I finished.
I had the whole day planned today to finish my final 4 errandonnee errands and then it rained all morning. It cleared by late afternoon and I came up with a new plan to get it done! My control card was a mess, so I reprinted it. That was a mess, so I reprinted it. I’m on my third copy and it’s a mess. Now that I’m done, I’ll print it over again so it’s legible.
Here’s how it all went down:
1. Social Call. I rode my Trek 520 commuter bike to meet the bike club for bagels and coffee. It’s the only bike I’ve been on since December. Horrible winter!!!
- Destination: Bloomin’ Bagels II
- What I learned/observation: If we arrive an hour earlier we avoid the college crowd and the large group of police officers that take up several tables.
- Miles: 0.8 (from home to the bagel shop)
- Date: Saturday, 3/7/15
2. Personal Business. I went from the bagel shop to the bank to get some cash. I’m a victim of direct deposit….I never have cash on me.
- Destination: First Columbia Bank, ATM
- What I learned/observation: The bank tellers at the drive through really stare at me when I’m wearing “a mask” over my face for the cold; horrible winter.
- Miles: 1.1 from the bagel shop to the bank
- Date: Saturday, 3/7/15
3. Store. After the bank I headed to the bike shop determined to get a mirror for the 520. I really miss having a mirror like I had on my old commuter and the bar end shifters limit the choices. Frans was able to find one that hooks on to the hood with velcro. Ugly but functional. I spend a lot of time on the road and like having it.
- Destination: Dutch Wheelman bike shop
- What I learned/observation: Business is still slow at the shop; horrible winter!
- Miles: 3.3 from the bank, to the bike shop and then home
- Date: Saturday 3/7/15
4. Work or volunteering. The first ride to work in Daylight Saving time. It was more darkness than I’ve had to deal with in a while. At first I thought my lights weren’t properly charged, but it’s just really dark when I leave. Sunrise came right about the time I arrived at work.
- Destination: Geisinger Medical Center
- What I learned/observation: Sunrise coincides with my arrival at work…for now.
- Miles: 23.63 round trip
- Date: Monday, 3/9/15
5. Work or volunteering. Second day in a row riding to work. Not an easy feat this winter. This week would end up as the first full week of bike commuting since December if I remember correctly. Horrible winter!!!! I got soaked on the ride home and then the fog rolled in and stayed through the next morning.
- Destination: Geisinger Medical Center
- What I learned/observation: The back roads out of town are horrible from the winter. There are many dangerously deep (for a bike) potholes.
- Miles: 23.34 round trip
- Date: Tuesday, 3/10/15
6. You carrried WHAT on your bike?! We had freebies at work; trunk organizers for the car – for the junk in your trunk. I was going to give it to my husband when he stopped by for lunch, but I forgot, so I brought it home on my bike.
- Destination: Home
- What I learned/observation: The big piles of snow along the road that finally melted revealed more than a dozen empty pints of Smirnoff vodka in one small stretch of road. Trashy looking, but humorous as I kept counting them.
- Miles: 11.88
- Date: Thursday, 3/12/15
7. You carried WHAT on your bike?! I was headed to a birthay party at the bike shop after work and planned to bring beer. Now, I haven’t drank or bought beer in many years. I stopped at a beer distributor about 2-3 miles from the bike shop. I asked about 6/12 packs and was informed that PA beer distributors are not allowed to sell them. I didn’t need a whole case so I headed to town in search of a bar to get take out 6 packs. In my college days I knew every bar in town, now I was trying to figure out where to go…I stopped in the first dive bar I came to and grabbed a Heiney (or two). Two six packs in one pannier makes for a slightly unbalanced bike.
- Destination: Romig’s Cafe (actually a bar)
- What I learned/observation: You can’t get six packs at a PA beer distributor.
- Miles: 0.51 from the bar to the bike shop.
- Date: Friday the 13th
8. Personal Business. After the party at the bike shop I made my (almost) weekly trip to the ATM. There’s a bank branch about a block away and it dispenses funds in multiples of 5. You don’t see that around here much.
- Destination: First Columbia Bank ATM
- What I learned/observation: It got really chilly in the last couple hours!
- Miles: 0.17 from the bike shop to the bank
- Date: Friday the 13th
9. Personal Care. The start of my re-vamped day of errands after the morning rain. I did the Saturday morning breakfast biker club by car and went to the bike shop to pay my club dues by car. Rotten rain; better than horrible winter though. Then the rain stopped. I headed to the Health Food store to get my favorite soap, Dr Bronner’s Magic Soap in Peppermint.
- Destination: Bloom Naturally
- What I learned/observation: It’s dreary outside and there’s a chill in the air.
- Miles: 1.19 from home to the store.
- Date: Pi Day, Saturday, 3/14/15
10. Personal care. I left the health food store and headed east. I decided to make a stop at the Label Shopper. Recently I’ve found some good shirts there. It’s really hit or miss, but I found some good Patagonia wool shirts for $14.99 in recents weeks. Today, no such luck in my size.
- Destination: Label Shopper
- What I learned/observation: There’s so much crap to dig through in that store!
- Miles: 2.28 from Bloom Naturally to Label Shopper
- Date: Pi Day, Saturday, 3/14/15
11. Store turned into Social Call (Does that make it a wild card?). Across the parking lot from the Label Shopper, who can resist Sheetz? I wanted a coffee and didn’t want to make a full pot at home. I also grabbed a cookie for my Mom. She’s visiting and mentioned that I could get her a chocolate chip cookie while on my travels. Inside Sheetz I ran into a former co-worker. We reminisced about our former boss….what a piece of work she was!!
- Destination: Sheetz
- What I learned/observed: Sheetz is always busy with their MTO (made to order) menu.
- Miles: 0.13 from Label Shopper to Sheetz/across the parking lot.
- Date: Pi Day, Saturday, 3/14/15
12. Non-store errand. Final Errandonnee – the Scott Township building. I dropped off the sewer bill in their drop box.
- Destination: Scott Township Authority
- What I learned/observation: It’s getting foggy again.
- Miles: 1.86 from Sheetz, to STA and home.
- Date: Pi Day, Saturday, 3/14/15
Note: All rides were done on my Trek 520 touring bike. I bought it in December to use as my everyday commuter and love it. I’m already planning a mini tour in the fall. My road bike has been in hibernation because of, you guessed it, the horrible winter.
It’s been another fun challenge and Spring is (finally) right around the corner. Now I have to clean up the control card and get it all sent in by Monday night.
