Bike Tour

OK, this info is old but I never wrote about it. Now I'll do that so I can share it with all of my friends.

James and I decided to do the New York 5 Boro bike tour which was held May 4th. It is a 42 mile bike ride that started in Battery Park and ended on Staten Island. We were nuts to consider it but thought it was a great opportunity since we were living here and wanted to take advantage of things in the area. We are far from being avid bikers but we thought it was a challenge that we could meet head on. It ended up being an expensive proposition since we had to invest in some biking gear. We had the bikes but we needed basically everything else. I had no idea what we needed. Thankfully we had some friends who offered us advice. We got biking shorts (yes, that would be spandex shorts) with gel padding in the seat (felt like wearing a thick maxipad but it really helped), long sleeve thermal shirts, waterproof jackets, new helmets, and non-cotton socks. We were ready to go. Sure, we were dressed the part but we weren't sure if we were ready for the ride.

We took the boys to Phil and Adina's. The plan was for them to spend the night since we had to get up so early the next day. Phil and Adina would take them to church and watch them for the day and then we would pick them up when we were done the tour. It was a bit traumatic for the boys and they didn't sleep that well but everyone survived. So thankful for Phil and Adina!

The forecast was for a cold and rainy day. That was why we had all the layers. I hoped and prayed for a different outcome but braced myself for the worst. When we got up at 4:20 (no that wasn't a typo) it was a bit drizzly and quite chilly. We left our house at 5 and headed up to Staten Island (an hour drive). Most of the cars that we met on the way were carrying bikes. There were 30 000 people registered for the ride. That's crazy!

We got to the ferry, parked and unloaded our bikes. We were so thrilled. We had no idea what to expect but the adrenaline rush was totally pushing us on. There were so many people lined up for that ferry. I have never seen so many people proudly wearing spandex in my life! Granted, there were all types of people there. Die hards, pretend to be die hards, and people there just for the ride. There were all types of outfits too. Some people even decorated their helmets. There was a group of ladies with pink feather dusters attached to the top of their helmets and a group of guys with rats mounted on top. The group with the Guinness cans on top certainly garnered some cheers.

The ferry ride over was freezing cold, there was a cold wind whipping off the water. We huddled down to try and stay warm but it seemed like a losing battle. Definitely not an encouraging outlook for the day.

We docked at Battery Park and got off with the thousands of other bikers. We met up with our friends and headed up to the starting line. There were already thousands of people in front of us but there were even more people behind us. It was just crazy to see all of those people. We waited for about an hour before the tour started. The group was divided so not everyone started at the same time, thereby eliminating some of the strain on the city and hopefully preventing some bike jams. We crossed the starting line at 8:15. Our first major bottle neck was as we entered Central Park. The ride through the park was great as was the scenery. We then headed into the Bronx. It was great, the roads were closed so we were totally safe. Well, except for crazy bikers. I was a bit disappointed because I couldn't really look around. I had to focus and pay attention to the road and the bikers around me that I couldn't really look around and enjoy the sights.

After the Bronx we headed to Queens, at one point crossing the Queensboro Bridge. Gorgeous. There were points during the ride where we had to get off and walk our bikes. This was due to the sheer number of people and the fact that we had to navigate through some bottle necks. We stopped at the first rest stop where we were given water, juice, nutrition bars, bananas and oranges. There were port a johns lined up along the entire stop. Gross but necessary.

From Queens we headed into Brooklyn. We stopped for lunch at another rest stop where we ended up stripping off some of layers. What was supposed to be a pretty miserable day ended up being sunny and GORGEOUS!!! Thank God for small miracles.

At one point during the ride we ended up in an hour long bike jam. It was insane. We had to go from essentially four lanes of traffic down to one. So frustrating! It gave my bike a much needed break but it also broke the momentum. James and I were able to break out and get ahead. Our friends were quite a bit behind us in the crowd so we ended up pulling over to wait for them. We had gotten in some good riding but felt it was important to meet up with our group again. As we were waiting for them at the side of the road we watched as a father ran over his son on his bike. It was heart wrenching. The father was in front, his son's bike was in tandem behind it and then there was also a bike trailer behind that. They were slowing down to get off at the rest stop when the boy fell of the bike. The father couldn't stop and ended up running him over with the back tire and the bike trailer. I totally started crying. The boys crying was heart breaking and sounded just like Jameson. He was about the same age too. James and I pulled the bike off to the side where the father was tending to his son. Poor little tyke peed his pants in the chaos but thankfully was not hurt, just scared.

As we were sitting there waiting we had a beautiful view of the Verrazzano Bridge. Beautiful but daunting. That was the last leg of our ride and it loomed high above our heads. That meant that we had to ride up hill to get to the bridge and the ride up hill for the first mile of the bridge, only to be rewarded with an entire downhill mile on the way down. Sheesh, what a scary thought.

Our friend eventually caught up and then we started the trek. I was silently pumping myself up and willing myself to make it the rest of the way without stopping. At the beginning of the bridge there was a bit of a bottle neck. It didn't help that the bike-walkers were walking two deep when they should have gone in single file. James and Olivator pulled ahead but Marije and I were left a bit behind. I couldn't wait to break out, I was anxious and had built myself up to make it across that bridge. Once it opened up I wanted to get ahead. Marije told me to go at my own pace so off I went. It makes sense to to ride in a low number (I have no idea the biking terms for all of this) so you don't have to put a lot of effort into each pedal. But I wanted each pedal to count. I pushed myself very hard but I made it. I was breathing hard but I pushed myself to make it across the bridge. It was AWESOME!! What a thrill!!! I made it across the bridge. In fact, I made it the entire way without voluntarily walking. So amazing!!!

I pulled into the station at the end of the ride. James and Olivator were waiting for me. (Yes, I was a bit disappointed to come in third from our group but it was impossible to break free of that crowd on the beginning of the bridge.) James and I didn't stick around long because we had to go and pick up the kids. We headed out for the last 3 miles (from the end station back to our car which was parked at the ferry). My poor butt was so sore, as were the palms of my hand (from leaning on the handle bars). We got into the van and the exhaustion and hunger hit us. We didn't have much more than protein bars all day. We picked up the kids, headed home and put the kids to bed. Shortly thereafter James and I were in dream land too. Not before I had a nice long soaking bath though. :)

What an amazing experience! If anyone wants to join us next year just let me know! We definitely plan on doing it again. My goal is to finish in the first third (10 000 people). So excited. There is another tour in September and I would totally be willing to do the 75 miles but I really don't want to leave the kids again. We might just do the 30 miles and bring the kids with us. Not sure if that would work though, they might beat each other up in the bike trailer. Correction, Stellan might beat Jameson up and Jameson would whine and cry the entire time. The thought of that is enough to prevent me from going on the trip. :)

Memorial Day Weekend

Oh how I love long weekends. :) Especially long weekends filled with beautiful sunny days. Ahhhh, but all good things must come to an end; back to the work week (for James) tomorrow. :(

On Saturday we packed a picnic lunch and headed out to Veteran's Park for the morning. We brought bikes and helmets along for the kids so they could ride on the paved pathways. What a gorgeous day! We had a great time. The kids played for a bit, we ate a yummy lunch and then we headed off on the bikes. Stellan is so stubborn when it comes to his bike! He knows he is supposed to stay to the right in order to make room for on coming people but yet he insists on steering to the left. Little stinker. There is a handle that allows me to steer from the back but it's quite a hassle trying to steer him back on the proper path. I have to say, the boys look so cute with their helmets. I remember how big it looked on Stellan when we first put it on his head. He's grown into it a bit now.

Jameson has done so well with his bike. We just got them a few weeks ago but he's already gained so much confidence. He still uses the training wheels but he's still quite a little biking pro. I'm so proud. Granted, he's the kind of kid that can pick up anything that is somewhat athletic.

We decided to head off the paved path and walk along the lake. James got the lucky job of carrying the bikes. The boys had so much fun jumping over the tree roots. For some reason unknown to anyone over the age of 10, this brought inexplicable joy. We were almost back to the main path when Jameson said he had to go pee. No problem, lots of trees for him to mark his territory. I asked Stellan if he also had to pee not really expecting him to. Sure enough, he said he had to go. I pulled down his pants and took off his diaper. Sure enough, he actually peed and managed to do so without getting much on his pants. OK, a few dribbles on his legs but come on, he's just a beginner. :)

We headed home where the boys slept like little angels. Amazing what some fresh air and good exercise can do for nap time.

James washed the cars while I ran some errands and then we headed out for dinner. We chose a diner (after all, New Jersey is the Diner Capital of the US) just north of here. We were escorted to our table so I told Jameson to walk behind the host to get to his side of the booth. It just so happened that the host moved at the same time and knocked Jameson over. Poor kid. He wasn't hurt but his ego was. He was so embarrassed.

Our waitress was BRUTAL. Slow and messed up the orders (slightly but still!). When she spoke it sounded as if she was drunk. Sheesh. I asked to look at a menu, using the guise of looking for dessert. I really wanted to double check my order to see if she got it right. Instead she told me that it would be better if I looked at the selection at the front. Darn it, she ruined my plan! James and I headed both chose something. When she brought it to the table she said it was on the manager, to apologize for knocking over our son. Hey, maybe that would work elsewhere! That might just be a very good scam. We could make Jameson get in the way, have someone knock him over and then get free food!

On the way home we headed to a park to walk off the dinner. It was a beautiful park but I was so cold since it was surrounded by trees. I grabbed the blanket from the car, wrapped myself up and was ready for a stroll.

We got home, put the kids to bed and then watched a movie; "When a Stranger Calls". Yeah, I know, cheesy. There wasn't much on. Near the end of the movie Stellan started coughing. It was an unfortunate sign of things to come. He woke up again at 4 and didn't really get back to sleep until about 7. Sheesh. I ended up crawling in bed with him since he kept asking me to wipe his nose. I was exhausted! I couldn't fall asleep until he got up in the morning, at 7:30. When he did eventually fall asleep he was snoring so loudly that I couldn't sleep. A losing battle. We were all so exhausted that we didn't make it to church in the morning. We did end up making the trek up there since it was Amy's last Sunday before moving to Mansfield (*tear*) and Jon's last Sunday before going to Rome (*tear*). Poor Stellan was still not feeling well but we dragged him anyway. Thankfully he took a nap so it took off the edge, a bit anyway. We had a great time at Harry and Cheryl's enjoying bbq and volleyball. We left their house so we would be back in time for bed. Unfortunately we left without one of our bags, the one that had Monkey. That was potentially earth shattering. Monkey is Stellan's best friend. I was so disappointed but we were too far away to turn around. Thankfully Stellan has some back up friends (Duckie, Horsie and Lamb....yes I realize they are really original names) that will keep him company until we can get Monkey back again.

Today was a very warm and beautiful day. We had some friends over for a bbq, what a wonderful way to spend the day! We had yummy chicken shish kabobs (James makes the best shish kabobs in the world!), sausages, grilled veggies, potato salad, grilled cauliflower, and grilled corn on the cob. I had never had corn done on the bbq before but it was quite yummy. Lots of butter though so not something that I would do too often.

For dessert we had an Indian treat (Soan Papdi), watermelon, strawberries and an icecream sandwich dessert. What a wonderful way to end the day.

Now tomorrow we are off to preschool for an orientation for September. Yay! The boys are going to school! So exciting!

I'm Back...

My computer is home. Oh how I've missed it. So glorious to have it back and on my lap. I love it!!!
Long story short.....
Major computer issues. Really irritating since it was essentially brand new.
Took it to Best Buy to use our warranty. They told us they couldn't help us since we bought it in Canada. GRRRRRR!!!! I specifically asked about that before purchasing the computer. We had to take it to an outside company in order to have them work on it. Then have to send the bill to Best Buy. Such nonesense. Grrrr!!!!
Took it to Data Doctors (so nice, great people!). He called and told me that it was actually a motherboard issue. The motherboard had been recalled by HP, an unpublicized recall. Lovely. Data Doctors sent it away and now it's fixed and lovely.
Now I'm having internet issues though. Grrrr. Thank God for unsecured wireless networks. :)

Stinky Feet

Stellan truly has the stinkiest feet in the entire world!!! They can literally stink up an entire room. It's amazing how such cute little feet can produce such a reek. I think we're doomed to a summer of bad smells, his sandals seem to do quite a number on his feet.

Computer Issues

I still don't have a computer....sneaking in some time on James'. This is so irritating!

My allergies have been particularly irritating this season. They started a bit later than usual but they hit full force. Last night, at prayer time, Jameson said, "God, we pray for Mommy's allergies in her nose. Please help her to feel better." Does it get any better than that?

Potty Training

Wegmans is brilliant. They have a play land where the parents can drop off their kids so they can do their shopping in relative peace. One hitch, they have to be potty trained. Amazingly, Stellan shopped with me with little to no complaint. Granted, he was just excited to be able to see the trains. Regardless, this little incident inspired him to try to go pee on the potty. That night we had our first chance.
We were about to go out for a bike ride so I told Jameson to go to the washroom first. Of course, Stellan wanted to provide the audience. After Jameson was finished I asked Stellan if he would like to try. Sure, no problem. He pulled down his pants and took off his diaper. He then waddled over to the toilet (recall, his pants were around his ankles) and stood there. He's several inches shorter than Jameson so, had he actually done anything, we would have had a very wet floor. He stood there for a moment and then looked at me and said, "My penis doesn't work". What do you say to that?!?!
Jameson offered to get him the stool but instead Stellan requested the little potty. No problem. I quickly got it for him and placed it in a convenient location. I expected him to sit on it for a while and then get up bored with the whole thing. I definitely didn't expect him to stand, yes stand, at the potty. He faced it as if he was facing a toilet and proceeded to squat over it, letting his penis hang right over the hole. It was HILARIOUS!!! He squatted over that toilet until a drop came out. He was so proud!!! (As was I.) He then squatted some more until he actually peed. Congratulations!!! I am glad to say that I have pictures and they will most likely resurface for either his graduation slide show or on his wedding day. :)
It was only an isolated incident but I believe the Wegmans play room offers quite an incentive for him.

Computer Crash

I've been offline for so long because my computer and I are not currently friends. We've been having glitches in our relationship for quite some time but it finally gave up on it's end. Quite discouraging since we just bought it in September. Thankfully we bought the extended service warranty. We knew we were moving to the States so we were sure to ask if would be honoured here. We were told, no problem. Uh, yeah right. That's not quite what happened. Apparently when James took the computer in they had a different story to tell. We have to take our computer to a Best Buy in Canada or else take it to a local computer place where they will do the repairs. At that point we would send in the bill and Best Buy Canada would refund the cost of repairs. Meanwhile, there is a Best Buy and their resident Geek Squad a mile and a half down the road. But they can't do the work since the computer was purchased in Canada. So irritating! It's especially annoying since we specifically asked if it would be honoured in the States. Grrrr