Whiskers on kittens... how do you solve a problem like Korea?

When the dog bites, when the bee stings, when the Kim Jong-un threatens a pre-emptive strike.... humanity's precarious position on the precipice of extinction can be a bit of a downer, don't you think?  That's when it's time to make like Maria and 'simply remember your favourite things.'

Mmm shiny things... don't you just love shiny things?  I love the way they shimmer with movement and light. I went back to Kissing Crows this weekend to pick up my shiny, gold K-Edge chain catcher.

 I drop all kinds of things.  I drop names, I drop chains and sometimes I drop the ball.  This year I will at least do something about dropping chains. I ordered the black version with a skull on it, but that's no longer available, so instead clever clogs Joshua changed the order to gold.  It seems he picked up on my love of shiny things.The elders on Haida Gwaii said I'm of the Eagle clan, not Raven, but I swear there's an inner Magpie in here somewhere.... mmm... pretty, shiny things.

Imagine, then, my delight in discovering this little gem as I was perusing the shop.

Pretty in Pink. It's the best of both worlds, shiny and pink, and look!  Even the nipples are anodised pink.  Don't you just love that some girl out there is willing to spend $95 to anodise $15 worth of parts so she can sport shiny pink nipples on her spokes?

Isn't that ab fab? Brill. Josh and the guys do a smashing job at customising a sweet ride.  There are pretty bikes all over the place.  It makes me happy just being in the shop because everywhere you look there is something lovely to look at. 

 Pink pedals, pink hydrolic brake calipers, pink saddle, pink grips, pink pink pink.

Love it.  Dunno about you, but I feel better already.

 This is the kind of attention to detail only the true CDO (that's OCD spelled correctly) understands.

Look at the chain (er...belt) guard.

There's custom paint and pin-striping on the fender, too. 

Mmmm, pink... I love pretty bikes and I love pink.  What could be better than a bike dressed in pink?
The whole city is dressed in pink these days!
Almost a month later than last year, but here at last.

Shiny things, pink trees, spring time.

You've gotta love spring time... no more toe warmers on the Sidi's!! I love springtime, cause it means more weekends on my go-fast bike. I always have ambitious intentions, and this day was no different.  We planned to ride across the line at the Peace Arch Border so we could take the opportunity to emulate Snob and pee in the USA. Time has a funny way of ticking along when you aren't paying attention, though, so we put our American aspirations aside and rode south to the Fraser River and then east as far as the bike path took us.  It ends at Boundary, the border between Vancouver and Burnaby.

.  On the way back home again we stopped to sit in the sun for a bit.

I was admiring my bike from a few feet away (as you do) when the ever-so-lovely Judy Latoski, racer, coach, and women's cycling advocate, stopped to chat for a minute. I love ever-so-lovely women, too. (As you do:) She asked how I like my Linskey, and where I got it.  Unsurprisingly, I put my foot in it, though rather impressively, I didn't even have to open my mouth to do it.  I'm talented that way.  How did I do it? Look at my gear selection.  Nothing screams Nu-Fred quite like being on the two largest chain-rings, does it?

I told her I got the bike from Ed at Mighty Riders. I was babbling on about my wheels as blithely as can be, and the whole time, my bike was speaking volumes about me. Loud and clear. That's what the man calls the contrary nature of life.  I consoled myself with the beauty of the ride as we made our way along the banks of the north arm of the mighty Fraser River just above its delta.     

Rides along the river are another one of my favourite things. 

Yellow is the ride out, green the ride home, and orange our crossing-the-Fraser-on-the-Canada-Line-Bridge-video-detour.  

We did it just for you.
  And because we'd never crossed that bridge before, and we always say we'll cross that bridge when we get there. It's good that there's cover if you need it.

Which cat can I race in?

Raindrops on roses may not solve all of the world's problems, but whiskers on kittens and long rides in the sun definitely cheer me up.

Maybe for today that's enough.