From Today's Detroit Free Press

Well now. Yeah yeah, I know ya just can't get everywhere ya need to by bike, foot and roolerblades. But driving less and combining trip surely can't hurt ya that much. And I still think everyone in the oil business is still going to be making money (except for Leon, who owns my station- I think I'll use some of my gas savings to but more of the big bottles of Frostop root beer).

To see the discussion about the really cool 'toon, go here.

Less than a month!

Well, I've been using this tool to figure out the distances I've traveled and am building up a listing of distances to most of the local haunts. So far, I've been riding about eight to nine miles a day running errands and whatnot on my bike. I think I'm going to start haunting garage sales until I find a second (or more!) hand bike for myself. The mtb I'm using is stuck with the shifting harware stuck on the cogset, laeving me only the chain ring. I think a nice cruiser, perhaps with a basket. (There is no sense is making due with less if I'm only going to blow it on a new bike. Unless it's carbon fiber or titainium.)

Also, this saving on gas has already had one payoff: MORE FOUNTAIN PENS!

Slack festival!

Have I been amiss in my postings or what?

Not that there has been all that much to report. I did drive to Science Olympiad on Saturday, and the hardware store monday. (I needed peat moss for the garden and the bundle wouldn't fit in the bike trailer).

I've gotten a couple of nice notes from the folks at edenbee. I guess some other folks would like to try this as well. It seems to be a pretty even divide between:

1. Folks who want to reduce their fuel use and don't mind saving money
2. Folks who want to save money and don't mind cutting their footprint.

If ever there was a case of two different purposes blending nicely, this is it. (Or, if you are a writer like me, you see a nearly perfect example of a "religious war" breaking out and demanding to be parodied.)

The Drama Continues...

Still trying to sort out just how long I can make this last. I've been logging my miles driving to get some sort of an estimate. If I really try, I can probably get my mileage down to about 40 per week. That would definitely help, and if I can get the kids all riding, we can probably shave that down even further.

I was talkingabout it with my neighbor the other day, and he was wondering if by doing this, I was hurting the car companies. Now, as I live outside Detroit, this is one of the serious local topics. Well, we did lease a new van last year, but it's not like we are anti-car or anything like that. (Trust me, I'm a car guy, even though I can do little more than rotate tires, change oil and filters and give it a bath from time to time.) But there's not a ton of reason to just go out and spend on something (car, gas or whatever) just becasue you can. I'm trying to be a better long term citizen-saving for kids' college-retirement-a really cool bicycle; I'm sure I'm not going to be getting a visit from the oil companies heavies. (Though Fox News, with having to fill a whole day with drama, may just send a camrea crew, call me a Democrat and then blame me for inspiring terrorists around the world.)