Let's dance: Errandonnée #12

My usual response to stress is to sleep. So I've been sleeping. I nearly overnapped tonight and had to hustle to make it to my rehearsal at the Bees Knees on time. Which I wasn't, but only by about 5 minutes. I'm so happy I decided to do the choreography class again this year, not least because it helps me take my mind off Things for a while.

It seems we are in a thaw-freeze cycle these days. Yesterday was quite warm (for winter). Today was really, really cold. Windchill close to absolute zero. I tried out my new handmade handwarmers, and they are quite good. I couldn't reheat them after rehearsal (no microwave) and I really noticed the difference on the way home.

The melt-freeze means that Queen's Park has turned into an ice rink. It's very pretty. Fortunately, the paths are mostly clear, except for one frankly scary corner right near the Harbord/QPC crosswalk.

This was also my second official night ride. Same lighting system as always, but what I really notice is how long pedestrians (and cyclists) are expected to wait at signalled intersections at night even when there are no oncoming cars. Crossing from St. Joseph to Queen's Park took over 4 minutes. I'm almost irritated enough to think of writing to the city councillor.

Errandonée tally
Personal care: Rehearsal (9.4 km/5.8 mi)

Mileage total: 58.4 km/36 mi

Alors, j'ai fini!

Make up your mind already, winter! Errandonnées #10-11

After several sunny and extremely cold days, winter pulled a switcheroo and brought out some mild, rainy weather for my ride to school this morning.

I rode to work wearing my lovely waterproof rain pants and my lovely, somewhat-too-large yet somewhat-less-than-water-resistant red trench, rain boots, and bright blue Gortex lobster-claw overmitts over my gloves. I seem to have lost my wonderful MEC helmet cover with the big brim and neck cover -- they are selling similar ones, but the brims are way too small and the whole point is to keep the rain off my face -- but I have found that wearing a baseball cap under my helmet does the job.

After work, I headed off to Canadian Tire to buy light bulbs and furniture nails so I can finally fix the springs on my loveseat. I know. My life is so exciting.

It had stopped raining at this point. Winter cycling perk: finding free spots at this corner. Usually you have to wait and wait.

The wind picked up on the way home. Gusty wind makes me feel somewhat inadequate as a cyclist because it is very tiring.

I was going to go to a public meeting on the new Shaw contra-flow bikelanes, but decided to stay in because of Reasons.

Errandonée tally
Work: Jarvis (5.2 km/3.2 mil)
Non-grocery store: Canadian Tire (5.8 km/3.6 mil)

Mileage left: -0.5 km/ -0.3 mi

There are some rounding issues with the miles calculations, but fear not. My final task will put me right over the required amount. I also have one night ride left to do.

Eight six seven five three oh ni-eyine,* or why this title is completely wrong but a sweater is finished

I guess I understand naming sweater patterns after people, if they are the people you designed the sweater for originally, but it makes it a bit hard to remember said names. I spent the month of January calling this pattern from Interweave Crochet Fall 2012 the Jenny sweater. Then I noticed that I called it the Julia sweater when naming my pictures, which is closer, but the actual name is the Sylvia sweater. Of course. It's too late, anyway. The song is now stuck in my head.

Anyway, the Sylvia sweater. The last time we saw it at the beginning of January, it was here:

Now it is here:

I made size 32 out of Galway worsted wool in burgundy, left over from P1's aborted Christmas scarf. I didn't have enough for a solid sweater, so I did part of it in grey, also left over from the Christmas presents.

Moses he knowses his toeses are frozes: Errandonnées #6-9

So I was hoping to go out and get some stuff done yesterday, but the falling snow and reports of people sliding around in it made me say: nah. Instead, I ventured out today. Most of the stores I need to visit are closed on Sundays, and I don't know what's going to be open tomorrow, but I managed to get some stuff done, although I was concerned that the streets would still be slippery. And that my appendages would freeze to death.

Overall observation: a beautiful, sunny, oh-my-sweet-lord-but-that-wind-is-nippy day. I've been having issues with my rear brake cable freezing when it gets below -5°C and today was no different. I can eventually get it working, but then it won't let go and I have to deal with the drag and some horrendous squealing. So I decided to just bike extra-slowly with only one brake over the hard-packed snow. Also? My appendages did freeze.

If the title is silly, I must hope to be always sensible of it: P&P #5

Fitzwilliam Darcy, Rock Star by Heather Lynn Rigaud

I am in the middle of Death Comes to Pemberley, which I thought was going to be my second P&P challenge write-up, but I got distracted by looking up other P&P adaptations and read a slew of teen (I won't call them Young Adult) versions instead. I thought that this book was also a teen romance based on the title and cover image.^*

Boy, was I wrong.

Firstly, the book is quite a bit better than its title. Secondly, it's pretty long -- about 600 pages, which is well over the usual YA limit. Thirdly? There is some decidedly adult content in there. I probably should have paid closer attention to the tag line.

In which PhysicsGirl takes a dive into teen romance: P&P #2-4

Epic Fail by Claire LaZebnik, Prom and Prejudice by Elizabeth Eulberg, & Pride and Popularity by Jenni James.

My dad, who was a huge Austenite, and I used to have mild arguments about the movie You've Got Mail. He claimed that it was ultimately a version of Pride and Prejudice^*, but I said that a mere girl-meets-boy, girl-hates-boy, boy-eventually-wins-girl-over plot isn't enough to make it a true P&P adaptation. We agreed to disagree about this, but I do feel that to be considered a P&P spin-off (as opposed to a rip-off), you need to stay true to the intent of the book.

Since I will be reviewing several so-called spin-offs, I will clarify. Whatever the setting, to be a true P&P spin-off, one needs to hit most of the following points:

Hi-ho, hi-ho: Errandonnée #5

I've been biking to work every day this week, and while the bike lanes along Harbord aren't totally clear, there's enough free space to keep me out of the car traffic. And after the warmth Monday and Tuesday, I was hoping they would be even more usable.

So yesterday? They were worse.

The bike lane was completely blocked by hard-packed snow. ARGH! I tried to take a picture of it, but it didn't save on my camera, so I took some more this morning. The edges had mostly melted so they were rideable, but you can still see the spread of the stupidity.

I'm not sure what the heck they were thinking when they did this. I actually saw them do it last year. One truck cuts into the snow bank, and then another truck drives over the snow, packing it down! !!! !! What purpose does it serve? Except to force me out into the other lane of car traffic. And add 7 minutes to my commute.

So that was fun.

But then I got to Queen's Park, and after negotiating the choppy frozen puddle at the corner, I grew less cranky. The sun was out for a change, and I reflected on all the neat things I get to see on my commute. Last week, a hawk (I think) crossed my path and posed in a tree. Today, I got a little random encouragement:

And I realized that I should celebrate, because the snow is pretty, I was able to bike to a job I love, with students I like working with, even though at times it can be like pulling teeth, which I do not love. So I'm glad I didn't become a dentist.^*

By the end of the day, the sun had melted the edges of the snow pack enough that I could sort of use the bike lane again, although I had to make several incursions into the car traffic to clear errant snow patches.

Errandonnée tally

Work: to Jarvis and back (10.4 km/6.1 mi)

Mileage left: 14.6 km/9.5 mi

^*Would that observation count, MG?

Pancake of the Month: Japanese bacon okonomiyaki

It's the best day of the year, a day devoted to pancakes. I decided to go outside my comfort zone and make a bake-in-the-pan savoury pancake. The recipe comes from Chatelaine's website.

Clearly I'm not going outside of my source comfort zone.

With six eggs, I was thinking this recipe was heading towards quiche territory. I also think I wasn't supposed to use a small tub of violently green prepared coleslaw, but rather just a shredded cabbage mix, because I was over the suggested mass but under the volume. I couldn't find plain mix, though, so neon coleslaw it was.

The verdict?

Buttons and ribbons: Errandonnée #4

The temperature went up to 6° C today, with drizzle. I love Toronto weather, I really do. I don't mind when we get a warm snap right after a heavy snowfall. I do mind the fact that our car-centric city doesn't seem to have any systems in place to handle all the melt, though.

Silly me, of course they don't. It's not an issue for cars, right?

Ugh.

After work today, I went to the DC's notions guy at Queen and Spadina to buy ribbon and buttons for the Sylvia sweater. It's been mostly done since the end of January, and I'd really like to wear it before it gets too warm. Anyway, today parking consisted of negotiating not only giant snowbanks but also enormous puddles by the curb. By some miracle, I didn't get splashed by the traffic, although I was prepared, dressed in my trench, rain pants, and rain boots.


Items acquired, I made my way home, glad not to be a pedestrian crossing the street. We need a name for those curb lakes that appear every melt.

More importantly, we need a way to get rid of them. It is silly that we should have to dress in hip-waders just to cross the street.


Errandonnée tally:
Not a grocery store: Notions guy on Queen W (8.3 km/5.1 mi)

Mileage left: 25 km/15.6 mi (Whee! Nearly halfway done the mileage!)

In which PhysicsGirl is prime: Errandonnées #1-3

I was going to start my Errandonnée challenge on Saturday, but a wee snow fall left the roads a little unfriendly. Yesterday, however, it was on.

It was my birthday. A new prime number was reached, and I started the day with this:

It's not pancakes, but raspberry/marscapone-stuffed french toast. A lot of yum. And lovely jewellery. Someone knows me well. After breakfast, we went off on foot to buy a new shower curtain rod because the old tension rod had fallen down for the last time, and because I really know how to party.

Then it was time to begin the Errandonnée in earnest. After a couple of years' absence from the choreographed side of lindy hop, I'm performing in a few numbers in the April 6th show. So off I went to rehearsal.

In which PhysicsGirl's courage rises with an attempt to intimidate her

I was planning on getting some Errandonée tasks out of the way today, but was foiled by a wee snow storm. But fear not, for I give you another challenge! This time, it's not bike-related, but has a more literary bent.

Austenprose is having a Pride and Prejudice Bicentenary Challenge, wherein one commits to reading/watching/listening to P&P related books, movies, TV series, web series, audiobooks, etc., and reviewing them during 2013. I've commited to the Aficionda level, which is 9-12 items, but there are also Neophyte (1-4) and Disciple (5-8) levels as well. And there are fun prizes to be had, apart from the joy of reading P&P. Naturally. You have until July 1 to sign up. Oh, and you don't need a blog to participate!

In what seems to be a tradition, I had already unwittingly begun the challenge before I found out about it. I reviewed my current obsession, The Lizzie Bennet Diaries and have begun Death Comes to Pemberley by P.D. James, so I'm well on the way. This is also a kick in the pants to find several sequels that I've been meaning to read for years. Here is my list, in no particular order and I reserve the right to make additions or substitutions at any time.

Web series

The Lizzie Bennet Diaries

Books

Death Comes to Pemberley, by P.D. James
Pamela Aiden's “Fitzwilliam Darcy, Gentleman” trilogy:

Book 1: An Assembly Such As This

Book 2: Duty and Desire

Book 3: These Three Remain

Lions and Licorice, by Kate Fenton

Audiobooks

Pride and Prejudice and Zombies

Pride and Prejudice (from Aged P's Audible library; don't know yet who reads itUpdate: I just checked and it's Emilia Fox!)

Movies/TV

Lost in Austen

Updated to add: Bride and Prejudice

P&P (1980)

P&P (1995)

P&P (2005)

If I'm feeling particularly masochistic, I'll rewatch the 1940 version.

I think that will do to go on with.

Bien oui, c'est l'Errandonnée!

Marks are in (or will be by the end of today) and it's time to get my mind off how much I am apparently not teaching my students. Y'all know I love me a biking challenge, and MG from chasing mailboxes of Utilitaire-12 and Coffeeneuring fame has devised the 2013 winter biking challenge: the Errandonnée-12.

It's like the Utilitaire, except slightly less and more restrictive at the same time. Complete 12 errands from at least 7 of 11 categories (max 2 per category) within a week and a half period, starting February 9 and ending February 20. At least two must be at night. This time there is no limit to how many you can complete in a day and no minimum distance, but the total distance biked by the end of the challenge must be 48.2 km (30 miles).

I think that last one might be a wee bit challenging for me, as well as fitting in all the categories in a short period of time. Too bad it doesn't start tomorrow; I have a dentist appointment in Etobicoke that would get half the mileage out of the way right at the beginning. Also, it ends before the Women Who Bike Brunch, sadly. Fortunately I already have a doctor's appointment scheduled for the last day of the challenge. Also dance rehearsals. And I guess I can take myself out for dessert at least once. You know, for the challenge.

Oh yeah, and then there's that birthday thing happening this weekend. *whistles nonchalently*

Come join me!