock, six people came up and put something in the litter bin next to The Village Bicycle Parking Stand. It was disconcerting to catch, out of the corner of my eye as I bent to my task, someone striding purposefully (in one case, running) straight toward me. The bin was the attraction, however - not me, not my beautiful bike, not The One And Only Bicycle Parking Stand.
Total mileage was less than 1 mile but the 30 mile minimum for the entire challenge is not going to be a problem in any case.
Glad to see you and Lorelei out on the roads. You needed a break from all that studying.
ReplyDeleteNice to get out! A few minutes just riding my bike feels like a guilty pleasure at the moment. Roll on June when I get my life back!
DeleteYou can return junk mail to sender?!?! Wow. I am learning so much about the UK reading your errandonnee ride summaries. I suppose I could do that here too, but I never think to do so. I wonder if they'd actually return it to sender here? Perhaps I should inquire at the post office as I am quite tired of useless mail. Perhaps they'd stop sending it then. :O)
ReplyDeleteYou can't do it in Colorado? I remember doing this on a regular basis in Oregon in the 1990s. All that's needed is some kind of return address somewhere on the envelope. Here, it's not just 'junk mail' but any large company that sends out mail in huge volumes. The envelopes usually have wording on the back "If undelivered, please return to: ..." or similar. For one thing, it helps them keep databases up to date and thus save postage. (The letter I'm "re-posting" in the photo was actually addressed to someone unknown to us, which is always baffling since Adam has lived here 22 years.)
DeleteYears on a bicycle, still cannot ride without hands on the bars. It may be psychological, but I blame it on a high center of gravity.
ReplyDeleteI've never managed it either. But as I understand it, it's mostly down to (a) core strength and (b) the degree of trail of your bike. I also suspect seat tube angle (or relative position of saddle to bottom bracket) may have something to do with it. Anyway, this local kid is tall and gangly, like a string bean.
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