I want to ride my bicycle

Check out my brand new (used) bike! Back in Boston, every spring I would consider buying a bike, and then I just wouldn't get around to it, and then it would be fall again and why buy a bike when you can't ride it all winter? The other obstacle is that, basically, I'm a big scaredy-cat when it comes to riding bikes in the city. Let's just say I don't have the best natural sense of balance, and Boston streets aren't exactly bike friendly. Here in Melbourne, however, bikes are everywhere, and most roads have separate bikes lanes. Plus, there's no snow or ice to worry about, so you can ride your bike year-round. I saw a purple Huffy on eBay that looked promising, but when I went to check it out, I was under the impression that I would be able to buy it on the spot but the girl selling it wanted to continue the bidding and wait 10 days for the online auction to finish. Whatever. Dismayed, I began my walk home and decided to pop into a crazy little junk shop on along the way, and guess what they were selling? Bikes! After checking out the merchandise, I went back later with a friend and ended up buying an old women's road bike from a chatty old (even older than the bike) Italian fellow, who threw a light, lock, and chain (not quite Pee Wee Herman, but close) into the deal. Now all I have to do is get used to riding on the left and avoiding tram tracks. Easy peasy, right?

My other purchase of the day (besides a helmet- safety first, people.) was a set of three teeny tiny cacti from an art market. I love them.




After an enjoyable day in the neighborhood, I cooked up some salmon for my flatmate Belinda (pictured) and one of her friends, and we drank champagne and watched an embarrassingly girly movie. All in all, not a bad way to spend a Saturday.