You Know I'd Bike a Thousand Miles...

#31daysofbiking Mileage Counter: 508.3

I awoke today knowing that barring a catastrophe, I would go over 500 miles on a bike in a month for the second time this year (at least, as far as I know). However, this one required a bit of a detour:

To the tune of 5 miles outside Center City

Not quite a catastrophe, but my expected schedule was turned upside down, details of which I don't care to go into here. I finally finished up the first half of my day at around 1:30 in West Philly and decided it was time for a lengthy detour over lunch break. I headed up to Fairmount Park, which was part of my original plan for this morning. It was only about 2 miles away at this point. I did some zig-zagging on the trails that traverse the area near the Mann Center and the Please Touch Museum. My handlebars came loose again (it's time for a tuneup), so I paused briefly to fix 'em. Seemed like a good chance for a photo op:

It doesn't matter what you put behind that bike. It looks good.

That's the Cedar Grove house (in case you didn't read the sign), one of the Art Museum's two historic houses. In a seemingly expected full circle turn of events, I happened upon the other back during #30daysofbiking. After a brief water break, I dropped down on to MLK Drive and rode past Boathouse Row. LOOK AT ALL THE POLLEN IN THE SCHUYLKILL:

Or green algae. Either way, life is finding a way

I had absolutely no issues with allergies today. I wish I could say the same when I go home to visit up North...

I popped up onto the Ben Franklin Parkway just to see how it looked in preparations for the shit show that is sure to be the Made in America Festival this weekend. Place looks like a mess. I'm sure lots of people will enjoy it, but I'm more than happy to be far away from it. I'm past the "music festival" part of my life.

Anywho, this little detour was over 11 miles, but I probably would have made it to 500 without it, because I snuck in another 6 miles after dinner tonite. In any case, detours are always fun.

It was a beautiful day/nite for riding, and tomorrow looks to be a nice one too. Unlike the last challenge, I'll be able to get a full day of riding in on the last day! That is, if work cooperates...

Out With the New, In With the Old

#31daysofbiking Mileage Counter: 485.5

Mondays are...Mondays. It was a nice morning to ride yesterday, but when I got to our Thompson St. facility, I noticed a foul stench in the air, something like silicon or other synthetic building material. Sure enough, this is going on behind the facility:

New town homes, coming to gouge your credit soon!

It reminded me of living in Northern Liberties, where a new set of condos seemed to go up every day. The naturist in me can't stand the smell of new construction, but I guess it's a sign this neighborhood is finally turning around, so that's something.

Nothing major happened on my route and I laid low for the better part of yesterday mid-day, mostly because of excessive humidity. Later in the evening, things had turned much more pleasant, so I rode to dinner at one of my favorite spots in the city, Radicchio Cafe. The restaurant itself is an usually excellent Italian cafe, but I also like this relic across the street:

It may be neat, but cobblestones aren't the best for riding

The cafe sits at 4th & Wood Streets, which was the southern terminus of Old York Road many years ago. Parts of the original road have been paved over and still exist in the far northern section of the city. This city is constantly changing, but there are literally hundreds of little historical tidbits like this throughout the city that most of us don't bother to notice, myself included. Someone suggested taking a bus tour, and I think after this challenge is over, I may just do that.

And by the way, the food was great:

Presentation is everything.

I love carbs. 15ish miles on a hot, steamy Monday is not too shabby. I'm going to crack 500 miles today (day 30) if all goes according to plan!

Takin' it Easy

#31daysofbiking Mileage Counter: 470

I had a pretty packed weekend which didn't include a whole lot of cycling, but it was certainly productive.

I'll be honest with you: if not for this little challenge deal, I might have otherwise taken today off. For real. Between work, a gig, volunteering and everything else, I was exhausted by the end of today, but I got 6 city miles in despite that fact. And a nap. Oh how I loved that nap.

So yes, I took it a little easy today but still held up my own bargain. 28 days in the books, 3 more to go, and hopefully a strong finish.

Also, happy 8/28 for those in the know. ;)

Small Town Cycling

#31daysofbiking Mileage Counter: 463.4

I took the opportunity to ride a bit whilst staying in Palmerton this weekend:

We're clearly not in Philly anymore...

Growing up there, I did my fair share of walking and biking around town, but it had been awhile. The town is relatively flat through the downtown area, but there are plenty of hills to the north. I tackled a few, the most challenging being the sled hill we appropriately called "Suicide Hill." Of course, I forgot to take a picture, but you all know what a hill looks like. I zig-zagged my way through the town and eventually reached the top of Delaware Avenue, which overlooks the entire town:

Did I mention it was a beautiful day?

I'd only gotten about 3 miles in at this point, which wasn't enough to satisfy me even with all the hills I did, so I took a detour to a road whose name I can't remember. It runs along the Aquashicola Creek:

Also known as the river of Zinc. Not really, but it could be.

Not really much to see back there except trees and unfortunate litter piles, so I headed back into town. I did a couple laps in the Borough Park:

Which way should I go?

I headed back home after this. All told, I logged 6 miles, most of which were hills, so it was a good 6 miles. Quality over quantity, or something. I actually could have gone much further, but I had a gig with Beer Money in the afternoon, so rest seemed prudent at that juncture.

Back in Philly today and a full day of volunteering at SHI. I'll sneak in a few rides somewhere ;)

The Lighter Side of Wash Cycling

#31daysofbiking Mileage Counter: 456.7

Take a look at that mileage number. I didn't make that up:

Maybe I should play the lottery or something...

Quite the change-able day on Friday, as will be typical for me in the Fall, as it was last year. Same as it ever was? Sort of:

 

This just looks weird...

Both of our tricycles and one of the bins for the back of the bike are currently buried under a pile of linen kits and inventory. No pic, but trust me. I'm making do with just one for the time being. It looks odd, but on a usually busy Friday, it wasn't an issue. I was able to drop the trailer entirely to make my last delivery:

 

 And I have really hairy arms

Gym, tan, laundry all in one fell swoop. New marketing idea? Maybe not...

5 appointments on a Friday is a little light, but it was still enough to get over 15 miles logged. Perhaps a light day was for the better, as my schedule is now going to pick up with high school football back in season:

Not pictured: a football game

It was a beautiful evening to be outside taping football, or anything for that matter. Though I know it's going to mean many tired Saturday mornings, I always look forward to this every year. I had an "ahhhh" moment last night before the game started, where I just said "Thanks" for the ability to work two jobs that allow me to be outside. It's the best, really.

5 more days of 31 Days of Biking. This time around has had a much different feel, but just the same as last time, it's over far too fast. I've got a couple cool treks still in store. Happy Saturday!

Oh, and I re-wrote my post from yesterday in case you're interested.

Arc de Triomphe

#31daysofbiking Mileage Counter: 440.2

Yesterday began with a lot of excitement:

I often get this excited to go to the dentist

Alright, so inherently riding my bike to the dentist isn't that exciting. This particular time it was, because I finally got my permanent teeth put in after 10 months of procedures following my crash:

Check out those pearly off-whites!

I spent the previous night at my sister's house, as she lives just over a mile away from the dentist. Any other time, I would have walked or driven there. I guess you could say I had to have a "moment of triumph" via bicycle. Hey, it was worth it for another reason: there are some serious hills near her house, so I got a good workout in too.

I went back and did some marketing/social media work for Wash Cycle (the joys of having a flexible job) before meeting my sister for lunch. I did take a day off from my delivery route to do the dentist thing, but it also enabled me a couple other opportunities. I was able to ride another leg of the D&L Trail:

Got this on lock down

This particular section between Weissport and Parryville isn't the most friendly for my commuter bike, but he performed admirably as he always does. It's not the worst trail, but definitely requires a mountain bike for best results. Once again, I didn't take many pictures along the way, but there are plenty of remnants of the old canal and lock tender buildings:

Or maybe some sort of dungeon

I'd have to look up what building this stone arch/entrance was actually built for, but some other time. The trail was relatively easy and flat despite some rocky terrain. I turned left in Parryville, and the climb afterward was significantly more difficult:

And by significantly I mean ridiculously

I made it to the top just before some light showers came, so my soaking wet-ness was all sweat. It was...gross. And why did I do this? Partially to say I did it, but I also had a training session to attend:

As if the hill climb wasn't enough of a training session

That's right, football season starts today and I'll be spending my evening on the sidelines with a camera, but I have Wash Cycle work this morning, so I'll still be getting plenty of miles in. By the way, the ride down the hill was much easier. Enjoy your Friday!

Nice Rack: Everywhere

#31daysofbiking Mileage Counter: 418.2

Today was by no means a bad day, but it sure was frustrating. On Wednesdays, I spend the majority of my day in University City. Today happened to be move in day for the University of Pennsylvania, which turned the entire surrounding area into a traffic shitshow, affecting cyclists as well.

I'm gonna focus on the positives, these bike racks that appear just about everywhere in the greater Center City area:

Those bolts really bring the design together

I lock to these all the time (including twice today) and today I realized that in the 1.6 year history of this blog, I've not once mentioned them. I like 'em 'cuz they have little bikes in the middle, among other reasons. For one, these guys are actually re-purposed parking meter poles:

Try ticketing me, PPA...

They're also my favorite because their structure allows for easy locking of the wheel AND the frame with a standard U-lock. Little pleasures:

Oooooo a red one!

As for the route today, 13 bags from Outward Bound was just the tip of the laundry pile:

Neato

I always owe a tremendous debt of gratitude to my laundry staff. I moved over two thousand pounds of floor mats and additional linens on top of this, and I couldn't do it without their help. Unfortunately, due to the nightmare-ish conditions around UC, it took me all damn day instead of the 4ish hours that it usually does. No pics needed.

In spite of all this, I logged only 15ish miles on the bike today. "Only." Haha...I didn't set any real goals before this month started, but 500 is definitely in sight. I definitely won't get there tomorrow, but I have a pseudo moment of triumph planned for another reason. One more week, y'all! Onward and upward.

Ethiopian Inspiration

#31daysofbiking Mileage Counter: 406.6

I don't like writing posts like the one I wrote previously, but sometimes we all need to let go of a little baggage, and that's all it was. Moving on...

I somehow logged over 20 miles yesterday and didn't take one single picture. It was a beautiful day for riding, so beautiful that I inspired my roommate to ride. I'll take total credit for it even though she rides on a semi-regular basis and all I had to do was pump up her tires. Hey, every little bit just to get someone on a bike.

We went to this Ethiopian restaurant for dinner, a place I haven't been to since my birthday back in December. I write all over the place and try to see all sorts of different things, but I always like coming back to places like these because the menu never changes, and I always get the same thing. Sometimes you also need a little consistency, right?

This is from last year. The picture, not the food.

Side note: I don't want to get political on here, but if you haven't been keeping up with the story of Ethiopian runner Feyisa Lilesa, you should be.

Some milestones of note: I went over 400(!) miles for the month yesterday, today marks 10 months since my crash, and tomorrow I'll FINALLY be getting my permanent replacement teeth put on. I also have a minor work-related adventure planned for tomorrow. Today? We'll see what happens.

Why, Part 2

#31daysofbiking Mileage Counter: 383.1

I don't want to get this lost in the shuffle, so before I go off on a tangent, let me say thanks to the gracious folks over at Grubhouse for hosting my friends and I tonite:

Some guy forgot to grab a pic of the restaurant

I was at a meetup tonite hosted by a Facebook group(s) that I'm in. Many good eats, beers, stories and laughs were exchanged, and I learned a lot (we're always learning, though, right?).

I don't want to be ego-centric, but this is my blog, so...deal with it. I noticed that several times tonite, I was referred to as "Mr. Bike Guy," or something to that effect, and it struck me. Obviously, they see what I post on here just about every day, and they know that I ride. A lot. It struck me enough that I had to take a mind-cleansing ride after I left the restaurant, as I am wont to do.

Why it struck me is, I don't perceive myself as "Mr. Bike Guy." Riding is just something that I do, and I write about my experiences. It's really not my whole life, and to be honest with you, I don't even know that much about bikes. Well, I know I can do enough basic maintenance to get me by, but I'm by no means an expert. Biking and writing are a couple things I do, and it got me thinking that...

Often, we don't see more of a personality than what the person wants us to see. Even a self-described extrovert like myself only shows you what I want you to see. Even on this blog, or my other blog, or my personal journal, I only show what I want you to see. In the case of the journal, I still don't bare it all, but it gets a little more deeper than my online presence. Some secrets are going to the grave.

I bring this up because I've been seeing this a lot more the deeper my friendships get. Some whose bonds weren't as strong have faded away entirely. Others have gotten stronger through this realization that there's something much deeper going on than what we see every day. And sadly, I've realized recently that a lot of my friends are struggling, myself included. Not the "end of the world" type of struggle like starvation or poverty, but struggling to make peace in our own lives, with our very selves.

And with that, I have to admit why I decided to do this challenge again in the first place: because I'm depressed, and this was the only way I could think to make me feel less depressed right now. To ride and write in an attempt at getting closer to peace within my own mind, an attempt to answer a question I don't even know, and an attempt to make something inspirational to others out of my own despair.

I see this type of thing happening more than you might believe, and it's sad because I want to help everyone, but I don't know how. This is one way, I think. The other is to try to support them in what they do, and I do try, because I see others trying and struggling the same as me.

Maybe you're lucky, and you're not struggling. Appreciate it. Don't take this feeling for granted. If you're like me, know that I'm with you. I have very little figured out, but I've found at least one thing that makes me feel good, so I figure that's a good place to start to find peace, right?

I ride because it's fun. I ride to see what I can see and hopefully take some really cool pictures. I ride because it clears my mind, if only for a minute or two. I ride because it feels good to sweat. I ride because I want to ride past to see if that cute waitress is working tonite so I can stop in to ask her why she hasn't called me yet. I ride because my bike never says no. I ride because I have something to prove to myself and because I want to prove everyone wrong. I ride because it's one of the few things that keeps me sane in a world of chaos. I mean, why else would I ride 7 miles after dinner with no destination in mind?

And so I'll ride on, just 9 more days in August. I promise more fluffy stuff tomorrow, perhaps quite literally. Until tomorrow, be strong and love everyone.

Sincerely,

"Mr. Bike Guy"

Veg Festin' & Flagstaffin'

#31daysofbiking Mileage Counter: 363.4

Knowing that at least one day this past weekend would be kind weather-wise, I had some rather ambitious plans, most of which came to fruition.

Saturday, August 20th

I knew about Bethlehem's VegFest for several months, and when it just so happened that I had also planned to be up north this weekend for a gig, I decided to make it happen - via bicycle, of course.

Due to the late nights that usually occur after gigs, I didn't get started as early as I'd hoped. I wanted to bike there and back, but I knew I would be too late, so I commissioned my sister to pick me up at the end. At the beginning, I hit up 14 Acre Farm in Lehighton for a delicious farm-to-table lunch before setting out on my journey. Seemed appropriate:

That green is begging to be eaten...

I then headed for the Bowmanstown trail head of the D&L Trail, but owing to my zombie-ness and how I usually never get off that exit, I forgot to turn. Rather than backtracking and wasting another 15 minutes or so, I picked up the next trail head a couple miles down the road:

They all basically look the same, right?

The ride was nice for the first half, as the trail is mostly flat land, hard packed gravel and/or paved terrain. The D&L is mostly old railroad beds that have been stripped of their rails & ties, and sometimes you feel like you're literally riding through history with the ghosts of old industry. In case you haven't noticed, I've been focusing a lot more on riding lately than taking tons of pictures while on the ride, but trust me, there's a lot of unique scenery to be seen. It was...really nice, and I'll do it again.

Unfortunately, the trail is cut off somewhere near Northampton, so I had to detour through the suburbs. I don't mind the hills - it's the traffic and the related obstacles associated with it. Not really why I wanted to go on this ride. But I will say the weather was fantastic, and overall the ride was easier than I thought it would be despite the detours. I made it nearly 24 miles in less than 2 hours:

Your destination: an average parking lot

I arrived, dismounted and got ready to lock my bike, when I realized that I had left my key in the console of my car. I keep my bike & house keys on one chain, and my car keys on another because I don't use them on a day-to-day basis, so again, my zombie-ness tossed my house keys in the console thinking "Why the heck would I need these?" So...

I had to make an unexpected trip to a local bike shop:

Not sure about the name, but the service was good...

I picked up a combo lock for the interim. At the very least, it's more flexible than my u-lock, so when I throw my bike on the roof rack, I can use the new guy instead. Something positive comes out of everything, I suppose.

After a solid ride, sadly, the festival wasn't much to get excited about. I had a much better time meeting up with a friend at a nearby super-micro brewery. Hey, don't I do this stuff all the time after a long ride? I got a 5 for $7 flight at Bonn Place, highly recommended:

Gotta catch 'em all

The festival was held on this thing called the South Bethlehem Greenway, which is a converted old rail line, much like the D&L. It's not a very long trail, so after seeing what I wanted to see at VegFest, I decided to explore. I ended up at the end, near the Sands Casino:

I don't see any sand. WTF?

If you're not from the Lehigh Valley or surrounding area, the Sands was built on some of the land that used to house the former steel giant Bethlehem Steel (that produced the steel that built the Golden Gate Bridge, don'tcha know?), hence the girder overhead.

At this point, my sister let me know they were on their way down to pick me up, so I headed back to the downtown area (and dinner!). Solid day, even if I didn't go round trip.

Sunday, August 21st

Believe it or not, I had NO plans to ride today! I knew it was going to happen, because it kinda just does at this point, but nothing set in stone before, oh...10?

I had an afternoon engagement in the Philly 'burbs, but I decided I should do something "different" before heading back home:

The D&L Trail isn't different

I didn't actually ride the D&L Trail today. That's just where I decided to park, because it was just easier (and free!). On a whim, I did something I don't think I could have done a year ago. I biked up Flagstaff Mountain:

Notice the quotation marks

You may ask, "Why the hell would you do this for fun? Are you training for something?" Yes.

Believe me, even as a cycling enthusiast, it was anything but fun, hence the quotation marks. You can see the 935 ft. gain in elevation, most of which was on the trek up the mountain (there's a small hill near the trail head). This was easily the most difficult 7 miles of cycling I've ever endured, and once again, I was humbled. People think that because I tow 300 lbs. of laundry on a bike that I'd be able to do pretty much anything, but it's totally different when you're moving consistently uphill as opposed to several short bursts (like I do on my route). Thankfully, the road isn't frequently traveled, because I needed to go serpentine to avoid stopping. I came close several times, and I won't lie, I paused for about a minute at the bottom of the hill before starting, maybe longer, I don't know. In any case, I made it up safe and sound, and this was quite the reward:

What? A fence? Psh...

That's the town of Jim Thorpe in the background, for those who don't know from where I hail. Let's just say, the ride down was much easier, but it was a little scary. I hate having to rely on my brakes so heavily. On that note, it may be time for a tune-up.

It's a good thing I did this (or any riding) when I did, because the rains moved in for the remainder of the day, and despite the sweaty mess I became after this, it sure beats riding in the rain.

Onward to the home stretch: just 10 more days...already? Jeez.

The Biggest Challenge...

...is writing about all the riding. Haha...I'll catch up later today after I get back to Philly. Yesterday was a good day, tho, starting with this:

ROAD SHOW!

No major update from yesterday afternoon/evening cycling-wise, as I spent most of it playing a gig with my good buddies Scott & Vinny. Which, by the way, was awesome.

I don't like leaving Philly often, but a gig with friends is always a good enough reason:

This is what lazy packing looks like

Day 20 is here, and I'm going to tackle the D&L trail on my way to Bethlehem VegFest. It's the perfect cure for a hangover!

AWARDS SHOW!

#31daysofbiking Mileage Counter: 329.8

Day 18 was quite rewarding. Literally. So rewarding that I didn't have time to post about it until now. Anyway...

We all like to be told we're doing a good job, and last night I was pleased to have the honor of representing my employer at the first annual SustainPHL awards:

And representing the celebratory beer (not a Victory beer, duh)

The idea is to recognize local businesses and individuals for great efforts in making Philadelphia a more sustainable and/or better place to live and work. Right up my (our) alley!

I was getting ready to leave for the show when my roommate asked me how I was going to get there. I looked at her and asked, "How do I get anywhere?" She said "You're not gonna ride, right?" I said, "But of course I am":

Real men wear pink

I mean, doing literal dirty work from Monday-Friday, I don't dress up much as it is, and part of me really wanted to ride a bike wearing dress clothes for some weird reason. Like I had to see what those dudes who do it every day in Center City were feeling every morning. It wasn't bad at all, but even on a bike, I couldn't wear a suit every day. Hey, remember when I used to wear a suit every day pulling cables? :P

I rode 3ish miles up to the WHYY (NPR) studio where the festivities took place:

It looks like any other building

I was actually working at the event, networking and the like, but also taking pictures and social media-ing on behalf of the company. Unfortunately, all of those pics are on my work phone/computer. If you're really curious, check out our company blog later. I'm working on writing something more in-depth.

In addition to an inspiring awards ceremony and lots of great company, we were treated to some great local grub (again the pics are on my work electronics). The woodworker in me loved the trophy you see above, as well as these wood-burned toothpicks courtesy of Philly Foodworks:

I don't recommend eating these - false advertising

And the ex-homebrewer in me loved this uber-local Saison:

I added it on Untappd

The best part of the evening was, of course, that we won! But for real, it was awesome to be a part of this, just as it's awesome to be a part of the cycling and sustainability community every day, and I'm truly thankful when I get to see how much support we have here in Philly. Cheers!

As for today, I'm about to head northward to play a gig with one of my hetero life-mates Vincent. Can't guarantee any more riding will occur (I logged 9 miles this morning), but that's OK. I have big plans for tomorrow. ;)

Vegan Beer

#31daysofbiking Mileage Counter: 307.2

Day 17 was a rather tame day cycling-wise, not such a tame day work-wise, but a solid day nonetheless.

So...for whatever reason, it gave me that sense that I needed to look back. Last time I did this monthly biking challenge thing, I was at 323.2 on day 17. I didn't set a goal this time around, but I would love to see if I can beat my previous total. I guess I'd have to do it on percentage, since there are 31 days in August and only 30 days in April, but you get the point. Good news is, I'm that close to the same total and I haven't really done a crazy 60+ mile day like I did back in April. Slow and steady, or something.

Anywho, I moved a countless amount of floor mats today as I do every Wednesday, and that was mostly via cargo van due to the massive size of the load, so my cycling was limited to the early morning and late evening. Highlight of the day? Vegan Drinks, which is a meetup I've been participating in loosely for over a year:

What makes the beer strange? You'll find out...

This month's installment was held at Strangelove's in Center City. I have a strange relationship with this place... I once went there on a date, and through that date I ended up meeting a whole bunch of new friends, even though things didn't work out with her. This is also the last bar I visited the night I crashed my bike last October. All the extracurriculars aside, I always like coming back here because of the vegan options and their unique beer selection. There's no better way to my heart haha.

I stayed long enough last night how to encounter a light rain on the ride home. It was actually kind of nice, considering how stinking (or sticking) hot it's been lately. It appears as of this morning that this heat wave may have finally broken. WE SURVIVED!

So, with that, it's very grey and threatening to rain outside, so I'm not sure how much riding I'll do today, but I will be representing Wash Cycle at the first annual SustainPHL Awards tonight, so there's that... and I'm doing an anti rain dance for this weekend ;)

Let's Take This Inside

#31daysofbiking Mileage Counter: 294.8

We were supposed to be out of this heat wave 2 days ago, but it has persisted until at least today. Also, no rain as of yet. Despite the humidity and 95°+ temps, I still maintain that riding in this weather isn't all that bad, provided you prepare adequately.

Today, I had a strange route for Wash Cycle: only 3 commercial appointments spread out amongst 14 miles of terrain if you include the back and forth nature of the ride.

So you know how I'm always saying that things are so much better on a bike? Point made:

...but there's no bike in the picture...

That's 200 pounds of pillows (again with the stinking pillows) for Temple. When I'm able to use the bike/trailer, I'm able to bring it onto their elevator and take it right to their storage closet, which is much easier than trudging up and down the ramp to and from the cargo van. This is the second or third time I've done this, and I won't ever get tired of it.

After that, it was two one-bag appointments in Northern Liberties and West Philly respectively. Piece of cake with this beast:

Didn't even break a sweat (taking the picture)

I packed extra water today, and used every last drop of it. By the time I got home this evening, I had logged over 30 miles including commutes. So...you CAN go out in this if you know what you're getting into, but again, if you don't have to, do it anyway. Ha...but I'm not gonna lie. That first moment I walked in the house after I got home was the adrenaline crash of a lifetime, and the best nap ever followed soon after.

Day 16, down. Whoaaaaaaa I'm halfway theeeeerrrre...

Fill-adelphia

#31daysofbiking Mileage Counter: 261.2

This city looks beautiful even in a heat wave. The camera doesn't care about your humidity:

It also doesn't have feelings

Nothing too monumental to report bike-wise yesterday, but I did receive a picture of this chalkboard art from an old friend I haven't seen in years:

A future to beer-lieve in

This is at Monk's Cafe, just 2 blocks from our office. Of course, when an old friend is close by, you have to stop by to say hello:

This is not my old friend, but it is a friend...

We caught up for a bit, and he reminded me that some friends are starting a microbrewery in Delaware! So that's exciting... I think they're hoping to open this year, next year at latest. Look for First State Brewing, if you're into that sort of thing. I can never seem to get enough microbrews. Haha.

I snuck 13 miles in yesterday. I really don't think the heat is that bad as long as I'm moving on a bicycle. Apparently we're supposed to get a bit of a break after some rain later today, but in the meantime we ride on... stay hydrated, friends.