Emergency over, request flag raised again

Wow. This internet thing is rather handy.

Within an hour yesterday of posting my plea for speakers of Dutch, I had three offers of help. When I woke up this morning, there were three more. Thank you very much, kind blogreaders, the emergency is over. Your help was much appreciated.

Spent last night watching Number One Son race around the track at sectionals. He definitely gets his speed from his father, thank goodness. He did well enough to make next week’s state qualifiers in the 400. I cannot even begin to imagine what it feels like to move that fast. I am the turtle in the slow lane, ducking my head into my shell as the rocket-fueled racers speed by.

Bookavore has posted many author photos in her ongoing documentation of her adventures at BEA. She has a great shots of her almost-uncle, M.T. Anderson, and of Sherman Alexie, who is exercising his rights of free speech against the owners of the Seattle SuperSonics.

This weekend is devoted to going over the last-last-super-ultimate-last pass of the CHAINS galleys and looking for a bicycle. My plea for Dutch speakers went so well, I will turn to you again.

(Random wandering tangent: Dutch = Netherlands = flat = self-sufficient, energy-saving practical people = lots of bike riders = skating too, on the canals = Hans Brinker = beloved book of childhood = curled up reading on a rainy day with McIntosh apples. Sweet.)

So – do you have any advice about what bicycle I should consider buying? I would use it for going to town to pick up groceries and library books, which means it will need some kind of basket and the ability to climb hills. I also have this fantasy of riding it to the library and bookstore in Oswego, which is about 15 miles away, which means the tires have to be strong, because the shoulders of the road can be sort of cruddy. And it needs a very soft, comfortable seat. I do not want to sit on a rock, thank you very much.

Any suggestions?

8 Replies to “Emergency over, request flag raised again”

  1. No bicycle advice, but I finished reading CHAINS yesterday and really, really loved it. We’re building next year’s Revolutionary War unit around it. THANK YOU!!

  2. I recently bought a hybrid bike – these are good for both street and mild off-road riding. It’s a Specialized Expedition Sport (I think!) and features the comfiest seat, a light frame and nice strong tyres. There’s no basket but you could always buy one seperately. I got it through a tax-free ride-to-work scheme here in the UK so am not sure how much it would be in the US.

    (I don’t think I’ve commented before, so hi from a fan!)

  3. I have no specific bike recommendations because I think frames can be very much about personal fit, but remember that seats are always replaceable. If you love the way a frame feels, but hate the seat, just look for a new comfy seat.

  4. I have no advice on bicycles; I’m about to start a bike search myself.

    I just wanted to tell you I finished CHAINS the other day, and I absolutely loved it.

  5. Seconding Emmaco’s suggestion

    I recently got the bike Emmaco recommends and it’s fantastic. We live out in the country with lots of dirt roads on the way to paved ones with gravel shoulders and it’s just perfect. Nice comfy seat, big, tough tires, and a very comfortable upright sitting position. Room for a great basket on the back — my son has a wire one. It’s roomy, has handles, and snaps in and out of its stage over the back tire so you take it into a shop, fill it up, and snap it back in place.
    -Hope V

  6. I have to chime in on the owners of the Sonics. Sherman Alexie is entitled to an opinion, but I have worked with Clay Bennett when he served on a bank board. I also know his reputation from his friends and his staff. He really wanted to own a team again, and he and his friends were happy to get the chance to buy the Sonics. I can attest that despite what everyone wants to believe, he was truly prepared to have the team stay in Seattle. He had some people drop out of the prospective owners group because they didn’t want to be in Seattle. The ones that stayed in the group were ready to stay there. The man is a straight arrow. He doesn’t lie. Key Arena doesn’t begin to compare to the other arenas in the league, and the city was not willing to help. Oklahoma City is going to benefit from the mistakes Seattle made. It’s easy to make Clay the target of anger about moving the team, but he was trying to make a good business decision. He’s a good man. Before anyone starts shooting from the hip they should get to know him and get the whole picture.

  7. bike suggestion

    I’d go to my local bike shop and tell them what I was looking for–they should be able to help you get the right combo. That’s what we did when my daughter decided she wanted a bike for graduation last year. (Not a car–I’m so proud!) She wanted the same kind of deal, something she could ride on dirt roads as well as black-top.

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