Things That Can Be Carried On A Bike (#235)...and a quick comment

2 quarts of milk
2 quarts of grape juice
5 bananas
12 apples
A pint of hummus 
A DVD
2 bundles of kindling

Tonight as I was leaving the grocery store and unlocking my bike a mother with her young daughter walked by. The girl couldn't have been more than 4 or 5 years old. I'm used to getting stares and comments on the Mundo as it is rather "different looking"...especially when it's loaded...but I'm not used to getting comments from young children (whose comments are the best because they are truly honest and "unfiltered" by adulthood). Anyhow, I could see the young girl looking at the bike--taking it all in--and then she says, "Mommy, look at that bike, that's a really big bike!" "Yes it is honey," the mother replied, as she smiled at me a little nervously. "Mommy," the young girl continued, "when I grow up I want a bike like that so I can carry all my stuff; I'll be able to carry all my toys on a bike like that."

Now I was the one smiling.

Yes little girl, I hope you do get a bike like this when you grow up...and yes, also, you can carry all your toys on it.    :)

Pics from Fellow Yuba Mundo Riders

These photos were sent to me by fellow Mundo riders (thanks guys!). The above photo is from Max. Besides carrying what looks to me like a child's seat (or is it two?), he also has a full-sized Shop-Vac, various tools, and a Go-Getter bag on the other side. I like the front pannier rack Max...and is that a Stand Alone kickstand holding the bike up?

The below photo is from Dan in St. Catherines, ON. He tells me he has more than 45 lbs. (20.5k) in his Go-Getter bag. He also has the Yuba Bread Platform on the front. (Dan, I'm thinking about getting one, possibly two, does it seem like it would mount on other bikes besides the Yuba?).

Being the only person (that I know of) riding a Mundo in Buffalo I sometimes feel like I'm riding in a vacuum, like I have the only Mundo there is...it's nice to see what others are doing and how they modify them. This is pretty cool. Thanks again for the pics guys; if you or others out there in the blogosphere have more that you feel like sending please do (and please do not think that this request is Mundo-specific--it just happens to be one of the bikes that I ride--or even cargo or longtail centric...bikes of all kinds carry stuff, but if you're reading this you already know that).

I also find it interesting that (according to the header on their website and blog) the slogan at Yuba seems to be "What a bicycle can do"...judging by these pictures it couldn't be more appropriate.

Truly Inspiring

By now many of you have probably heard this incredibly inspiring story, but I was so moved by it I thought I'd post it anyhow. The story I am referring to is that of the elderly Canadian couple, Allen and Violet Large, who won big in the lottery, really big...more than $11 million big. And then they gave nearly all of it away, but they kept the money in their local community. They won't disclose how much they gave to each organization, but they donated money to schools, churches, the fire department, the Red Cross, hospitals, and a cemetery.

I keep saying that I have to start playing the lottery, and that  if I won big I would give some of it away (the key word here is "some")...I have to be honest and say that I don't know if I could do what they did...it is a true inspiration (at least to me it is).

'That money that we won was nothing,' Allen told the Toronto Star. 'We have each other.'

To read the full story click here.

Tomato, Pepper, and Potato Stove-Top Frittata

 

I've posted recipes for this classic Italian egg dish before (click here, here, or here for additional recipes and pictures) but what's interesting about this, I think, is that I'm still using vegetables from the garden (fresh, not fermented). The tomatoes have been ripening on a shelf in my kitchen for the past 9 days or so, and the peppers were part of my last harvest (I use the term loosely) that I picked a couple weeks a go. This is an exceedingly easy recipe to prepare, and it's filling, delicious, and nutritious...and you can add whatever ingredients you happen to have on hand.

Thank You!

The first post for this blog was January 2008 (click here to read it). At the time I felt the real need to get simple; it's something I've been doing for the past decade or so. I've kept a journal on-and-off for the past 25 years and felt that this would be a sort of extension of that. And during those first few months it was just that...a personal journal, because I really do not think I received a single visitor for a few months. Then to my surprise I received one...then another, and another. 

A little over a year ago I added a counter widget. This was not to see where you're from or when you visit because I don't like these facts displayed about myself when I visit a blog, but more so...just to count; to see how many people visit. I don't look at it every day, every other day, or even every third day...just every so often; it's not that important to me. So you can imagine my surprise when I glanced at it today and saw that it had surpassed 30,000 hits.

Now this may not be a lot of hits for some sites--indeed some probably get that in a day--but for a single guy tapping away on his keyboard in the evenings while he sips wine, pets his dogs, warms himself next to the wood stove, and looks at the stars while he contemplates life, this is a lot. At least I think it is. At one point, in those first few months, I almost shut it down...but I was encouraged to keep it going because more people started visiting.

Currently this blog has become a regular part of my day...however big or small. Sometimes it's almost like therapy for me...especially when I jump on my little soapbox and rant a bit. But mostly I try to keep it good and positive because there are so many things in our world today that bombard us with negativity and discouragement...basically I want to highlight the good in life (and remind myself, mostly). I try to stay on target with the blog's subtitle, Random Thoughts On Cooking, Bike Riding, and The Sacred Journey of Everyday Life, but sometimes I go on a tangent and get off topic and that's just what I'm doing now...getting off topic of what I want this current post to be about. And I could sum it up in these two words: Thank You! Because I just wanted to take a moment and say thanks to all those who visit, comment, or just pass through...Danke, Merci, Grazie, Dank u, Gracias.

Tomatoes on a Shelf

 

So what's the date? November 5th...and I still have tomatoes ripening. I picked these a little over a week ago (the very last of them), and it was just before the first frost. They're on a shelf in my kitchen ripening. The above picture is 5 photos of them over the last 8 or 9 days. I'll either cook or freeze them tomorrow. Maybe I'll have a tomato, mayonnaise, and onion sandwich for lunch...the last one until next season.

Gimme Shelter

I came across this video at the blog, Walk Slowly, Live Wildly. It's a short video about Lloyd Kahn discussing his theory on what shelter is.

What an inspiring video...at one point, about 2/3 through the clip, he's skateboarding through the San Franciscan suburbs (a true juxtaposition)...keep in mind the man is 75. Anyhow, if you are at all interested in simplicity and/or alternative living and lifestyles I encourage you to watch this; you will likely be inspired. Click here for Lloyd's blog.

Bobby Ellis

This is Bobby Ellis. I see him on his bike all the time and thought I'd finally introduce myself. What is interesting about him is not only that he uses his bike for transportation--that's not that uncommon, after all--but that his bike is his business operation...sort of. If you live in Buffalo you've seen him...he's a window washer, among other things, and carries his gear around on his bike with him. I was walking down the street this evening and saw him and asked if I could take his photo for my blog...he was all too happy. He also told me his YouTube name is the Fabulous Human iPod (because he sings) and that we could find videos of him there. Thought I'd post one along with these photos but have been unsuccessful locating any. Anyhow...I though this was pretty cool, the window washing bike rider...and he's a human iPod.

I Like To Walk...

Cartoon by Andy Singer.

...and am grateful I am able to.

There are many times when I walk and find it the most pleasant way to get around (when I have the time). You can see things that you otherwise wouldn't...and sometimes I find it a form of meditation-in-motion. It's also, in my opinion, the most organic form of transport. It is, without doubt, one of the best exercises a person can do (and it doesn't cost a penny)...some people even spend their lives doing it, as a personal mission (click here to read about the Peace Pilgrim).

Pasta Autunno

The title of this post and recipe is a play on words, or rather the name of the famous dish Pasta Primavera (click here for a recipe and the history of Pasta Primavera; click here to read about the chef who first created it). Why I say this is that the dish Pasta Primavera translates to English as "Pasta Springtime," or springtime pasta, because of the inclusion of the spring vegetables that are naturally in the original recipe and undoubtedly the time of year that it was first created (I also find the origin of the word primavera interesting; broken into two separate words--prima and vera--it means "first green"). Pasta Autunno, on the other hand means--you guessed it--Pasta Autumn. Another variation (on the recipe itself, not it's title) is that Primavera often contains cream and the vegetables may or may not be initially sauteed in butter. This version is really a variation of the classic aglio e olio, or garlic and oil. This is by far my favorite pasta preparation (OK, it's a tough tie with traditional red sauce and meatballs) and it can be applied to almost any ingredient...in fact you don't even need the pasta as a filler; using this recipe you can simply saute vegetables and serve them as a side dish. The basic recipe is this: heat good quality olive oil in a pan with garlic, hot peppers, and maybe a minced onion, cook it until it begins to brown, then add vegetables, a pinch of salt, and chicken broth (or water if you want to keep it vegetarian), and allow it to cook while you boil the pasta (inversley, if you have hard vegetables--such as those in this recipe--you may want to add them to the pan before the garlic, lest it burns). Cook the pasta al dente and add it to the skillet, allowing the pasta to finish cooking in the broth and absorb all the flavors. Many, but not all, of the vegetables I used in this recipe were in my fridge from the last fall harvest of the year (click here to see them). To read more on the actual process of cooking things algio e olio, and with more explicit photos, click here; if you'd like a tradition recipe (i.e. one that is printable), click here.