First, apologies (again) for my absence in posting.  Things are so busy with work and Bici that when I get home I have nothing left in me to write.  I do miss you all, and am hopeful that things slow down soon.

Last week, I celebrated 2 big days…my 31st Birthday and my one year anniversary of being car free!  It was any other day…riding around to meetings and friends houses.  Nothing special about the day, in fact it practically came and went before I remembered.

What has being car free taught me?

That my friends rock.  When it rains, when I need a ride home from the Greyhound station, when I need to borrow a car to head to a conference 2 hours away…they always show up.  It is amazing.

That Birmingham’s public transport really does suck.  In one year I have yet to take it.  The reason?  I can’t figure the damn thing out!  The maps are all separate and trying to get from one end of town to the next takes hours and multiple bus transfers (on a less than timely bus “schedule”).  For those people who don’t even have bikes, I am not sure how they do it.

That the hottest summer in history makes for a lot of sweaty meetings.  Seriously, I spent most of the summer wiping sweat from my brow while talking to people about food security!

That I can eat as much food and drink as much beer as I want and not worry.  Sure, I have gained some weight, but I still look the same (muscle weight, baby!) and feel great.

That your gas costs go down, but your food intake goes WAY up.  I eat so much food.

That I am not sure I ever want a car!!

Thanks everyone for all of your support.  This year has been great and terrible and I never regret selling my car.  Freedom!!!

Today I rode to a meeting and had to dodge numerous potholes, was yelled at and then had to search wildly for a place to park my bike.  I wish I could say that this is not the norm, but I would be lying. Here are a few photos showing the crap we have to ride through just to get around.

(nice to know I am not alone!)

had to lock in an alley

They are repaving the roads on the Southside and said they were going to consider putting bike lanes…but the striping is done and not one to be seen. Same thing happened last year.  WTF?

Yes, I know that it takes people like me to get change, but I am sick of having to do it.  Come on local government, get your act together.  Why must we always be behind the times?  We are ranked #50 in most things bike-related and I know why.  It sucks!  I want change and am working for it, but allow me a moment to bitch.  No wonder no one wants to ride around here, you deal with crappy drivers, arrive somewhere sweating and shaking with nowhere to park your bike.

Ok-I feel better (ish).  Thanks for listening.

Don’t worry, I will keep posting!  This is just a random thought about how riding has integrated itself so completely into my life.

(freddy hanging while I attend a(nother) meeting!)

Is there anything in particular you would like to read about here?  I have thoughts, but would love to hear what you want us to say!

The sun has been shining and the air warming.  To celebrate, I have been riding more.

1/2 way over a ride over Red Mountain!

HUGE house. ridiculously so.

Freddy enjoying the sun

Beauty in the ruins

Normally I borrow a truck for all the big stuff and then use my car to take boxes (I move a lot…hopefully that will change!), but with no car I am dependent on friends.  So far, I have had 3 offer to help me and lend me a car. The key to living successfully in Birmingham without a car is to have fantastic friends! and boy howdy, do I.  (yes, I just said “boy howdy”)

I will be documenting all of my moving adventures and posting them here. I am also going to be taking small trips on the bike with my bag packed.  I have until the end of the month to be out of my old place, so luckily I have a bit of time to work with.

Anyone have any tips?

*I know I could use a u-haul, but am trying not to have to go that route

tetris bike pack attempt #1

Sit back and let me tell you a little story.  A pretty princess named Elisa was riding her bike home from a lovely dinner with friends.  She is looking quite smashing in her purple jeans, brown boots and tunic.  Decided to stop and pick up some groceries from a friends house where she had left them.  Uses key, opens door…and sets off alarm as she has forgotten the super secret code.

With that situation taken care of, she gather her things, plays a bit of shopping bag Tetris to make it all fit and struggles to make it all stay secure on the bike.  About 7 combinations of straps, bag and rack placement it is all snug and ready to go.  Oops, nowhere for her (adorable, handmade) handbag to fit.  “Oh geez”, she thinks “there is also the vegetable oil and books I need to get home.  Where on earth will these fit?”.

Another 10 minutes of struggling she gingerly carries the bike down the stairs and out to the street.  Princess Elisa sets off toward home, working to keep the bike upright.  She encounters a big scary monster…a beastly Birmingham hill.  Attempts to stand up…only to discover that this makes everything wobble to and fro.  Sits down and cranks harder.  Up she goes.  One hill and then another, each getting steeper and more treacherous.

Home is in the distance.  Pulls up, and hears a CRASH!  The strap has come off, groceries are now all over the sidewalk.  Eggs broken, books scattered, spirit broken.  Picks it all up, praying for the safety of her eggs and heads inside.  What is that sound?  Why isn’t the bike rolling properly?  Oh wait…that is the strap wrapped around the chain.

Elisa, not feeling very pretty or princess-y, picks up the back wheel and struggles in.  Upon inspection, the eggs have gone the way of Humpty, all is covered in egg juice and the chain is thoroughly tangled with the strap.  Oh, and egg juice down her new Purple pants!  Say it isn’t so.

Cleans up, fixes chain and strap and immediately takes photos and tells Twitter (isn’t that what everyone does?). Laments that car free living is not as glamorous as she had hoped.

Poor poor little princess Elisa.  She needs an Xtracycle so badly.  But will have to get a cargo net in the meantime.

Anyone else had an experience like this?

photographic evidence:

packing attempt #2, slight strap variation

strap entanglement

trying to untangle took a while

What was left of the carton of eggs