Ants on a Green Roof

Rhubarb, Spinach, Cabbage!

NYC Council approved the Mayor’s congestion pricing plan. Now, it goes to the state legislature for a vote.

Read the story. 

Press contacts: Kevin Clark, 312-259-4380, solitaryleftist@aol.com; JeffPickering, 773-551-2353Peace Activists Stage Dramatic ‘Die-In’ at Holy Name Cathedral toProtest Anniversary of Iraq War Group decries Cardinal George’s January 7 meeting with Mayor Daley andPresident Bush, the ‘chief architect’ of the ongoing carnage in Iraq. CHICAGO, March 23 – Six members of the anti-war group “CatholicSchoolgirls Against The War” staged a dramatic die-in during the 11AMEaster mass at Holy Name Cathedral, Chicago’s most prominent Catholicparish – and the home of one of the nation’s most conservative churchleaders, Cardinal George.The three men and three women activists timed the action to reach bothHoly Name’s large easter audience – including Chicago’s most prominentCatholic citizens, who commonly attend Easter mass at the church — andthe many more viewers and readers of the local press, which usuallyextensively cover the services.The action was staged in the Gold Coast cathedral’s parish center, anauditorium where mass is being said while the main cathedral undergoesrenovation. Easter services at Holy Name are traditionally one of themost heavily attended masses of the year, and this mass was noexception, with people packed wall to wall for today’s Easter morningholiday service.The group of young men and women, dressed in their Easter best, satthrough the 11AM mass until George reached the homily. A few secondsinto the cardinal’s main holiday message, the protesters rose from theirseats, turned to address the thousands of parishioners in theauditorium, and talked about the continuing death of both Iraqis andAmericans in Iraq as the war enters its sixth year.The protesters also reminded the churchgoers that on January 7, 2008,cardinal George and Chicago mayor Richard Daley met in Chicago with U.S.president George W. Bush – the principle public figure responsible forinitiating the carnage in Iraq – and denounced this meeting.The protesters then laid down in the aisles and discharged packets offake blood that covered them in red. Stunned ushers rushed in after amoment or two to try to remove the protesters, and also brought in someChicago police officers who were stationed in the lobby to help withtraffic control for the overflow crowd. The protesters did NOT resistarrest, agreeing to stand up and walk out of the auditorium, where theywere subsequently arrested by cops outside. During a ten minute wait fora paddy wagon to show up, the activists conducted a series of mediainterviews with local television outlets. When the paddy wagon arrived,the cuffed protesters were loaded and taken to an area police station.The impact inside the auditorium was powerful. According to aneyewitness on the scene, once the protesters were led out, the audiencesat in shocked silence for a few moments. George then said “And weshould thank our friends for what they have had to say,” – and theparishioners responded with a round of applause.Supporters of the protesters are still awaiting word on their finaldestination and the charges they may ultimately confront, althoughpolice stated at 12:15PM that the activists are currently being held atthe 18th District police station, located at 1160 N. Larrabee Ave.,312-742-5870.

I declared bike winter to be officially over two weeks ago- nevermind that we just got half a foot of snow last night- now it’s time to sum up what I’ve learned about staying warm and dry on a bicycle through Chicago’s brutal winter.

To recap, this winter had more snow than usual. This makes me feel relieved because the slush on the streets is what pained me during January and February. The video below captures the disgusting slush scenery very well.

Here’s a rundown of my bike winter clothing. I should note that as a female, there were many days that I could have easily worn tights and a skirt to ride. There are very few days that I had to sacrifice overall fashion for comfort.

For the record:

2008 Chicago Bike Winter Weather Update
Period: Nov. 1, 2007 - Mar. 31, 2008

A wicking base layer is essential. I got mine at the Village Discount Outlet thrift store near my house. Look for polyester, silk, wool, lycra, etc. -materials that will wick the moisture away from your body (cotton will make you freeze, don’t get cotton anything). The base layer needs to fit snug against your skin. Go for a size smaller than what you would normally wear. I found plenty of stretchy workout pants from the 1980’s that were hideous (think neon geometric shapes) and amazingly comfortable. It’s not like anybody knows what your base layer looks like. So, if you find something with an ugly pattern on it, who cares? It’s the material that counts. I was very lucky with getting base layers from the thrift. I even found some very expensive Patagonia brand long underwear for $2.00.

The wicking base layer for my hands were polyester glove liners. More about my hands later in the post.

Next is the insulating layer. This layer is the one that varies based upon the temperature. On days with -30 degree wind chills, I would wear a wool sweater and a fleece pull over. Wool and fleece are your friends. It’s just too bad that fleece comes in so many god-awful colors and cuts. Thrift stores are overflowing with cute vintage wool sweaters. Again, make sure you buy real wool, mohair, merino, alpaca, silk blend, etc. Stay far away from cotton or rayon sweaters, they do not insulate well. Fleece sometimes made me too warm on my commute. I only wore fleece on the coldest days. Between 5 degrees and 15 degrees, I wore a wool sweater. Above fifteen degrees, I got away with a button down silk or polyester shirt or thin hoodie as my insulating layer. I mostly wore jeans or corduroy pants. On very cold days, I wore wool blend dress pants. On the coldest of days, I wore windproof pants on top of my jeans. The legs don’t get cold usually, it’s more important to keep your upper body and your core sealed in.

Every single day I wore the same waterproof/windproof outer layer on top of my wicking and insulating layers. My hot pink windbreaker jacket must be famous by now. These thin jackets can also be found at thrift stores. Look for jackets that have an interior plastic coating for the lining. Inspect the seams to see that the seams are sealed up with a plastic glue-looking coating. This thin outer layer does not “breathe” at all. There are no vents like spring time waterproof cycling jackets. People were always surprised that I could stay warm without wearing lots of bulky layers. The hot pink jacket was the secret to my success. I had rain pants from www.sierratradingpost.com that worked fine. There were only a few instances when I wore them. Snow doesn’t necessarily get you wet- freezing rain will make you wet. I wore the rain pants when I rode my bike during blizzards because there was enough snow to soak through my pants.

I had a polyester/alpaca blend balaclava that saved my nose and ears. On very cold days, I tied a scarf over my nose and mouth (bandit style) on top of the balaclava. There were only a few days when I really needed to do this. My helmet fit over the balaclava and conveniently helped to trap in heat. I didn’t wear a scarf because the balaclava extended to my collarbone and then was covered with my zip-up windproof jacket.
I was extremely lucky to find a pair of tall Ugg boots at the thrift store for $7! They are so comfortable, so warm, and so waterproof that I’m considering investing in a pair for next winter. I always wore wool socks with my boots. On extremely cold days, I wiggled my toes while riding to keep them warm. Other people suggest wearing sock liners in addition to wool socks, but that seems tedious to me. I did just fine with waterproof boots and wool socks. I bought most of my wool socks at the thrift store. Maybe that seems outside of some peoples’ comfort zones, but wool socks can be very pricey. I found smart wool brand socks and beautiful angora socks at the thrift for $1 a pair. Another method to keep your feet warm is using plastic bags.

All of my thrift store gear worked great and I commuted by bike in Chicago’s brutal winter everyday. Seven miles to work and seven miles back. I had a bout of bronchitis which made me take the train for a few days, but I was out there riding on the worst winter days. Blizzards, hail, snow, blowing snow, freezing rain, slush, huge wind gusts, below freezing temperatures, etc. My only gear failure was my gloves. I had polyester glove liners, waterproof/windproof ski gloves and fingerless mittens to top it off. On the coldest days, my hands still stung from the cold. I tried so many glove variations combined with wiggling my fingers while I rode. Nothing worked. I would get home and curse myself for not investing in the cyclist lobster claw gloves. I eventually layered plastic sandwich bags on top of my three pairs of gloves to really keep the wind out. This method was ridiculous because I used masking tape to attach the bags to my mittens and even my co-workers laughed at me. I was very stubborn about spending a lot of money on winter cycling gear, so I just pushed through. Eventually, it warmed up to 30 degrees or so and I was ok. My hands always get cold due to low blood pressure, so my hands would always be very cold even when my body was warm. I remember feeling sweat on my back on a 25 degree day and my hands were painfully stiff. I can still feel the stinging in my hands just writing about my glove frustrations. Next time, I’m absolutely going to spend money on a pair of serious all weather entirely windproof and entirely waterproof gloves.

Biking in Chicago’s winter sounds insane, but it’s actually pretty fun. If it hadn’t been for biking to and from work each day, I would never spend anytime outside! Exercising regularly helped me to feel energized and optimistic in the dead of winter. To top it off, I won’t be afraid of going bathing suit shopping this year because I didn’t put on additional weight during the winter. That’s reason enough for me to keep biking all year. Riding a bike against 15 mph (and above) wind gusts will give you legs of steel!

A woman in my painting class suggested that I look at the work of Karen Gelardi, an artist in Portland, Maine. Her process is very intriguing. She draws organic patterns and forms on paper and then reincarnates them as pieces of larger works. She silkscreens her patterns onto fabric and then sews three dimensional forms (similar to the ones she has drawn) out of the patterned fabric.

We broke an 1894 record last week with 8 consecutive entirely sunless days. February 1st-8th had absolutely zero sun shining down from the sky. It was pretty rough. The winter in Chicago is more dreary than a Floridian could imagine. The city makes up for the crappy weather with many other things (including splendid weather the rest of the year). However, getting through the winter can challenge one’s sanity.

I am starting a list here of things to help beat the winter blues. Please add to this list in the comments section.

Read funny books.

Sprout seeds indoors for transplanting to your summer garden.

Spend time with friends. If it’s too cold to leave the house, call friends and family on the phone and chat it up.

Make elaborate plans for spring and summer activities (parties, picnics, bike rides….).

Make bread from scratch.

Ride a bike! Exercise, exercise, exercise… even if it’s just a teeth chattering power walk to the store.

Buy flowers and put them all over your house and office.

Clean your house. It’s nice to have a clean and tidy place when you spend so much time inside.

Wear bright colors on the dullest days.

Indulge in warm baths and cashmere socks (separately, of course).

Eat fresh vegetables. Eating a green salad makes me forget about the frozen plants outside.