(no subject)

[aprilstarchild]

Yaaay fun weekend so far and it's not even over yet. :^)

Friday I made that recipe I got from a coworker. I'll have to tell her how good it turned out, yum yum. We watched a documentary on rikell42's computer called Why We Fight that was fantastic.

Yesterday, though: I don't have cash to spare for the bus at the moment, and it takes forever going North/South on trimet anyway, so we walked. A lot. First to Citybikes, but we went to the repair shop first by accident, and after I asked a hella-cute girl working there, we then walked to the retail shop twelve blocks away.

The guy there was so insanely helpful and knowledgeable, I can't believe it. But then, he did have a tiny bicycle on a chain around his neck--can we say "fanatic"? *lol* The way they sell bikes is awesome--they get used ones, and do a police check to make sure they're not stolen (apparently a very rare occurence). Then they tag them for the price they'll sell for once they're overhauled, and they wait on the sales floor until they get a chance to, well, overhaul them. But they really do the works--the salesguy showed us what a bike looks like when they're done with it. They literally take the whole thing apart and put it back together, replacing or repairing anything that needs it. When they're done, the repairs etc. are guaranteed for six months, and he says they've fixed stuff past that before on a case-by-case basis. Before you take it home and for a month after that, if you buy anything for the bike: a basket, fenders, etc.; they'll install them for free.

There's classes on how to do bike repairs yourself. They're also a cooperative, and because we're People's Co-op members, we get a 5% discount.

I really liked a couple of the bikes I saw in my size range. I'm going to end up spending between $250 and $300 if I get a bike there, but knowing that I don't have to worry about things going wrong or needing repairs, knowing that the bike is guaranteed and all fixed up, that's worth the extra cash to me.

I'm going to end up with a hybrid bike. They're a combo between a mountain bike and a road bike. Road bikes have those weird curved handlebars I find really awkward, and really skinny tires that mean if you hit a rock or something when you're going fast you're, well, toast. Hybrids are better all-around bikes for someone like me.

We did stop by The Recyclery, which is where some of my friends have bought their bikes. But I'm really not all that great at picking out bikes etc. I think I was just far more impressed by Citybikes. I did see a Puegot bike at The Recyclery that was cute and a perfect size (with a cute bell! *lol*), but the shifters were in a mega-weird spot where I'd have to reach way down to shift. Dang.

rikell42 and I have talked and it's possible he might put a bike on his credit card and have me pay him back so that I get a bike sooner. It's getting to be a pain in the ass that I don't have a bike, because the bus is so slow. There are so many things in Portland that are totally bikeable but not worth the trip if you have to bus it or walk, and with both of the people I live with owning bikes, I'm the one dragging everyone down, especially with rikell42's car out of comission. He's discovered, btw, that many things take the same amount of time to get to by bike as by car, including where he works!

I'm so excited about owning a bike, it's crazy. I grabbed a few bike route maps of Portland and SE, I have one of the fancier ones somewhere made out of this plastic-y stuff that doesn't tear and is waterproof. I may get another one if I can't find it, and tack it to the wall or something. I want to ride the Springwater Corridor, and ride in Laurelhurst park or Mt. Tabor or around and around on the waterfront. Wheee!!

In between bike shops we walked by a place with a ton of books sitting out for free. Some internet business was trying to clear space in their warehouse. I grabbed a copy of She's Come Undone, and an old Sunset Magazine picture book of the Pacific NW.

Speaking of Laurelhurst Park: After our Great Bike Exploration, we went to the park and saw The Merry Wives of Windsor. I didn't know the plot at all going in. There was around two hundred people there, some on blankets and some in chairs. A lot of people had picnic food or other munchies, which was an awesome idea. The play was hysterically funny, and the acting was quite good. I love Shakespeare's comedies, there was lots of physical/slapstick humor. The woman playing Miss Quickly was probably my favorite. She reminds me a bit of the Nurse from Romeo and Juliet. I always figured that if I was ever in Shakespeare, I'd want one of those parts. *lol* But I always picture the Nurse as being fat and middle-aged and I am neither, darn it. ;^)

I love a scene near the end where little girls from the audience were dressed up as fairies and pinching Falstaff, who had on an antler headdress because he was attempting to imitate Herne. Heh, bits of pre-Christian religion in Shakespeare, that's awesome.

When we got home, after eating, we watched Monsoon Wedding. I love that movie. Now I wish I knew where the soundtrack CD is. Grrr. Oh well.

Also, I'm eating home-made ranch dressing with chips. Me? PMS? Nah.

Comments

Um. I have 10 bikes.

[5minutelimit.livejournal.com]

I haven't ridden any of them in years. I'll sell you BIanca's Rockhopper for $100. It's well maintained. It's a mountain bike, but I have slick narrow "citybike" tires I can switch out, which would make it a hybrid (though those often have skinny tall rims). And it's the right size for you, which might be hard to find in a used bike. And if it makes you feel more secure, you could take it to Citybikes and have it overhauled, but it doesn't need it. But they really aren't that complicated, not like cars.

Re: Um. I have 10 bikes.

[aprilstarchild.livejournal.com]

I'll think about it...I could stop by on Wednesday after work. I could take home some basil, too. Mmmm...basil.