Biking to Work!

I took advantage of the glorious weather we're having and biked to work today! As many of you know, Greg biked to work when we lived in Aurora (or walked) every day. Now we've switched roles as I hope to bike to work here in the spring, summer and fall (although not on rainy days if I can help it). Today it took me 40-45 minutes one way and almost an hour on the way back because I got a little crazy and tried a new route. Maybe the new route wasn't such a good idea.

The bike lanes here are fantastic and numerous outside of the old city center (which I have to bike through every day). There everything twists and turns, and bike lanes are fairly nonexistent. Oh, and don't even get me started on the tourists - it's like people forget how to look for bicycles or even cross a street when they're not in their home country. Look left and right, and if there's something fast coming at you, don't cross! I need a good bypass to the old town.

Just in case you forgot what my awesome, old school bike looks like, here's a picture in front of the Alte Pinakothek

One gear,baby, one gear!

Schnee-Biking Craziests

I know, I know... you all will stop reading if I keep talking about the weather. But today it was kind of exciting. We finally got the snow we were supposed to get this weekend! But the really exciting part is that I got to see all the crazies who come with the snow. Very specific crazies, indeed!! The biking enthusiasts who bike in the snow without snow tires.

It might even indicate something to you that I even knew there were snow tires for bikes. Even the postman delivered his mail on the bike today, although his is more of a tricycle with a box in the front and back for the mail. But he usually does that so that's not very exciting and I was not worried about his traction. On a side note, the postal system is fabulous here - so quick! And the post office people seem like they actually don't mind their jobs either.

In any case, biking in the snow without a helmut is not something I'm going to try any time soon. The idea of face-planting in a slushy, pebbly sidewalk appeals to me as much as "a stick in the eye" (as Greg would say, although now he's ranting about how the phrase shouldn't be used that way).

Oh well, that's us for you - traditional linguist vs. modern linguist. ;-)

Weekend Fun

We had a great weekend last weekend with my little cousin's birthday party on a beautiful Sunday. Here's a photo of the birthday boy:And here are some more random pictures since I haven't put any up in a while. Notice the swollen eye on me--Greg thinks it was stress-induced, but I disagree, just don't have any good theories yet. This was a walk around a garden in town after surviving the American consulate.

We went in and felt like it definitely wasn't the welcoming, hospitable place it perhaps once was. They're even pissing off the locals with refusing to hold visitors' laptops at their security spot and instead directing people to store their stuff in a local museum. The museum lady had a thing or two to say about that, ending with "just typical of the Americans to behave such a way. If any of those bags have bombs in them, it wouldn't matter to them if a museum is blown up." She wasn't mad at us, mind you--just the consulate security guy who in fact was German. Point for the lady in the museum, zero for American consulate.

Beautiful church on Leopoldstrasse before a street fair started. Thankfully, the clouds parted and we had nice weather that afternoon.

A picture of my lovely bike, which the salesman politely referred to as "the one that probably won't get stolen." It's kickin' it old school and I love it! Now let's just hope it makes it for 2 years!

Circus Krone is a local concert hall. The outside is so funky with its old sign and lamp posts. I wouldn't be surprised if a clown jumped out at me from behind a poster or something. It'd be nice to go there at night sometime when they have a show to see what it looks like all lit up.

I've been like a little squirrel lately, picking up these nuts off the ground. My Irish friend calls them conkers, but I highly doubt that's the proper term. They fall off the tree in this crazy spiked fruit and have such a simple, beautiful wood grain and finish to them, I can't resist. I'd love it if any craftsters out there have an idea of what to make with them. I'll keep looking, but please send ideas my way!!