bike! bike!!

ooh, boy. i sure have been letting this blog slide, haven't i?

only a couple of big things to report, i guess. one is that stephen's daughter has fallen in love with me. which is *great*, but also tends to complicate things in unexpected ways. we're forging ahead, but this is uncharted territory for all of us.

secondly, i got a bike! i feel like an official portlander now! i went to bike shops and test-rode a couple of different new models, but i ended up buying a second-hand bike from a friend of mine. it wasn't exactly what i was in the market for (i was looking for a hybrid/commuter type thing, and this is a mountain bike) but she only charged me $100, and the other bikes i was looking at were in the $500 range. i'll probably end up sinking some extra $ into this bike (replacing the knobby tires with street tires, for instance) but i'll still have come out ahead.

so i've ridden it to work twice so far. i have to say, this is good exercise. there are several groups of muscles in my thighs that seem quite surprised to be called upon. my legs are always shaky for a few minutes after i reach my destination.

portland is Bike Nirvana. most major roads have bike lanes, and motorists by and large are on the lookout for bicycles on the road. still, on my way home the other night i almost got plowed under by a city bus (biodiesel powered, natch) when the driver didn't think to look in the bike lane before turning right. this is a whole new lifestyle i'm embarking upon. i'm looking forward to taking the bike to one of portland's many bike paths, away from motor vehicles, and just getting used to the idea of being mobile in this way.

oh, there is one more thing i have to report, i guess: i'm doing the on-stage welcome-announcements tomorrow at the big symphony concert hall downtown as part of the opening night festivities of the oregon bach festival. what this means is that i'll be standing on stage in front of 2,000+ people, trying my best to be coherent. egad. i was nervous before the tony starlight thing a couple of weeks ago, and that was only 80 people. thankfully my trusty boyfriend will be by my side once again.