Little Things

 They can add up, and I'm down with that, when they're good things. Ok, if that opening line read as trying too hard at whimsy without much success to show for it, well, just go ahead and keep reading. I'm bound to do worse, but on the good side, I enjoyed lots of little bits in the last couple days.

This coming Saturday is the 7 Sisters trail running race, and after my wonky leg and I missed competing last year, I'm feeling well and quite optimistic this weekend won't be a repeat of that, so I'm taking it easy this week. I've heard rest and full recovery can be good things. With that goal, Monday was a bit of timely spring cleaning in the garage where I store most, but not all, my bikes and bike related bits. Interesting bits have a habit of following me home and they fill the space in layers. The base coat can be hidden.

One of those lower layers included a pile of bike bags, and while I'm overjoyed with stashing a spare tube in the vacated battery cavity of the 3-speed belt bike, ye olde Raleigh could use a seat bag to unclutter the handlebar bag I've been using. The handlebar bag I've been using, or now more correctly "I'd", was a mammoth one from Jandd by way of the used parts room at Hampshire Bicycle Exchange. As for the switch to past tense, along with the seatbags I found a more era-correct front bag to take its place.

Ooh, neat, swoopy stem stay!

And check out the "Made in the USA" tag.

That is old school!

Quite a bit less buried, I saw the smallish frame pump that had been somewhat awkwardly strapped to my singlespeed last year before a more fitting mini pump found me. The belt bike has a drop toptube, or "women's", frame. I've been contemplating why this frame design was assigned to the people who have less dangly bits to snag straddling a toptube, and my guess is it's better for riding in a dress. Either way, the design suits me just fine, and yes, the dress/suit dichotomy was entirely intentional. Bonus, in addition to more majestic ballroom, the frame gives new options for pump placement.

I also love the near parallelogram

 of the bungy, frame, seatpost, and rack!

I finally pulled the left crank 

and removed the e-sensor.

Bonus: 

I then knew to snug the crank bolts on both sides.

Tightness wasn't a, well, Priority at the factory.

I didn't ride Monday, save a couple test loops within fifty yards of the garage, but Tuesday was 8am physical therapy. I've discovered, with the increased morning light as we slide toward the solstice, the earlier start allows for quieter roads getting there while still enjoying good visibility. It also leaves the majority of my day free for whatever hijinx might follow. Again, intending to take it easy this week, I limited that, but my errands did include cutting through a little connection behind a market where I found mugwort is back!

Yesterday's harvest

Similar to my celebration of garlic mustard, which also nourished me yesterday, the joy of invasive mugwort is dubious, but as I still suffer a degree of insomnia post TBI, it's improvement of my sleep is well appreciated. Last fall, I collected a shopping bag's worth from a patch that had dried on the stalk, and it did last me through the winter, but after a mug of tea brewed with fresh leaves last night, I do think I slept more effectively! Either way, the fresh tea is a little more flavorful, and little things matter!