Pedal Two-gether

Me and the Shaz hit the road for some tandem riding this weekend. The kids were ensconced with their mates so we sneaked off for a ride around the city. Sorry the pics are rubbish....I was trying to get the bike in the frame while speeding through Polish Hill (having just ridden up it).

Pittsburgh took on the image of police state last week during the G20. We stayed well away and enjoyed the two days off that were enforced by the shut down of schools and my work place. The only minor excitement we got in Squirrel Hill was being buzzed by the Blackhawk helicopters. Well....they looked like Blackhawks anyway. Never seen one close up before.

Fall has arrived. Bike rides are getting chilly. Brrrrr...

Synthetic Biology

I am posting this link so that I don’t lose track of it.  I know this is a rather eccentric way to bookmark something but I thought Bergy, Pete and the dog from the chippy (my only readers apparently) might find it interesting.

What would you synthesize using synthetic biology???

Here is the link

http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2009/09/28/090928fa_fact_specter

I guess it works! Coooooool!!!

I am exploring mobile blogging. If this gets published then.....it works

Bonkers!

The story at THIS LINK is bonkers but it made me chuckle.

This is How We Roll

Ride On

Turbo Gran!

Mum and Derek are heading home tomorrow so we went for a final jolly on the local bike trails today. Considering that she had knee surgery only a couple of weeks before arriving my mum did LOTS of riding while she was here. She and Derek even skipped out for a few days down the Pittsburgh to Washington DC bike trail (they didn't make it to DC....fair enough really given that it's about 250 miles).

Adam had his usual Saturday soccer match yesterday and I surprised myself by not picking an argument with any of the opposing team's coaches or the ref. I guess that's progress.

We'll miss "Granny and Grandpa" when they go back. Having family over to stay or going back to the UK always makes Pittsburgh seem a long way away from our roots. Sniff.

Soph is 5!!!

Soph turned 5 last week. I am still trying to figure out what happened during the interim. All I seem to have achieved since we had kids is a fairly impressive collection of grey hairs and a smaller bank account (and "lots of bikes".....says Shaz. I guess that explains the smaller bank account :-))



We have been quietly enjoying the last of the summer weather. Unusually for us we have spent most of our time in town. One of my favorite city pass-times is to hang out in Shadyside on Walnut Street at Jitters Cafe where I can get thoroughly soaked in caffeine and the kids can gourge on ice cream. This is a good Saturday ritual for after Adam's footy match now that the season has started again.





The G20 circus is coming to town next week so we are all getting 2 free days off school and work.



Adam is losing teeth at he rate of about 1 every week. I need to record him saying "some silly sausage stole my sixpence".......hilarious (but then I don't get out much).



Shaz has been heavily into yoga for quite a while. Here she is doing a "double downward dog" with Adam.

Alive and Kicking

Yep.....I am still here. Only 4 months hiatus. Life has been busy so not sure why I haven't blogged. But now I am back!

Lots has happened. We spent a couple of weeks in Maine at the beach. Did loads of canoe paddling and swimming in lakes etc. Adam finally learned to swim properly and has taken up kung fu (now a yellow belt). Mostly the kids spent the summer playing with their mates on our street which was easy and great.

Soph turned 5 last week and has started proper school and my mum is in town visiting with Derek.

OK...I've run out of things to say. Here are some pics :-)