Hooray for First Friday!

Here in Flagstaff, we have what is called the First Friday ArtWalk. Being a cool, hippie, artsy-fartsy sorta place, Flag has a monthly showing of offerings by local artists, writers, musicians, adventure athletes, etc. Local businesses and galleries "feature" a different artist and host an open viewing and reception with snacks, wine, home-brew etc. Free and open to the public. A great time to get out and mingle with friends. My house, being just a few blocks from downtown, is a great place to gather and head out as a group (or singly, if it is really cold and everyone poops out!) to check it out. Forecast is saying snow tonite, so we will see who is willing to brave the elements in the name of Art.
Our office move is almost complete- everyone is breathing a collective sigh of relief. Does anyone really enjoy moving? I love it when it is done, and I am doing the fun part- finding places for all my stuff. Right now, I have my PC set up on a work table, a half-empty bookcase and file cabinet, and no phone. My new space has no carpeting, nothing but bare walls and a few chairs. I will be glad when I can bring back all my "personal stuff" that I had to take home prior to the move...
News on the parent front: step-dad has had a feeding tube inserted in his stomach, and will be sent home with it- my Mom had to get instruction on how to feed him. This does not sound good to me. And a hospital bed will be delivered to their home the day he is released (some weird MediCare thing says that it cannot be delivered prior to his release- like someone would sleep in the thing if they didn't have to. Honestly!) Yesterday I went the California DMV site and downloaded the forn asking the DMV to call him in for a re-evaluation. After talking to my Mom last night, it looks like it is doubtful he is going to recover enough to make this an issue. But I will send in the form anyway. I can always say that I sent it in right after I returned home from Christmas. And if he does improve, I will at least have started the ball rolling to get him to stop driving.
I, like a binge-drinker on New Years Eve, have been driving everywhere as I anticipate being car-free (not car-less, car-free). I do laugh at myself. I am hoping that part of this endeavor will be to show people that it is not as difficult as they might imagine to scale down their driving, or only have one car per family. I also hope that with more people choosing not to drive, more mass-transit options become available. I do not want to "have" to drive when I am older (I'm 48). I am lucky to live somewhere that has transit and walkable communities. I also have lots of support from my middle-class friends, who probably relish having this hippie type friend (who actually lives "downtown"--gasp!) If you saw what passes for downtown Flagstaff you would laugh your ass off. But I digress.
Getting back on my bike will (hopefully) help with another problem I am having- fitting into my pants! This morning, I tried on 2 pair before I found one that (sorta) fit. I am about 30 pounds above my marathon weight of 19 months ago (see blog picture). If there weren't already a blog called Fat Cyclist (hey, Elden!) that would be the name of mine.