Field Trip: Historic Central High School by Bike

I made the long-overdue trip to the Little Rock Central High historic site & visitor center. I enjoyed the peacefulness that the middle of a week-day brought to the streets. I rode on the sidewalk a teeny-tiny bit but mostly the streets are wide enough that there's room for all of us. 

Mural of the Little Rock Nine. 

Bike rack all to myself! This bike rack, like many in Little Rock, I feel, is so fresh and new that I feel like I'm the first one locking up here. Ever. 

I've got on overalls and TOMS and a big LeSport Sac bag. 

The museum part was great, but my favorite part, and where I spent about two hours was watching these little oral history documentary films that they have in kind-of a phone booth setting. You can sit on this big bench and dial up the documentaries in chronological order and they're narrated by the Little Rock Nine and other people who were involved. I learned so much. I didn't realize the crisis went on for over a year. I always had it in my mind as a quick event, but oh, no. And even though there were army guards outside the school, the Little Rock Nine were bullied beyond comprehension all year long inside the school. Even anyone who was nice to them really, also got bullied.

Those students were really so young to be so amazing and brave. I'm glad I went.

This was an excellent field trip by bike. I ran errands, visited this historic place, then stopped off for lunch. I sat outside because I was so sweaty and gross. 

Biggest Monday

Monday was HUGE for two reasons.

1. I was filmed for a reality show. Not some bug-eating-fear-factor crap either, but a pilot for a show about Girls who ride Bikes in NYC.

2. I saw My President, Barack Obama in the flesh, up-close for the first time.

This is what I looked like for both events:


Filming was fun, but it rained on us and my 20 minute commute was 2 hours because we would do stuff over and over and they would shoot me from different angles. There was also a still-photo photo shoot in the middle. Some neighborhoodies have stopped me to ask what this film crew was all about. That's fun.
I hope the show gets picked-up by a network.

Here's Dom, who accompanied me on my ride to work until we got totally rained out, the cameras were in danger, and we parted ways.


This is what the marquee looked like on the New Amsterdam Theatre for the blessed event of the evening:


I can't even explain how good my seat was. It was on the aisle, about 15 rows back and the dudes in front of me got up during the good stuff so my view was so clear, I could tell you what Barack's tie pattern was like. It was dreamy.

Sure, I rode an overnight bus to his Inauguration but I was soooo farrrr awaaaayyy then. It was more about the solidarity and magic of the day. For all my life I can say "I was there!" Millions of people on the National Mall and you could hear a pin drop. But that's an old story not totally related to this big Monday I had.

I'm so glad I went to all of these events.

Hair Show & DIY Salt Spray

I'm going to be a hair show model in about ten days. I'm super excited because I love to get professional hair & make-up. I really love to learn about hair & beauty from professionals.

I'm going to be in this show for this salon:


Yes- after my sessions end, I am going to soak up the convention.

Viva on the Left, Kate on the right. This is my lock-up spot for this salon. I love the cafe balloons. VIP.


Yesterday, I got the message that the owner wanted to see me again and speak to me about the show.
My hair went on a job interview. The owner ratted the ends of my hair with his fingertips and I fell in love. I spent a lot of time at work today trying to re-create what he did.

Tonight I went and met the stylist in charge of me for the show and he gave me a thorough cut and talked about his plan for my hair for the show. I am definitely getting my hair cut twice and colored once and a conditioning treatment before the show, then I get completely done-up for the show both days... I think. It's unclear if I'll get styled exactly the same both days.

I loved tonight's cut. I love my blunt bangs. After he did them, he taught me how I can maintain them myself.


I am really happy how every hair person who's dealt with me lately, including these guys, and the lady who did my hair for the NYPost are very supportive of me cutting my own hair. They're really happy for me, and that makes me glad I cut it myself the past couple of months.

My guy tonight also confirmed that my DIY Salt Spray is Awesome. Never buy salt spray again, guys. Make that stuff at home. 

How to make it? Take a bunch of sea salt and mix the heck out of it in HOT water so the salt dissolves and then put a little leave-in conditioner in there and mix it some more. You could also smash the salt with a mortar & pestal if you're fancy. And add fresh lemon juice to make it a little sticky. 

He told me another more complex technique that we can get into if we hang out and you care. You need actual ocean water from the beach. Maybe after Memorial Day and I can visit the beach I'll do a blog post tutorial. 

He also taught me what I should do after I put in dry shampoo. I've been using dry shampoo incorrectly it seems. I just brush it out. You're supposed to blow dry your hair a little bit too. I'm excited to try it and find out but until that hair show, I don't think I'm going to do much to my hair myself at all.

YES! I absolutely ran into the bathroom to take pictures of this done hair...

My face was/is tired. This face has been on the go for 12 hours.

I had to smash it with my bike helmet. Safety before Beauty. 


Safety before Beauty!!! 

Pet Peeve - Honking in the Park

Pet peeve: Cars honking at people in Central Park. 

Central Park is a destination for New Yorkers and tourists. I cannot stand when the cars driving through honk at people who are trying to have a good time in the park. Raw nerves were touched on my commute home this evening. 

There are no curse words or squeals in this video. I say "B" instead of the actual b-word, even though some bald, silly, foolish man called me the b-word this evening.

This isn't a remarkable story, mostly a vent and a chronicle in my little bicycle commuter life.
I also just read the book Unorthodox and it's all about this girl who is raised to be quiet and not speak out and I'm feeling very social justice today. I spoke out. 

Here's the photo of MY SHADOW trying and failing to photograph his plate.

SPOKED - It's cute already

An update on the Spoked project that I'm participating in. This is a project created by some School of Visual Arts students. Leave it to SVA kids to make something so cute and beautifully designed.

They must love me because when I log-in the interface is bathed in this gorgeous shade of magenta. That's like my team color.



I found out that at the end of this adventure-project, I can order a poster of my pattern that will look like this but much more rad. This is the first half of day 1.

I only know one of these competitors in "real life" and by "real life" I mean, a guy who I'm friends with on Twitter who I've come across in commuting a couple times. 

The new girl's new gear

The Viva bike had an obstacle from day one - no cargo capacity - no rack. Tying and looping my handbag & totes onto the handlebars was my immediate solution. Though dangerous. Don't try this at home, OK?


I hoofed around my work neighborhood and my home neighborhood only to be extremely disappointed that everyone only had black metal racks. There were a couple gray, painted metal racks but nothing to match the shiny chrome metal that's all over this bike.

One explanation I was given is that the shops stock black racks to cater to delivery boys.

I hated to order the things I wanted online, because you need to give your local bike shop business, so I got Ben at  Kickstand Bicycles to order them for me.

He ordered the rack I felt was best for this bike - the Wald Sports rear rack. About $20.
Cheap, simple, made in USA - Matches the viva's sexy chrome surfaces. 

Here we are on Tuesday morning's commute.


He also added the Wald 585 rear grocery basket. I'm not in love with the grocery basket but it's a temporary and cost-effective solution ($15) Note: The bungee is strung through the purse handle. 


I need some sweet new saddle bags for this bike.
I also may try to do this recipe to sew my own since my sewing machine is out lately.


I also ponied up about $4 for the most polite-sounding bicycle bell I've met - The Royal Ring Bell.

Also a lovely shiny metal with a stationery striker which helps when you're wearing gloves.

I got these new items Monday night and I was very happy to see the shop so busy. The weather was great but they also had busy foot traffic outside. They're not far from the UN.


It was also really cute to see that they play Pee Wee's Big Adventure on loop in their window.

They know what's up! 

New Bikes, New Tricks

Saturday morning I left the house at 6am to grab coffee and vol. at PP. 

It was rainy and I had to wear a backpack because this bike doesn't have a rack situation...yet.
At the store, they tried to give me some fugly rack but I'd rather suffer than put ugly accessories on this bike. I'm also never trying to put a front basket because it's just too beautiful and tidy up there. 

Sunday I got wise and put this L.A.M.B. neon pink satchel with short handles on the short handlebars of this bike and it went much better than the sweaty-back-inducing backpack of Saturday.

I also put my lock on like this and I'm not in love with that placement.

Despite feeling lazy throughout this weekend, it was actually big and full. 

1. Volunteered at the Planned Parenthood. Pretty uneventful shift. That's a good thing!

2. Rode the new bike to scope out exactly where but I'm still not sure I'm going to hold my Bike Month Ladies event. Save the date coming soon! 

3. Gave Matt a haircut. 

4. Rode the Viva Bike to MoMa to meet Josh, the sweetheart who runs the best John Waters fansite.

5. Took in the magnificent Cindy Sherman exhibit and utilized the audio tour. 

6. Sewed a bunch of my old necklaces. The Martha Stewart ones. 

7. Rode the Viva Bike to meet Matt and friends for our anniversary dinner. 7 years! 

I'm so happy there's a giant Cindy Sherman banner that I get to see every evening on my ride home because I never ever make this red light. 

She's so fresh and bright, she sticks out. 

Sticking out at Astor Place Saturday in the foggiest fog. 

She's Trying to Kill Me

This video is safe for work - I don't curse or squeal.

The Linus Dutchie 1 may not be out to sabotage me, but her chain guard is trying to kill me.

I didn't know how to convey this in photos so I found last night's episode a good time to make a video explaining. Despite how I explain the problem in the video - this has happened to me a handful of times. It happened tonight around 10pm when I was riding home from seeing Gloria Steinem at 92Y, but that's for another post.

I was pretty pissed off that this happened to me, and I had to pull off to a desolate sidewalk to fix it anyway, so I whipped out my camera and made a video. No one will jump or rob you if you are making a video of yourself cursing out your bicycle.

-But my initial video has me saying some tangy curse words and it was pretty dark, so I went home where there was better light and made this clean edit video. 

The Linus Dutchie not only has a rust reputation online now, it's going to have a temperamental, sabotaging chain guard reputation too if this story gets out.

I don't explain it thoroughly, but I owned this bike the whole summer before I needed to wear ankle-covering or real shoes. This first happened in a pair of high-tops. The first few months I owned this bike, I just wore flats or skippies AKA keds.

I'm not giving up on this bike, yet, but I need to find a solution to this.

Cuz' she tryin' to Kill Me! 

Clear Raincoat Friday

Friday night I got pretty rained-on coming home. My waterproof eyeliner (MAC Penultimate) stayed through, though riding with raindrops pinging my face was quiet miserable. Soaking wet shoes too!  I came home to a surprise package at my doorstep. Thanks, Wynn!


I made a messy crazy little video. My hair isn't wet but the rest of outside of my raincoat got drenched.
   
Wynn is my play-brother who lives in Nashville. Inside the box was a Gloria Steinem Fan Club Care Package.

The clear plastic rain jacket debuted on the commute Friday morning. I think I look like a flight attendant today with my neck scarf and navy jacket.

The errand-man at my office warned me that he was playing hookie, so I was dressed to run errands with flat shoes.

Sidenote: I am not cut-out for all this errand-running because I end up in stores like Claire’s Boutique buying cute belts. 

Things I Rarely Do

Sunday I did two things I rarely do:
1. I made the conscious choice to wear an all black jacket for a bike ride.
2. I took myself to Brooklyn.


I got hot and had to un-zip my layers.

I usually like a colorful jacket to be extra visible. It was really sunny and I knew I would be home before dark so I did it. Risky behavior! I actually had bad luck in the way of cars being rude to me. Three instances of overt rudeness in a 14mile round-trip event. I was also twice honked at aggressively while I was in big, green, painted bike lanes, so just because the bike lanes are there now, does not mean cars respect you/me/us/anyone.

Why did I bring myself out to Brooklyn on a Sunday? To go to my friend's sale in his apartment. It's not exactly a sample sale and not exactly a yard sale, so I'll say apartment sale.

He makes hats and I'm thrilled to have purchased this straw one from him


This is me and him before I went into the witness protection program.

And here's the hat he made for SJP for the SATC2 movie. It was fun to catch-up with him, hear stories about the items he was selling, and he showed me this amazing film he's working on.

Some pics from my bike ride Sunday







So many people think I must live in Brooklyn, but I do not. I guess it's a compliment that people think I live there because it's the mecca for trendy cool girls, but I chill on the Upper East Side. Even on trains or cabs or cars I rarely go to Brooklyn. It just seems so far when you live uptown Manhattan. It's whiny to say that, but I admit that I bond with people who share this sentiment. 

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.