She Knits By The Seashore

Caroline, Cycling, and Recycling

Thank you so much for your comments on the Noni bag. You seemed to be as undecided as I am, so I'm going to use the safety pin idea and add the flower as the mood strikes.

Caroline's left and right front are finished. Sleeves are on the needles!

The Giro D'Italia, Italy's version of the Tour de France, started last Sunday. US viewers can see it on Sunday nights on Versus, 4-6pm. The scenery is wonderful!

Our GYGIG donations now total $1323! Thank you again for your support. If you haven't yet made a donation, and would still like to, you can click the button on the upper left for details. We'll be giving out the last prizes of Charlie's yarn and the $21 LYS certificate on Memorial Day Weekend -- next weekend! Or, if you'd rather purchase some of the Charlie's yarn and donate that way, please see Lavender Sheep.

Our fearless GYGIG rider, both in preparation for his ride and in celebration of Bike to Work week/month, has been riding either home from work (leaving his truck there), or to work in the morning. It's 40 miles one way. Now if only his co-workers in the state government would get the clue, and make alternative transportation easier in our state!!

In an "Is it me?" moment, I called the Local Pharmacy With Initials in its Name to ask if they recycle pill bottles. A lot of knitters in blogland are doing their best to recycle, and in a moment of inspiration from their examples, I thought, "why throw the pill bottles away when I can take them down and have them refilled using the same bottle?"" So, today, I took the little brown bottles for my allergy meds and Rainy's meds to the Drop Off window, and explained that I would like them to use the same bottles and they can just put a new label over the old one, per the phone conversation I had with someone there the previous night. The woman at the counter looked at me blankly, said, "Well, we usually just throw them out and use a new bottle, but I guess if you want us to, we could do that."

I don't know if there are health regulations that prevent this that I haven't heard of yet (e.g. did I sneeze on the bottle, and so they can't reuse it -- how sterile is a pharmacy?) but from the blank tone of voice and looks I got from people there, I wouldn't be at all surprised if they said to each other, "She's crazy, just throw those bottles out and use a new one and she'll never know." But I will know -- I'll peel back that new label when I pick up the prescription to see if they covered the old one. It's such a small thing, but I thought it was a good idea, because those brown plastic bottles are a 5 which I don't think is even recyclable in the regular way. We live in a pretty earth friendly area, and a number of people do use their totebags in the grocery store now, so I can only wonder if maybe it is me?

Have a great weekend!

"So I hear they're going away this weekend, and that woman is coming to take care of us."

"We can take her."

We (mostly walk and) Bike New York

On Sunday, Chris, Sarah, Jeff, two non-blogging friends Larry and Hector, and I went to New York City for Bike New York's Five Boro Tour. The 40+ mile ride travels from Manhattan to the Bronx, Queens then Brooklyn, and ends at Staten Island. Most photos courtesy of Chris (click to enlarge for full effect).

Sarah and Jeff on the train platform, looking marvelously awake at 4:30 am!

  Chris and I, looking scared to be awake at 4:30am (photo courtesy of Larry)

  Hector, looking small here at 4:30 am because I cannot figure out how to make this photo larger at 11:10pm (photo courtesy of Larry)

Larry, his usual cheery self, even at 4:30 am (photo courtesy of Larry)

Our plan was to meet up with Squidknits and her family, after we arrived at Grand Central Station, and ride to the start line together. Unfortunately, the 4:32am (!) bike train had been cancelled with no explanation, so we arrived about 45 minutes late. We didn't want the Squids to end up at the back of the line like we did, so we told them to head down without us.

How many bikes can we fit on the train? A lot.

March of the Cyclists on a Mission

Taking Over Grand Central

Have you ever seen 42,000 cyclists in one place before? Me neither.

One of the fun things about the day was seeing the items people strapped to their helmets so they could identify each other if they got lost. We saw plastic dinosaurs, crabs, soda cans, red feather boas a la the Romans, faux gerbera daisy stems, pinwheels, balloons, national flags from different countries. But this was one of our favorites (Jeff in right front with plain helmet):

And they're off!

Because we were at the back of the line, there was a lot of congestion at stoplights and intersections, and we were constantly having to stop and walk the bikes as much as we were riding them. It got very frustrating -- a few times people stopped short in front of me and I had narrowly missed hitting them.

Walking the bikes through Central Park. "Squidknits? Jersey Knitter? Where are you????"

More walking

Because we were delayed with all the walking, the rest stops would close just as we arrived. We barely had time to use the facilities or grab a banana before we were barked at to leave, forget getting any rest. It was nearly inhumane. The views over the bridges were amazing, however. The  Queensborough Bridge was super-windy; my favorite was the Staten Island bridge -- maybe because once I crossed it, I knew I had completed the ride? Here are Chris and I (in bright yellow) and Sarah in blue on the bridge (photo courtesy of Larry):

As soon as we got to Staten Island, we got right in line for the ferry to go back to Manhattan. We waited at least an hour, maybe more. The wind off the water was pretty chilly. Here is Lady Liberty, framed by the car deck of the Staten Island Ferry. Chris takes awesome photos.

Once we got to shore, we still had to ride up a zillion blocks on the bike path to 42nd street, and walk with the bikes half a zillion more blocks across to 5th Ave. By this time, I was really and truly contemplating throwing my bike into the East River and giving up cycling a nice hot dinner or at least a cup of tea! I had to settle for some fruit and a square of coffee cake, standing up on the train home.

Chris was able to complete the ride last year with a friend and be home by mid-afternoon. This time, we all got home at about 9:30pm. Though we hadn't had a real meal all day, we were too tired to eat. It sounds like Squidknits and her family and Jersey Knitter had similar experiences (click on Sarah's and their names for their versions & photos). This is one ride that you have to do just for the experience, so you can tell the war stories afterward. But it's not for the faint of heart.

Let the Season Begin

On Saturday, Chris rode in the first local training race of the season.

Note wool face covering. I'm not sure if New England cyclists have an extra special love of pain and suffering, but it was only around 35F, give or take a few degrees. He came in 6th, first in the main group (and that standing might improve, if the rumor is true that one or two cyclists may be disqualified for various things). Given this hardiness, our charity rider should be in fine form by June for his 210 miles, 3 days journey. Maybe by then my fingers will have thawed (photo courtesy of Sarah, who stayed a lot warmer than I did, and could work the camera).

In knitting news, I did frog the pink camisole back to the border. I've knit 6" more on the blue lace edging, and swatched for a new project, which I cannot share as it is a gift. Hopefully I'll have some photo worthy progress soon.

I have neglected my On the Nightstand reviews. In the Pink is a photographic essay on the work of Dorothy Draper, who was the 1940s predecessor of Martha Stewart. Where Martha focuses on food and entertaining, Dorothy's strength was on interior design. She created the interiors for many famous hotels, along with private residences, and her work continues on under the leadership of Carlton Varney. If you love old black and white films with their glamorous sets, you'll enjoy Dorothy's work. You might want to borrow this from the library, due to price and bookshelf space, unless you are already a huge fan of hers.

A Wheel within a Wheel is the story of Frances Willard, a 53-year-old retired school teacher, who learned to ride a bicycle before the turn of the century, when Nice Women Did Not Do That Sort Of Thing. I'm about half way through this short book, but I am already enjoying Frances' spunkiness and positive outlook as she learns to balance on two wheels, in a long skirt no less. Something tells me that if she'd had them in her time, she'd be just as determined to learn multiple gears, hand brakes, and clipless pedals, don't you think?

Ride Like A Girl

Not Going Gently

The line from a poem by Dylan Thomas keeps coming to mind: Do not go gentle into that good night. As the leaves are changing colors and C finished his last race of the season, I know that I have to accept the coming of winter/night. But I'm not going gently, and Mother Nature seems to agree.

This past weekend she put on a glorious show. On Sunday, C and I met with Sarah and J for the Tour de Mystic. We rode our bikes about 20 miles along the coast and through town, enjoying pretty houses, vibrant scenery, and great company. Here are S and J in front of one of the houses:

Here is a view of the river. The leaves are just starting to turn in the distance.

After our ride and lunch, we stopped at Mystic River Yarns, where I could not leave without this:

My favorite colors! I'm wondering if there's something I can knit that will sort of go with this (see below) for next spring. Armwarmers? I used to think cycling jerseys were geeky, but now I want one for when I ride my bike. Girl Power! (The pretty girl image should be taken ironically; the women who wear these jerseys, the Velo Bellas, are serious road and mountain bikers and incredibly strong athletes)!

On Monday, S and J met us to watch C in the Jamestown Classic Race. This is a 40 mile race around the island for men and women cyclists, from beginners to pros. It attracts a huge number of racers and spectators, and there was a lot of energy in the air. It was about 70-75F, almost hot in the sunshine. The race went along the edge of the island, with lots of white sailboats on shimmery blue water, gliding along under the majestic bridge. Newport off in the distance made a magnificent backdrop. The groups of cyclists came past every few minutes with a speed and grace I can't describe...see Sarah's great photo on her blog for one of the groups coming across the finish line (I can't believe I didn't take more photos!! Argh!). Here is one of C in the middle with his friends S and R after the race.

We had a victory lunch at an outdoor restaurant (almost unheard of on Columbus Day in New England!!! Mother Nature really went all out!!!) to celebrate a great first season. I am going to miss the weekend trips to the races and seeing new friends so much, but it is time to rest and recover before they start again next spring. And we'll keep taking leisurely rides for as long as we can.

Another one not going gently:

Charlie is about 13, and though he keeps losing weight, he's as feisty as ever, jumping to the top of our refrigerator to nap on the cabinets above, and refusing to use the stool I put by the counter to help him. He's not going to give in to the idea that he is a sick cat. He had an ultrasound on Tuesday, and thank heaven his digestive system looks OK. The doctors think that his thyroid might be the culprit of the weight loss, so he's going for more bloodwork on Friday (can't you see how thrilled he is?), and I'm hoping that all we'll need to do is add one more pill, Tapazole, to the daily arsenal, and he'll start gaining weight again.

For those of you that made it this far, here is some left and right front knitting progress on the CPH. Beth?  Are you still ahead?

And now, please excuse me. I'm going to "Rage, rage against the dying of the [day]light," and the fall allergies, which have caused an annoying cold and the delay (and probably rambling on) of this post!

Books & Bicycles

C and I had a wonderful weekend of friends, books, and bicycles. We met The Knittin' Kitten and her husband J at the most wonderful used book...complex...The Book Barn. C took some photos for me and I will try to illustrate this experience for you!

  Here is the main barn, on the edge of the road. It was the original barn before the store expanded.

Backing up a bit, you can see Ellis Island from the parking lot (the barn in the previous photo is on the left, outside the photo). Ellis Island is where people take books they want to sell to the Book Barn. Here they are sorted and priced before going on to the other buildings.

A close up of Ellis Island, and a black cat napping under the umbrella on the table. There are many cats that live here (10 or 12?), and a dog or two.

New immigrant books go from the tables into here. Older immigrant books come out of here, where they are distributed to their sections.

This is a photo of the backside of the main barn. The Town Hall has little dioramas to tell you where different subjects are located.

  A kitty statue among flowers. There are lots of gardens here, in between the buildings.

Lunchtime! Another kitty grabs a quick bite on the back porch. The main level of the book barn has art, military history, and rare books. The upstairs has children's books, health, crafts, anthropology, and other topics.

Here is The Underworld. Too hot in summer, too cold in winter, too wet when it rains, and horror of all horrors, the books are not organized in any way, shape, or form. It gives me shudders thinking about that. Eventually, books from here are sorted into their subject areas.

They also have a goat pen. There used to be sheep too, but I didn't see any this time.

The black kitty gives us a tour of the lower level of the main barn, which has history, politics, and cultural books.

Fiction & poetry

The Haunted Bookshop, behind the playhouse for kids and a garden. It holds mystery, horror, true crime, and anything scary.

The black kitty is just worn out from this tour! And I don't have a photograph of the Last Page building, which holds books on sports, tourist guides, and pets. C found me my very own copy of  "A Woman's Guide to Cycling" by Susan Weaver here, so don't have to borrow it from the library anymore.

We had a wonderful time with S & J looking at all of the books and trying not to take everything home with us!!! And these photos do not show the downtown location, which has cookbooks, entertainment, nautical history, and more fiction. After this, we went for a bike ride together -- 14 miles! C and I left the camera in the car, so unfortunately I don't have any photos to share of our ride together. Please see The Knittin' Kitten for details.

That ride was a great warmup for Sunday, when C and I did the Folks on Spokes charity ride, which benefits the local mental health agency, Bridges. It was my first official ride, and I signed up for the 40 mile one, to see if I could do it.

Here are the other 40-milers at the start line, as of 8:30am. Shortly after this photo was taken, they left me way behind.

C's bike, with a pretty water view, just after the second rest stop (we never did find the first one). Those headwinds off the water are tough!

But not as tough as this huge hill, which I had only practiced for the first time the previous Saturday.

The second big hill. I almost cried from relief when I got to the top!

The third rest stop, at the top of that second hill. Power bars, bananas, and water. The gentleman in the pink shirt told us we were the last to come through, and to help ourselves.

Finished!!

OK, I was the last one to come back to the start/finish line. The volunteers were cleaning up (though they said they'd be there til 1:30, and it was only 1:05!), there was little left in the way of lunch (C took me out to eat afterwards to celebrate), and the band was playing its last song in the bandstand when I arrived. BUT -- I finished!!!!!!!!!!! The longest ride I've ever done, and with two big hills. I usually ride only about 20 miles per trip, on completely flat rail trails. I'm a little sore today, but so happy to have achieved this goal. Next year, I'm going to work for a century (100 miles)!

Cycling By The Vacation Seashore

Here are some photos of pretty scenes from our bike ride yesterday:

It's so beautiful here...pretty homes and gardens by the ocean, and the occasional farm! C and I are hoping to do more cycling, but as we're in the middle of a heat wave, we may have to read and knit til it passes. I'm making good progress on my lace stole.

I finally finished "To Davy Jones Below" (see "On The Nightstand")this afternoon. I always love the Daisy books, but this wasn't the most satisfying of mysteries in the series. It takes place aboard a cruise ship, on a voyage from England to America. I think the next book in the series, "The Case of the Murdered Muckracker," takes place in America, before Daisy and Alec head home to England. Now on to finishing the sea poetry book!

Life Is Good

Floyd won the Tour de France.

  (from Velonews.com)

C won third place in the criterium. The two cyclists who finished before him were in the next category up, and of the best in the country, so coming in third after them is a real accomplishment.

I'm more than half way done with the camisole border.