Today was a bit of a hard day. Nothing very exciting, just a bit exhausting. I had left my Mundo at my folks' house a few days ago because I had to do a bike swap and get the BionX into the shop to fix the headlight. I always forget how much harder it is getting around with the bike trailer. Loading the kids into the Chariot was fine but dragging it around and then locking the big, long mess up is annoying. Bike racks aren't designed for trailers and we usually end up blocking the sidewalk as well. I decided to keep the kids in the trailer for our second errand and converted it into a stroller for grocery shopping. The boys were squealing and trying to escape. I finally placated them with some bananas but they were so tired, it was just a struggle. I suppose shuffling them onto the Mundo wouldn't have really been any easier but it was all just one more extra level to deal with today. 

Jose did bring home our Mundo after work so Little Brother and I could zip out for a more thorough shopping while Big Brother continued to sleep. We went to Trader Joe's this time and dealt with the usual bike parking hassles there. This time, however, I noticed some official looking staff making various notes in the parking lot and when I saw them again in the store, I approached one and said "I'm not sure if you realize how dangerous your bike parking is, but we really struggle with it when we come shopping here." Immediately, the assistant manager (?), Cesar, asked if I could show him exactly what I was talking about. I took Little Brother and led the way, explaining how difficult it is to take our shopping cart to our bike, the problem of the large uncut curb, and how shallow the space was. We then went back inside and Cesar brought out the store manager, Shane, for me to meet and talk to. We discussed some options and stop-gap measures to make the rack more useable and safer, as well as the possibility of moving the entire rack to a dedicated location to avoid the crazy parking lot drivers. I left them with my email address to keep me updated so I look forward to checking out some upgrades in the near future! They had mentioned that they had received some emails about the bike parking lately (thanks, Jen!!!) so please, keep them coming! They are listening and we are making changes! 

Please include your voice--add your two cents and say thanks to Cesar and Shane for listening to our needs as biking consumers: http://www.traderjoes.com/about/local-tjs-form.asp

I can't believe I didn't get a photo of my loaded up bike after all that. I totally spaced it. Super bummer, too, because it was the first time I had used my Bread Basket to it's full potential--holding two packages of TP, a 6-pack of beer, and a box of crackers that I kept feeding to Little Brother as we rode home.

I'm looking forward to a quiet day tomorrow and maybe a nice, long nap. 

This weekend we checked out a new restaurant called Bacon and Butter. Seriously, it is as delicious as it's name. From what I hear, you need to get there before 8:30am to get your table and food in a decent amount of time. We had a blast. The boys were amazingly well behaved and my hot chocolate had been infused with bacon and cayenne with the texture of pudding. 

Jose ran off to watch the Superbowl while the boys and I napped blissfully. We woke up to watch Kipper The Dog because I was lazy. 

Now we have another fun week ahead of us. A couple of days for me at Practical Cycle, a few days with my boys, and then I have a great weekend of Licensed Cycling Instructor training in Davis. I get to avoid the commuting stresses by riding my bike out there Friday afternoon for class that evening, staying with my grandmother in Davis nearby, then biking home on Sunday after the program. I can always take the train (because I'll have my "normal" sized bike, cargo bikes aren't allowed on Amtrak...) if I'm not up for riding or it gets too late on Sunday but a Redrum milkshake is a pretty awesome excuse to ride my bike home. 

I can't believe it's already February 1st! It has been quite an adventure and a beautiful start to this new year. I was shocked at how seamlessly we've moved away from depending on a car, easier than some, of course, because of our mild winters in Sacramento. The only times I even got in a car was to car-pool to a meeting in Roseville, do a couple of errands with my mom, and when our bike got a flat. Getting picked up from our bike trip and then the subsequent trip to Practical Cycle to drop off the bike for its repair were the only two trips this month that were completely for our own needs. Definitely a drop in our previous 1/week car trip average. 

I know that it won't always be this easy to be car-free but it's a great start. We have some lovely changes coming up to our schedules and life is going to get busier but we're enjoying it all right now. The brisk, clear weather makes me so happy. The boys and I have had some extra time to play at Art Beast and the Railroad Museum. 

This week's recovery from Big Brother and my Great Adventure was interesting. Despite a bit of soreness and some extra exhaustion, I felt surprisingly great. I still continue to eat as if I was biking miles and miles and miles a day. I've been trying to catch up on some extra sleep by napping with the boys when I'm home with them. 

We did get an extra special surprise today when we stopped in to Practical Cycle on our way to the Train Museum and found that our Mundo Mama friend, Kate, had dropped of a Bread Basket she had won during Yuba's holiday contest! She already had a BB so she amazingly shared this new one with us! I am so excited! Cassidy immediately installed it for us and even swapped out our brake cable and housing for a longer one so my brakes wouldn't catch on the basket when we turned. We still need to get a base for the basket to make it useable and, in the long run, figure out a liner or bag-type insert. I know I say it often, but I am so blessed to be a part of this wonderfully caring family-biking community.