before i begin, i will say that, unlike some of the others, this post is strictly about my daily life here in new zealand. there will be no great insights into the national psyche or the glorious splendor of the countryside. so if you're not really interested, go ahead and skip it. if you are, read on.
this morning i rode a bike in to work for the first time since i got here. mind you, it wasn't MY bike. i still haven't gotten it yet. but michael, who has graciously driving me in every morning since i got here, is leaving today to go to christchurch for the rest of the week, so he let me borrow his for the week (he offered to let me drive his car, but i figured the first time i drive on the wrong side of the road, i think i'd like to have a native with me).
the first thing that was apparent is that michael, as nice as he is, is much shorter than i. this is reflected in his bike. but i made it in about 15 minutes, which is good. i only ended up riding on the wrong side of the road into traffic once, so that's pretty good. it was only on a side street anyway. now, the phenomenon that makes this all work is that fact that there is a shower IN MY BUILDING. otherwise it wouldn't be a reasonable way of doing things. now, on to the observations.
but first, lemme take you back. a while ago, i took isabella and liliana out for a bike ride in eric junker's burley. for those of you without small children in your life, a burley is that chariot looking thing you see adults towing children in that attaches to the back of their bike. my plan at the time was to take them in the burley to the park, play at the park and then bring them home. we would be gone for an hour to an hour and a half, max. nevertheless, it took a good 45 minutes of preparation and i still forgot a few things. like sunblock for the kids, i think. anyway, the point is that afterwards, i had a conversation with stephanie about the experience in which i noted that when i'm a dad doing things like that regularly, i'm going to be forever in pursuit of The Perfect Outing. an outing during which no important items are forgotten, and during which no children are bored, injured, etc.
the reason i bring this up now is that for a day of 1) biking in, 2) getting a shower in the building, 3) dressing for work, 4) eating lunch, 5) working out after work and then biking home, it took me at least half an hour to get ready. i made it in okay and have not yet identified any important objects left at home, but the day is still young. but i realize that in order to bike into work and all that is associated with it, there is going to have to be a lot of organization. i'm going to be keeping a lot of clean clothes, a towel and toiletries at the lab, plus workout stuff. i also realize the importance of having a place close to campus. not only will it reduce the travel time, but if i forget something vital, like the students' grades, i can reasonably run back and get it. my hope is that within a few weeks of doing this, i will have the Perfect Day At Work.
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4 comments:
Okay, it should be noted that I do not a) bike anywhere or b) shower at work or c) workout anywhere but home...but can't you just put everything you need for the day in a backpack? And then take that backpack home at night and refill with needed items for the next day?
So are you off the week that we're there? That would be the awesome.
or, you could follow the RON MASON ORGANIZATIONAL PLAN whereby you routinely forget your underwear or some other "vital, necessary item" like your dad does and have to go shopping to get it or spend the day swinging free...
in response to alpha female:
currently, i only have a messenger bag at my disposal. while it is teh awesome, i can't fit everything i need all the time in it and if i get a larger bag, i start to hit balancing issues on the bike. mobility must be maintained. as far as being off when you're here, i think that i may not have to teach, but i'll be doing research during that time. however, because i'm not teaching (and i have to verify that, btw), my schedule will be much more flexible than usual.
My experience with biking to work with a backpack is that it makes the ride significantly more difficult. I've only done it a few times, and I was very winded by the time I got to the office. I'm not sure if it was due to the weight, but I would hazard a guess that it was the added wind resistance.
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