April 17, 2001

I got into work early that morning and saw that I already had phone messages waiting for me. I hit the keys on the phone to retrieve messages, and I heard my sister Cathy’s voice… “Suz, call me back.” Tone is everything, isn’t it? Why would she be calling me so early? At work? I [...]

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April 17th, 2011 by soozed

Freedom

It’s not often I have the chance to ride in the middle of the day during the week, but today I was able to get out for a quick spin. I dressed and went about performing my usual pre-ride rituals: pump the tires, spin the wheels, check the brakes, make sure nothing rattles, drop a [...]

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March 29th, 2011 by soozed

S is for…

Saturday… 25-35 mph winds, with gusts to 40? Suck it up, invoke Rule #5, and get out there. Give the Seven a once-over, pump the tires, check the brakes. Click in…snap! Gooooo. It’s March: no speed, little stamina…who cares? Keep going. Shift. Pedal. Push. Ignore the saddle. Ignore the lungs. Something catches my eye; quick [...]

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March 12th, 2011 by soozed

Today’s word

It was about 2:45 and I was sitting at my desk watching the snow blow and swirl outside my office window. The blizzard was rolling in exactly as predicted. I noticed that I hadn’t flipped my “word of the day” calendar in a few days, so I proceeded to tear off each day until I [...]

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February 1st, 2011 by soozed

Project 365: Moving Pictures

This year, I’m attempting to take 365 photos, all taken while doing some sort of physical activity. Cycling, walking, working out at the gym, taking the stairs instead of the elevator…whatever. Three days and so far so good (and yes, that was thinly veiled sarcasm). They are posted on my Flickr page and you can [...]

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January 3rd, 2011 by soozed

10 for ’10

10. December 31, 2010: Love that I was able to ride today, this last day of 2010. It was 50 degrees here in Chicago, a bit windy, and rainy. Perfect! 9. June 3, 2010: I titled this image Making Waves. I still love it and it was the most commented on of all my ride [...]

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December 31st, 2010 by soozed

Seasons

A winter coat covers my bones and weighs me down Oh how I long to be the wind soaring like a bird above myself When rays of joy will warm my path and comfort my soul Until the colors vibrate in a perfect circular rhythm To begin again

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December 10th, 2010 by soozed

Snow day

I was up and out early this first Saturday of December…the first snowy Saturday of the season. Appropriate for December in Chicago I suppose. The city was still quiet and quite beautiful. Heavy wet snow had been falling since the wee hours of the morning and now clung to bare branches and covered parked cars like [...]

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December 4th, 2010 by soozed

The giant eyeball

It was my pleasure to have dinner with Jeff Bean (aka @BikeCrave) a couple weeks ago when he was in Chicago. Over shared plates of savory mushroom pâté, delectable shumai, and amazing flatbread with tomato jam we shared great conversation. Yes, there was talk of bikes and riding and people we both know, but also [...]

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November 21st, 2010 by soozed

Remembering

I love riding early on semi-empty streets in Chicago. Especially days like today. There won’t be many more like this…sunny, mild temperature, hardly any wind. In a word: spectacular. My mind wanders on rides like today’s. I indulge myself and take advantage of less traffic and look at architecture, and type usage… And then a snippet [...]

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October 9th, 2010 by soozed