Happy Holidays!

Happy Holidays! :) T minus 7 hours until 2009 here in the nation's capitol.

There's no big news to share yet... Well, that's a lie. I'm going to be an aunt...but that's not really bikeandbuild related. Except that around mid July I may be blissing out too much to ride. I've never been excited about a baby before. Not this excited, at least. Congratulations to me! and, you know... my big brother and his adorable lady love. :)

Just wanted to put something up before the end of 2008.

Love and hugs and New Year kisses to all.

Be good tonight.

<3

Hug Chain

wow. so i just got home. it's after midnight and i'll be up in about...oh...6 hrs to get ready for another day at the office. but i made over $350 tonight, and i just wanted to thank EVERYONE in any way connected to the gathering at Toledo Lounge this evening. Seriously. Thank you thank you thank you. i will have more details soon. But i just wanted to say thanks to everyone. :) Y'all amaze me.

i also just wanted to say that one of the most fabulous things happened this evening! we started a hug chain at the front of the bar and it traveled all the way around and back to me within about 10 minutes' time...probably less. i've read that we're supposed to be getting several hugs a day in order to stay happy and healthy, but i think a whole lot of us go days without even one...totally made my night.

spread the love, y'all. <3 julia.

p.s. sadly, in my excitement i forgot all the little tickets with peoples' contact info (i've got the winning ones) so if you know someone who was there, please thank them for me! :)

Stuff White People Like Meets B&B

So when I first saw the website for Bike and Build, one of my first thoughts was how much Stuff White People Like would looooooooooooove it. If you haven't seen it, which would shock me, but if you haven't: www.stuffwhitepeoplelike.com

Just from a quick review of the entires there...well... you'll see what I mean.
Things already mentioned/touched on (even if not stated explicitly) in this blog:
Bicycles. Duh.
Awareness
Non-profit Organizations
America
Marathons
T-shirts
Scarves
Indie Music (my friend's band. please don't be offended.)
Standing still at concerts (this is just inherently part of Indie Music).
Farmers Market
Hating Corporations
Topics which will surely be mentioned in the near future:
Gentrification. (affordable housing...it's bound to come up)
Dinner Parties (still counts, even if it's a fundraiser)
Knowing what's best for poor people (in some capacity)
Being Offended.
Threatening to move to Canada (I'm biking to Vancouver...)
Graduate School (days and days on the road with nothing but think time...I'll probably
mention at least three or four degree possibilities/plans in the coming 7 months.)
Not having a TV
Outdoor Performance Clothes
Making you feel bad about not going outside
Wine
Microbreweries
Coffee
Facebook

Other things that should be on the list if they aren't... or maybe I just overlooked them.
Vermont
Seattle
Madison
Quarter Life Crisis
I'm sure there's more. I'm just too lazy to think of it at the moment.

Just something I was thinkin' about. So I thought I'd share.
Hope to see you Tuesday.

First Raffle Fundraiser: Ready. Set. Go!

Who: YOU. and all your friends. and anyone else you know who has $5 to spare for a heart-warming cause.
What: Raffle fundraiser (tickets sold for $5, or 2 for $5...haven't decided yet...) and free hugs all night. $2 Drafts, $3 Rail, 1/2 price burgers from 6-9pm!
When: Tuesday, November 25th from 6:00-11:00pm
Where: Toledo Lounge 2435 18TH STREET NW (Washington, DC)
Why: Help me pedal 4,000 miles for affordable housing!

Northern Route

Alright, well, I'm a wuss and have decided to switch to the Northern Route.
Julia no le gusta Texas en el verano.

Here's the Route:

Portsmouth, NH beginning June 18th.
Vermont - June 26th
New York - June 27-July 5
Ohio
Michigan
Illinois
Wisconsin
Minnesota
North Dakota
Montana
Idaho
Washington
British Columbia - August 25thish


Exciting, eh?

Upcoming Events...with no real confirmed places or days yet...stay tuned.

Okay. So I know some folks are getting antsy about this whole donation process, but esp for those in the DC area, there are some upcoming events, and I'll get the rest of the donation info up ASAPatory:

1. Probably Tuesday, week of T-giving, will be a raffle at Toledo Lounge on 18th nW for some fabulous prizes (tbd). I'll confirm shortly. :)

2. Beginning in November 23rd there will (hopefully) be Takoma Park Farmers Market Raffles with donations from Takoma businesses from 10-2pm on Sundays. Tickets will be sold 2 for $5 or $5 each. Haven't decided yet.

3. Pub-Trivia night at venue TBD in mid-December when I get back from the UK but before I go home to I-o-way!

4. January - hopefully a benefit show with my friend's band. Details to come.

5. Once the t-shirts get designed we'll be selling them at all these events and online. Tell your friends. I'll post pics when I get them. :)

That's the plan. Whaddya think? Any other ideas/suggestions would be appreciated.

Fundraising Begins!

So I got my first cash donation yesterday from our accountant. I told him what I was doing and he chucked $15 at me. I like this game.

Kidding. That did happen, but this is definitely no game, and it's caused a bit of profuse sweating... I put on a black shirt this morning (good choice), road my bike to Old Town Takoma Park and started wandering into local businesses, telling store owners and managers about my trip and the cause, asking if they'd like to donate items or gift certificates to my fundraising efforts. Everyone was really supportive of the idea, most were interested in participating in some way, and a few were really enthusiastic (so I don't know why I was so ridiculously anxious). I walked away with some good-sized gift certificates, some lovely and unique items, and many requests to follow up later in the week so they can think about how/what they'd like to give.

Feeling pretty confident, I wandered up to Silver Spring (a more corporate area), and tried out a few bigger companies. All the folks were nice, but most just referred me to the websites or to some upper management contact, with one absolutely fantastic and heart-warming exception: Ben & Jerry's.

I've been in love with Ben & Jerry's ever since I got my first cow t-shirt at their store in Middlebury, VT. Good. Solid. Tasty. Ice Cream. Mmmmmmmm.

To continue with the actual story - I walked in, spoke with the manager who immediately went to the back and returned with $50 worth of B&J gift certificates. I did a little "Thank you" jig and walked out. Pretty simple. So I've got some great prizes (and a few more to come!), so you'd best be figuring out how you're going to make it to these events I've got in the works. :)

Oh! And last night my housemate and I went to Toledo Lounge here in DC on 18th to chat with a fabulously likable bartender about hosting a fundraiser there. If you live in DC and haven't been there before you should definitely stop by. It's cozy, the people are way cool, and they have specials on grilled cheese, I think. I mean, seriously. That's pretty classy stuff.

I've been really touched by how excited people are about this cause, and how eager they are to make a contribution. A friend of a friend is designing ADORABLE t-shirts, another friend is possibly designing a 2nd/3rd t-shirt, an old friend of our house has designed fantastic brochures that totally blew me away, another kid, and gifted musician, has offered to play a benefit show, and I've heard from many volunteering any assistance they can offer. One kid even offered to dig driveways. Probably won't be necessary, but, MAN, is it amazing to see people go out of their way to support an important cause and help a friend make something they've been dreaming of for a long time actually happen, or what?!

I've got a lot of love right now.

Well, hello. Welcome to my blog?

Never in my life did I think I'd have a blog. Well. For the first half I didn't know they existed. Several friends are off on spectacular adventures, and checking in on their blogs has proven a great way to stay in touch and updated on their life's happenings. So, as I prep for my own adventure next summer, I thought this might be a good time to start recording the experience.

What is this adventure, you may be asking? Right. Julia's biking across the country and volunteering at affordable housing build sites along the way (www.bikeandbuild.org).

It's okay to be shocked.

We all know that I've never been the most athletic person in the world. And I just bought my first bike since high school in August of this year. ... So, yes, it's a bit out of the blue. But here's the deal:

1. I haven't been doing much volunteering recently, and that's lame.
2. I'm ready to leave DC, but don't really know where I want to be or exactly what I want to be doing. (1/4 life crisis anyone?)
3. I want to do something that I never really thought I was capable of doing. Just to see.
4. Safe, affordable housing is a serious issue in this country that is often overlooked.
5. Construction skills could come in handy in the future.
6. I want to see all 50 states before I turn 30. I've got 16 to go and this trip will knock at least 8 off my list - possibly 9 or 10 if I do some post-trip detours - without all the global-warming-guilt that comes along with road trips or flying.
7. Since getting my bike in August, my quality of life has improved dramatically and I've fallen head over heals for chuggin' around town on my bicycle.
8. I want to see how huge my already mammoth-sized thighs can get. Bring it on, Spandex.

I'm planning on the Charleston, SC to Santa Cruz, CA route right now. But it's possible that that might change. The trip runs late May-late August...the perrrrrfect time to be pedaling across the Deep South. That was sarcasm. Heat and humidity are two of my least favorite things, right after sinus infections and seafood.
Anyhoo. I hope you'll check back as my plans solidify, fundraising progresses and training gets goin'. In the meantime, Carpe Bicycle! :)

>,
O-O <- that kind of looks like a bicycle, no? I'll work on it.