Tag Archives: South Shore

Picnic with Derek and Move Over Miss CatEye

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Dereks grave with me

I had lofty plans for an 80 mile ride Saturday July 5th, which was scheduled to start at 6 a.m. Having recently found an online map and pedal-by-pedal directions from Newton, MA to Greenwich, CT from the Ride to End ALS, I wanted to try out the directions and see whether I could make it to NYC with these directions and map alone. On Saturday I was planning on using my own bicycle maps to get from Quincy to Newton, and then using the ALS Ride directions to travel another 40 miles or so to see how I’d do following their directions. I figured if it worked out okay, this would allow me to save money and avoid buying a fancy shmancy Garmin GPS system. It would also give me the satisfaction of traveling to NYC the old-fashioned way…well sort of…that is, with the assistance of Google Maps when in pinch. Don’t get me wrong, I have applied for a Garmin Edge 1000 through the Garmin website, and am still hoping I can appeal to the sympathies of the corporate Garmin giants and get one donated.

Having checked the forecast numerous times the previous couple days knowing remnants of Hurricane Arthur were heading our way, it was expected that the clouds would clear shortly after sunrise,  just in time for me to hit the roads “OldYeller style.” Although I tucked in a wee bit late for a 5 a.m. rising, I dragged my soon-to-be spandex wearing behind out of bed and sleepily crawled to the front door to get a live weather update.  Much to my dismay, I saw that the clouds had not cleared, the temperature was in the high 50’s, and the rain was still coming down in drizzles. The ambitious part of my brain was urging me to suck it up, put on some warm clothes, bundle the speaker and cell phone up in a ziplock bag, and head out ASAP so I could still get the 80 miles in before I had to be back for my birthday date with my 15 year old niece Haley. The more rational and safety conscious part of my brain cautioned me to wait a couple of hours for the weather to clear because of the danger inherent in slick roads, overflowing street gutters, and big puddles. I’m not sure if it was the safety conscious part of me who won out or just the lazy part of me who wanted to sleep a couple more hours; but either way, I went back to bed for another hour or two. My final decision to go back and slumber was made once I remembered that Miss CatEye (my ailing odometer) still had not been fixed. Miss CatEye was an important part of Saturday’s ride because the directions I was experimenting with were laid out according to mileage, and it would be tough to follow along without Miss CatEye displaying my mileage.

Two hours later, I woke up feeling more refreshed, the clouds had parted ways enough to allow the sun to peak through, and Old Yeller’ and I set out on a 50 to 60 mile “Plan B ride” through lots of towns South of Boston. I didn’t need Miss CatEye because I used Google Maps to estimate how many miles away to my destination. I didn’t need a GPS or directions because I was quite familiar with the South Shore back roads and towns. My plan was to bike from Quincy to my brother Derek’s grave sight in Pembroke, and I did this by traveling through Quincy, Weymouth, Hingham, Norwell, Hanover, and Hanson before entering Pembroke. As I neared Mattakeesett Street in Pembroke, I turned my Spotify application to Lynyrd Skynyrd, Derek’s favorite band, and “Simple Man” began to pipe out of my back pocket through my JBL Wireless Speaker. The closer I got to the cemetery, the more tears started to fall, and the grief weighed me down like a heavy cloak. Although it has been more than 6 years and 7 months since my brother passed unexpectedly at age 37, the heart doesn’t always recognize time when it comes to healing from loss. When I reached my destination of Mount Pleasant Cemetery,  about 25 miles from home, I cycled across the lawn to my brother’s grave. I sat by his grave side, continued to play the songs he loved best, ate some lunch, and had myself a heart to heart with my big brother. I talked to him about all the changes that have taken place in my life since he left us; shared my longing to be able to turn to him with carpentry questions and also to talk with him about what I will learn in school; and I asked him for care, guidance and protection during my bike ride and during my studies at North Bennet Street School.  I left my picnic with Derek feeling grateful for the drizzling rain, the breakdown of Miss CatEye, and for Plan B rides because I was able to spend some quality time in reflection and connection.

After leaving Pembroke, I returned home a different route because I wanted to stop by and see my mom in Abington with some surprise Dairy Queen treats, cycling through Hanson, Whitman, Abington, Holbrook, and Braintree before reentering Quincy. The weather cooperated beautifully, as Arthur was dehydrated after the July 4th deluge.

As far as Miss CatEye, this story may be all too familiar for mature women. Unfortunately when I went to a local Quincy bike shop to assess the problem with Miss CatEye, I was told that her sensors seem to be working okay but the wiring is probably worn out because of age, loosened, and no longer functioning up to par. As a result, she will have to be replaced by a newer, slimmer, and more technologically savvy version of herself…and she will be discarded with no severance, alimony,nor even a warranty. Thank you for helping me through all those miles Miss CatEye. You’ll be missed!

Dereks grave

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MUSICAL CYCLIST

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CHECK OUT THE LATEST MUSICAL CYCLIST VIDEO:

If you live in or around the South Shore and happen to hear an array of tunes at a moderate volume traveling by your home at about 8 to 25 miles an hour (depending on the incline), don’t jump to conclusions and prematurely scold your teenager who has a habit of blaring music as he peels out of the driveway. If you live in Merrymount, Hough’s Neck, Germantown, or Adam’s Shore and hear what seems to be an early morning alarm clock playing music in a distant room, go back to sleep because it is not your alarm (or your neighbor’s). It is me, the mysterious musical cyclist, the girl who speeds around like I am still a bike messenger. Now, however, I have added features that I did not have when I was earning my money pedaling the streets of Manhattan…I HAVE SPOTIFY AND A JBL WIRELESS SPEAKER!They work like magic (aka: bluetooth via my phone, which I still don’t really understand). The phone and speaker fit so perfectly into the back pockets of my cycling shirts, as if the pockets were put there for this very purpose. I can listen to whatever artist I want, depending on my mood. In other words, on any given day, you could see or hear me pedaling at a leisurely pace to Billy Joel’s “Piano Man,” beebopping gleefully to Stevie Wonder’s “Superstition,” smashing my pedals in rhythm to a Nickelback, Guns n Roses, or Lynyrd Skynyrd song, and almost universally ending my ride with Eminem kicking me in the tail with “Till I Collapse” or “Lose Yourself.” I cannot imagine a world without music and movement, and I am incredibly blessed that I have the ability to feel and utilize both. So I apologize in advance if you are enjoying your morning meditation and having a zen moment, which then gets interrupted by the Musical Cyclist pedaling by to Pink’s “Sober.” If so, just smile and wave. If I am traveling at a speed of 35 miles per hour or above, don’t wave because I might get distracted and crash.

Biking to Beyonce video

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