Fundraising with a Twist

A few clicks of fate and I signed up for the 5 Boro Bike Tour as a charity team rider for Planned Parenthood of NYC. A few signs led to me the conclusion that I should make the craft necklaces that I appeared on Martha Stewart to teach. I just finished building my online store. If you want to donate, but don't want a necklace, you can go to the Planned Parenthood donation page.

My fundraising goal is $750 and the event is on Sunday, May 6th. 

How to get involved with Planned Parenthood NYC

I volunteer for Planned Parenthood, and often get asked how to get involved. This is the path I took. New round of trainings starts soon and here's the info. 

The PPNYC Activist Council is a great opportunity to make a difference, gain some skills, and build your resume while meeting other fun, like-minded New York City pro-choice activists!

New members are introduced to the Activist Council in 4 trainings. Once trained, members are free to decide what types of projects and issues interest them most. Beyond the monthly meetings, the level of time commitment is up to each person. The training for new members always fill up fast - RSVP Here. 

You have to attend all 4, super-informative, interesting and inspirational trainings. We always had/have Two Boots Pizza for dinner. It's amazing to be around such like-minded, intelligent people. It's mostly young women, peppered with a few guys. The energy of being around such progressive group is invigorating. 

I forgot that I never wrote a post about how awesome it was to march with Planned Parenthood in last summer's Gay Pride Parade. I meant to do a big post because it was such an awesome day and weekend, but I never got around to it. It was just too much, I guess. 

It was extra-specially electric in NYC that weekend, because the Friday before the parade, same-sex marriage became legalized. 

I've been meaning to get a video of Elspeth and me telling the story of how Bill Cunningham took our picture at the parade after I screamed his name right in his face "BILL!!!!" Because I know he's very hard of hearing. 

The picture he took of us would have looked something like this: 

PP went with a Sports theme and our get-ups were like badminton themed and shirts said "Serving up Safe Sex, Pride NYC" something like that. It was fun to wave our racquets of rainbow birdies around while we marched. Elspeth's girlfriend told us that our Planned Parenthood gang was one of the few groups that got cheers from the parade goers. 

We really did hand out high-fives the whole way down the parade route. We felt loved. 

Here are Els. & Allie maxin' and relaxin' after the parade. 

Same-sex marriage got legalized the same day me and Elspeth saw Florence Welch twice in one day. 

Me and Els met at 5am to see Florence on GMA here: 

Then we went back later that night to sit and listen to her concert in the same spot. 

Even Bonnie went! She loves Florence and other red-heads in general. 

Best weekend of Summer, no question. 

Rippin' and Runnin'

I was rippin' and runnin' on Saturday. Couldn't be mad at this in the bicycle lane. 

Saturday before 7am. It's wonderful how empty the streets are at this time.

Saturday was full of busy goodness. I was all the way downtown to the Lower East Side before the sun rose. Tons of litter on the sidewalk and people getting out of their cabs saying "Goodnight" as I was getting my coffee to take to my volunteer shift at the Planned Parenthood. (I am an escort volunteer. I just help people get in the door with minimal distraction from the protesters.) If you're curious about my starbucks order, I had the new blonde roast with steamed soy and I carried it in my hand on my bicycle for at least 9 blocks. Thank goodness I was the only person on the street at this hour.

Sidenote: People are surprised that we have K-Mart in NYC. There are 2 and one is at the bottom of this building. See the little red K?

My shift wasn't too chilly for the first Saturday in February. The other volunteers are usually fantastic company. 

Our weekly standard protester got her sign stolen before 8am, but she's one of those who has a trunk full of gory posters. We don't mess with the protesters but we are delighted when people in the neighborhood support or thank us, and we were tickled that her sign got stolen literally right out from under her. 

Outside Bowery Diner. 

My shift was over before 9, but I had to my heart set on breakfast at the brand new Bowery Diner. I caught up on magazines until they were ready to serve me this feast. This was an awesome meal. 

Afterward, I had a little mission in China town/Canal Street.

I needed to kill more time until this art gallery opened at 11am. 

I got this super-cute brown & cream hearts umbrella. My husband leaves all our umbrellas at bars. It was a little dicey to ride it on my bike all that way, but it worked out fine.

After 11 I was able to see Sandro Kopp's paintings of his friends over Skype. He's Tilda's boyfriend. I realize we sat behind him that night we saw Tilda speaking about There's Something About Kevin at MoMa. There was video of Tilda holding a spaniel dog as part of the exhibit. I died. Red and white freckled dogs are my absolute favorite. 

Matt and I ran into each other when I was heading home and he was going to catch up on some work. 

I had this jacket on in the morning and I wore it again to the show later in the night. I get more compliments on this one... 

I needed a nap, but I also needed fat-hell super bowl groceries so I rode my bicycle up to target after I changed out my faux fur for a lighter jacket and lighter gloves. 

My bike got some fucked up crazy problem and this made me very mad and disappointed. Metal was screeching together and embarrassing me in public. Never OK. My brakes became very sensitive, and then I thought they were falling apart. At one point my back wheel couldn't even roll. I walked it to a shop and they cleaned out the rear-wheel hub and said it's just a cheap wheel. Again, I'm irritated at the amount of trouble I've had with this bicycle in 8 months of ownership. Thank goodness she's cute. 

I made it to target, got my supplies (Rotel is hard to find in my neighborhood, I was to nervous but harlem Target had all kinds, bless them) I was so hungry that I had to tear into the fritos before I got out of the parking lot. I felt like a car-having person eating fritos out of my bicycle basket. So Hungry. Did not care. 

I had a good laugh at the line for taxis outside of the target/costco shopping center. I threw my stuff in my panniers and probably got myself all the way home before the people at the end of this line got a taxi/car service.

I failed to take a nap and felt extra-tired and we had tickets to a show, and we waffled on whether or not to go. I was reminded that the initial reason I wanted to see the show in the first place was that Kathleen Hanna had done the set design so we got dressed at the last possible second and got a cab and rode down to The Kitchen for this show about Juggalos. I had been advised to watch the Juggalo documentary before we went. I'm glad we did. The show was nuts but the most fulfilling part was enjoying crazy shit-shows as a part of our life in NYC. 

We were desperately hungry so we got some juice and skittles to share in the cab home. 

You bet we passed right out.

If you need more photos of this busy day that had a lot of time-killing in the morning, feel free to check my flickr archive. 

I've got a guest post coming up on BikeMinded about NYC bicycle fashion, and I have another fun bicycle assignment coming up for Momentum. I also have an entry prepared for Lovely Bicycle's Bobbin bike give-away contest but I'm not entering til' the last minute. 

This Summer is Mine!!!

Monday cargo skinny pants. It's really pleasant and not sweaty-madness summertime in New York City.


These both fit in my bike basket.
My bag situation is cute right now. L.A.M.B. butterfly print bag and J.Crew canvas tote.

Monday after running home and scarfing our routine Monday night sushi, Matt and I rode our bikes to Times Square to meet-up with a group from our college.

It was so much fun to be around young Arkansas people! We mainly checked out Times Square. They were just stopped through from Egypt headed back to Arkie tomorrow morning.


Roxy strawberry cheesecake.

Saturday I went to Michael's Craft Store and this awesome crocheted bike rack and tree welcomed Kate Middleton with open, cozy arms!

Every Michael's should have this set-up out front. Kudos UWS Michael's!

Sunday I marched IN the Gay Pride Parade and I'm so glad I did!
The theme for my group, Planned Parenthood, was "Sports" because the parade Grand Marshall was Dan Savage, whose saying is "Good, Giving and Game" re: sexy times. I went to the sporting goods store Saturday morning and worked out these sporty badminton-themed outfits.

Front of the shirt says "Planned Parenthood - Serving up - Safe Sex - Sex Ed - Pride - NYC"
Back had big badminton birdies and said "NYC Pride '11" and "Celebrating equal rights (because gay marriage passed in New York late Friday if you've been under a rock) for all the little birdies" Because shuttlecocks are also called "Birdies"


I was elated to discover that Beauty Queen Kitty Hiccups was behind us in the parade line-up.


Yaaaay! For Kitty! She is an amazing singer and showgirl!

Friday night I did end up going back to Central Park for Part 2 of Florence and the Machine and it was awesome! Bonnie-dog got to go hang with the ladies way past her bedtime (matt was out of town)

I love it when Bonnie gets to ride in a taxi! I feel special for her.

Bonnie chilling with the cool girls listening to Florence.


Hanging on for dear life as I scoop up all possible fun this summer!

Both Sides

I'm pretty tired so there will be an interruption in photo captions today.
If you're read this silly blog before, you know the deal- Cute Commuting in New York City with tons of pics.

Hi. NYC Bursted into summer temps today. This shine is real.


BUT FIRST I want to say- I'm SO HAPPY I am hearing from Lady-Bikers who are enjoying the things I'm teaching talking about in my adventures in cute commuting. Thank you! I'm glad you like it! If you have anything that I need to discuss or show you, by all means let me know in The Comments! I read them! Except for the ones on this post. I never ever read that asshole's comments. Not one peek. I'm wearing my helmet, being a cute commuter and lady biker and I don't care what anyone says.

Today was 80º and I suffered at work. The air-con at work is broken. I thought I was nekkid enough today, but I was wrong. I also stepped off the front step this morning and took my light jacket off and put it in the basket and it never came out.

I went to the first installment of Planned Parenthood Activist Training tonight and I'm so glad I'm doing it! This awesome lady named Leslie spoke through most of it and I'm pretty sure she was on-stage rallying the ralliers at the rally.

Tomorrow I'm not biking because I have a date with a girlfriend who does not have a bike just yet. We are hitting 2 pretty cool events on foot/subway and or taxi.
I'm doing the Old Girl at a Concert on a School Night move tomorrow night.