Last year I saw a video of Randy Pausch’s Last Lecture. If you haven’t seen it yet, I’ve embedded it in this post. If you don’t know who Randy Pausch is he’s a Professor of Computer Science, Human-Computer Interaction, and Design at Carnegie Mellon University who is dying of pancreatic cancer. He has a wife and three young children. He gave his last “Last Lecture,” titled “Really Achieving Your Childhood Dreams” at Carnegie Mellon on September 18, 2007. Since then, millions of people have watched the video online and he even repeated the lecture on the Oprah Winfrey Show.

Since seeing a video of the lecture I have thought about Randy and how he and his young family are doing and have often thought about the message of his lecture. On our trip to Cape Cod Jessica was reading his book. I thought it was just a repeat of the lecture but she told me it had a lot of back story and other advice and reflection that wasn’t in the lecture.

When we returned from the trip I picked up the book on a shopping trip to Target and on the day after my bike was stolen I started reading it to gain some perspective. I think it helped. I missed my bike, but the book helped me realize it’s just an object. No one was hurt, no one died, it could be replaced. The Last Lecture, the book, is written in short chapters and was consumed fast. You could pick it up and read it in a couple days. I did and you should too.

Here’s the video of the actual Last Lecture.

:: :: I wrote a post about my bike a few months ago but haven’t published that post yet. Now I have something else to share about my bike. It’s very long, but if you go to the end you can see my original post. It’s kind of sad in hindsight. :: ::
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Last Thursday my bike was stolen. I wanted to talk about it earlier here, but at first I couldn’t bring myself to look at this older photo of it and I knew I wanted to include this photo in the post. And then I wrote this all out and couldn’t bear to look at it again. But I just need to write this down and if you think it’s dumb, then you think it’s dumb. I just need to get it out.

Starting last Thursday, I was dog sitting for Brian and Jill’s dog, Vegas, and was using their car. I came home at 7:15 p.m. and saw that I’d left my bike out in our courtyard between the stairs to our apartment and the door to our downstairs neighbor’s apartment. I made a mental note to put my bike in our basement when I left to go back and hang out with Vegas more. I picked up a little in the house and made something to eat. When I went downstairs at 8:45 p.m., my bike was gone. Panic!

I checked with all the tenants on our property and no one had seen or heard anything. We looked all around, but it was no where to be found. After the neighbors went back in their houses I sort of freaked out. I tried to call Dallas and couldn’t get him. He was at a friend’s house. I called our landlords and somewhat bitched about how the gates are never locked. And how the basement door was wide open when I walked outside and no one was down there. I was pretty upset so I called Jess and started to tell her what happened. I was outside and I saw a police car go by. By the time it registered that I should report the robbery, their car was already down the block. It came by again, but this time it stopped and two officers came out. I hung up on Jess and ran down by them. I said, “I don’t know what you’re doing here, but my bike just got stolen.” They were in the neighborhood looking for a burglar. A theft had just been reported. Go figure. So either someone was ripping things off all over our block, or the thief had stolen something from someone, was on the run from the cops, and used my bike as a get-away.

The police filed a report for me, but not without such kind, comforting words as “don’t plan on getting your bike back, it’s probably on the south side by now” and “you thought you were moving to a safe neighborhood? sucker!” Great. They also seriously asked me if I had a Google t-shirt they could have after they asked where I worked. What the hell? At least I finally had a report.

I was somewhat amused to think of some thug pedaling his heart out on a pink bike with a basket on the front. Not that amused, though. I was mostly pissed off and heartbroken. I still couldn’t get Dallas on the phone and I called Jess back and cried for about an hour. I don’t know why I was so abnormally attached to that bike. It was like my pet died or something. I was thinking about all the places I’d been with the bike. I thought about the dent I put in the back fender right after I bought it and incorrectly attached it to a bike rack in front of Robey’s while getting dinner salads for Dallas and I once. I noticed that dent a lot while riding the bike and thought how someday it would rust and I’d always remember how it got there. Now I’ll never see it rust. I remembered all the trips to the grocery stores and all the errands I wouldn’t have been able to run without it. I remembered how when I bought it I hated the color, but grew to really love it. Pink!

I know it’s pretty pathetic and I was acting like a 6-year-old, but I was pretty distraught. It’s just a bike. But it was my bike and it meant a lot to me. I think there were a mix of a lot of things going on. I was really very mad at myself for not putting the bike away right when I noticed it was out and instead going upstairs for dinner. I’m very responsible about putting my bike away and this one time I wasn’t I paid. I was mad that I’ve been very lax about making sure our gates are locked. And that our fellow tenants also are. I beat myself up a lot over it how I thought it was all my fault.

I was angry that I thought we’d moved to a safe neighborhood and in the end the same thing happened as when I lived in the up-and-coming neighborhood. Back then my apartment was broken into, but I felt the same sort of violation this time. If my bike was stolen off some random street in Chicago, that’s one thing, but this was my home. I was upstairs eating a veggie wrap while at the bottom of the stairs, 100 feet away from me, someone was taking my property from my “safe” place. I was embarrassed that I always brag to everyone about how great and safe my neighborhood is and then this.

I was sad to have lost something that has given me so much freedom and contributed to a healthier lifestyle. Not to mention fun. At the end of the day, someone basically stole my car. I know this is more of the feeling that the bike gave me, rather than the bike itself, but I really loved the bike itself too. I was proud of it. People knew I loved it. Other people loved it. I had an awesome bike, and I knew it.

Finally, there was the monetary investment I made into it. It was a big splurge for me. I never imagined I’d ever spend that much on a bike, but it was worth every penny. It was the perfect bike for me. I knew what I wanted and I paid to get it. I justified the expense by not having car or car insurance or gas payments. So there was that, too.

When Dallas got home at about midnight or so he of course gave me a big hug and tried to share some kind words but I just started crying again. A week’s time has given me prospective. It’s a bike. It’s a thing. It can be replaced. No one was hurt. In a city where people are shot and killed every day, this is minor. I have enough money to buy a new bike. It’s not the end of the world. But I can’t get the image out of my head of the last time I saw my bike and I can’t help but to have this naive hope that one day I will open the gate, round the corner, and my bike will be where I left it. Dallas keeps telling me every day just to let it go. Today I did call my bike shop and inquire about replacements. I’m feeling better and I know I need a replacement soon. We’ll see what happens. I really can’t explain what my attachment to my bike was, but it is definitely leaving going to take some time for me to get over the loss.

Some fond bike memories on rachelleb.com:

- I Have a Bike!
- The Commute
- A Day At Montrose Beach
- Alternate Bike Commute
- On the Bike Path Over the Summer
- Olive Park
- Google Bike to Work Day
- Public Enemies Filming

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:: :: Original Post Below :: ::

I ride my bike just about every day, many days more than once a day. I can’t even imagine not having it now. Being carless for about 7 years now, having a bike has allowed me a lot of freedom and convenience that has made my life easier, more enjoyable and healthier.

I took this photo back in May. I rode my bike to the salon to get my hair cut. I was waiting a few minutes for my stylist to come out and I looked outside and thought “Man, I love my bike. And, look how cute it is!” I get compliments while I’m riding it all the time. Once, I was checking out at a store and one cashier wistfully looked outside and said to the other, “Oh, it’s such a nice day outside. I wish I could be out there. And look at that awesome pink bike!” I was just putting my wallet back into my purse, I picked up my bike helmet and proudly said “It’s mine!” as I walked out the door.

Museum of Contemporary Art, Chicago

Admission to the Museum of Contemporary Art (MCA) is free on Tuesdays thanks to Target. I really wanted to see the Jeff Koons exhibit so I decided to go on a free Tuesday. Which was why I was downtown to have lunch and yogurt and see the Apple Store line.

Jeff Koons is pretty famous, some say he is even “one of the most well-known and intriguing artists of the 20th century.” I think most people would recognize his porcelain statue of Michael Jackson and Bubbles .. just from a WTF standpoint when it debuted. His work is very contemporary, kitschy, pop-culture focused. I didn’t know much about his art before going.. just the Michael Jackson thing and that he did all these kinds of sculpture that look like balloons, but are made from steel. I’m still thinking about it and figuring out how I feel, but I was impressed with how many different mediums he uses - oil on canvas, stainless steel, marble, basketballs, porcelain, wood. And how he’s done a bunch of commercial work for Nike and Gordon’s and Frangelico. On the other end of the spectrum there was a whole section of his work that kids were not allowed into because they were very sexually graphic paintings.

I’m more of a fan of the Art Institute (which, btw, Koons studied there in 1975), but I still enjoy visiting MCA from time to time to try to stay current.

I can’t think of what else this line would be for. I walked past the Apple store a few times yesterday and the line only got longer, until there were about 30 people wrapped around the other side of the building.

Berry Chill, Near North Side, Chicago

After Alden and Jessica went back to work (ha ha) I went to try out Berry Chill, which is our version of Pinkberry. I visited Pinkberry once while visiting New York back in November and really liked it. I couldn’t remember exactly where Berry Chill was so I just used Google SMS to figure it out.

Berry Chill is basically the same as Pinkberry. The inside is set up the same. You order on the right, slide to the left past the toppings, pay and pick up your order on the left. There are very few tables inside and a couple outside. I accidentally got the pistachio yogurt, which is the only one with fat in it. For toppings I got raspberries, almonds and mini chocolate chips. I didn’t taste the tanginess that I remember in the Pinkberry yogurt, but it may have been because I got a flavored yogurt and not the original. I’ll have to go back! Too bad it’s way down on State & Ontario.

Berry Chill, Near North Side, Chicago

One thing I liked about Berry Chill is that they used plastic, reusable dishes and spoons. Nicer to eat with and better for the environment. Also, the spoon changed color when it got cold.

Yesterday morning I went back to the Lincoln Square farmers’ market. The farmers’ market is fun for everyone. In the photo above: spot the hipster, spot the kids, the elderly, the middle-aged. My bag felt extra heavy so I weighed it when I got home. 13 pounds! Ouch. Good thing I took the bus.

I wanted to note that these are my favorite vendors:
- Seedling Fruit, South Haven, MI :: Great fruit, esp. berries
- River Valley Kitchen, Burlington, WI :: All sorts of mushrooms
- Lange’s Farm, Elwood, IL :: Excellent variety of high-quality vegetables
- Dotson’s Farm, Linwood, IL :: Good selection of herb plants

This is what I bought at the farmers’ market:
- cherries
- raspberries
- blueberries
- 5 ears of corn
- 2 cucumbers
- 4 beets (A lady saw my beets and asked me how to prepare them. I said “I don’t know! I have to go home and look it up online!”)
- green beans
- tomatoes
- 4 portobello tops (I want to make these)
- portobello salsa with cilantro & key lime
- 4 free cta rides courtesy of Swedish Covenant Hospital (they were handing them out at the nearby Western Brown Line stop and just kept giving me more)

Now, what about the taste? I thought it was good. Very banana, less mango and orange. I don’t think that there is anywhere else in our neighborhood that you can get a smoothie, so I might try another one some time. Then again, I rarely ever get smoothies even when they are available, so who knows. I thought $4.50 was a bit much, but I always think that smoothies are expensive so maybe that’s about what smoothies cost?

This past weekend Jill and Brian headed to Napa for a wedding and I took care of their yellow lab, Vegas. He’s a really great dog - well-behaved. He listens and sits before doing most things. For example, when you give him his food he will just sit there in the kitchen until you say “ok” then he will go and eat. He walks really nicely too.

Vegas, Wrigleyville, Chicago

The only thing is that Vegas thinks he’s a little puppy except he weighs .. I don’t know.. like 100 - 150 pounds? He came barreling down the stairs into the downstairs living room and knocked me right into a chair once. Another time I was playing too rough with him, I didn’t know it at the time, and he jumped up and realizing how big he was, I jumped back and his paws caught my leg and bruised it up, but that was totally my fault. I shouldn’t have gotten him so worked up.

Vegas sitting on his butt on the step, Wrigleyville, Chicago

Jill and Brian weren’t 100% sure if I should kennel him when I wasn’t at the house, but I left him out a lot and he didn’t get into anything or make any accidents. Funny thing - one time when I went to their house I couldn’t find Vegas anywhere. Then I saw him sleeping inside his kennel. I think it’s neat the the kennel is his little safety blanket and not a place of punishment. Another thing I found amusing is how he loves to sit on the bottom stair of the stairs that go up. Like with his butt right on the bottom stair. He does it all the time!

Anyway, Vegas is a fun dog. Plus, Jill and Brian let me borrow their car when they were away so I got a lot of errands done.

I am a sucker for buying books, full-priced, at the airport. I don’t know why. Most times I already have books in my bag and I buy new ones anyway. I couldn’t resist picking up this book when I was flying home from New Jersey on July 13. By July 14th, I’d finished it. I enjoyed it a lot. DeLillo’s book gives a vivid personalization of the events of 9/11 and the aftereffects. I didn’t live in New York when 9/11 happened, but I moved there 2 weeks after so there was still a lot of aftermath to deal with. I hadn’t thought about it for a long time and the book made me think of all the things I could remember -

- the smell of burning and smoke while sitting at my desk at work (tribeca)
- neighborhood security barriers
- missing persons posted signs
- strangers talking about where they were when it happened
- these stories uniting people - shared experience
- firehouse memorials
- endless news
- turning on cnn every morning before i even got out of bed to make sure nothing had happened overnight
- security threat advisories, the colors associated with them
- if you see unattended packages…
- military in the subway stations with machine guns
- military at the airports with machine guns
- severely discounted lower manhattan apartments
- military helicopters on patrol
- going on with a daily routine knowing that anyone could walk into any subway or your favorite restaurant at any time with a bomb strapped to them
- airport security measures
- being afraid at first to visit ground zero, to see it
- volunteering to feed ground zero workers at nino’s

Lincoln Square Farmers’ Market, Lincoln Square, Chicago

Farmers’ Market Produce, Roscoe Village, Chicago

Back in Chicago means back at the Tuesday Lincoln Square farmers’ market. For $36 I brought home:

- 3 large portabello tops
- small portabellos
- raspberries
- blueberries
- cherries
- 2 sage plants
- green onions
- two types of zucchini
- yellow squash
- grape tomatoes (various colors)
- green pepper
- 5 ears of corn
- lettuce
- 1 free energy saver light bulb from the 47th Ward alderman Gene Schulter

Everything is so much better when you get it fresh from the regional farmers instead of shipped from who knows where at the supermarket. The berries were unbelievable. So flavorful. And the lettuce was so big and tasty. And the corn! So sweet and delicate.

I don’t think I wrote about this before, but I’ve spoken about it to a few people. I really like the guy in the mushroom stand. I’ve talked to him a lot about the different kinds of mushrooms he has. One day we talked about how portobello’s, the large ones, were actually a mistake. They were the little crimini mushrooms that were let go another 2 or 3 days and grew big, what we now know as portobellos. Then portobellos got to be so popular that they now refer to criminis as baby portobellos and sometimes charge more for them. This last time I was at the market the mushroom stand was crazy. Instead of the one guy there were 2-3 more people working the stand and giving out samples and stuff. They also sell a lot of canned mushroom dips, salsas and sauces that they give out free samples of. The mushrooms are grown in a greenhouse in Wisconsin.

I also went to Jewel later on to get a few more things so I could make this corn/avocado/tomato salad. We actually made this salad a lot when I was in Cape Cod and used the basil that Jessica’s uncle gave us. I don’t really have a specific recipe for the salad, but this is what’s in it. I just added enough of each til it looked good.

- 1 avocado
- 2 cobs of corn, cook & cut off the cob
- about a cup of tomato
- basil
- splash of olive oil
- salt
- pepper
- juice of one lemon

I’d gotten the corn and tomatoes at the farmers’ market and I grew the basil on my patio.