Moving On Up

Moving is never easy. I was recently reminded of this when I bought my house a few months back. It’s even more difficult when the move involves lots of bikes and bike related stuff (including lots and lots and lots of spare parts). Jordyn, Justin, and the rest of the crew at Freeze Thaw Cycles are in the process of moving their entire store to a new location so I decided to give them a hand with this little undertaking.

They’re only moving a few blocks but it’s a significant few blocks. The new spot is bigger so there’s more space for both inventory and merchandise; there’s more headroom due to a lofted second floor that’s open to below; but what the new space really has is a sweet location. Instead of being on the second floor of a cramped little alley space, this quality bicycle shop will be located right in the heart of downtown at street level. Anyone traveling down Allen Street will surely see the new storefront with bikes abound. And if you miss that, the colossus of a sign above the store will be hard to miss.

Sure I could have worked at my own house this weekend to cross some tasks off my (ever expanding) list, but I’m not on a deadline to get those projects finished. Assisting with the transition was a nice distraction and it felt good to help out some friends even though I was really just in the way most of the time. When the new store opens for business on Tuesday there will be a lot of very exhausted people who have been working their tails off to get this move completed. Ultimately though, I bet they’ll be happy the move is finally done and they can take advantage of the new address.

Effortlessly Rewarding

Recently, I’ve noticed a change in my personal perspective on what I consider to be a significant and fulfilling effort. Before, it would have required a burly feat such as riding my bike an obnoxious distance or some other adventure that, upon telling my co-workers on Monday morning, they would look at me in bewilderment and wonder if I had a screw loose. Lately, however, I’ve been finding joy in much simpler pursuits.

As I’ve mentioned in previous posts, I just recently bought a house. Apparently, I didn’t only buy a house; I also bought a list of projects and chores to go along with the house. None of these projects are absolutely required; however they are items that need to be done. Individually they are small projects, but collectively they can be a bit overwhelming. In fact, some of the tasks have been lingering since day one.

Today I installed a new faucet in the kitchen, a new showerhead in the bathroom, put new locks on the doors, and got one box closer to being completely unpacked. These were all items on my list so today was truly rewarding, and I didn’t even have to turn the pedals over once (but that would have been cool too).

Cleanup on Aisle Two

This weekend I went on a three day - two night backpacking trip on the Black Forest Trail in Central Pennsylvania. Seven of us (plus three dogs) set out to do a 20 mile stretch which was roughly half the total distance of the BFT. I knew everyone in the group but was only close with two of the would-be hikers so I was looking forward to getting to know more about the other four travelers.

We met at Spring’s house on Friday morning to organize some gear and have a little breakfast before driving up to Pine Creek and starting the trip. Once at the trail-head we split into two groups. Four of us and two dogs started off to do the first stretch while the others drove on and parked near the first camp location. They set up camp, prepared dinner, and waited for us to arrive.

The first day was about six miles. The part I didn’t anticipate was the first two of those miles being straight up hill (for about 1500 feet) and the last mile straight down hill (for about 1000 feet). Normally that wouldn’t be an issue but throw in a false dog injury, half broken water filter, shin-deep stream crossing, an attacking swarm of bees, cell phone voice mail (seriously?) and over-loaded packs and you have the makings of a trip with more stories than I can include in this post (which is precisely the reality of the situation).

After the first day was concluded things started to settle in a bit more. Day two started out with bagel sandwiches, hot coffee, and first degree burns (those were all mine though). I wasn’t sure if that was an indication of the day to come but I hoped it was not, especially based on the previous day’s adventures. Fortunately, it was an isolated incident and had no bearing on our future luck.

Aside from the burly uphills and the precarious stream crossings, the rest of the trip went really well. All the camp sites we used were bonzer. They were right along the icy-cold creek which made for invigorating post-hike rejuvenation. The dinners were not only plentiful but also super delicious (thanks Jamie & Darcy). And the conversations by the fire; okay that wasn’t always appropriate but at least it was consistent from night to day (and back again).

By the time the trip was over I learned more about the rest of the group than I probably cared, but I guess that’s what happens when you spend a weekend with people in the wilderness. Thanks to Spring I have at least one more use for rocks, and to top it off I ran into Tomi (of all people) on the trial. It was a lot of fun and definitely a weekend I won’t soon forget.

Choo Choo

Since moving into my new house, I’ve had to manage without a few “creature comforts.” In particular, I don’t have cable hooked up at my house and therefore I’ve been watching a lot of DVDs. The other night a movie I was watching had the distinct sound of a train whistle running through the background.

So who cares, right? Well, as long as I can remember everywhere I’ve lived there have been trains. Granted, it’s not necessarily a good thing because while trains move massive amounts of freight they can also cause major backups at the railroad crossings. Regardless though, that familiar whistle was always there; sometimes a lot closer than I cared for but still, it was a constant presence.

It didn’t dawn on me until I watched that scene that there aren’t any trains running through town. In fact, most of the tracks have been taken up and the old railroad beds are now multi-use paths. There are, however, trains close by in Bellefonte. What does any of this mean? I don’t know, but it was the only way I could figure out to work in this great video. Enjoy!

Pushing the Limits

This weekend I slept in the back of my car; woke before the sun; hauled about 400 gallons of water and a truckload of food into the woods where I stayed for most of the morning; then left the woods and drove to a highway underpass where I stayed until almost sundown. This was all in support of the Wilderness 101 mountain bike race. We were treated to all kinds of weather and a lot of people tested their limits to try and complete the 101 mile race through the woods of Central Pennsylvania on Saturday. I’m completely worn down, got very little sleep, and I hurt even though I didn’t get on a bike. It wasn’t your average weekend, but I did get a pint glass out of the deal.