small steps

We are making slow progress on our flat. Life seems so busy at the moment. We haven't got a blind in the bathroom so I hung up my flag instead. It fits quite well and does the job!

We built a little tent in our back patio to hold our bikes. I got mine back from the shop yesterday and I hope to start riding to work again this week. I don't know if I still remember how to cycle! I stopped riding at the beginning of December and the bike was at the shop for the whole time we were away in Canada and until now.

We have enjoyed having a few people over to the house since it has been tidy enough to have space. It's so lovely having friends around our table, eating, laughing, and drinking tea.

spring?

Last night I started typing this post and I wrote:

I think that with the change to British Summer Time that spring has really come. On my cycle home on Friday I snapped this picture of a tree flowering. I wish I knew what kind of tree it is since I think it is gorgeous and I would love to have one. If I ever owned a piece of ground to plant it in, that is. Does anyone know what the name of this tree is?

Today I woke up for church and it was snowing (the second time this year, the first being on Easter Sunday). It snowed steadily for several hours, although it hasn't stayed. The snow collected on car rooftops, but just melted on the ground.

Over my week off I hope it warms up again because I want to go on some London city walks and do some cycling.

early night?

I am heading to get ready for bed now in a desperate attempt to get a bit more sleep. We have both been a bit overtired recently and I am feeling the stress at work. It's a really busy time, revising for exams that are in May. There's a lot of pressure for the students to perform well and a lot of pressure on me to make it happen.

Ant and I ran into our neighbours as we were coming home today and we have arranged to have them over for dinner next week. That will be quite unusual; London is not exactly a friendly neighbourhood place.

And it is also getting much nicer outside. British Summer Time started yesterday, so technically it is summer now. Sarah and I cycled home from work together (half way home until our paths divide) and we talked about maybe doing some longer weekend rides over the next few months. We want to go to Europe again this summer.

awareness

Ant Stumbled Upon a really interesting advert today that is an awareness test. Go watch the advert now, and then come back to read this post.

No, really. Go take the test--it will take only 30 seconds and then come back and finish reading.

The theme of the advert really resonates with me--I wish everyone was more aware on the roads. But it also reminded me of a discussion we were having at our house group meeting a couple of Fridays ago. We were praying together that we would be more aware of what God is doing around us. I want to be able to notice what God is doing in the people around me and join in on his plan. How do I learn to pay more attention? Or maybe just wanting to notice is an effective step, like wanting to notice the ball passes in the awareness test.

small personal triumph

I have now managed to cycle to work three days with my clip shoes and pedals! On Sunday Ant put the pedals on for me and I tried them out a bit on our road, going back and forth, clipping and unclipping my shoes to get a feel for it. Then Ant and I cycled to the park nearby and met Sarah so I could ride around a little there. It was terrifying and I found that unclipping was very stressful. I began to panic as I slowed down, worried that I might not be able to unclip and then fall over with my feet still attached. I had one close call, which was really fine in retrospect, but I was so nervous that I freaked out a bit before successfully unclipping. These last three days I have been cycling to work a bit more cautiously and I can now unclip more quickly as I approach a set of lights or a junction. I am hoping that I make it to the end of the week without incident; that shall be a major triumph.

cycle update

-new top speed: 44.8 km/h, downhill on the way home tonight
-only recent close call: a tree branch in the face
-tire pressure last night: 40 psi
-tire pressure after top-up last night: 70 psi
-newest accessory: overshoes (or shoe covers or booties in Canada), ugly but highly useful
-weekday ride distance: 20.2 km
-weekday ride time: 60 minutes
-current count on trip counter: 4415 km

sarah the clumsy

Tonight while parking my bike I somehow managed to get covered in chain grease. This happens to me quite regularly. Just call me Little Miss Clumsy.

France and Belgium

Pictures first, since I seem to be having problems finding time to write this post. I finished quite a lot of the text, but I'll add some more at the end when I get time.

Sarah and I took our bikes and got the train down to Dover last Wednesday and crossed to Calais on the ferry. The crossing was lovely and smooth.


We wheeled around Calais, looking for a canal that our colleague told us about. The countryside around as we followed the canal was fantastic--fields, the canal, quaint houses, and people fishing in the canal.

After a couple of hours we realised we weren't really going in the right direction! We pushed on and made it to Bergues before we collapsed. Finding a hotel was really easy--we just found a local sign and walked in and booked a room. The hotel was really comfortable and the breakfast was huge. In the town square there was a crazy statue--I am going to use this picture in lessons to talk about ratio, or something.



We felt a lot better the next morning and easily made it to Veurne in Belgium by lunch time. We crossed the border on a tiny farm road. I took this picture from France and the yellow sign is at the entrance to the Belgian village.


We had lunch at a picnic table on the side of a smooth, wide cycle trail that led into Veurne. Here we are eating our croissants, tomatoes, sliced cheese, and apples. We pioneered the tomato-cheese wrap--made by wrapping three cherry tomatoes in a slice of cheese. Basic and delicious!


At the larger crossing back into France.


Outside a village grocery store--Sarah's and my bikes and the cool Batman bike. Note Sarah's new pannier bags, which she bought in Belgium.


A village church outside which we took a break.


The white cliffs of Dover on our return on Saturday.

missing: one fuzzy glove

When at Sarah's bike shop on Friday evening, I bought a new pair of summer cycling gloves with cut off fingers. They are a lovely light aqua colour and much better for summer cycling. (The colour kind of matches with my Kona bike frame, which is a periwinkle blue.) My other gloves were purchased last year when my fingers started getting numb on the way to work. They are heavy with a fleece lining, and then kept my fingers toasty all winter long. With my Belgium trip looming I picked up my new gloves and wore them home from the bike shop.


When I got home I threw my winter gloves and Ant's cycling gloves into the wash (after a hard week or two of cycling they can pong a bit). But only one winter glove came back out of the wash. How could my washing machine eat a fuzzy glove?

Back at Sarah's bike shop today, the employee said that I had left a glove behind last week. And there was my winter glove, with a note taped to it, identifying me as its owner. Yay!


Unpacking my cycling bag today with the inner tubes I picked up at the shop, I realised I can't find that fuzzy glove anywhere. I think I may have dropped it at the shop (again), or maybe as I was kitting up just outside. If found, please return my fuzzy glove.

cycling holiday and more exercise

Well, my colleague Sarah and I have sorted out our trip to Belgium. Next Wednesday we are going to take our bikes on the early train down to Dover and take the ferry across to Calais. Then we will cycle from there to Veurne in Belgium, a mere 70 km. (Some readers may find the comparison of Halifax to Stewiacke helpful.) We've booked our bed and breakfast there and we'll be staying for three nights. Then on Saturday we return by bike and ferry and train. We are both so excited! We planned the route to travel along a canal that goes from Calais all the way to Veurne, which means we will not be on main roads and the journey will not involve any hills.

Before we go I need to degrease and grease my bike and change my back inner tube. I picked up a pair of summer gloves last week, which has made a big improvement in my comfort as I ride. (My winter gloves were too fuzzy inside and too hot to wear.)

In the meantime Ant and I are heading up to Liverpool to celebrate his Mum's birthday and visit with his family.

I have had a very active last couple of days. Sarah and I have been cycling around loads. After Sarah came over on Saturday and we sorted out our holiday, we headed over to Tooting Bec to sign up for three free days at Fitness First for this Monday to Wednesday. Yesterday we headed over to the gym for a yoga session in the morning. It was really hard work! Today my arms and shoulders are aching. Some of the stretches were incredibly hard to do but still relaxing by the end of the session. Afterwards we started following cycle path signs and eventually reached the Tate Britain art gallery. Sarah really wanted to see Francis Bacon, a modern British painter whose works I found a bit bizarre. We had some lunch there before heading home again.

Today we met up half way along our respective cycles to work and I spent some profitable time there. I cycled home and then to the gym to sit in the sauna as a reward for all the exercise I've been doing! After a nice shower and a stretch I pedalled home again. Tomorrow's plan is to go to yoga and then maybe back to work... or maybe not. At any rate, I have been cycling everywhere these past few days and really liking it.