Muffin HQ

Coming clean, finally with you all and with myself. I am going to reveal the real reason why I bike everywhere:

It’s not because I don’t have a driver’s license (never learned)
It’s not because its good for my body or the environment
It’s not because its cheaper and easier on the wallet. No gas, no insurance payments.
It’s not because its faster and more efficient to get around a tiny city like Portland
It’s not because its safer for me or for all humans
It’s not because its fun and enjoyable and free exercise
It’s not because I feel connected to my community and with other cyclists and pedestrians.
It’s not because I can park anywhere and not pay to park.

I do love my bike, I really do but I am not always convinced that my bike loves me back.

The REAL reason why I bike is because I am working on my tan. Summer is coming to a close and I have the best tan ever!

Its been a hot week. Really hot. Stores were closing early because of the heat and lack of foot traffic. Sounds similar to what we experienced back in December with all the snow. I had to be reminded to not demonize the heat.

I found the heat to be more tolerable than previous years and I want to credit the yoga. I kept up a daily practice this week and biked all over town like I any other day. I did consider taking the bus tuesday evening to yoga class, but ended up using the “wet t-shirt” trick. Basics are, you soak a long sleeve cotton t-shirt with cold water and then put it on. It kept me cool, too cool, I barely broke a sweat. Also keeps the sun off your skin and no need to put chemical sunscreen on your body. It is absolutely brilliant.

Yoga, hmmm, its been a mixed bag this week. I had awesome/strong/focused classes on Monday (6am), Wednesday (9:30am) and Friday (6:30pm). Had awful/distracted classes on Tuesday (6:30pm) and Thursday (4:30pm). Friday was the best class of the week, getting compliments and making improvements on some of the postures. I felt so strong and flexible. Sometimes I consider going every other day, may try it one week soon. But for now, I am loving the daily practice. Oh, and in regards to the heat, it is easier to take a class when the temperatures inside and outside are the same. I find that the hardest, can’t deal with the heat classes are the evening classes where the outside temps are in the 90’s and the humidity has gotten higher as the day progressed. Don’t be afraid to do yoga or any activity in the heat, just stay well hydrated! My advice for everything!

During this week’s softball game (in 106 degree temps, no shade), I realized that my mild left wrist tweak is probably from softball. I know locust pose is helping with the wrist injury, and the yoga totally makes a difference in soreness and game performance. During my volunteer shift at Brooklyn Community Acupuncture clinic this morning, the acupuncturist working there placed 4 needles on my arm. Hopefully, there will be some noticable healing this evening. Oh and my neck? I woke up Sunday morning with awful neck pain. Got an acupuncture treatment Sunday and Monday from Maria at BCA and my neck is almost 90% back to normal. So awesome.

Pedalpalooza. Two and a half weeks of bike fun. So glad its over, yet so sad too…..

Here is a list of rides where me and my bike made an appearance:

Pedalpalooza Kick off ride
WNBR party (no ride)
Critical Mass Gay Bike Parade
Jonathan Richman ride
Scandinavian Short Shorts ride
Michael Jackson Memorial ride
BonB & Pajama party ride
Cookies for lunch ride
MCBF (no ride)

Did lots of rides cuz I don’t have a job! Could’ve done more rides if I hadn’t gone hiking on Mt Defiance and Starvation Trail. That hike knocked me out for a couple of days. No fun! I still hold it against Andy W. for suggesting that trail. Friends don’t take (lazy) friends on difficult hikes.

Below is a picture of me and Jeff, the custom shoe maker at the waffle window, first stop on the PJ party ride. Notice the head to toe hello kitty pj set.

Archiflash cards are awesome. Most ARE candidates will agree that the cards are super useful (after study guides) when it comes to preparing the registration exams. Today, as I was going thru the Pre-Design cards, I found one card that inspired an email to the Nalsa, the makers of the Archiflash cards. Below is my email to them:

I am currently using a 2003 set of Archiflash cards. In the Pre-design set, card #5 states:

I look forward to your response. Thanks!

Anyways, I hope they write back to me. One can dream!

As a response to an article over here about KPAM in Portland illegally parking there car and reporter to try to catch bikers running stops sings:
—
It seems pretty clear that as far as stop signs go in Portland everyone knows that cars blow through stop signs all the time in this town. In fact, at my intersection, I can’t remember the last time anyone actually STOPPED (a full stop). Not only that, they turn around in the middle of the intersection. It is important to remember that the rules of the road were made for CARS. They were never really intended for bicycles. There may be some retrofits to accommodate bicyclists, but it would pointless to argue that rules of the road were made for bicyclists…. or even to argue that they were made for both. The laws on the books that apply to cars have been since when Portland was a stump/sin/shanghai city/town. Just in case anyone who has been living in Portland a long time missed the news, it is not that town anymore.

The bottom line here is some bicyclists don’t obey these laws BECAUSE THEY DON’T MAKE SENSE FOR BIKES. Also, as in my neighborhood, the city of portland decided that, regardless of the traffic patterns, that stop signs should be on alternating sides of the streets every two blocks. That’s a common pattern in Portland. But, people in cars blow the stop signs ALL THE TIME going NORTH/SOUTH because the stop signs don’t make sense. On my block there should only be stop signs on the EAST/WEST sides of the street, there should be no signs on NORTH/SOUTH. Traffic needs to flow freely in that direction… stop and go moving in that direction frustrates car and bike drivers, so they just don’t obey it. That’s the nature of good vs bad law.

Lastly, it is TRULY boring to argue that the reason car drivers really don’t like bicyclist un-necessarily obeying stop signs is because they have to sit in traffic while bicycles move through and get where they are going more quickly, especially at rush hours. If one would even try to argue it is for another reason that the same car drivers that never fully stop at stop signs are pissed at bicyclists… as they said in the 80’s… don’t even SMURF it! Car drivers need to deal with the fact that while their transportation is faster over long distances, bicycles can be faster in town, especially in traffic. Americans aren’t really all that smart a people, certainly not an intellectually flexible people (though VERY morally flexible). They don’t see how there could be two sets of laws to apply to two different things. But, that’s the simple answer here.

Over here there is an article about the next article from the Oregonian newspaper, with associated full-page picture and headline, which says something like “Driver Chases Cyclist”. This comes day after the headline and full-page picture, “Biker CLUBS driver with his bike.” Thirdly, tonight, they are posting a “There is no war between cyclists and car drivers” type article. This is an obvious attempt to get away from any liability/risk they have from inciting car drivers to antagonize cyclists.  Long story short, the Oregonian stepped in it, but managed to sell papers.

Here is an article from over at salaud.net about a headline that I found ABSOLUTELY RIDICULOUS: “Cyclist Clubs Driver with his Bike” The Oregonian newspaper is famous for being conservative and trying to turn back the clock to era where Portland was JUST a stump-town. In a way it is funny to see them jump on this story this way and, of course, to accept all the facts from the Portland Police Department which also wants to turn back the clock.

Found this comic strip that combines the two things I love in this world… bikes and zombies!

Of course you know Portland is a bike friendly city and we inspire great art and revolution!

Check out this artist’s website for some Portland cyclist inspired illustrations. My friend Aaron is handsomely illustrated with his recumbent.