Tag: biking

Memorial Day Weekend

I am in the final stretch of the conference prep, and there is not a 30-minute stretch when I wouldn’t need to do something conference-related, mostly answering never-ending emails and telegram messages. Boris arrived Friday evening and immediately jumped in to help me, for which I am immensely thankful. We spent Saturday on preparing the room host kits, ordering what else was left to order, and so on. In addition, I am not yet ready with my own presentation slides for the conference, and I realized I didn’t send the Prairie Postgres flyers to FedEx for printing.

Boris said that FedEx’s cutting of the badges (I printed a sample) was not good enough, and volunteered to print and cut them all. I believe it’s way more work, but I didn’t object.

The two non-conference related activities on Saturday included a med-length bike ride, and finally assembling the new coat rack:

Our plans for Sunday and Monday were the following: we had three tickets for Hillary Hahn matinee recital at the CSO (for Nadia, Anna and myself) and then we were all going to go to Milwaukee to visit (Boris haven’t been to Anna’s new house yet).

Nadia studies violin by Hilary Hahn’s books, and we tried to attend a recital last year, and it was cancelled; we finally made it this time.

(I forgot to get the third ticket until the last minute, so I ended up in the back)

This day was not without calamities: it was raining all morning, and I slipped on the Jarvis station steps. Twice. First time was OK, but the second time I 1) ripped my pants (I know it’s fashionable, but I do not like it!), 2) broke four nails, and 3) broke the iPhone screen, which I thought was unbreakable.

I called Boris from the train and asked him to put an extra pair of pants into my backpack, which he was going to bring to me after the concert, and I had to live with all the rest. (I went to do my nails yesterday, and I still need to find time to repair the screen!)

The concert was awesome, and dinner at Ryo Sushi was great as always, and we also went to Amorino, which probably was a mistake because the wait time ended up being 35 minutes.

Then we went to Union Station, boarded on time, but the departure was delayed due to technical issues, and we arrived in Milwaukee with a 1-hour-and-15-minute delay!

Still, the next day was great! Boris and I had chosen the bikes (Anna collected bikes from several friends so that we could choose the ones we were most comfortable with), and we set off for a 30-mile ride! My only regret is that I couldn’t take pictures along the way, and I hope to take them on my future visits.

All bikes in a row
Custard stop
Caramel apples stop

I hope we will do it again!

Another Long Morning Bike Ride

And first balcony breakfast 🙂

A Warm Day! Finally!

Finally, I could bike without the warm gloves!

And I bought more flowers, and found my dream hanging basket.

And I went to the beach! For real!

Sunday

I will be honest, there are multiple stress factors in my life these days, and I am not always in my usual calm mode, so I can’t always enjoy my weekend mornings. On Sunday, I knew that there was no way for me to finish everything I planned, or rather, I wished I could accomplish (since I knew there was not enough time, those were wishes, not plans).

Still, the early morning sun was there, and this morning light is so perfect – it blows my mind eash and single time! Blessed mornings!

A new sculptural composition in place of the previous bronze horseman
As much as I love my Charmers Cafe, since I learned how to make cappuccino at home, more often than not, I have Sunday breakfast at home (partially because they are not open on Sundays until 8 AM, and I can’t wait that long!)

Biking In Helsinki In March

“Biking in Helsinki” is something I do regularly, but biking in March is unheard of. I can’t remember a March ever being so warm and sunny, and with all traces of snow gone. Since my flight was not until the afternoon, Boris and I went on a bike ride.

It was a very short ride by Boris’ standards, but a very nice one. Among other things, Boris showed me a bridge he was very excited about: it is open for every mode of transportation except cars :). Way to go, Helsinki!

Morning Biking, Season 6

This is going to be my sixth summer in Rogers Park. On May 9, it will be five years since I moved here, and six years since I discovered biking along Lake Michigan. That being said, even though it’s not even five years just yet, it’s definitely season six 🙂

Super-interesting Article About Biking In Chicago in the 1890s

Read how Chicago became the manufacturing hub of the nation’s bicycle industry — a city that produced a quarter of all U.S. bikes and claimed more than 200,000 riders at the height of the boom. It was also a place where women defied social expectations on two wheels, and where cycling clubs organized one of the country’s first powerful transportation lobbies.

Full article here.

A Couple Of Sunny Days, And Morning Biking

I know it’s not spring yet, just a couple of warm days in the middle of winter, but I am so thankful for them!

I got on the bike both Sunday and Monday, and saw the sunrise over the lake!

The Last Week Of Summer?

I think that the last week was truly the last week of summer, and that today was truly the last beach day. I was so nice and warm, all week long, and the weekend was as perfect as it could be.

I went for a long bike ride in the morning and to the beach in the early afternoon.

Each time I am at the beach, I think about how blessed I am to have this treasure so close to home. I am forever thankful for this gift from the universe, and I will never take it for granted!

Sunday Sunrise