At Last! My Next Travel Adventure!

November BikePolo Tour! It's bike themed, but the tour will be executed by the aid of a motor and four wheels. The plan is that a few of the Austin Texas Bicycle Polo Social Club will take an extended social outing through the Midwest, Northeast, and Southern polo club cities. We begin and end with tournaments and have tons of fun in between.

My goals for this trip:
-) hit the road, see portions of the country I have yet to see
-) have fun with my friends and make new ones- I believe that is called networking
-) improve my game, strengthen our club's bond, promote ATX and our Polo Club
-) take a few notes on how to host successful and super fun tournaments in the future
-) **I really hope to gain some sponsor(*ahem*, ATX companies especially) support and plan to represent them on the trip and help grow their business
-) i hope to film/document the entire trip and create something to show and share after it is all over
-) personally I hope to see a vast improvement in my performance from the COMO tournament to the NOLA tourney!

Stoked! Get ready to buy some of our printed t-shirts, delicious baked goods, come to a fundraising party or two, hit up my paypal donations button on this page, and help us out getting this ball rolling!

We will be driving and depending on the size of our crew, we will need to plan accordingly for rental fee/gas prices, etc.

BAND FRIENDS: anyone have a van they are comfortable with renting to us for a reasonable rate?! I have a spotless driving record...

Stay tuned here and at ATXBPSC for breaking news and updates on plans!

xo,
mo

Just like a Prayer....

A friend of mine recently equated [Austin]cycling to a religion. I guffawed at first but then gave it a second thought and considered that he may be on to something. I know that cycling is a lifestyle choice that I have made that directs a lot of the ways that I interact with my friends, and this city, and the places that I live and patron, and where I work, etc.. It determines the amount of consumption I am capable of per day and gives me plenty of time to reflect on my day and my life.

The recent visit of the Bicycle Film Festival, with it's plethora of beautiful and varied velo- themed flicks, reiterated how much people love their bikes and their communities, their lifestyle choices and their beneficial impact on this planet.

I am so proud to know so many tuned-in, totally rad, alternative lifestyle, bike geeks who totally love their two wheeled steeds, their human powers, and their beautiful planet.

Go online, run a search for your local bike community. Read the blogs, get hip to the local cycling politics, look at the flickr pics, donate to cycling fundraisers, support your local bicycle cooperative community, oggle the "chicks and bikes" and "girls on bikes!" pin-up's, connect humans all around the world via their shared passion for the road or the trail, the ramp, or the polo court. Just take a minute to recall the number of cyclists you are starting to see in your neck of the woods. Remember the huge smile they probably had smacked on their face?! Life feeling like a redundant routine? Bored, overweight, under-challenged? Consider opening your heart and your thoughts to the eclectic and ever-accepting social, sport-like, anti-sedentary, serendipitous cycling counter-culture! Like Freddy Mercury and Queen exclaimed, "Get on your bike and RIDE!".

If cycling is like a religion, then I think I have finally found the good word that I can speak to the masses. I plan to teach by example of course, every day, for as long as I live.

Work to eat, eat to live, live to bike, bike to work! -Peggy McKenzie

Bike Love from me to you,
Maureen Mo Grady

Thursday! Polo! Hooray!

Man, I love having something to look forward to mid- week! I have been MIA for sooooooo long it seems thanks to my wanderlust, but I am back and ready to play!

I have some errands to run today, then I need to get CASH better equipped for polo....cages, etc.

Lookin' forward to seeing my polo pals!
5:30pm, Eastwoods Park, tonight!
ATX Bike Polo Social Club
xoxo,
Mo [Money]

ooops.

Whoa. I totally forgot about this thing...
...because I have been terribly busy being terribly important cycling, working, playing bike polo and travelling here, there, and everywhere.

I have been on a steady kick of traveling this summer. London, Croatia, Lake Ozark Missouri, Lake Sacandaga New York, and the most epic road trip from Austin to the mountains of west Texas (via Carlsbad Caverns NM, Santa Fe NM, the Grand Canyon AZ, and Balmorhea, Fort Davis, and Marfa TX).


Well, I am back and it is time to dive head first into work and polo. Work because I need to save some major dough so that I can go on my next adventure: Polo Peeps Polo Tour 2009! I want to talk some of my polo teammates into driving north, east, then south with me in November. The goal of this tour is to hit the road and see some new sights, meet polo peeps in new places, play pick-up polo on different turf, compete in a few tourneys, learn some new play, and have a blast of a good time!

Guerilla Polo is starting to happen here for a total of Three days of practice! Awesome!

I plan on getting back in the swing of this writing thing so check back from time to time.

Ah, Wilderness!

A weekend in the greatest out of doors, Austin, Texas.
Friday was a lovely day- I honestly do not recall what I did with the day, worked probably. I do remember the night! I decided on a last minute whim to head to Barton Spring Pool for free night swim from 9pm-10pm. I pulled up to the empty bike racks right at 9pm and realized that I had forgotten to bring my lock by some freak accident. I sat and pondered my options, (I am not about to practice the honor system when it comes to the safety of my favorite bicycle!) when a flood of cyclists encompassed me! Critical Mass finished at the springs as the Grande Finale of the Beach Party themed ride. I searched the crowd for a familiar face to buddy up with and lock my bike with but all in vain. I didn't recognize a soul. After the mass had meandered through the gates, a lone wolf of sorts rode up and I knew this was my chance. He grudgingly obliged to lock up my bike, and I had a great long night swimming, eating P.Terry's veggie burgers and conversing with an absolute stranger. How real, life, Austin!

Saturday was a work day, then wrapped up at my pal, Clayton Kalman's art opening at the Birdhouse Gallery on East Cesar Chavez. I saw many a familiar face and it was a wonderfully chill night drinking beer, sitting on the porch, talking with old and some new friends(ahem, Rachel Love and Jason!).

Sunday started off a bit rocky. I had some appointments that had to be rescheduled due to the horrifying temperature of my house (AC broken for a solid week- house hovered around 93 degrees F). That said, I had to get the hell out. I had my regular walk/jog with Nancy first thing that morning, then packed up and headed to my summertime haunt, Barton Springs Pool. What a wonderful lazy Sunday spent all by myself with a book, a bottle of suntan lotion, several sporadic laps in the pool, and many a boy to look at! I was there for a good four hours (NO SUNBURN!!!!!), had a smoothie at Daily Juice, then headed north to Polo!

What a turnout! The boys said it themselves, there were a ton of new faces and good times had by all. I was unprepared for my ex-boyfriend to be there, but as chance would have it, we played a game on opposing teams and I rammed the shit out of him and his bike during a play where we were both going for the ball. Talk about a cathartic crash. I'm sure he had a good time in spite of his newly aquired road rash!.
The Fast Folks Femmes were out in force! Nat was showing off her freestyle skillz on her Sword track frame and Annie P came out to play. Jasmine has been playing since the beginning and that makes her one badass babe! I played a fair amount- I think my defense is getting pretty good, now time to work on the offense (still haven't scored a goal!). Speaking of goals, Heather came out for her first time and scored a goal her first game! Go Grrrl!
Andy brought out his new tall bike and let everyone have a go at riding it. So much fun! I was totally freaked about the mount and dismount process, but it is such an experience to ride! I finally get the Tall Bike craze!

I had a blast and look forward to Polo this Thursday! Daniel, way to go with your photo up on Chicks and Bikes! That certainly did not take long at all! Try sending your pics to Girls on Bikes! as well! Hey! Let's see Sunday's photo session soon!

I start an early morning fitness routine tomorrow so it is well past my bedtime. Goodnight to you all.

Ladieeeez! Ride this Friday?! Meet at the Ped Bridge around 6:30pm, ride around a bit, watch some free Shakespeare in the Park at Zilker, skinny dip somewhere! Who's in!? Heather was talking about a Ladieeeez Night Out with the Uncle Billy's Brewery Pub Crawl that happens next Monday as well. Holler for all the deets, mo.grady@gmail.com.

Pleasant dreams of beauties on bikes and tailwinds.
x's and o's,
Mo

re-post: Attention [always] Required!

As seen on Jason's, ATXBS.com and Les', onelescar, I thought I should re-post and spread the word.
Remember cyclists and everyone else- always keep your wits about you! Get in the habit of being aware of your surroundings, notice the cars around you on the road. Make EYE CONTACT with drivers. Follow traffic laws when you are riding with and as traffic on the road. Look at license plates, practice remembering the numbers. Notice drivers. You must be able to provide this info in order to get any action taken if you happen to be in an accident. It sickens me to think of the number of accidents I have been in, heard about, and witnessed that involve motor vehicles hitting humans on bikes and then driving off. I definitely believe in Karma, and also hope that somewhere in the guilty parties cold hearts that they do have a conscience that will punish them until the day they die for the crime against humanity that they have committed. I hope the cyclist involved in this particular accident is on the mend. I also hope that the young cyclist who passed away over the weekend, and their family is finding peace. Stay safe out there.
Love to you all,
Maureen

Hey Fellow Cyclists,

This is the third case we have received over the past year where a cyclist was seriously injured and the offices eiher failed to take a report, failed to gather witness informtion, or failed to take driver insurance information. This is such a huge problem.

In this particular case, on May 4, 2009 at approx. 5:30 PM, a young man was riding his bike in the bike lane. As he neared the intersection of Academy and So. Congress, directly in front of Docs, an Audi moved from the left turn lane crossed over and made right hand turn into the cyclist. There were no less than 50 witnesses including EMT and Fire personnel having lunch at Docs. The officers responding to the call: Bloodworth #5117 and Johnson #6461 failed to follow a single protocol for an accident injury. They did not take the drivers information and they did not even write a report. The young cyclist was taken by ambulance to St. Davids, he sustained a broken hand, a complete and open broken collar bone, AC tear of his shoulder, back injury, and various nicks and scrapes as well as a mild head injury. They knew of all these injuries at the scene, yet APD did not even bother to write down the driver's information much less take a single witnesses' information.

This is so ridiculously unacceptable! If anyone has witness information, please forward it to our office. If you are on a blog and see any information about this incident, please let us know. I am amazed and overwhelmingly disappointed in the APD and their carlessness for the citizenry, specifically those of us on two wheels.

"I truly believe that in making honorable choices about our lives, we can acknowledge sacrifices we make and the risks we take and recognize that what others view as losses and foolhardiness are the nourishment upon which our spirits thrive." Derrick Bell, Ethical Ambition

The Shefman Law Group
604 Mission Street, 6th Floor
San Francisco, CA 94105
T: 415-357-3681
F: 415-357-3682
http://www.shefmanlaw.net
http://www.cyclistlaw.com

In Austin:
4015 Marathon Boulevard
Austin, Texas 78756
T: 512-386-8117
Toll Free: 877-366-7677
www.thelonestarattorney.com

I think I'm in LOVE

Well it's official, I think I'm in "like" with everyone who plays bike polo.
Definitely everyone who plays in the Austin, TX Bike Polo Social Club anyway.
I went out to Eastwoods Park on Sunday for the weekly match and finally got up the nerve to play- it is a daunting task to join in to a game played by people who are all friends and teammates especially when you are new to the sport!

I was HORRIBLE! A disgrace and an embarrassment. I definitely created a blackhole affect in the games I participated in. But, no one seemed to mind too much; people still had fun (i think/hope). Everyone was accommodating, helping me out with rules, giving me space now and again, throwing me a bone- and the ball. I had a fantastic time! Luckily for us the weather turned slightly sour and decided to rain but that didn't stop the game. I absolutely love playing -of any sort- out in the rain! I love riding in it (cautiously), swimming (when lightning is at bay), sitting in it, whatever. I can definitely add playing polo in the rain to my list of top tens.

After polo, a group of players decided a swim and a soak in a local hot tub was in order. I had a great night, met a handful of cool new peeps, and developed a love for a new sport. Next step, practice, practice, and practice some more. Polo happens at Eastwoods Park on Thursdays at around 5:30pm and Sundays around 4pm. Bring your bike, beer, and buddies. Thanks to all of you ATXBPSC members, I am your new biggest fan.
Thanks, Daniel, for taking lovely polo shots and sharing them on your site!