I rode my bike in the rain for the first time today. It wasn't too bad, except that squinting to keep the rain out of my eyes was annoying and made seeing clearly a little difficult. The rain didn't end up lasting that long, and it wasn't a hard rain, so all-in-all it went just fine.
I did have to stop once today and tighten my handlebars. This is the second time they have come loose. The first time was while I was on the Manhattan Bridge last week. Trying to balance on a bike when your handle bars are wobbling forward and backward is not an easy or fun thing to do. I would say intimidating and frustrating are better descriptives. It did provide a chance for me to talk with fellow bikers, however. There are a few points on the biking side of the bridge where you can pull off to the side out of the bike lanes. I pulled over and tried to use my house keys as allen wrenches...not the best substitute. When that wasn't working, I just stopped a few bikers as they went by to find out if they had the right tool. One man had some tools, but none of them fit the screws on my handlebars. All three I spoke with were kind. I love bike-comradery.
Thankfully Recycle-A-Bicycle has a shop located in DUMBO on the Brooklyn side of the Bridge. When I got off the bridge I stopped by the shop and invested in a great little multi-use tool for my bike. It stays in my bag when I'm out and about now. The employee I spoke with was kind enough to offer to tighten the screws for me, but I decided that I should go ahead and purchase the tool. I am happy with that decision.
Thursday, June 19, 2008
Saturday, June 14, 2008
Bed-Stuy Brothers
This is a picture of me and Jason.We live in the same house.
Sometimes when we are walking in the neighborhood, people mistake us for brothers.
Jason may be taller, but I'm older (by a whole month).
All of my siblings have names that start with "J".
Wednesday, June 11, 2008
People and Pleasant Don't Always Go Together
I want to be an optimist. I want the world to be a happy place - one big party. I want us all to "just get along". I'd like to say this desire is because I have some amazing sense of justice and want what is best for everyone
Sometimes I have a sense of justice.
Sometimes I want what's best for others.
The truth is that so often the crap in this world just wears me out. I get tired of hearing about it. I get tired of thinking about it. I get tired of feeling conviction and/or guilt for not doing something about it. I get tired of feeling conviction and/or guilt for not caring [enough]. I often don't want to stand for justice. I just want to be left alone to live my life and enjoy myself and not be bothered by the troubles of this world that don't have easy answers.
I started this blog on the advice of my Aunt Alice, "so my aunts and uncles will know what's going on, and I won't have to call them." (Don't worry, dear aunts and uncles, I will still call you.) It was a great suggestion. I have found that I really enjoy blogging about things I see and do. I really like promoting New York City. It's a fantastic place to live and most certainly has been a blessing to me. So I will continue sharing the joys of living in the City. I want this blog to a positive and optimistic creative outlet.
But tonight I thought I would also write about some of the unpleasant aspects of living in the City. There are, after all, bad things here. People are people, and when they get together, it isn't always pleasant business, is it?
The other night one of my friends was jumped by ten or fifteen guys. She is a college student who is here for a summer internship. The attackers weren't successful in robbing her, and from what I understand, the police said she did everything she should have done to protect herself. She did get some cuts and bruises. Let me tell you, that incident really frustrated me. I haven't found the correct words to vocalize exactly what it is I'm feeling about it. I guess anger and frustration are the closest words I've found. I just think, "Why would they do that? Who are these punks..." and then the language in my head goes downhill from there. This new friend is one of the nicest, most positive people I've met; just a great person. Why in the world...?
Things like that happen to people. Muggings happen. Other bad things occur here. And tragedies don't always manifest themselves in such blatant ways. For example, one of my first posts after moving to NYC was about an anti-human trafficking rally I attended in Union Square. This problem is present here in our city and nation, not just in other countries. When I think of human trafficking, I tend to imagine dark, seedy alleyways in slum neighborhoods. I'm certain that is the appearance it takes on in some cases. But it also happens in clean neighborhoods, with people who blend in nicely to their pretty surroundings.
I saw a situation once in our store that just didn't seem right to me. Something about the two people who were together seemed off, and I believe it very well could have been a case of one person taking advantage of the vulnerability and pain and neediness of another. But I certainly wouldn't have batted an eye in passing either one of those people on the street.
So why am I writing such a dark post on my blog that, overall, I intend to be light and fun? Because something unhappy and wrong happened and it is something that is real and serious and another aspect of life here in New York. It is not my intention to cause people to worry. I don't want someone wondering if they should even visit New York City. If you are able to, you should visit. It's a wonderful city! I highly regard and recommend it! But the City is also a case-study for the brokenness that exists in the world.
And to be fair, crime happens everywhere, whether you live out in the "sticks", in the "big city" or anywhere in between. (I recently heard about a fatal shooting that occurred near our family farm in Kansas. Crazy!) After moving to New York, I came to the conclusion that a city is a city is a city. You have the same basic elements and events and types of people in whatever city you are in. It's just that in New York, those things often seem bigger and more obvious.
This is all I have to say about these things tonight.
And aunts and uncles, please rest assured that I do take precautions and try to remain wise and vigilant when out and about. :-)
Sometimes I have a sense of justice.
Sometimes I want what's best for others.
The truth is that so often the crap in this world just wears me out. I get tired of hearing about it. I get tired of thinking about it. I get tired of feeling conviction and/or guilt for not doing something about it. I get tired of feeling conviction and/or guilt for not caring [enough]. I often don't want to stand for justice. I just want to be left alone to live my life and enjoy myself and not be bothered by the troubles of this world that don't have easy answers.
I started this blog on the advice of my Aunt Alice, "so my aunts and uncles will know what's going on, and I won't have to call them." (Don't worry, dear aunts and uncles, I will still call you.) It was a great suggestion. I have found that I really enjoy blogging about things I see and do. I really like promoting New York City. It's a fantastic place to live and most certainly has been a blessing to me. So I will continue sharing the joys of living in the City. I want this blog to a positive and optimistic creative outlet.
But tonight I thought I would also write about some of the unpleasant aspects of living in the City. There are, after all, bad things here. People are people, and when they get together, it isn't always pleasant business, is it?
The other night one of my friends was jumped by ten or fifteen guys. She is a college student who is here for a summer internship. The attackers weren't successful in robbing her, and from what I understand, the police said she did everything she should have done to protect herself. She did get some cuts and bruises. Let me tell you, that incident really frustrated me. I haven't found the correct words to vocalize exactly what it is I'm feeling about it. I guess anger and frustration are the closest words I've found. I just think, "Why would they do that? Who are these punks..." and then the language in my head goes downhill from there. This new friend is one of the nicest, most positive people I've met; just a great person. Why in the world...?
Things like that happen to people. Muggings happen. Other bad things occur here. And tragedies don't always manifest themselves in such blatant ways. For example, one of my first posts after moving to NYC was about an anti-human trafficking rally I attended in Union Square. This problem is present here in our city and nation, not just in other countries. When I think of human trafficking, I tend to imagine dark, seedy alleyways in slum neighborhoods. I'm certain that is the appearance it takes on in some cases. But it also happens in clean neighborhoods, with people who blend in nicely to their pretty surroundings.
I saw a situation once in our store that just didn't seem right to me. Something about the two people who were together seemed off, and I believe it very well could have been a case of one person taking advantage of the vulnerability and pain and neediness of another. But I certainly wouldn't have batted an eye in passing either one of those people on the street.
So why am I writing such a dark post on my blog that, overall, I intend to be light and fun? Because something unhappy and wrong happened and it is something that is real and serious and another aspect of life here in New York. It is not my intention to cause people to worry. I don't want someone wondering if they should even visit New York City. If you are able to, you should visit. It's a wonderful city! I highly regard and recommend it! But the City is also a case-study for the brokenness that exists in the world.
And to be fair, crime happens everywhere, whether you live out in the "sticks", in the "big city" or anywhere in between. (I recently heard about a fatal shooting that occurred near our family farm in Kansas. Crazy!) After moving to New York, I came to the conclusion that a city is a city is a city. You have the same basic elements and events and types of people in whatever city you are in. It's just that in New York, those things often seem bigger and more obvious.
This is all I have to say about these things tonight.
And aunts and uncles, please rest assured that I do take precautions and try to remain wise and vigilant when out and about. :-)
Friday, June 6, 2008
Thursday, June 5, 2008
Tour de Brooklyn
May is Bike Month NYC. On Sunday, May 25th I participated in the 4th Annual Tour de Brooklyn, a free 18-mile non-competitive bike ride through Brooklyn. It was my second day as a bike-owner and a great way to break in my new ride. Here I am sporting my spiffy new bike helmet.
The ride began under the Brooklyn Bridge, which just turned 125 years old! Here's a picture of the pre-race crowd. You can see the Manhattan Bridge in the background.
The ride had just over 2,000 participants. It was exciting to be a part of something with that many people all excited about the same activity. We stopped from time-to-time on the road, which was a little annoying at times. I don't know if the stops were meant to keep the bikers closer together or to wait for traffic to be blocked. Some of the motorists along the way were not happy to wait at intersections for 2,000 bikers to pass by. Neither were some of the pedestrians. But there were many people cheering and having a good time as they watched. Many of them wanted to know why we were biking. We also had a mandatory food and water stop along the way. We also rode through the Brooklyn Navy Yards. The picture below was taken during one of our stops. If this picture were bigger, you would be able to see the crowd of bikers stretching over the hill in the background.
Transportation Alternatives sponsored the Tour. I mentioned this organization in a previous post as a group that I am excited about. TA's mission is "to reclaim New York City's streets from the automobile, and to advocate for bicycling, walking and public transit as the best transportation alternatives." Unlike many (or most) other cities, New York is ideal for these alternate forms of transit and I am happy to be able to participate in them. However, as a new biker on the streets, I am beginning to more fully understand some of the obstacles bikers and walkers are faced with. (I'll mention some of these in a future post.) I am glad to have TA as an advocate.
If you're planning to be in Brooklyn on June 7th of next year, let me know and I'll find a rental bike for you! The Tour de Brooklyn is a great way to see different areas of the borough and I'd be glad for new fellow riders!
The ride began under the Brooklyn Bridge, which just turned 125 years old! Here's a picture of the pre-race crowd. You can see the Manhattan Bridge in the background.The ride had just over 2,000 participants. It was exciting to be a part of something with that many people all excited about the same activity. We stopped from time-to-time on the road, which was a little annoying at times. I don't know if the stops were meant to keep the bikers closer together or to wait for traffic to be blocked. Some of the motorists along the way were not happy to wait at intersections for 2,000 bikers to pass by. Neither were some of the pedestrians. But there were many people cheering and having a good time as they watched. Many of them wanted to know why we were biking. We also had a mandatory food and water stop along the way. We also rode through the Brooklyn Navy Yards. The picture below was taken during one of our stops. If this picture were bigger, you would be able to see the crowd of bikers stretching over the hill in the background. Transportation Alternatives sponsored the Tour. I mentioned this organization in a previous post as a group that I am excited about. TA's mission is "to reclaim New York City's streets from the automobile, and to advocate for bicycling, walking and public transit as the best transportation alternatives." Unlike many (or most) other cities, New York is ideal for these alternate forms of transit and I am happy to be able to participate in them. However, as a new biker on the streets, I am beginning to more fully understand some of the obstacles bikers and walkers are faced with. (I'll mention some of these in a future post.) I am glad to have TA as an advocate.If you're planning to be in Brooklyn on June 7th of next year, let me know and I'll find a rental bike for you! The Tour de Brooklyn is a great way to see different areas of the borough and I'd be glad for new fellow riders!
Monday, June 2, 2008
FDNY
This past Friday night we had a bit of excitement on our block when multiple emergency vehicles, including at least two or three fire engines, were called out. I wandered down the street and saw the firetrucks with their ladders extended towards one of the brownstones. One ladder went to the roof and the other to a window. I took some pictures, but they are a little fuzzy.
There were quite a few neighbors out watching, so people were talking and trying to figure out what exactly was going on. It was about 11:00 or 11:30 p.m. We could smell something burning in the air, but we didn't see any flames and no one saw the firefighters using the water hoses. They had apparently broken in some windows. I have not heard any more about what happened, but from what I can gather, no one was injured. The next day they had plywood covering the windows. 
You can see from the pictures how brownstones are connected, so a fire could be bad for more than one house.
There were quite a few neighbors out watching, so people were talking and trying to figure out what exactly was going on. It was about 11:00 or 11:30 p.m. We could smell something burning in the air, but we didn't see any flames and no one saw the firefighters using the water hoses. They had apparently broken in some windows. I have not heard any more about what happened, but from what I can gather, no one was injured. The next day they had plywood covering the windows. You can see from the pictures how brownstones are connected, so a fire could be bad for more than one house.
Sunday, June 1, 2008
Marking Time
I have lived in New York City for three months to the day... 1/4-of-a-year.
I am very happy with the move.
I am very happy with the move.
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