a complete bike and build day

The only thing missing was the PB&J. But there was plenty of building and plenty of biking to make up for it.

Andrew and I spent yesterday morning and early afternoon putting down plywood sub-floor on the second story of a Habitat house on the south side of Providence. There were other teams painting the ceiling on the ground floor, and putting up siding on the front of the house. On the second floor was Barry, Jim, Miles, Andrew and I, gluing and nailing down 4x8 plywood in each of the four upstairs rooms, then measuring and cutting smaller pieces to fit in the closets and the corners and the leftover spaces, then gluing and nailing those down too. In one day we finished almost the entire second floor--I think there were 1 closet and 2 doorway/hallway pieces that weren't finished yet.

Except for the occasional blister and smashed thumb and the stubborn remnants of glue that still cling to our hands, Andrew and I had a lot of fun. Hammering nails is a very satisfying way to spend a day, even if my right forearm is really sore as a result. The atmosphere of a Habitat build is also really cool. It was one guy who works for Habitat, one paid contractor, 10 or 15 people who gave up their Saturday to come down and volunteer--and the family who will live in this house once it's done. It's particularly nice to work alongside the people who the house is being built for. It reminds you why you're doing it, and it makes it feel very worthwhile because this is going to be a really nice house, and some really great people are going to live there.

After the Habitat day ended, the weather was way too nice to stay inside, so after eating lunch part 2 and doing various bike tune-ups and accoutrementations, we headed over to the East Bay Bike Path.

All I have to say is: wow.

Switching from a mountain bike that's half as old as you are and badly in need of many repairs, to a brand-spanking-new road bike is like...well, its like if you've been driving around in a U-haul truck for six years, and suddenly you get a brand-new sports car. Man, that thing can fly.

And just as amazing is how comfortable it is. My shoulders, my butt, my back, my wrists--it was like lying in a big soft bed compared to my old bike.

So we biked to Bristol and back, stopping at the Topside Lounge at the Bristol terminus of the bike path for some great seafood dinner. It was Andrew's first time on the EBBP, and my first time this spring biking with anyone else. Riding back was tough, because needless to say we were both exhausted, but it was a full and wonderful day. This summer is going to rock.

Here's a very tuckered-out Andrew after we got home from biking.

The whirlwind weekend continues this evening with my fundraiser party at the Brown Grad Center Lounge. Wish me luck for lots of guests and lots of donations!