Last fall Bug decided that going on a bike ride meant "me on me bike, daddy on daddy bike." The trailer was no longer a first class citizen. Family bike rides became a little more difficult. Bug insisted on using her coaster bike. We still brought the trailer along in case she got tired, but getting her in it was a struggle.
I started looking at trailer bikes for those longer family rides. After a bunch of research, I decided that the Burley trailer bikes were the best. They were a little more expensive, but the hook up seemed a lot more secure. I liked the way it hooked up the bike like a fifth wheel. The seat hitches seemed flimsy in comparison.
All of this was purely theoretical. When I tried to buy one, the sales guys (they were all guys) told me that Bug wasn't tall enough. Trailer bikes are 20" bikes. There are not alot of good solutions for kids between four and five. They out grow the trailer, but don't quite grow into a trailer bike. They also don't have the stamina to do long rides on their own.
A few weekends back we met a family that had one of the Burley trailer bikes and loved it. Their boy was the same height as Bug, so we figured she had to be tall enough for it. Still it was a big money commitment, so we didn't rush out to buy it. It could wait until later in the summer when the opportunities for long bike rides was greater. Waiting also gave Bug more time to get used to riding her two wheel peddle bike. She has the balance part down and the peddle part down, but she hasn't quite put it all together yet.
The following week, I was sitting around and H said I should go to the bike store.... I bought the Piccolo which has gears. I know that at this stage the gears are superfluous, but over time they may prove to be useful. Bug and I were thrilled.
The bike shop put the required rack on my bike and showed me how to hook it to the rack. The attachment is like a 5th wheel on a pick-up truck. It vertically mounts to a heavy-duty rack and has a single pivot joint. The attachment has a level of redundancy. First is a quick release latch that provides a basic connection between the trailer and the rack. To fully attach the trailer, you screw the trailer into the rack. It is a sturdy connection.
I got it home and adjusted it to fit Bug. There are two adjustment points: the seat goes up and down and the handle bars slide up and down the tube. The seat adjustment has a quick release and the handle bars are hex bolts. It was pretty easy to do. It took a few minutes to get it adjusted and for us to get on the road.
Before heading out we had the safety talk. Bug must keep her hands on the handle bars, her bum on the seat, and her feet on the peddles. If she wants to stop, she needs to tell me and wait until I tell her it is OK to put her feet down. We are a team. Daddy is the pilot; Bug is the co-pilot.
We started out slow by doing a few short rides up and down our street. Then we branched out to a trip around the block. Bug did a great job and was utterly thrilled. She squealed with glee almost the entire time.
For a true test, the family went down to the Minuteman Trail for a Sunday afternoon ice cream run. From the parking lot we use to Lexington Center is about three miles. It was a good distance for a road test. Pulling the trailer bike is different than pulling the Chariot trailer. The trailer bike is more active. I can feel when Bug moves around and when she peddles. If she leans, it can be a little destabilizing. When she peddles it is a nice boost. The boost is particularly nice on hills.
Since getting the trailer, Bug and I have expanded our horizons. We have taken two trips from our house to the library. It is about five miles each way and involves some back roads. Taking the trailer bike on the road is a little nerve wracking because you never know what the cars are going to do, but I feel more comfortable with the trailer bike than I would have with the Chariot trailer. Bug is positioned where a car would expect a bike rider and she can see around better. Still I would not take it on a anything other than a quiet back road.
Bug loves the rides. She sings and laughs most of the way there and back. I love the rides too. I get a little bit of exercise and get to spend time with my daughter. I also get a chance to teach her some road safety first hand without worrying about her doing something too impulsive.
It is an expensive toy. The Burley version is about $100 more expensive than other models. I think it is worth it. The interface is substantially more solid. The addition of the gears also helps adjust the amount of assistance the child provides and gives them a chance to learn about shifting. Longer term, the Burley also has a conversion kit that turns the trailer into a regular bike.
Regardless of the money, it has been worth it for the sheer joy it has brought Bug. It gives us a fun, healthy way to spend time together outdoors. You cannot put a price on hearing your child happily singing "I love biking with Daddy. Playing with Daddy is great."
Tuesday, June 17, 2014
Friday, May 23, 2014
Godzilla
I grew up watching the Creature Double Feature every Saturday, so I am unlikely to miss a Godzilla movie. The last attempt at a Godzilla movie was so terrible, it made me more excited about a new one. That it was being directed by the same guy who made Monsters made upped the anticipation. I fully expected that the new movie would harken back to the classic Japanese Godzilla movies where Godzilla was a force of nature battling other forces of nature. Humans were the catalyst for the crisis or just unfortunate bystanders to the conflict. They are monster movies, but they are also reflections of the anxieties of their time.
I saw Godzilla in full IMAX 3D with Dolby DTS sound. If one is going to see a movie about a giant monster, one should see it in the largest format possible. Even if the story is terrible, the spectacle can save the experience.
Godzilla didn't need the extra size. The story is solid. The first part of the movie gets you invested in the characters. You want them to make it through the coming crisis. The story also invests the monsters with a bit of character. The story also has plenty of social commentary. There is the play on conspiracy nuts, the over confident military, the questions about the safety of nuclear power, the fear of nature unleashed. I even found a little bit of reflection on climate change.
By the time the spectacle happens, the movie has earned it. The spectacle is spectacular. The monsters are HUGE. The cityscapes are gorgeous as they are being crushed. The soundscape of the movie is lush and makes the scale feel even bigger. The 3D was unobtrusive. I don't recall even noticing it.
Is this Godzilla perfect? No. The story is a little weak in places. I'm not sure I like the stoutness of the new Godzilla. Compared to the last Godzilla movie it is a masterpiece.
If you like monster movies, Godzilla is a must see. Go see it on a BIG screen for the full effect.
I saw Godzilla in full IMAX 3D with Dolby DTS sound. If one is going to see a movie about a giant monster, one should see it in the largest format possible. Even if the story is terrible, the spectacle can save the experience.
Godzilla didn't need the extra size. The story is solid. The first part of the movie gets you invested in the characters. You want them to make it through the coming crisis. The story also invests the monsters with a bit of character. The story also has plenty of social commentary. There is the play on conspiracy nuts, the over confident military, the questions about the safety of nuclear power, the fear of nature unleashed. I even found a little bit of reflection on climate change.
By the time the spectacle happens, the movie has earned it. The spectacle is spectacular. The monsters are HUGE. The cityscapes are gorgeous as they are being crushed. The soundscape of the movie is lush and makes the scale feel even bigger. The 3D was unobtrusive. I don't recall even noticing it.
Is this Godzilla perfect? No. The story is a little weak in places. I'm not sure I like the stoutness of the new Godzilla. Compared to the last Godzilla movie it is a masterpiece.
If you like monster movies, Godzilla is a must see. Go see it on a BIG screen for the full effect.
Friday, April 18, 2014
Deep Freeze
Bug has been watching Frozen a lot lately. Every time I see it, I am impressed with the movies depth and complexity. Frozen subverts almost all of the princess movie conventions while at its heart retaining the power of the coming of age/heroic journey tale. It also pulls off the delicate trick of portraying deep sadness without becoming a deeply sad movie.
Two obvious conventions that it subverts are the central villain an the need for a Prince Charming. Frozen has a number of characters who can be seen as villains: the Duke of Weasletown, Hans, and even Elsa. None, however, are the central cause of the conflict in the tale. Hans and the Duke are certainly catalysts. Elsa's power is the proximate cause of the central conflict. However, it is deep sadness and fear that is the true cause of the conflict. The solution is not as simple as getting home or getting kissed or falling in love. It requires a recognition that feelings cannot be suppressed and that trust and love can balance fear and sadness.
Two characters present themselves as Prince Charming, but neither fulfill the role. Hans is the obvious choice. He and Anna appear to have true love. He is dutiful and loyal. His actions, in the beginning, never betray anything but Prince Charming. Hans, however, turns out to be a liar and a schemer. Kristoff, on the other hand, starts off as an oafish bit of comic relief. It is not until late in the movie that Kristoff becomes a stand in for Prince Charming. He may turn out to be Anna's true love and he does strive to deliver the true love kiss that will end the conflict. He is not allowed to succeed and doesn't get the kiss until the conflict is resolved.
The journey at the heart of the movie, while superficially Anna's, is truly Elsa's. She must learn to accept her powers, trust herself, trust her sister, and allow herself to feel: joy, fear, and love. The story shows Anna's journey because it has a physical manifestation. Elsa's journey is more subtle. Ultimately, it is Anna's sacrifice that shows Elsa how to take the final step out of the dark, but it is Elsa who must take the step. At each point in the movie the crisis is driven by Elsa's state of mind. By opening the gates, she is, grudgingly, accepting that the world cannot be shut out forever. Hiding in the mountains gives her the space to experience her inner strength, but only when separate from the world. The final resolution is her accepting both her powers and the world.
Frozen is a masterpiece.
Two obvious conventions that it subverts are the central villain an the need for a Prince Charming. Frozen has a number of characters who can be seen as villains: the Duke of Weasletown, Hans, and even Elsa. None, however, are the central cause of the conflict in the tale. Hans and the Duke are certainly catalysts. Elsa's power is the proximate cause of the central conflict. However, it is deep sadness and fear that is the true cause of the conflict. The solution is not as simple as getting home or getting kissed or falling in love. It requires a recognition that feelings cannot be suppressed and that trust and love can balance fear and sadness.
Two characters present themselves as Prince Charming, but neither fulfill the role. Hans is the obvious choice. He and Anna appear to have true love. He is dutiful and loyal. His actions, in the beginning, never betray anything but Prince Charming. Hans, however, turns out to be a liar and a schemer. Kristoff, on the other hand, starts off as an oafish bit of comic relief. It is not until late in the movie that Kristoff becomes a stand in for Prince Charming. He may turn out to be Anna's true love and he does strive to deliver the true love kiss that will end the conflict. He is not allowed to succeed and doesn't get the kiss until the conflict is resolved.
The journey at the heart of the movie, while superficially Anna's, is truly Elsa's. She must learn to accept her powers, trust herself, trust her sister, and allow herself to feel: joy, fear, and love. The story shows Anna's journey because it has a physical manifestation. Elsa's journey is more subtle. Ultimately, it is Anna's sacrifice that shows Elsa how to take the final step out of the dark, but it is Elsa who must take the step. At each point in the movie the crisis is driven by Elsa's state of mind. By opening the gates, she is, grudgingly, accepting that the world cannot be shut out forever. Hiding in the mountains gives her the space to experience her inner strength, but only when separate from the world. The final resolution is her accepting both her powers and the world.
Frozen is a masterpiece.
Wednesday, March 26, 2014
Butter
Butter is one of the craziest movies I've seen in a long while. The plot is preposterous. The characters are over the top. The whole thing is whacked. Yet, it all works to make a bitting, dark, sweet social comedy.
The cast is littered with near-A list talent including Jennifer Gardner, Olivia Wild, Ty Burrell, and Alicia Silverstone. Many other cast members have familiar faces. They all do a great a job being overblown caricatures of stereotypes. Garner's ambitious house wife is crazed and in most hands would be completely unlikable. Instead she comes off as mildly sympathetic. Wild's stripper is deliciously depraved. Silverstone plays the liberal adoptive Mom with sensitivity without allowing the audience to forget why there is a stereotype.
The subplots twist and turn and at times I doubted that the movie would resolve things in a satisfactory manner. Then the movie ends and it all sort of makes sense.
I highly recommend Butter.
The cast is littered with near-A list talent including Jennifer Gardner, Olivia Wild, Ty Burrell, and Alicia Silverstone. Many other cast members have familiar faces. They all do a great a job being overblown caricatures of stereotypes. Garner's ambitious house wife is crazed and in most hands would be completely unlikable. Instead she comes off as mildly sympathetic. Wild's stripper is deliciously depraved. Silverstone plays the liberal adoptive Mom with sensitivity without allowing the audience to forget why there is a stereotype.
The subplots twist and turn and at times I doubted that the movie would resolve things in a satisfactory manner. Then the movie ends and it all sort of makes sense.
I highly recommend Butter.
Monday, February 3, 2014
Hanah
Hanah is a top notch action thriller. The plot fits perfectly into the modern spy thriller genre: super spies, out of control government agents, cover ups, and questionable morality on all sides. The action is well choreographed. I liked the music that signaled bouts; it was subtle and fitting for the mood. Like all good genre films, it follows a well worn story arch. Unlike a great genre film, it does not play with the boundaries.
Hanah's strength are its writing and its performances. The characters, despite being stock genre tropes, are fully fleshed out and believable. Blanchet's CIA operative is deliciously twisted and broken. Ronan's Hanah blends the innocence of burgeoning young adulthood with a killer's coolness. The interaction between Hanah and the tourist family is brilliant.
It is definitely a movie worth seeing.
Hanah's strength are its writing and its performances. The characters, despite being stock genre tropes, are fully fleshed out and believable. Blanchet's CIA operative is deliciously twisted and broken. Ronan's Hanah blends the innocence of burgeoning young adulthood with a killer's coolness. The interaction between Hanah and the tourist family is brilliant.
It is definitely a movie worth seeing.
Sunday, February 2, 2014
Inception
Instead of suffering through the Super Bowl, I decided to catch up on some movie watching.
Inception was on the top of the list. I have wanted to see it since it came out, but just have not had the chance. The only bummer with this plan was that I wouldn't get to see it on the big screen. Inception feels like a movie that should be seen at scale. Instead, I watched it on an iPad. (I forgot that the 27" iMac was available for use...).
Even in miniature, Inception is an exceptional movie. The set pieces and effects would be much better at big scale, but they are still impressive. The strength of the movie is that it doesn't require the set pieces and effects to have impact. The acting and plot are central to the movie. It proves that block busters can be smart, demanding, and original.
The plot is a mind-bender from the outset. I never felt certain where the 'real world' existed, if it existed at all. You are presented with what seems like a baseline real world, but hints are dropped that it may not be real either. For me, this made the experience more interesting. The location of reality doesn't necessarily change the outcome. It does, however, change how you feel about the ending. I liked that the plot doesn't force the interpretation on the viewer and trusts the viewer to make their own decisions.
The performance from DiCaprio is stunning. He is damaged and earnest with depth. He finds a way to make a slimy guy sympathetic. I never really liked his character, but I did care about what happened to him. I wanted him to succeed.
Nolan and DiCaprio are rightfully in the top echelon of film makers.
Inception was on the top of the list. I have wanted to see it since it came out, but just have not had the chance. The only bummer with this plan was that I wouldn't get to see it on the big screen. Inception feels like a movie that should be seen at scale. Instead, I watched it on an iPad. (I forgot that the 27" iMac was available for use...).
Even in miniature, Inception is an exceptional movie. The set pieces and effects would be much better at big scale, but they are still impressive. The strength of the movie is that it doesn't require the set pieces and effects to have impact. The acting and plot are central to the movie. It proves that block busters can be smart, demanding, and original.
The plot is a mind-bender from the outset. I never felt certain where the 'real world' existed, if it existed at all. You are presented with what seems like a baseline real world, but hints are dropped that it may not be real either. For me, this made the experience more interesting. The location of reality doesn't necessarily change the outcome. It does, however, change how you feel about the ending. I liked that the plot doesn't force the interpretation on the viewer and trusts the viewer to make their own decisions.
The performance from DiCaprio is stunning. He is damaged and earnest with depth. He finds a way to make a slimy guy sympathetic. I never really liked his character, but I did care about what happened to him. I wanted him to succeed.
Nolan and DiCaprio are rightfully in the top echelon of film makers.
Sunday, January 26, 2014
Georges
What can one do to cap off a great kayaking trip? Eat a great lunch....
After kayaking in La Jolla bay, we headed off to meet people for lunch at George's. It came highly recommended and since it was restaurant week, we hoped to be in for something special.
We were not disappointed. The view alone was worth the price of admission. The restaurant sits on a cliff overlooking the ocean. We had clear views of the coast for miles around. As a bonus we got to watch the the life guards use jet skis to drag swimmers out of the giant surf while sea lions danced in the water and laughed.
The food complimented the views. I had a chipotle dusted grilled chicken strips and fries. It sounds like a meal one could get at any joint, but it was at the next level. The chicken was moist and tasty in a way that I didn't know chicken could be. For desert, I had a maple cheesecake that rich, smooth, and just maply enough. The other deserts I tasted included a moist, almost too rich, chocolate cake and a toffee caramel sticky pudding.
Great food, great views, great day!
After kayaking in La Jolla bay, we headed off to meet people for lunch at George's. It came highly recommended and since it was restaurant week, we hoped to be in for something special.
We were not disappointed. The view alone was worth the price of admission. The restaurant sits on a cliff overlooking the ocean. We had clear views of the coast for miles around. As a bonus we got to watch the the life guards use jet skis to drag swimmers out of the giant surf while sea lions danced in the water and laughed.
The food complimented the views. I had a chipotle dusted grilled chicken strips and fries. It sounds like a meal one could get at any joint, but it was at the next level. The chicken was moist and tasty in a way that I didn't know chicken could be. For desert, I had a maple cheesecake that rich, smooth, and just maply enough. The other deserts I tasted included a moist, almost too rich, chocolate cake and a toffee caramel sticky pudding.
Great food, great views, great day!
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