Weekend of Gs

Saint George's Greek Orthodox Church, the host of the Greek Festival this past weekend. We checked it out on Saturday, our fifth year attending in some capacity.

We arrived early to beat the crowds. Parked the bikes at the pole on the far right and wondered around for place to change a diaper, get some baklava, Turkish coffee and listen to the music. When we were leaving, the place was filling up.

London coveted those coin wraps other girls were wearing, but the priced tag of $25 was not something she was ready to pay. Of her own accord (and money) she opted for the $5 bracelet and left a happy girl. The hat she is wearing, she knit herself this past week during recess at school and when ever she could find the time. It's her first finished fiber project.

Brent waited in a very slow line for a $3 Turkish Coffee. This is all he came for.

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Our Saturday route above. From home to the Greek Festival, to Goodwill, to game shop, to bike store, to grocery, to home. 10.2 miles.

More light post lock ups. Goodwill at 11th street and Virginia Avenue.

Since we took just three bikes, we played music saddles all day. The big kids took turns on the Yuba Mundo and Junior Viper. Brent had to adjust the height on the children's bike at every stop. He is going to install a quick release soon.

Brent opts for sidewalks, but I really feel safer and more comfortable on the road, in the lane. Here he is taking Avery in the trailer down 4th. I just needed a load break on the Yuba. I was extremely exhausted all day and was breaking down often, mentally and physically.

I had no reason to go to the bike shop, but I just like going. Here, one of the owners came out to check out the child seat and discuss my transition to riding it with the children. They also said my last three parts should arrive this week sometime.

We planned to go for a full grocery run, but I just couldn't do it. We stopped at our mom and pop shop, Julian's Market, for milk and bananas and headed home. Brent took over the Yuba so I didn't collapse and I took back the MTB with the mostly empty trailer.

The evening was spent playing in the yard, napping upright on the couch for 20 minutes and reading stories.

We had played with bags of beans a couple of weeks ago and London planted them all over the yard, they were coming up everywhere.

I caught Elliot reading to the little boys.

It was a pretty jammed pack Saturday. I think my exhaustion was from not riding or walking much while in AZ. I got to bike Friday and my legs were so sore my children couldn't sit on my lap. Come Saturday and we had this long multiple-stop ride planned and I was a mess. We had to stop many times because I was stressed about balancing the bike with the children and carrying so much weight on the bike. I am usually much more relaxed but I couldn't shake the anxiety that day.

Sunday was much better. I didn't get much rest that night, but I was feeling more healed and calm. London and I took two bikes and the trailer to the grocery for a "big trip." Brent had spent part of Saturday fashioning all sorts of contraptions to the Yuba for hauling groceries in lieu of proper bags. Here's what we decided on:

Brent strap clamped two totes to the sides and loaded them with the heaviest things he could find.

He took the bike out for a quick test ride to make sure it wasn't too heavy and the totes wouldn't fall off.

Empties attached and ready for groceries. This set up allowed us to keep the child seat in the rear position, which we won't be able to do when our bags arrive. More on that in another post.

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London with the trailer and I on the Yuba. We set off down the PATH for Kroger.

I am happy fall has arrived, but this makes parking at Kroger more difficult.

We didn't want to be so close to the door and ramp, but they left us little to choose from.

I didn't want to buy too much so I bagged all my groceries as we shopped. Portion control?

All of this fit in/on two bikes, and I feel pretty confident I could have taken the trailer on the Yuba and gotten it all myself, but I love London's company and she was fantastic about hauling it all home.

I put all the lighter things in her trailer. I tried to keep most of the weight over the axle area. Her rolled up pants were so the flair bottom wouldn't get caught on her gears while peddling.

Loaded up. Totes were full so I bungee strapped my large soft cooler with milk and ice cream straight to the deck.

I had my doubts about my 9 yo being able to carry home groceries. When she started out she said it felt like she wasn't carrying anything. When we got to the via-duct she had to walk up the hill because we got behind a pedestrian on the sidewalk and couldn't get started on the upside once we stopped.

There she goes! A wonderful start to fall on PATH and my eldest doing hard work to feed the family.

We carried home 144lbs of groceries. I really didn't notice the weight on the flat surfaces and when I shift successfully into a low enough gear, I was able to take the hills slow and steady and without wearing myself out.

 Sunday also included a birthday party. We could have walked, but biking is so much fun for us. We put the eldest two on their own bikes and I rode Oliver and Avery on the back of the Yuba. I was finding on Saturday that the iBert was not a comfortable fit for me on the cargo bike. I haven't figured out quite why, but for now I am going to ride the littles on the back.

Oliver claimed a bike at the party and rode inches by himself and got a lot of help from Elliot. Of all the children, Oliver loves biking the most and he can't even peddle.

Our bike train before leaving the party. Is everyone picking at an orifice?

Avery and Oliver on the back of the cargo bike. Happy boys.

We tried several configurations of seating on the Yuba Mundo Saturday but we didn't move the child seat like we intended. I might play around with it this week during school pick ups. I am getting more comfortable riding it and figuring out the quirks and nuances.

I rarely allow Brent to have a go. Which means I am doing all the heavy hauling, but I don't mind a bit. It is a pretty sweet bike. If you see me out and about, stop me and I will let you have a spin. I was so happy to be stopped by a reader on Saturday at the park and give him a moment to check it out. Huntington Cycle and Sport can even get in touch with me for test rides, but soon they will have one assembled of their own for you to try.

Miles Walked: 0	Biked: 6.2	Bused: 0	Drove: 0	This week
53.7	379.2	12.6	547.2	Since August 14, 2011

Old Central City: The Velvet Owl and Farmers Market

The Velvet Owl, 705 W. 14th Street, Huntington, WV (Old Central City)

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My sister's wedding is in Phoenix on Friday and I own a couple things I could wear and probably should. An opportunity to dress up doesn't happen very often (for me) and having something in my closet worthy of an evening wedding was worth the trip to Old Central City this morning. Oliver and I rode the PATH from Ritter Park to West 14th Street. It always feels farther when I think about it, but it was only 3.5 miles from home.

Our destination was The Velvet Owl. This shop was a smart blend of vintage and modern. Textures and arrangements made it feel wonderfully comfortable, warm and nostalgically unique. I must have tried on every dress in the shop that was remotely close to fitting. The owner stocks consignment resale clothing and furnishings as well as vintage and antique. I found a dozen things I would have loved to have piled into the trailer, but today's mission was wedding clothes, and that is all I walked out with.

Old Central City, W. 14th Street

Duncan Lumber, also on W 14th is a mill and lumber company, that is still open for business. I predict I will live in a building like this some day. It has always been something I imagine.

Old Central City is certainly mending from ages of disrepair. It has held onto the charm of a strolling downtown district, unique shops, farmers market, antique stores, and restaurants. The area has incorporated barn quilts on the sides of many of the old buildings and there's a large gazebo (popular with music venues) in their small park across from the market.

The Bodimer's are at the market Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. Check out those great prices.

Since we had biked all this way, Oliver and I stopped in at the Central City Market. We found Lewis Bodimer with his truck stocked. He's the farmer that grows all our CSA produce. We spent a fair amount just chatting with him and the folks who live across the way who have been volunteering their time to help Lewis at the market for 14 years. We didn't purchase any produce, but Lewis handed us a bag of sweet corn for dinner tonight. The children will be thrilled.

I moved Oliver to the trail half way home so he could nap comfortably. The PATH is lined with unique foot bridges over Four Pole Creek.

I have been to Old Central City before to rummage through the antique stores for pirate chests. What great discoveries have you made on the west end of Huntington?

Miles Walked: 2	Biked: 32.5	Bused: 0	Drove: 13	This week
53.7	271.3	12.6	450.2	Since August 14, 2011

The Bookworm's Attic

We have passed by the Bookworm's Attic countless times. It is directly on the way to school. It was on the way to my friend's house when they still lived here for three years and it was on the way to Wal-Mart when we still shopped there. It's next to the library we have patron a hundred times. We are a family of readers. My daughter's idea of going to the mall with a friend, is to visit Borders. My idea of a date is going to the travel section of the nearest book store (Brent likes to go to the magazine racks). We had never been to the Bookworm's Attic, until today.

The Bookworm's Attic--352 Norway Avenue, Huntington, WV

The reason's we have not visited the Bookworm's Attic seem trite, and now that we have walked through those doors, they are all embarrassing. I am pining to go back. I had to call a friend and gush over how wonderful it was to be in such a charming, warm and surprising place, in the path of our school commute. There were shelves of children's books, reading chairs, a Lego table, chapter books, new novels, a rare book collection, and my children's favorite, two dishes of candy. The music was good and I never notice the music anywhere.

One of the back nooks. There were several.

Discussion group space and a Lego table.

This may become our Thursday after school enrichment activity in addition to our curbside clean up project, which we also managed to do today, because we walked  home.

Miles Walked: 4	Biked: 38	Bused: 0	Drove: 16	This week
47.7	228.8	12.6	438.2	Since August 14, 2011