It's 30º. Let's buy a bike!

Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share
1

What is it about freezing temperatures in March that just make you want to run out and buy a new bike? Pretty much nuthin’. But Target had them on sale and Soupo’s old bike is getting ridiculously small for him, so why not? Actually, the bike isn’t getting small, Soupo’s getting big. The bike, being inanimate, isn’t changing size at all.

Although some inanimate things can change size. Like those rubbery animal shapes you can drop in water and the big up on you? Not alive, yet they grow. And Magic Rocks aren’t alive, but they grow too. But they don’t grow so much as accrete since they are crystals and all. But it looks like they grow. But this is all about getting inanimate things bigger and I said Soupo’s bike was getting smaller, so it’s different. But erasers get smaller, and they aren’t alive. Anyway, his old bike is too small for him or he’s too big for it, either way.

So we, the whole family, went to Target so get Soupo a new bike. And a smallish list of other things. I mean, while we were there we might as well have picked up all the stuff on our list, right? Well, we didn’t get everything on our list. But we did. We got everything on our list (plus a new bike since it was on sale), but when we got home we found out there was more stuff we needed that wasn’t on the list. So we made a new list. I’ll be working on that new list tomorrow when I go out to pick up the The Incredibles DVD. It never ends.

Soupo’s new bike is pretty keen. It’s name is “Rippin’ Claw!”. That’s a name for a bike that just instills all sorts of confidence in a parent. His last bike was called “Major Damage!”, so “Rippin’ Claw!” is a step up. His first bike (which is so little, it looks like the kind of bikes monkeys ride in the circus) was called “Techno”, which is odd since it was just a regular old coaster brake bike. No technology in there. But I don’t make up the names for bikes, I just buy them.

You know what’s a weird little coincidence? Soupo’s first bike was called “Techno”, and so was Katcha’s. Soupo’s second bike was called “Major Damage” and sure enough, so was Katcha’s. I don’t know what Katcha’s next bike will be called for sure, but I’m thinking maybe it’ll be “Rippin’ Claw!”

You know what’s another little coincidence? This new bike is Soupo’s third bike. In my whole, entire life I’ve only had three bikes. How weird is that?

To get Soupo’s new bike home we used the bike carrier that straps to the car for the first time. I got it last year (on sale) because I figured both Soupo and Katcha have bikes now, maybe we’d take all our bikes to the park or someplace and ride them around. As it turned out, Katcha wasn’t crazy about his bike last year. He was OK with it to start the year, but then there was the Big Accident. Soupo crashed into Katcha when they were both riding their bikes. Katcha didn’t really ride much after that. Even after I got him a new “honker” to go on his bike. (The “honker” got transferred to his new bike after Soupo got his new one. Bike Honker Transplant Surgeries are very easy, as it turns out.) Luckily I had the Little Woman there to help me figure the bike carrier out. Really, it was a good thing she was there.

So here it is, 30º and the boys have new bikes. It could be July before it’s warm enough for them to ride them.
-Rue.

2

Moth balls! Moth balls aren’t alive (at least once you cut them off the moth) and they get smaller all by themselves. That would have been a better example than the eraser one.

Oh well. Too late now.

3

Excellent. It was 30s here this weekend, too, and I still managed to put 95 miles on my bike.

Only thing is, you might have considered a local bike shop, for all the “local business” reasons, but in the long-run it can be a more cost-effective and enjoyable way to buy a bike.

Still, if the little Lances are outgrowing bikes every year, it might be a good idea to stay with the discount options.

Here’s a thread at bicycling magazine’s discussion forum with a discussion of the local shop/walmart thing. Consider the participants highly biased.

http://forums.bicycling.com/thread.jspa?threadID=119129&tstart=15

4

Do moths have balls? Do they even know how to dance, much less have fancy duds to wear? Wouldn’t fancy duds for moths be a waste since they’d just eat em? Do mama and daddy moths say to junior moth, “Now don’t eat your new fancy duds before you wear em to Aunt Clara’s wedding next week?” What if mama or daddy moth got the munchies and ate junior’s fancy duds? I’m glad I’m not a moth that has to worry about eating my fancy duds before I wear em to the ball.

I have had two bikes in my whole life. I haven’t ridden a bike in years and years and years. I just don’t want to. I do, however, want one of the new Ford Mustangs real bad. A convertible one. With a V8 engine. They look sharp this year. I don’t need one. I should just get over it.

Yesterday, I spent all afternoon cooking stuff for a St. Patrick’s dinner at my church (coincidentally enough, my church is St. Patrick’s). We had corned beef and cabbage, Irish (but not really) stew, smashed taters, Irish soda bread and green cookies. We also had green beer. Of course, being the generous soul that I am, I felt the need to prime the keg and make sure the beer wasn’t coming out all foamy. I felt that surge of generousity at about 3 PM. The dinner didn’t start til 6 PM. By the time the dinner started I had that keg workin’ real good. Ain’t I a saint? I also had some green hair gel in my hair. ACBG shows up about 5:30, looks at my hair and says, “What’d you do fall in the keg?” I’m dating a real comedian I tell ya. If any of you ever feel the need to wear green hair gel, don’t worry about gettin’ it out. It washes right out in the shower. So, I don’t have green hair this morning.

Saturday I cleaned my back porch. I washed down all the tables, chairs and stuff and pressure washed the walls and floor. By this weekend it’ll be covered in pine pollen again but for now it’s clean. Big deal. I’m leaving to go to Skokie, IL in the morning so I won’t get to sit on my clean porch much this week.

-swampbear (degreened)

5

If you have to attach your bikes to your car in order to ride your bikes somewhere, I think you have a different definition of the word bike than I do. Bikes go places all by themselves, or at least they go somewhere when you sit on them and move your legs in the appropriate manner. But dragging them behind cars isn’t very nice. People get put in jail for doing that to their dogs, and bikes are much nicer than dogs, so why don’t they go to jail for dragging their bikes. Makes no sense.

6

Soupo and Katcha can do something I can’t. Which is kinda humbling considering that they’re little and I’m big. I mean, I’m a grownup and everything. Really. I am. Stop snickering. Shut up, welby, that doesn’t count.

The thing is, I’m not all that great a bike rider. I can kinda-sorta ride a bike if I have to, but it’s an iffy proposition. A couple of years ago my brother left his bike in my shed for a few months. When the time came to tear down the shed (Really, it was time. I replaced it with a new one that’s just shederiffic, but that took a few weeks.) I had to take the bike over to my parents’ house so my Dad could store it in his garage for an indefinite period due to my brother’s Army-related homelessness. Anyway I decided to ride the infernal machine over there and walk home. Bad idea.

I didn’t actually fall off or anything, but it had been close to twenty years since I’d been on a bicycle, and I don’t care what people say about never forgetting how. There are nuances to bike riding that I’d lost the knack of. In retrospect, I should have just tossed the thing into the truck and driven it over there. Bike schmike, I get enough excercise from other sources.

I have nothing to say about Target, because I’m not allowed to go there unsupervised any more. So I didn’t go. Honestly. I wouldn’t sneak around behind a certain someone’s back or anything.

Shut up. You can’t prove squat.

7

I didn’t go to Target this weekend and it’s finally warming up here. Sposed to be 84 degrees today. YAY! I went to Ross instead and bought two new bathing costumes, two springy-type knit tops, and some jean shorts. I needed a Ross fix, I tells ya!

I did go to Target last weekend but my list only had one thing on it…a new coffee grinder. My old Braun grinder died of old age and one really cannot get by without a personal coffee grinder. I didn’t find a Braun one at Target but Mr. Coffee had an acceptable substitute. I just had to fiddle a tad with the grinder setting and the cup setting. Funny how many coffee beans Mr. Coffee thinks you need to grind to make a pot of coffee. If I abided by what he thinks, I’d be having cardiac arrest!

The first brand new bike I ever owned I bought for myself when I was in college. It was a three-speed. I think the only name it had was Raleigh. When I was a kid, all my bikes were hand-me-downs from my sister, Patty. SHE got all the new bikes. The Anachilets always got new bikes of their own what with they being a boy and a girl and only two of them. One summer when she was staying with The Klingon, The Princess[sup]TM[/sup] did a summersalt over her handlebars and knocked herself out. She got a free siren ride to the hospital and a cat-scan for her troubles. The Princess has been in the ER too many times but that’s for another post.

Tupug

8

I just have to say that my buddy swampbear is a real humanitarian.

What’s with all the premature St. Patrick’s Day celebrations, anyway? They screwed up traffic in Albany for a parade on Saturday, and a certain someone couldn’t get to the pharmacy on Pearl street to get her 'scrips filled.

Wait until Thursday, people. Then take the day off and get plastered on Jameson’s and Guiness.

9

Swampy, when you’re in Skokie, watch out for the Illinois Nazis. I hate Illinois Nazis.

(Just soze ya know, the Illinois Nazi jokes from the Blues Brother movies got their start from a real-life incident where a neo Nazi group wanted to march in Skokie, and the Jewish population got their knickers in a wad. I don’t blame them (the Jewish populace, either))

My bike has been in my office at work all winter. There was a rash of burglaries in my apartment complex last fall, and I wasn’t taking any chances. I need to take the back wheel to the bike shop soon to be respoked. The majority of the spokes are 4 year old, and considering they have about 500 real (not exagerated) miles on them from last summer, they’re starting to break. When I take it in, I’m gonna make sure the new ones are Spokes For Riders With Huge Asses[sup]tm[/sup].

One other point to make in the most existential ramble I’ve made in a long time. My doctor has me convinced that I need bariatric surgery. I know nothing yet, because it’s only gotten as far as, “Yeah, I’m game.” I understand there’s about 6 months of BS to go through before you get the knife, and that has yet to start.

Sorry, Swampy, I’m moving to brawny from burley. :wink:

10

I wish I could take off this year for St. Paddy’s Day. It is, after all, my Big Holiday. But the boss is out in California this week, so I gotta be here everyday to cover for him. Such slackness. How did he ever get to be a boss? Did I mention that I used to be a boss, with minions and henchmen and even a lackey or two? But that was last week.

I’ve had three two-wheeled bikes my entire life too. My favorite was one of them bright yellow Fastbacks with a banananana (I never know when to stop with the 'na’s, so I always put some extras in, just in case) seat, five speed. Had that sucker for years, until it also shrunk. Now, the only inanimate thing in my life that changes size are my pants. They never get shorter, but seem to loose inches on the waistband.

Sean - not looking forward to a nearly sober SPD celebration.

11

Poor Katcha. Being subjected to watching older (read larger and packing more mass) Soupa bear down on his little self with a bike named “Major Damage!” must have been terrifying. I bet I would have wet the street. And what’s next? Why “Ripping Claw” of course. My guess is he’ll be saving all his allowance monies just to buy Soupo a nice Christmas or birthday present . . . a nice Schwinn “Big Puffy Tire” or Raleigh “Marshmellow”.

Bad Physics. Bad bad Naughty Physics.

12

I was in a seafood joint one time, and the waitress stopped by the table to take our order, and said the Special of the Day was Crab Balls.

Without missing a beat, I asked her, “Aren’t they really small?” :slight_smile:

The look on her face was priceless.
In another moment of smart-assitude, I was in the hospital oupatient lab last week getting some routine blood work. The vampire tech said, “Mr. VunderBob, we going to need a urine specimen from you”, while I was getting settled in the waiting area.

I fired back with, “You want it right now?”, causing a lot more laughter from the others in the waiting area than I expected, 'cuz it wasn’t that funny. Turns out one of the other siphonees used the same line on her just before I walked in.

13

I don’t know why they decided to whoop it up for St. Patrick’s Day in Albany, NY this past Saturday. That seems kinda weird. I do know, however, why we did a St. Patrick’s Feast at my church yesterday, so I can explain that. See, the Feast of St. Patrick, i.e. the whole religious thing is celebrated on the Sunday closest to March 17th, usually. So, next Sunday, the 20th would seem the logical day, however, that is also Palm Sunday, which is a big big thing in liturgical churches anyways, so our Feast Day was yesterday. As is tradition, we also have a great big dinner, so that was yesterday too. I know that there is a St. Patrick’s Day parade and doin’s in Savannah which will be on Thursday the actual St. Patrick’s Day. I’ll be in Skokie, IL lookin’ out for Nazis (I actually knew that story VunderBob) and apparently will be able to partake of a little bit of St. Patrick’s celebration in that I should be able to find corned beef and cabbage and green beer somewhere nearbouts. Which, btw, is presenting me with a wardrobe dilemna. See, I don’t have much green stuff in the way of clothing. So, I’ve been going through all my ties (I have a lot of em) to find one with some green in it that will match whatever suit or jacket I happen to be wearing that day. Also, if I go in search of corned beef and cabbage and green beer for dinner I’ll need something greenish to wear. Added to the fact that it will be cold there, I need something warm and greenish and as I said earlier I don’t have much greenery in the way of wardrobe. No, I am NOT going shopping for a green shirt. I’ll figure out something. Such is the drama of my life.

VunderBob you’ll always be burly to me. :wink:

14

I thought this was going to be a motorcycle thread!

And I thought that 30° sounded pretty darned wonderful – until I realised it was 30°F.

15

No, this is the MMp thread. You can tell because Rue starts it on Monday mornings.

But you can talk about motorcycles if you like.

16

I went to Target this weekend too, but they didn’t have what I wanted. So then I actually had to go in to Walmart, which is far from my favorite thing to do. But they had what I needed so that’s what’s important.

I’m having a St. Patrick’s Day dinner with corned beef and cabbage (but no green beer, sorry). Our very own **Anaamika **is coming so the the guests will be 1/3 Dopers. That’s a high enough ratio to guarantee a good time, right?

17

Bikes kinda scare me. I had an accident years ago, and although it wasn’t bad, the memory has stuck. My brother-in-law bikes to work every day - he lives in Cambridge, MA. Don’t know if you know, but there are lots of cars in Cambridge. BIL broke his wrist several months ago when he rode his bike into a car door that was opened without the driver looking.

Old Navy has started advertising bahama shorts - too early to even think about.

I baked carrot cake Saturday night. When I brought the leftovers in to work today, there was 2/3 of the cake left. Bad me! But it was carrot cake made with whole wheat flour & low-fat cream cheese, so not as bad as it could have been.

And from last week’s MMP, I think Rue’s idea is the best - when you come visit me, bring toilet paper. And leave whatever is left on the roll when you go - it’s the perfect hostess gift.

Susan

18

I don’t have a bike. But I do go to Target with stunning frequency. That place rocks my socks off. (and then I have to buy more)

I won’t be celebrating SPD because I have to work that night. I’m not even sure I have green to wear. I do have green underwear, but that sounds so cliche to not wear external green and make the excuse that your drawers are green. But it might be what I end up having to do.

19

I’m third-generation Irish! Not quite old enough to drink Guinness, but just old enough to still wear green and carry around a shamrock and speak in the old Irish blarney.

Alas, I also don’t have a bike. Bet the leprechauns stole it… Maybe we could pool a Doper fund to buy everyone bikes?

20

We had temps in the 70s this weekend, and we’re supposed to be in the mid-to-high 70s this week, so Spring must be about over and it’s time for summer, with the occasional relapse.

The girls won 2 of 3 of their soccer games this weekend to advance to the next round, so as a reward we have to drive down to Cape Coral, wherever that is, in a couple of weeks. Fortunately Mrs. Shibb has an uncle that lives somewhere nearby, so we hopefully don’t have to shell out a few hundred dollars on hotel rooms.

I am so proud of The Boy. He got a gift coupon from the local ice cream shop for having perfect attendance last semester. When it came time to go up to the shop he went into his piggy bank and got out two dollars so that his sister could have an ice cream cone, too. (She missed a day) I think that may be the sweetest thing he’s ever done, unbidden.

On the way back from our Sunday soccer game we stopped at International Plaza, the big mall not far from us. We picked up some kid’s chess software (Learn to play chess with Fritz and Chesster). I think it was reco’d by Duck Duck Goose, and the kids really like it so far. I also got two new Miyazaki video, NausicaÄ* and The Cat Returns. The Shibblets watched the cat one yesterday. It’s a definite must have if you have a nine year old girl who always wanted to be a cat. There was another Miyazaki at Sam Goody’s Porco Russo, about a pig shaped flying hero. We’ll probably get that one, too, while it’s still “on sale” for $19.99.

I guess that’s the recap for the weekend. No bike riding, although with this weather and my hamstring back to serviceability there may be some rollerblading soon.