A Hipster, A Taco and A Crab Walk Into a Beer Festival

Every year the New Belgium beer company holds a series of Tour de Fat celebrations across the US with all the money raised going to local nonprofits.  By some freak occurrence five SUS '12 members (and tons of other B&B Alumni) were free so we all headed over to Yards Park to join in the cycling, check out the costumes and find out what each other has been up to over the last few months.

My favorite taco, her hipster friend and I (the crab) headed out on the critical mass ride which was a quick loop out to Eastern Market.  Dang pincers got in the way!

We rode up by the Capitol and I could not resist stopping for an UBER touristy picture. 

Once we got back to Tour de Fat we quickly met up with the rest of the SUS '12 crew (and then grabbed some tokens so we could imbibe some New Belgum brews)!!!

Bikes + Beer + SUS '12 = The Perfect Saturday!!

There was also the most amazing Yo-Yo duo.  Now you might think hey, how exciting could it be to watch someone walk the dog and fly a yo-yo around the world, but let me tell you these two were memorizing!!!  The audience of 100+ twenty somethings was clapping, laughing and wooping it up.

See ... look how much everyone is having!!!

Arden played Vanna White and helped me work the life-sized kaleidoscope

 

And the view from the eyepiece - it does not do it justice.

One of the best life decisions I ever made was to bring along my handy hydration pack.  Nothing like keeping hydrated after an afternoon in the sun!  Seriously I might consider bringing this thing with me more often to summer events.

All in all, over $42,000 was raised for local cycling charities (and I didn't end up looking like a crab)!  

Got my toes in the water, butt in the sand

And Esman and I had not a worry in the world!  

As a kid, Memorial Day meant heading into the town square for a Memorial Day parade and BBQ at the fire house (we were sometimes luck enough to score a firetruck ride or two around the village).  This year I switched it up; Esman and I hopped in the car and headed to Rehoboth Beach out in Deleware.  Surprisingly we hit no traffic very little traffic and spent the day lazily reading books on the beach and getting our fill of people watching.

Don't let the picture fool you; the beach was packed!

No unofficial first day of summer would be complete without a frozen custard and some rainbow sprinkles (talk about reliving your childhood)!!

I am also happy to report that neither of us came back looking like a lobstah!!

Rolling Thunder Comes to Town

Every year, the Sunday before Memorial Day thousands of vets/motorcycle riders come to DC for Rolling Thunder's Ride to the Wall.  Started in 1995, the group now has 90 chapters in the US and a handful abroad and they work to create policy to assist POW/MIAs.  The founding fathers of the ride envisioned bikers coming across the Arlington Bridge and likened the sound to the 1965 bombing campaign, Operation Rolling Thunder.

Today was no different and at noon riders left the Pentagon, weaved their way over the Arlington Bridge and finally to the Vietnam War Memorial.  As you wander around the National Mall there is no way to miss the incredible demonstration; the sound of "rolling thunder" through the streets helps draw crowds as curiosity gets the best of tourists and locals alike. 

Medical Humor!

Everything is Coming Up ... Lettuce

Well we are at the three week mark and everything in the garden is taking off!!  We had a minor blip in the system as half of my seeds got rained out thanks to six inches of rain in three days, but things seem to have dried out by now.

Plot 23 has been mulched and I have some make shift tomato planters in the back.

The raspberries are starting to come out.  This afternoon I put up bird netting so hopefully I will come away with some berries.

Look at that fancy bean pole I made.  And as you can see I was not kidding about lettuce.  It is EVERYHWERE!!!  On the up side, I will not have to buy any at the farmers market for a while. 

I am Having a Rose Moment

Christine invited us over for a girls night; her menu and table scape would make Ina proud!

No evening is complete without a game of Heads Up.  

This game, made popular on the Ellen Show, has hit the masses and is good for a lot of laughs.

Happy SUS-a-versary

As we were so eloquently reminded by the amazing Jessie, today is our 2nd SUS-a-versary!!!  In layman's terms, two years ago 27 strangers came from all over the country armed with a bike, a bag, a sense of adventure and most importantly a desire to serve as affordable housing advocates. Oh how the time has flown!!

Over the next three months, eight trips will be heading west to conquer some of the best terrain the US has to offer, to rebuild communities and to be surprised by the kindness and generosity of total strangers!  While I read blogs and view pictures posted by friends, I will try to keep the green eyed monster and sense of wanderlust at bay which is easier said than done. 

Want to get an idea of what this year's SUS might be up against?  

Check out our seven minute cross country dance video!

Honor Flights Head to DC

After five seasons of giving bike tours around DC, I have pretty much seen everything from music videos being taped to engagements, from protestors to unicyclers.  As the weather gets nicer, veterans from around the country come to pay respect to the friends they lost.  The honor flight program flies WWII vets (for free) from around the country not only to see their own memorial, but to see everything the National Mall has to offer.  While it is not out of the ordinary to see vets and their volunteer companions, today the Indiana Honor Flight did something I had never seen before.  Not only were the WWII recognized and thanked for their service, each was given their military photo; one woman even arrived in the same Navy uniform she wore during the war.

To find out how you can volunteer and/or donate check out the Honor Flight Network Hub page.

Happy Nurses Week!!

The Gardens Are Off

Well the garden has officially been in for a week and I am happy to report that no plants have been lost from transplant shock.  The garden plot is much improved from how I found it this spring!!!

This year I have tons of different tomato plants, broccoli, cauliflower, peppers, jalapenos, eggplant, carrots, radishes, strawberries and some flowers (to attract the bees). 

On the home front ... all things herbs and lettuce, as well as pole beans and raspberries.

Last week's three day rain storm brought six inches of rain so hopefully once things start to dry out, everything will grow like gangbusters.