Tag: cycling
-
Pocket money and pedal power
Elizabeth wants to earn some pocket money so I told her that if she did some jobs around the house we’d give her some money. I suggested that she make her bed and tidy the bedroom so she disappeared for a little while and then came back and said: Elizabeth: Mum, I made my bed, I…
-
Chains for shoes and Trotify
A shop in Aviemore was selling chains for shoes to increase the friction on icy pavements. We bought a couple of pairs and they’re fantastic. Why doesn’t everyone have these? They slip onto the soles of your shoes and make a huge difference. No more slipping over for me. Here’s another must-have product: Trotify. I’m going…
-
Exercise makes you smarter and Robert Burns
I wasn’t thinking very clearly last week and I did a lot of dumb things. I blame a lack of physical activity. Busby was out of action for a few days due to frozen brakes and when I did go out for a bike ride I had to cycle very slowly because of the ice.…
-
A guest post from Busby the bike
I’m Busby the Bakfiets, Rachel’s bicycle. It was very cold last night and everything froze, including me: My mistress tried to ride me this morning but couldn’t. First she tried to open the cover to let the two wriggly creatures inside but the cover was frozen shut. Eventually she got it open but the lock was…
-
Snow and ice
It snowed a bit late last night and then today the temperature didn’t go above 1°C so the snow froze on the roads and pavements creating a a bit of an ice-skating rink. I wasn’t sure whether to cycle the kids to school but I did and it was absolutely fine. In fact, I think…
-
“Daddy can’t do anything”
My family was pleased to see me when I arrived back home from Barcelona, but they weren’t ecstatic or anything and they seemed to have managed just fine without me. In fact, I was disappointed to see that Ben wasn’t looking more dishevelled and stressed out after almost a week as a single parent. And…
-
Aberdeen’s amusement park and extreme wealth
Elizabeth turned 5 on New Year’s Eve. We didn’t have a party for her this year and instead took her out today to the amusement park on Aberdeen’s waterfront. Yep, Aberdeen has an amusement park right by the sea called Codonas. Personally I think it’s a god-awful waste of good real estate but who am…
-
Enchantment on a bicycle
It’s getting close to the shortest day of the year now and according to BBC weather, sunrise is at 8:36am and sunset at 3:26pm in Aberdeen. However it’s light at both of these times, I guess because we get the sunlight before the sun appears on the horizon and also after it disappears. The temperature range…
-
When is it ok to take offence?
People seem to get offended by all sorts of things. As I was cycling to school today an old man shouted at me from a beat-up old van to get off the pavement. Then he stopped to take my photo. I’m not really sure what he plans to do with my photo. Perhaps he’ll write…
-
The beach, Aberdeen
I had to take my Thunderbolt monitor to the Apple store this morning because the camera is blurry and I can’t fix it. It’s still under warranty so they’re going to replace the camera for me which is great. But are you wondering how I got a huge and heavy Thunderbolt to the Apple store…
-
Newton Dee
There aren’t very many off-road cycle paths in Aberdeen but there is one very good one: Deeside Way. It runs along an old train line from Duthie Park all the way out to Ballater, a total distance of 41 miles. Unfortunately the line is no longer used by trains; it was closed in 1966. But once…
-
The University of Aberdeen
I love universities. I went to kindergarten at a university. When I started school I spent many afternoons at a university since there wasn’t always someone at home to look after us after school so my sister and I went to the university where my father worked – and still does – instead. We would draw pictures on the…
-
I shave my armpits and the ice is still melting
I’m finding the school trip with Busby and two kids easier and easier. It’s almost too short a journey for me now. Certain “Skeptics” (you know who you are) might mock me and my bicycle and all I have to say in response is that I have a damn fine set of legs now thanks to cycling everyday. So…
-
A momentous week
It’s a momentous week for me. Both my babies are at school. I no longer have a child at home. Elizabeth started school for the first time on Monday and although I’m very happy about this, and so is she, I have felt a bit teary waving her off everyday since then. School has been…
-
The River Dee
I don’t really like shopping, especially supermarket shopping. One of the great things about the UK is you can get everything online and it’s usually delivered super fast. We ordered our mattress and bed frame online for instance. The downside of this is that the stuff comes in cardboard packaging and you then have to…
-
Sexism, carnivorous plants, and cycling
I sometimes have problems spotting the more subtle forms of sexism. I’m not sure if this is because I’m a woman and I just don’t notice, or if it’s for some other reason. Fortunately I’m married to a feminist so I’m unlikely to be taken advantage of for being so naive about this. What constitutes…
-
I’ve got Busby back!!
Busby finally arrived today. He’s been at the hospital (= bike shop) in York having some work done. We took him out for a spin. I felt very wobbly at first as the longer frame takes some getting used to and I haven’t ridden him for 10 months now. But after about 15 minutes or so I…
-
Congratulations to John Key
New Zealand’s centre-right National party won by a landslide last night granting a third term to John Key. This is apparently an unprecedented result because often support starts to wane for a leader by the third term but he has more support now than in the previous election. I did not vote for him. I…
-
The velomobile: I want one!
Now here’s a really cool bicycle. It’s got three wheels, solar panels and shelter from the elements. It’s fairly pricey at $5,495 but you don’t have to pay for insurance, petrol or rego so overall it’s pretty cheap. The only thing missing, in my view, is space for two children. More about this on Grist.
-
Cargo cycling
Someone sent me this (thank you!) which shows how fabulous cargo cycling can be for the entire family and more! It’s in German but don’t let that put you off. The visual is the main thing.
rachel.blog 