NEWFLASH: I love Cross Country Skiing.

Who knew! I thought I would probably like it bc I never like to go too fast downhill, and it's all about the quiet and the scenery. 8ish years ago, I decided downhill skiing costs more than it is fun, but XC is half the price (at least) with all the quiet and nature you can reach. The only downside is that I really like riding high above the slopes on downhill ski lifts. See my photos of the day for more images.

It could have gone badly. I went to the mountains with 3 couples: me, as usual, the 7th wheel. (Actually, I was the 9th wheel in France.) That said, I hardly noticed. Most uncharacteristically, I wish I'd brought more food. I also noticed (again) that I love the game "Apples to Apples". Finally, falling onto snow is pretty nice.

Little Brown Riding Hood Takes a Cigarette Break.

Little Brown Riding Hood, sporting her usual capri pants (perfect for biking), ballet flats, green pea coat and scarf, walked her baby blue basketed steed home. She'd been out to collect chips and salsa for her impromptu Mission apartment party but was now enjoying a moment to herself before zipping back. Meanwhile, the mural woman danced gracefully around her like a chubby 2-dimensional tinkerbell.

Big Wheel Race

The Big Wheel Race is a thing in itself that I am tempted to include in VV, but it doesn't promote the use of the bicycle as transportation in fashionable clothing. So, I resist. However, this lady rode up to the event all gold-beige and coordinated with her bike wearing sexy shoes. She qualified!

Hippie Hill

Who knew that Hippie Hill would be a regular bastion of Vélo Voguers on a Sunday afternoon.

On the Way to Potrero

I was biking down to Potrero Hill when I saw this woman, all in black except a hot pink miniskirt and gold-flecked leg warmers over her combat boots. Caz of London recommends leg warmers as the new bicycle clips. I also liked the gold glinting in the spring sun.

Easter Best

This young lady rolled out of bed last Sunday morning and began working on her bike. I rode past and noticed her immediately, all pink and yellow, even her hair matched! She was relucant at first to have her photo take bc she'd just woken up, but I thought that was so part of her charm.

The Trifecta of Love

This post on Kristin's blog is so consistent with my research on the subject that I feel compelled to link directly to it.

My Blog/Body/Boat

Now that I have a job and 4 blogs, liliapilia doesn't always get to ride shotgun. These words were coming into my head as I poured myself another cup of tea just now. I'm not sure how I feel about the auto-centric metaphor. On the one hand, I think it's clever. On the other hand, I don't really want to perpetuate auto-centrism.

Sports metaphors permeate our lives, and not everyone is obsessed with sports. It is an example of how it's still a "man's world" since sports are stereotypically a male-dominated pastime. My office is doing a basketball pool in teams where each university pays a "carbon penalty" based on its footprint. (Worry not, no money is actually involved.) I'm on a team with 2 others who also know nothing about basketball making the exercise that much more ridiculous (in a good way).

I started monitoring comments a while back because I was sometimes annoyed by the words people left. Despite putting my words up on the very-public internet, I am always flattered that anyone cares what I have to say. I use a sitemeter now (reverse-stalking!) but comments used to be the only way I knew anyone else was out there. It's still the only way I know how you're reacting to what I'm saying. But it's also my blog; so, I get to decide what goes on it. If someone says something encouraging in a comment, the rest of the world doesn't necessarily need to know that. If someone says something I don't agree with, I get to decide if I want to open that can on my forum. If someone says something stupid, I'm kind enough to save them the embarrassment of my other 7 readers knowing about it. My blog, my rules.

G has observed that while I am normally incredibly easy going, there are 2 areas where I am not: 1) food and 2) sailing. I eat fresh, healthy, unrefined food only and several times a day. I wash the dirt and (sometimes) pesticides off my vegetables. I see these things not happening in your kitchen, I will either 1) intervene or 2) not eat food from there anymore. When I am skippering a boat, and you're shifting your weight all over the place, you better believe I am going to tell you to keep the &^%$ still. My boat/body, my rules. ...But otherwise, do whatever you want.

When we first started the photo of the day, the main thing I did all day was take pictures. Now, I shoot when I see something interesting and remember to shoot. Sometimes I find myself in panic at the end of the day shooting photos out my apartment window or going for a walk specifically to find something photo-worthy. I hate when that happens. At first G thought the point of the project was to make us get outside. I always thought the point of the project is for us to build up our portfolios. Several of my daily photos are now for sale at my gallery (altho admittedly it's been a slow month, and I haven't sold any of the new photos yet).

KT says that we need to post to Velo Vogue every day to sustain and build readership. That's a big responsibility, but we're doing profiles and occasionally scouring flickr for ideas. And, in this case, it actually does mean that we have to get out in public. I do, however, keep an eye out my apartment window too.

Commuter Vogue

It feels like I've spent most of this week on Caltrain. Caltrain is pretty nice to be on. I bring my thermos of tea, a banana and maybe a muffin, and I don't mind being on the train at all. I would eat breakfast anyway, right?

Caltrain has some of the best intermodal facilities (geek-talk for accommodation of bicycles) I've used. One car is dedicated to bicyclists and their steeds, and I'm usually on it. Keeping an eye out for VV has been pretty frustating -- there are a lot of cyclists, but they must be changing out of their spandex when they get to work (I hope!). I see one cute girl every day (not sure if it is the same one) -- here is my attempt to capture her look:

Liberator

I found this image posted on flickr by taisau with accompanying essay. Wow!

Black Saturday

The girls and I went to brunch last weekend as we sometimes like to do. Sitting by the window next to Dolores Park, I was constantly checking for VV material. (I think my friends understand.) This lady, in black, black, black, with boots, a short skirt, leather jacket, hair tie around her red hair, was the best-dressed cyclist I saw. Her edgy urban look balanced nicely with her cruiser-with-wicker-basket bike.

Mood Collapse

My mood collapsed today. I was at the Flower and Garden Show helping my friend Susan who had a stand there. I took a stroll around the show, and somehow in the middle, I began to loath myself: no one likes me; I'm impossible to get along with; my skills are bad; that kind of thing. I went back to Susan's booth and shared this event with her and the woman in the next booth.

Susan understood immediately. "I hate when that happens." The woman in the next booth seemed very concerned. I guess this never happens to her.

Someone recently sent me a spam email that had a supposedly "real" phone tree for a mental health clinic. "If you are dyslexic, hit 9696969696969696. If you are paranoid, we know you're calling so just wait on the line." etc. The last one, which I can sometimes relate to, was "If you have low self-esteem, our operators are too busy to talk to you." This afternoon was one of those times!

I don't know why I get "Body + Soul" magazine. This months issue had an article on heartbreak by Susan Piver (pg. 90). She found that friends and faith can heal a broken heart, and I agree with her. She cited "a good Buddhist teaching": "When you throw a stick for a dog, he runs after it. But throw a stick for a lion, and he turns around to see who threw it. Now when a strong emotion comes up, I try to act like a lion...."

So, I tried to explain to Susan and her friend that I was suddenly depressed because I ate too much sugar, but they just seemed alarmed. They suggested that maybe I feel sad because I feel sad. I don't think this is ever the case. There's always a reason. I came home and ate a good meal. I feel better now.

Santa's Little Helper

I had a shift at my gallery yesterday, and KT agreed to swing by for a long-overdue Velo Vogue meeting. The gallery is on Valencia, one of the streets most heavily trafficked with cyclists in the City. So, we were beating ourselves up over and over as attractive cyclists whizzed by too fast for us to snap their pictures. You have to let some of them go, we agreed. And then we saw this one:
I was especially taken with her earmuffs, and the way her boots matched them and her hat. Her classic road bike also matches her ensemble, stark white, so chic. I jumped up and chased her down just barely capturing her image as she sped through the next intersection. (A customer at the gallery become concerned that I might react the same when when he left the gallery until I showed him her picture.)

Fruit Chart

This is a very important issue for me, and I am going to make my own chart to share with you shortly. I think I'll add a 3rd dimension of individual fruit deliciousness/yuckiness probability and level of trauma caused when yuckiness occurs.

Just back from Mexico

Tired, sunburned, and home
You can see in the photos that was days of torture. More to follow.

P.S. that's a Beneteau 50 for those of you who care.

Announcing Liliapiliaart, a yahoogroup

Most months when I am showing work, I send out an email to people I think might want to know about it. I worry that I'm spamming them. I wonder if they care. And I miss other people who do care and want to be informed. So, I divised a new system: a yahoogroup for my art activities, liliapiliaart. Please join.

I'll send about 2 messages per month when I have show up, not more. You can control at what frequency you receive them and to what address. More information about my art and activities is available thru links and photos associated with the group.

This month, I have up a group of small-sized photos in a grid on the wall by the window. You can see it even when the gallery is closed. The gallery is open W-Su noon to 9 p.m.

Peasant Blouse-Dress

You just never know when inspiration will strike. So, it helps to always be ready.
I was rushing to an appointment when this artful lady in peasant blouse-dress, vest, leggings, and half-boots pulled up along side me. Her bike was nothing special, but I loved the handlebars and front basket she'd added and the way she casually, yet gorgeously, placed her purse in it. I'm rarely quick enough to catch moments like these, but yesterday I did.

Teenagers

My friends love tv shows about teenagers: My So-called Life, Buffy, Gilmore Girls, etc. I liked the first season of Veronica Mars. The OC had me on board for about 5 minutes. So, I'm not sure if I believe what I am about to say. I don't like teenagers.

I don't know any teenagers. But I was trying once again to enjoy a show someone I respect likes, and I had trouble living in that world. Hating teenagers is the only conclusion I can come up with bc, afterall, I hated being a teenager so much it seems an obvious conclusion.

Teenagers are boring. I was boring as a teenager. I can't bring myself to care about what people are saying about them at school or whether or not they should have sex. Do it. Have sex. Try drugs. Get pregnant. Be a cheerleader. Go to Juvie. Become prom queen. Just please keep it to yourself. I don't want to hear about it bc none of it is going to matter in a few years. We'll all have trouble remembering those glory days, thank goodness.

I'm sending my kids to boarding school in France on their 13th Birthdays. I'll talk with them on the phone and spend solid quality time with them in summer, but I don't want to be there every day when every little thing is so incredibly important. And I don't want to watch tv about it either.

Critical-Mass Style

We sometimes feel a bit frustrated. Stylish cyclists must be everywhere, but we can't be everywhere all at once taking their pictures. To address this issue, we had the idea to go where cyclists congregate, in this case, Critical Mass. This is cheating, of course, bc the whole idea is to capture stylish cyclists in the natural habitat. People wear special clothes for Mass. At the same time, the very important Leap Year Mass Vogue was worth documenting.

I rode up with this guy (in green) and was so happy to have the opportunity to record his look once we arrived at Justin Herman Plaza.

When I asked if I could take her picture, the lady in the pink dress said "Yes, that's why I came!"
I replied: "We've been looking for each other."


Of course, there were lots of gorgeous cyclists at the ride, but I only had time to shoot photos of a few of them.

Dreams

I'm sitting here literally waiting for paint to dry on a beautiful Saturday afternoon. But the tide is low, and I'm still a bit sick. Last night I went out to troll for Velo Vogue, and the cold air doesn't do my throat any favors. My life is about the change dramatically but for now I am trying to get healthy again.

So, I've been listening to NPR, and the other day they surprised me with a show with a psychic. Several of my friends have sessions with psychics over the phone at least once a year. I find it fascinating, but I don't really get it. Is it reassuring to be told things? Is it more socially acceptable than therapy bc it's quirky?

Anyway, this psychic on the radio was talking about people and their dreams. Not the dreams we have at night, but the dreams we have for our lives. (G says maybe they have trouble being taken seriously bc they call them dreams rather than goals.) I'm talking about the kind of dreams like when I say I am going to be full-time artist or someone else says he's going to be a full-time musician. I know lots of these people, and these "dreams" are more realistic than I imagine.

The psychic was talking about the importance of risk-taking in life, how it is undervalued. Our collective consciousnesses has become drones to an idea of security. Meanwhile (and this is me talking) people are getting laid off right and left. Where's the security there? It makes no sense to me to let myself become a victim of my circumstances. I'd rather follow my bliss. Thank you very much.

The psychic also talked about the temptation of people to "stomp on other people's dreams." She advised against it. My family is getting much better about this as they learn that I can be trusted with myself. My friends who can't take it usually end up being left behind. It was an "aha" moment when Doug sent me a job posting with the preface, "I believe in your dreams. But if you are thinking of getting back into planning, this might be a good job for you." I loved that!

I have a lot of dreams, and some other of them did influence me to apply for that job but ultimately accept a different one. Tyler assures me that it is normal in this economy to change your job, or your emphasis, or to take time off, every year or so. But then, he's "younger and faster.... I'm older and I (need) more insurance." But that's not the point.

My point is just an observation about how we see our own and each other's lives. Good relationships are those where people support the each other's decisions, no matter what they are, when you trust people with themselves. Like in the Mary Oliver poem, you love what you love, but being able to love actively is about trust and letting go like in the Sting song.