You know you have a great place to work when they organize a bike ride and have an official Environmental Sustainability Coordinator and a whole team of employees who look forward to getting together on their lunch breaks and ride. Tom, whose passion is reducing single-occupancy car commutes (especially by way of bicycle), of CalSTRS invited me to ride with them on their annual St. Patrick's Day lunch ride which was followed by corned beef and cabbage! I couldn't turn that down! I picked Big Brother up at school a little early and rode across town to West Sacramento, 6 miles, and had Big Brother's bike in tow.
We met up with the rest of the group for a photo and the official CalSTRS ukelele band.
Big Brother immediately made a new friend. The wind was really strong, despite the sunny weather. We had forgotten Little Brother's jacket so mine was sacrificed.
Cozy boy, chilly mama.
Big Brother rode his bike for the first two miles but his cough was slowing him down. When we got to the park, I had him jump back in the Bullitt and tucked his Isla into the pannier so we could blast back for lunch.
Lunchtime ride!
The food was everything it had been promised--corned beef!!! Yum! I was able to talk with some of the people who worked there and was invited back to do a lunchtime talk about riding safely with kids.
Big Brother rode about half way home, another 2 miles, but then traffic got heavier and he got more distracted so I packed him up again. It's great to help him get extra exercise during the day. I love being able to let him ride along on his own--I just wish he could rider longer distances. We are always cut off by areas of poor and lacking infrastructure that I don't feel comfortable letting him navigate. Many places are difficult on my own, having a little one on his own makes me realize how less-confident riders feel. I forget that most people don't have the same sanguine relationship with crazy drivers. Last time I talked to a driver who pulled up next to me at a stop sign driving with both hands and eyeballs on his cell phone, he told me "Well, I haven't killed anyone, yet." He said this just as calmly as if he was discussing his lunch. How can anyone expect to feel safe on the roads, in any mode of transportation, with people with this kind of attitude, or an even worse/violent one.
Big Brother rode about half way home, another 2 miles, but then traffic got heavier and he got more distracted so I packed him up again. It's great to help him get extra exercise during the day. I love being able to let him ride along on his own--I just wish he could rider longer distances. We are always cut off by areas of poor and lacking infrastructure that I don't feel comfortable letting him navigate. Many places are difficult on my own, having a little one on his own makes me realize how less-confident riders feel. I forget that most people don't have the same sanguine relationship with crazy drivers. Last time I talked to a driver who pulled up next to me at a stop sign driving with both hands and eyeballs on his cell phone, he told me "Well, I haven't killed anyone, yet." He said this just as calmly as if he was discussing his lunch. How can anyone expect to feel safe on the roads, in any mode of transportation, with people with this kind of attitude, or an even worse/violent one.
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