Picture of summer & ersatz commuting (LGRAB #4)

For the first* time since I've started teaching, I am not working this summer. This is a good thing; I've really enjoyed the break. However, I'm a little sad because that means I can't check "Commute to work if you don't already" off the LGRAB list, although I suppose I couldn't cross it of anyway since I do almost nothing on my bike but commute but never mind that right now.

The other thing I can't technically do, for this reason, is "Take a picture along your commute that says summer." However, I am not letting that stop me.

This was taken at Trinity-Bellwoods park, which I often bike through on my way to various places. It's not the best shot; I took it on my way to meetup with some people for a tour of the Roundhouse and I only had time for a quick snap and go. It says summer to me because Torontonians will start hanging out in any greenspace the minute the temperature goes above 10°C. During the weekday, the park is quieter, but after work it comes alive. In this picture alone, there are 7 groups of people just... being. There were lots more all over the park. Some of them were still there when I came back later that night. Once October comes, it'll start being too cold to just sit on the grass and the park is given back to the dog-walkers and passers-through. But for now, the park is living.

LGRAB task-wise:

Three to go. The astute and faithful reader will have noticed that I've finally crossed a few extra things off the list; since I'm going away this weekend, I'm not going to be able to do them again before the games are finished this Monday. But I'm so close, I can taste it!

*I should say, this is the first summer I haven't had to be somewhere during the month of July. There have been several summers where I didn't "work," but I took courses or had to travel down to Florida with Aged P right after school ended. This year I just got to sit. And feel guilty about all the stuff I probably should have, and still should be, doing. Sigh.

Begone, rusty chain! (LGRAB #3)

When I read the tasks for the LGRAB Summer Games, it seemed as though some of them were thought up especially for me. Rent a bike? Hey, I was going to try out the Bixi bikes! Group rides? Absolutely! Visit new parts of town/bike paths? All stuff I was going to do anyway this summer. Bike maintenance?

Clearly somebody has seen the state of my bike.

Advocacy (LGRAB #2)

One of the tasks for the LGRAB Summer Games is to write a letter requesting/advocating for bike infrastructure. Given the current climate in this city, this is might be an exercise in futility, but it's still important.

It turns out that in the past week, I've biked to a few places that could really use more bike parking. I went to the bulk food store on Bloor, and the lone post & ring just outside was full, as were the other rings further down the street. I had to walk half a block to find a free spot. The thing is, there is plenty of space for a few more rings right in front of the store, and I'm surprised they don't have more for us crunchy-granola bike-riding pinkos.* Before that, I had gone to the bank at Dundas and Ossington, and again all three, count 'em, three bike rings were full. As was the adjacent tree. This time, there was no other option but to lock my bike to the rail, as several others had done before me. Again, there is room for a number of bike stands.

What to do?

The City of Toronto has a post and ring program -- you can request bike parking and the city will install it, maybe. I'm sure the program is gravy to the mayor and that it will be axed as soon as may be, because heaven knows we've already given cyclists enough space in the city... ahem. Anyway, I figure I should put my requests in while there is still some hope of having them honoured.

By the way, if you want to know how to do bike stuff in Toronto, the Toronto Cyclists Union has a very helpful "How to get stuff done" page.

Back to the city form. You can fill out an old-fashioned paper form, or there is a handy online application. I like the online form more, because there is room to say why an area needs the bike parking. Which I done did.

So that's task #4 of the LGRAB Summer Games completed.

Thus I have completed the minimum required number of activities, but I want to do as many as I can before the end. Which for me is Friday, since I'm off to Eric's cottage.

*It might have something to do with unloading crunchy granola.

Summer fun, past and present

I just entered She Does the City's contest to win a Fuji FinePix XP20, which is essentially a really souped up version of my current camera. It takes videos with sound. Imagine the possibilities!

To enter, all you had to do was send them a picture of "Summer." Since you could send in more than one photo, and I am nothing if not dedicated to overkill, I did, and I thought I'd share my entries with you.

This was taken at The Beach(es). She seemed so peaceful and I thought, what a lovely way to spend the morning. Then I walked by her and realized she'd been yammering on her phone the whole time.

This was taken at the Beaches Jazzfest by the Big Band stage. When the weather gets warmer, we lindy hoppers will take any opportunity to dance in public. This time they provided a dance floor.

The next three photos are of much poorer quality, because they are scans of actual photographs. You see children, back before there were digital cameras, or at least before I had a digital camera (which wasn't that long ago in point of fact), I had several fairly crappy 35-mm cameras and of course, I couldn't tell what the photos looked like until they back from the store. It was always a bit of a crapshoot whether they'd come out, and I didn't want to waste film taking tonnes of pictures like I do now. I think these are not too bad, but I pointed out to the contest people that clearly I need a new camera. Of course, maybe I just need a better scanner...

Anyway.

This was taken the one and only time I've been white water rafting. We were on the Ottawa River. There are some very funny shots of me flying out of the raft into the river. This isn't one of them.

This was taken in Waterloo (or possibly Kitchener) at Chris's birthday picnic. I just love the dedication. You don't. let. the ring. drop.

Eric lives in Seattle, but he always comes back to his cottage on Lake Huron a couple of weeks every year, and he invites his friends to come stay for a few days. The directions to the cottage include "at Amberley, turn left. Stop for ice cream." So we always do.

The variety store/ice cream shop has a bit of a kitschy vibe to it. One year, I ordered a single scoop of ... I think that's mango ... something fruity, anyway ... and Brian and I got a bit distracted by the signs that said "Unattended children will be given an espresso and a puppy" and so forth, so we poked around the store a bit, getting giddier and giddier. After a while, I realized the kid behind the counter was taking a really long time to make my ice cream. I turned and saw why: he had spent about 10 minutes piling ice cream onto that enormous "single" scoop. It was practically the size of my head! Brian and I lost it.

The best part? It only cost $1.75.*

So there are my pictures of summer. Wish me luck!

*Ahem. Yes, it was a rather long time ago. In the last millenium, I believe. I keep thinking of a quote from Angel where the 200-year-old vampire says he can remember when a few bob got you a good meal, a bottle and a tavern wench: "I'm not cheap, I'm just old."

Squid on a stick and other post-biking fare

At the beverage stop at the end of the Round the City ride on Sunday, I mentioned that the T&T Supermarket on Cherry Street had turned its parking lot into an Asian night market and invited them to come with me. R said it would be fun, so off we went, past lots and lots of cars waiting in traffic. This place was busy.

And it was full of new-to-me delicacies, like self-contained fruit juices.


There was a lot of choice of foods, but I quickly narrowed it down.

BBQ'd squid on a stick. You have be careful not to choke on the tentacles. Very chewy, but satisfying.

They had a stage to keep us occupied while we waited for food. This tai chi demo set to music was so beautiful to watch. Almost as centering as doing it myself.


There were a few stalls that were a bit head-scratch-worthy:



We didn't stay long because it was really hot, plus R hadn't wanted to lock his bike up and was having difficulty manoeuvering through the crowds. As we were leaving, a fellow cyclist came up with a flat tire and it turns out that I had the pump and R had the proper valve adapter, so between us we made that guy's night.


Asian night market with a little superhero thrown in? Yes, please.

So PhysicsGirl and Rube Goldberg walk into a bar...

...and it sets off a cascade of dominoes...

I love Rube Goldberg machines. I think they are a brilliant mix of physics, engineering, and creativity. What is a Rube Goldberg machine, you ask? Allow the kooks at Mythbusters to explain it to you (the actual explanation starts at 0:33):

Oh, I'm sorry. Did you actually want to see the machine? Yeah, the Discovery clips are like that.

Anyway, I thought I'd share some of my favourite web RG machines.

In which PhysicsGirl bikes Round the City (LGRAB #1)

I joined the Toronto Bike Meetup at the same time I joined the French conversation Meetup groups, and for pretty much the same reasons: to get me out of the apartment, meet new people, and to improve my French conversation skills. Okay, maybe not that last one.

Sadly, since I've joined I've been on only one group ride due to rain, snow, and apathy timing. However, the LGRAB Summer Games gave me the impetus to not only sign up but actually go on Sunday's group ride. Especially since the Round the City ride would take me to the West Humber trail, which I'd never ridden but have wanted to for a few years.

Just over a dozen cyclists met late Sunday morning at Coronation Park on the lake shore and rode along the Martin Goodman trail to the beautiful Humber bridge. I'll gloss over how irritating those stupid gates are near Ontario Place and focus instead on how beautiful the day was. And it was beautiful. Saturday night's rain seemed to have cooled the cranky heat wave a bit and the air wasn't as oppressive as it has been. The sun was shining on the sea, shining with all its might, which was cool, because it was midday.