Calm and Bright

Ride Studio Cafe, Sunday Ride
Looking back at this month, I cannot believe that I've managed to squeeze in 300 miles of cycling into the first three weeks of December. The weather has been so lovely. The people I've met have been so encouraging. My bike has been so much fun. The bicyclists around these parts are in a great mood: It feels as if we've been given the gift of a second cycling season in the middle of winter. Commuters and roadcyclists alike are out in full force, smiling and waving to each other (seriously, more on this later). Infected by the holiday cheer, the city has even painted bike lanes on one of the most horrible, unpleasant bridges across the Charles River.

Ride Studio Cafe, Sunday Ride
That said, I am taking a break from manic cycling for the holidays and looking forward to a calm week at home - eating, drinking, spending time with loved ones, listening to David Bowie, getting ready to move into my new painting studio, and just being quiet. The last time I felt like I needed time off the bike, it was kind of a negative "I am sick of being on the bike!" feeling that almost had me worried. This time it's a positive feeling. I am not sick of the bike at all and I am feeling very optimistic. But I am learning to seek balance and to take a break before the point where I overdo it - an art that is difficult to master!

Enjoy your holidays - be they on the bike or off. As always, thank you so much for reading. Here's to our third winter together! 

Comments

  1. Nice bee skep kettle. Thank you for your post and merry Christmas.
    Michael

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  2. Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays, Velouria, and thank you for this cyclist's oasis on the internet!

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  3. This post is a lovely Christmas present. The pix are fun. The one of you with the fork is so appealing-you are so pretty and cute!

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  4. I'm jealous of your miles this month. The weather down south has been wet, cold (by our standards, anyway), and rainy. This is ok for the commuting, but it has totally thrown me off my fitness riding. I look forward to longer, warmer days

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  5. From my family to yours,we wish you a VERY merry Christmas,my friend,and the happiest of New Years!

    (ps: AWESOME accomplishment on the first 3 weeks :) )

    Disabled Cyclist

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  6. "I am sick of being the bike!"

    Just caught this and fixed it,
    funny typo : )

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  7. Anon 10:42 - Anyone can look pretty with a fork over their face!!

    Thanks for the holiday wishes everyone : )

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  8. Enjoy your down time! Good to hear it's on a positive note. Nothing wrong with food, drink, and friends & family.
    Good times indeed!

    Happy holidays to all!

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  9. Every morning I pull up your blog and look forward to another intelligently written article. I'll scroll down the comments and know , this is gonna be good! THANKS V. YOU ROCK!

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  10. I read your site everyday. Best wishes and Merry Christmas from Chester,Wv.

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  11. 30 miles in Boston in December?!!! Well done. I just did my last bike commute of the year yesterday here in DC. (http://rootchopper.blogspot.com/2011/12/suitable-ending.html) I'm really sick of riding to work. I feel like a yo yo on two wheels. Time to ride somewhere else.
    Merry Christmas.

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  12. Nice. Your holiday plans sound, well, lovely!

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  13. David Bowie ? Awesome ! I'm a huge fan of his earlier music. I've been listening to Station To Station alot lately. Happy Holidaze :)

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  14. We downloaded a coupe of his albums the other day and can't stop playing them. I'd forgotten how much I like him.

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  15. Yay Bowie!

    Also, the picture of you with the fork on your face made LOL. (If you're trying to do the trick where you let it hang there, it works better with a spoon.)

    Merry Christmas/Happy Holidays!

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  16. V-Which Bowie albums? I like Station to Station as well as Anon 12:21. I'm pretty heavy on the Berlin trilogy, myself. Scary Monsters ain't bad, either.

    And Happy Holidays!

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  17. April - If you look at the fork there is a reflection that lines up with my teeth. That's what he was trying to capture.

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  18. I was wondering about that with the fork! I thought for a second that it was a partially transparent fork or something. Happy holidays from us and the catizens! :)

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  19. If you haven't experienced 'Bowie at the Beeb', it rocks. Happy holidays!

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  20. Have a happy holidays, love to read your blog daily.

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  21. Merry Christmas V hope y'all have a good holiday
    Cheers
    Jim

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  22. To V and all those who have continued a dialogue on this site the last few years -- good cheers over the holidays!

    Anonymous

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  23. We downloaded a coupe of his albums the other day and can't stop playing them. I'd forgotten how much I like him.

    If The man who sold the world wasn't one of those two, you need to download it. An absolute classic.

    Have a wonderful holiday! And here's to more hill climbing, very soon!

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  24. I love Bowie's 'Golden Years'.

    Merry Christmas and thank you for this lovely blog.

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  25. You mean Kurt Cobain didn't write The Man Who Sold the World??

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  26. Peppy (the musical cat)December 24, 2011 at 9:19 PM

    No, I wrotes it.

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  27. Peppy (the musical cat)December 24, 2011 at 9:20 PM

    Is about Shimano riders.

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  28. Bowie is a pretty nice soundtrack to the winter festivities. I'm a big fan of "Scary Monsters"(Robert Fripp did *great* work on that recording) and also "Low".
    "The Man Who Sold The World" really is a classic, too. Cobain was a poseur. ;)

    Herself and I laughed upon seeing the coffee rig this afternoon- we had just been perusing that very set about an hour before.

    Happy holidays to all from us!

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  29. Happy Christmas! Congratulations on 300 miles!

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  30. Thanks! I was doing more weekly miles than this over the summer. But in December I just never expected to be able to ride so much.

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  31. BTW, Peppy is a fibber. Unknown Hinson wrote it.
    Everybody seems to steal music from him.

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  32. Ηαρρy Christmas beautiful Velouria.
    A daily reader and Pasley owner from Athens- Greece.
    Maxiimos

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  33. ah, Bowie...
    Merry Christmas to all of you, and thank you Velouria for giving us so much food for thought.

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  34. The only winter I ever spent in Boston was the legendary blizzard of 1975. It wasn't a question of mileage, more of avoiding the very real possibility of freezing to death....Happy Christmas to all

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  35. That fork is bent.

    Merry Christmas and thank you for another year of great reading. Best to you and yours!

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