08/09/21 10:38 - ID#60845

Now I'm 30

Last Thursday i turned thirty! It seems crazy, i know it doesn't actually change anything but it feels like i just finished school yesterday. I remember (e:mike,58043) 's 30th 8 years ago and it seemed so far away.

To celebrate, and since my sisters' partners both also turned 30 within weeks of me, my parents rented a house down in Pennsylvania near Allegheny. It was a fun weekend of games, pizzas and watching (e:Paul) learn how to unicycle.

Then last Thursday we went over to my parents to celebrate with my Aunt Shirley who i share a birthday with.

All in all a great birthday. Can't ask for better guys and family.

Permalink: Now_I_m_30.html
Words: 136
Location: Buffalo, NY
Last Modified: 08/09/21 10:38

Category: baking

12/28/20 10:23 - ID#60832

Cookie cheer

Since I didn't go over to my parents for the usual cookie decorating shenanigans (e:terry) and I went on a baking bonanza and made a shitton of cookies to deliver.

We baked:

Double batch of oatmeal scotches
Choco-chip, heavy on the dark brown sugar
Shortbread thumbprints with raspberry jam from my mom's coworker
Snickersdoodles
Rumballs

Turns out despite meticulous planning with recipe and plate distributions in a google sheet, we ended up with 10 plates worth instead of 6.

Permalink: Cookie_cheer.html
Words: 88
Location: Buffalo, NY
Last Modified: 12/28/20 10:23

Category: house

12/28/20 10:17 - ID#60831

New mattress

I can't believe after not posting for so long and everything that happened this is what I am posting but gotta start somewhere. We finally bought a new mattress, after years of researching while sleeping on the saggy pokey old one. I think I did a good job sifting out the marketing bullshit, and settled on a natural latex one. The outside is wool and cotton so there's no flame retardants. In theory it's compostable?

But it's very quiet and I can sleep again.

Permalink: New_mattress.html
Words: 90
Location: Buffalo, NY
Last Modified: 12/28/20 10:17

Category: sheep

08/02/20 05:38 - ID#60819

Finding sheep

Permalink: Finding_sheep.html
Words: 4
Location: Buffalo, NY
Last Modified: 08/02/20 05:38

Category: bikes

08/02/20 05:37 - ID#60818

Rotterdam to Albany

Permalink: Rotterdam_to_Albany.html
Words: 16
Location: Buffalo, NY
Last Modified: 08/02/20 05:39

Category: bikes

08/02/20 05:34 - ID#60817

Utica to Rotterdam

Permalink: Utica_to_Rotterdam.html
Words: 16
Location: Buffalo, NY
Last Modified: 08/02/20 05:34

Category: bikes

08/02/20 05:32 - ID#60816

Syracuse to Utica

Next morning was a late start with a long climb out of Syracuse. It was another very hot day.

Right on the edge of Syracuse there's a state park called Green Lake. Due to the minerals in it, it's a brilliant blue color. I would have loved to swim in it but it was a roped-off lifeguard situation, and was packed with families. Maybe another time.

Breakfast in Canastota. We were able to find a place that had a tofu scramble. I thought it would be hard to find vegan food in rural New York but it was not. The place was called "The Toast" and it was great. Unfortunately writing this in November it appears to have closed.

Right east of there was Oneida, New York. Next time I would like to see it because it basically was a utopian cult turned company turned town. Very interesting.

(e:terry) was getting beat by the heat. He was a little cranky by the time we got to Rome around 3pm. I convinced him we would go to Utica and stay in a hotel.

In Utica we ate at Zenia's Lebanese restaurant. It was so good.

We stayed at the Rosemont bed and breakfast. The building was a classy Victorian house.

I had never stayed in an actual bnb before, so I didn't know what to expect. The woman at the desk took our preferences for breakfast the next morning, had a whole list of recommendations of what to do etc. It was very nice. I think we stayed in the "Wine and Roses" room, lol.

Sheep getting ready for bed.

Utica obviously had seen some much better days but there was some remnants of some nice houses and architecture. The neighborhood around the hotel had brick houses nicer than Allentown, but a lot of vacant lots. Aroud the corner was a beer store, while I waited for Terry outside I saw a ton of drug deals.

Permalink: Syracuse_to_Utica.html
Words: 352
Location: Buffalo, NY
Last Modified: 11/22/20 06:01

Category: bikes

08/02/20 05:29 - ID#60815

Macedon to Syracuse

Out of Macedon we decided to make our next destination Syracuse.

A lot of the canal was missing in this segment as the NYS Barge canal had replaced a lot of the old Erie Canal. So what remained was more of a swampy brush.

Obligatory stop for snacks in the town of Clyde, NY. It had a nice little square and also a cafe with snacks and coffee.

Out of Clyde continuing east, there was a bit of road riding with striped bike lanes. I didn't mind it since traffic was light but on a 90 degree day it was scorching in the sun. I also got stung by a bee for the first time in my life. It flew right into my shirt. Surprisingly didn't hurt that bad.

The next stop was a strange town called Weedsport. Twixxie and Ernie wanted to see the Teddy Mountain plushie store. Terry and I ate some Weedsport ice. The cucumber flavor was the most fucking delicious ice I have ever had.

Contiuing on into Syracuse which is suprisingly hilly. After such a hot day and a general need to wash our shorts, we checked into a temple turned hotel called Hotel Skyler. The rooms were very nice and the hotel clerk had locked our bikes in one of the rooms. They also had halved capacity for COVID.

Downtown Syracuse was actually put together. I think they urban renewaled less than Buffalo in their core. Armory Square had a lot of shops and restaurants, and of course a vegetarian friendly burrito place.

What is he covering?

Syracuse does have a monument to Columbus downtown, with Native American heads attached to all the corners. WTF?

Permalink: Macedon_to_Syracuse.html
Words: 316
Location: Buffalo, NY
Last Modified: 11/22/20 05:42

Category: bikes

08/02/20 05:23 - ID#60814

Albion to Macedon

The place we stayed in Albion was not the best, because even though it was a tiny town and we were staying somewhat outside of it, it was summer and people continued to use the bike path at night, including screaming children.

So we got up pretty early and rode on to Holley in a drizzle. I am glad we didn't reach Holley Town Park the night before, because they banned cyclists camping or showering there (boaters are still allowed for some reason). Seems like a tiny town would want the tourism, but because of this (e:terry) and I looked around the park and continued on.

The Holley Canal falls were nice. Here's Ernie and Twixxie with a photo-op. The falls are entirely manmade, meant to keep release water from the canal.

Next places were Brockport, Spencerport and the west side of Rochester. There was a bit of a downpour by the time we got to Rochester, but once you are wet, you are wet!

We ate at Voula's Greek Sweets, downtown Rochester, which despite it's name is not just a dessert place. Omg it's so good. Everything is vegan and vegetarian, I got a seitan gyro.

The rest of the day was spent riding around downtown Rochester, along the trail into fancypants Fairport, and eating at of course, a taco restaurant called Lulu.

The canal east of Rochester became a bit more interesting since it followed a creek.

At night we set up camp in Macedon town park, which had free camping on an island in the canal not too far east of Rochester. The town was absolutely tiny and the camp side was nice and quiet.

Permalink: Albion_to_Macedon.html
Words: 295
Location: Buffalo, NY
Last Modified: 11/22/20 05:26

Category: bikes

08/02/20 05:20 - ID#60813

Buffalo to Albion

We left on Tuesday the 20th, I had unrealistic plans about leaving early lol. Instead we were still packing in the morning and I ended up working until we left at about 12.

First stop was stopping by my parents' on the way to Tonawanda.

Then we rode down the rail trail to the canal. I always passed this sign and wanted to ride to Rochester, now I was.

First stop was Lockport. We stopped for vegetables at some cafe, I think I had a quinoa black bean bowl that was OK. We also got an iced coffee from Steamworks which is a coffee shop that chose an interesting name.

I don't remember the last time I was in Lockport but I definitely didn't remember that there were Lockport Caves. Are they just part of the canal lock?

Next up was riding to Medina. I got a flat somewhere in between but luckily had the repair kit and new pump, was able to fix it pretty quickly.

I love Medina as far as small towns go mostly because I have a totally healthy obsession with sandstone. The downtown is cute and suprisingly bougie.

Terry and I of course stopped for Mexican at Mariachi de Oro in Medina. They have a nice healthy veggie fajita, and Terry had grilled cheese and cactus tacos. Gulped down a jamiaca/hibiscus drink with it. Would definitely go bvack again

Typical trail between Lockport and Rochester

At some points you are crossing over creeks in a sort of canal aqueduct.

Here is the only road that crosses underneath the canal. Somewhere shortly before here a man came riding up and asked if we wanted to camp in his backyard. We should have taken him up on his offer. We decided to keep riding to a town called Holley instead, because I had read they had a town park with bathrooms and showers.