I logged several great trips in the early part of April before greeting Maggie on April 20th.

The biking miles are starting to stretch out a lead over the driving miles which is nice, but it’s going to be hard to sustain going forward.  The summer weather tends to encourage a few road trips to the coast, and I’ve decided to leave the PBA to take a new job with Premera Blue Cross.  It’s a great new opportunity and the office is less than a mile from HBHQ.  I’m looking forward to being able to walk to work, but I think my riding miles are going to take a hit.

April Results

Driving: 31.9

Riding: 63

Overall

Driving: 533.5

Riding: 689.7

September, October,  November, December,  January, February, and March logs

A precaution.

I could take that.

Kurt, the nurse from the Special Care Nursery, came to our room and introduced himself to us and explained what would be happening over the next few hours – an IV and antibiotics started for Maggie.

Barry and I walked with Kurt and Maggie across the hall to the Special Care Nursery where they hooked our little girl up to a line of antibiotics to help fight something she may or may not have. After Maggie got settled into her little corner area of the nursery I had a long conversation with her about why she was in the nursery – making it clear that in 48 hours we were going home and that she most certainly did NOT have an infection.

hospital stay (Video: click to see HB + Maggie in our little corner of the nursery. I was blog posting from Barry’s phone, go figure!)

As the 48 hours crept by Barry and I took shifts staring at our little package and got to know the nursing staff – again, I have a new perspective of what it means to be a nurse – . The nursery closes for one hour every 12 hours for the nursing shift change and we spent this time either napping or showering since staring at Maggie was not an option during the shift change.

Our families came by and took turns coming into the nursery to hold Maggie since only one person could be in the nursery at a time with either Barry or myself present. Since I looked at this time as a precautionary measure, I was able to function fairly well. The nursing staff was on the bandwagon of “Maggie’s going home in ____ hours!”

Overall the stay in the nursery was a blur and I’m fine looking back on that time with cloudy vision – I didn’t want to get too comfortable there and certainly didn’t want Maggie to either. Having a machine beep every time she moved to a strange position was not a noise I wanted to become immune to.

Long story short – because this is already a long story – the blood culture  came back negative, our baby girl is hearty, healthy and just perfect.

After an additional 48 hours in the hospital we were able to break her from the joint and take her home!!!!!

Best feeling ever.

As Barry mentioned our camera card has been rescued from the depths of our trusty computer. I had forgotten that Barry got a new camera just yesterday. Here are some stills from this sunny afternoon at HBHQ.

Enjoy.

The weather is starting to get nicer, and the days longer.  All of which made for more riding.  Not quite a monthly high total (Oct=124), but I was able to ride to and from work a couple times in March.  Unfortunately, I also did more driving.  40 miles of which were to watch an LCC vs. Skagit Valley baseball game .  It was a great game, and I got to chat with several old teammates and coaches.  40 miles well worth it.

March Results

Driving = 89.8
Riding = 96

First time riding to and from work in 2010.

Overall Total

Driving = 501.6

Riding = 626.7

September, October,  November, December,  January and February Logs

Yesterday I sat at the kitchen table writing thank-you cards and Barry announced that he was going kayaking. I thought this was a fantastic idea – as being on the water is something that Barry loves.

After he drove away with the huge kayak mounted on our tiny red car, I continued to write. A few minutes later I realized that it had started to rain so hard that it sounded like we have a tin roof on our house.

The rain was coming down with such force it reminded me of David Shannon’s book The Rain Came Down, a favorite of mine. I decided to grab my camera and take a few pictures of this down pour, but slowly realized that capturing the rain is like capturing the wind…

As the rain turned to hail I wondered if Barry would be returning, since he left slathered in sunscreen hoping for the sun to stay. Alas, he endured the hail, rain and partial sun only to return with a smile affixed on his face.

February had some great weather that reminded me a lot of spring.  There were quite a few days with rain showers, and sun breaks which made for some nice rides. February is also the month of Cascade Bicycle’s annual Chilly Hilly ride. This year, Brian and Adam joined me on an amazing day for a ride. We weren’t alone in thinking it was a great day, as over 6,000 people showed up for the ride. That was a new Chilly Hilly record. Having to wait in line for room on the ferries wasn’t fun, but it’s pretty cool to have been part of a record setting event. I didn’t count the Chilly Hilly miles as part of the February total, because I’m more interested in tracking commutes made by bike instead of a car. Here are a couple pictures I took during the ride though.

February results:
Driving = 41.7
Riding = 51

No new low temperatures were set during February, but I did have one 30 degree day.  Right after I shaved the beard too.

Overall Total

Driving = 411.8

Riding = 530.7

September, October,  November, December, and January Logs

A couple years ago I joined Barry, Kara, Adam & Chach to do the Chilly Hilly – a 33 mile bike ride around Bainbridge Island. This year I am not taking part in the cycle-fest; however, Brian, Barry & Adam are! Brian is new to the Chilly Hilly and he wondered aloud about making the 33 mile hilly climb.

I told him not to worry too much because he might be like as lucky as me and get a flat tire on mile 22. Chaya and I had the pace car pick us up and take us to the finish line. We tried to convince the pace car drivers to drop us off right next to the finish line so we could at least look like we finished….they thought that was a strange request and dumped us  in the middle of all the sweaty riders that completed the entire 33 miles.

That was a bit embarrassing.

I was on a morning ride up to my parent’s house from Padilla Bay, and couldn’t quit staring at the view of Mt. Baker. I stopped and took a picture near a blueberry field.

I have red hair, but I also have skin that gets kissed by the sun.

It is more of an orange kiss, rather than a browning of the skin.

Valentine’s Day is coming – wouldn’t a kiss from Mr. Sun be nice?

Yesterday I got to stand in the sun for a moment and my skin danced with joy.

I miss the sun.

Photo of my leg with Debbie’s, a fellow redhead.

Her skin does not allow for any kisses from the sun.

Sad.

December was a cold, but really nice, month for riding.  I was able to log in 7 different rides.  Not bad, since I took a couple weeks off of work for the holidays (I needed time for all the merry making). December also brought about a new low temperature stat to keep track of.  I committed to the idea after passing a bank’s electronic sign that said it was 18 degrees out.  That sign actually started two ideas in my head:

1. Keep track of low and high temperatures ridden in.

2. Grow out the beard.  My face was getting really cold.

I’m not nearly as committed to the beard idea for the length of the challenge, but I’m going to give it a try in January.

The December Stats

Driving 41.4 miles

Riding 92

New Low Temperature: 18 degrees F

I’m starting to create a little bit of space between the riding and driving miles which is good, because I have a feeling I’m going to need it when the summer winds start blowing at Jetty Island.  I think January will be even better, because the PBA (sporting a nice new website) hooked me up with one of the new ORCA cards.  This means I can ride the bus all over Snohomish county.  Very cool indeed.  I used it today to hitch a ride to the YMCA pool.  No car necessary.

Full Challenge Stats

Driving 370.1

Riding 420.7

Low Temperature: 18 degrees F

September, October, and November Logs