Get a Bosch! A pandemic dishwasher tale

My dishwasher is loud. Like, Monty Python clanking knight in armour riding a kawasaki crotch rocket loud. And it’s right in the middle of my condo. Which I have been in 99% of the time for the past year. Technically, it still works, if you don’t mind weird rust on the dishes and no timer.…

Nevertheless, she deadlifted 200lb

My 55th birthday post on the Feminist Fitness blog, about deadlifting 200lb:   Nevertheless, she deadlifted 200lb — Read on fitisafeministissue.com/2020/02/01/nevertheless-she-deadlifted-200lb/

Last hours in Hong Kong

My last adventure of this trip was to the Tian Tan Buddha, on Lantau Island in Hong Kong. I had the morning before leaving for the airport, and I was staying right at the cable car entrance. I had a glass bottomed “crystal” cable car to myself and no queues, thanks to few visitors because…

Last hours of 2019

Suddenly I’m in Bangkok. Well, not super suddenly — there was a lot of hilly cycling, and a border, and more cycling — this time more easeful — some cultural activities, a van ride. I’ll write about the bike trip later — this is about my 18 or so hours in Bangkok, and my constant…

Phnom Penh to Kep

I started my 9 day bike trip in Cambodia today. I was all excited, though still toting around some jet lag and fatigue. But today was 48 km — piece of cake, right? (Or, weird banana mango spring roll). Well, it was frigging hard. For reasons — started in midday heat, all rutted super bumpy…

A storm, a lighthouse, a river: Silute to Nida, 48km

I woke at 5 am to lightning and rain, the first sign of anything but picture book sun since I got here. I lay awake too long trying to make a decision I needed to make at 9, not 5: the short direct route to the 3 pm boat across the water to the Curonian…

Taurage to Silute, 79 km (was supposed to be 60)

First half of today: flat farmland, nice little tailwind, cows, little lakes, grey herons, stork nests, la la la. 30 km came so fast I debated about whether I should even stop at the tidy, prosperous farm/ inn/ cafe I came across just outside of Vainutas. Today was supposed to be about 60km, and I…

Raudone to Taurage, 67 km

Day 4 of cycling was lovely, fast and unadventurous. Until I got to the night’s town, it was only two roads, both fairly flat, and though the cars and trucks whipped by pretty quickly, there weren’t that many of them. I took a short detour at 25km into a biggish town for water and snacks.…

Kaunas to Raudone (66km)

Today was about the river Nemunas, a bit too much sun, a lot of gnats and rather a lot of bike portaging. Bike portage: n or v. To transport a laden bike like an overloaded, unwieldy kayak across terrain suddenly inhospitable to bike. Made more difficult by #physics, which constantly pull the heavy rear of…

A Scout, an upheaval and a suburban train

“We gained our independence by holding hands and singing. We are very proud of that. We — the Baltic states — were the first. And now Hong Kong is learning from us.” I met this 19 year old scout at a junction near Electrenai. He is on a 150 km walking pilgrimage, stopping to help…