TresSugar

It's Bike to Work Day! Bush Asks For Gas, WI Man Isn't Buying

CitizenSugar — Fri, 16 May 2008 08:00:15 -0700

On this Bike to Work Day, US President George W. Bush is taking the theme to heart. This photo was snapped yesterday while he was taking a spin on an Israeli-made bicycle presented to him by Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert. Despite his new wheels, Bush was in Saudi Arabia this morning asking for more gas from King Abdullah.

It was Bush's second attempt at persuading the oil-rich nation to pump out more fuel and drive down huge gas prices sucking US consumers dry. The first attempt in January was met with a wintry response. The kingdom said it would increase production only when the market justified it, and that production levels appeared normal. Some economists attribute the high prices to increased demand, rather than stingy supply.

In the effort to curtail the pump-crunch the National Sporting Goods Association is hoping to combat the shrinking numbers of bikers - the number of Americans who bike frequently dwindled almost 10 percent in 2007 to 3.7 million people - and encourage pedal-powered commutes. One Wisconsin man has made the big plunge - to see his story and some fuel-saving tips, read more.

A Wisconsin man said his "goal is to not use one drop of gas for 31 days." He says it's his personal stand against the oil companies. He's going cold-turkey - from a 300-mile a week truck habit, to all bike, all the time. He's even doing his 9-mile work commute on his bike. It's shocking him to shape, for sure. He's keeping track of miles biked and money saved and he'll compute his savings and donate that amount to a charity that provides food to children in Africa.

He sums his mission up like this:

"I think just with the gas prices being so high, everybody complains about it but no one ever really does anything about it. People continue to drive nonstop and not think about it, but I just wanted to take a stand and say, `I'm not gonna pay this much money for gas.'"

If hopping out of your car isn't in the cards, here's a list of gas-saving myths - filling your tank in the morning, for instance, doesn't do you much good. Are you hopping out of your car this morning? Does the idea of riding a bike on the road make you nervous? Should more people follow the Wisconsin man's lead? Should Saudi Arabia increase fuel production - or is the fuel pinch a blessing in disguise?

Source

Bicycle Built For More Than Two: SmartBike Hits DC

CitizenSugar — Mon, 28 Apr 2008 10:00:38 -0700

Washington DC is strapping on a helmet and gearing up to offer a bike sharing program hailed as one solution in the battle against urban traffic congestion and the growing stress on the transit system. Starting as early as next month, citizens in the nation’s capital can join SmartBike DC and rent one of one hundred and twenty shared bikes for the low price of forty dollars a month.

The bikes will be available from ten locations citywide, and members will be able to swipe a card and release a bike to ride for up to three hours. Although this is not the first of its kind, the use of better technology may be the key to its success. Paul DeMaio, a Washington-area bike-sharing consultant (Do they have consultants for everything in DC?) said: “...studies showed that many bikes would get stolen in a day, or within a few weeks. In Amsterdam (Netherlands) they would often find them in the canals.” Because of this and other reasons, European programs found themselves paying up to four thousand five hundred dollars per bike without private funding.

The idea isn't a ten-speed disaster everywhere - the Velib program is a hit in Paris and Barcelona - both cities started free-wheeling around a year ago and could grow to thousands of bicycles. SmartBike is looking to expand to San Francisco, Chicago and Portland, OR depending on success and their ability to attract private bucks to make it work.

Is sharing a bike with your fellow city-dwellers a good idea? Has the technology surpassed human nature to make a communal idea like this work? Is it something the government should be funding?

Source

Are High Gas Prices Getting You on the Public Bandwagon?

LibertySugar — Mon, 12 May 2008 15:45:22 -0700

While gas prices break records, so do ridership rates on public transportation systems across America. The New York Times reports that the biggest increases are seen in areas with a significant driving culture, such as the South and West.

Mass transit systems are having trouble coping with the masses. Rising fuel costs hit the systems hard, and the economic slow down means less funding from sales tax receipts. Thus, there is not enough money to put more buses on the street. Even so, people are opting for the standing room only services.

American bicycle shops are also reporting stronger business so far this year. A record number of commuters are expected to participate in Bike-To-Work Week and Bike-to-Work-Day (May 16th).

So, what about you? Have gas prices caused you to change your transportation habits? Do you think high gas prices could eventually motivate Americans (and their cities) to ditch their cars and develop efficient mass transit?

Source

You Asked: How Can I Lose Weight Before My Wedding?

DearSugar — Fri, 07 Sep 2007 17:00:00 -0700

Dear Sugar--

I recently was given the opportunity to explore other career options and have had lots of free time to focus on my fitness and nutrition. I've gotten really into it and set a goal of losing 15 pounds before my wedding date in November. I am 5'4" and when I started my routine/eating change I was 136. I'm down to 131, I work out six days a week...hiking, spinning, running, weight lifting, Pilates and yoga. Plus I'm keeping track of what I am eating. I eat six times a day small meals, lots of fruit, protein and veggies.

I use the website www.sparkpeople.com to track my eating and my workouts. The site gives me a caloric breakdown. According to the BMR I burn 1380 calories without doing any physical activity, so I've been burning an additional 500-800 calories a day plus only eating between 800-1200 calories. Why am I not losing weight??? I'm starting to get frustrated especially since I feel like I'm working really hard. Any
suggestions?

--Frustrated Bride-To-Be

To see DEARSUGAR's answer read more

Dear Frustrated Bride-To-Be--

This is a question I'm sure many women can relate to - how to lose weight in a healthy way. First of all let me say that you should be proud of yourself for starting this plan and sticking to it. You've lost 5 lbs already, and that's awesome.

I'm sorry to say that losing weight is hard work, and it's a long journey. Since you are at a pretty healthy weight already, losing those extra 10 lbs is going to be a slow process. In order to lose 1 lb a week (which is a healthy goal), you need to either burn or omit 500 calories from your diet per day. A good way to do that is to burn 250 calories through exercise, and ditch 250 calories from your diet. You don't want to shock your body and drop your caloric intake dramatically though, because your body won't burn fat, it'll hold onto it. You must consume at least 1200 calories a day so your body doesn't think there's a food famine.

Another great tip is to stop eating 2 hours before you go to bed. It'll give your body a chance to digest, and then when morning comes, you'll be hungry for breakfast. Don't skip this important meal since it can help jump start your metabolism.

I see that you are doing a wide range of exercise, but you may want to stick to focusing on heart-pumping cardio. Jog, ride a bike or do the elliptical at the gym for 20-30 every day, and you'll tone up and burn calories. Another thing you should remember is that if you are building muscle with exercising, you'll be losing inches and not necessarily losing weight. Muscle doesn't weigh more than fat, but it is denser so it takes up less room. That means when you step on the scale, it may not reflect all your hard work. Look in the mirror though, I'm sure you're bound to notice a difference.

Getting married can be both an exciting and stressful time. Just keep taking good care of yourself, get enough sleep each night, continue eating healthy and exercising, and by November I'm sure you'll look toned and feel strong, confident, and beautiful on your special day.

Source

You Asked: Is it Healthy to Workout Everday?

DearSugar — Mon, 25 Jun 2007 17:00:00 -0700

Dear Sugar--

Do you think it is healthy to just jump right into an intense exercise routine, working out five days or the whole week, especially if your recent workout consisted of a simple mile run once a week? Please help.

--Getting in Shape Susan

To see DEARSUGAR's answer read more

Dear Getting in Shape Susan--

Many times women who want to get in shape or lose weight decide to "hit the ground running" (literally) and begin an intense exercise program. If you're only used to working out moderately once a week, going from zero to 100 could be a shock to your system. Your body won't be able to keep up and in turn, you'll get extremely frustrated, which could be the beginning of the end for your workout routine.

That's not to say you can't workout everyday, but you need to start off with an attainable goal. Start by exercising two or three days a week: Go for a 30 minute walk, take an hour and a half yoga class, go swimming, or do anything that gets your heart pumping. If you like running, stick to that, but try running a little more than a mile each time. Once your body gets used to exercising more frequently, you can start making your cardio more intense with interval running, elliptical machines, biking, etc. Think about adding strength-training in there to help tone your muscles and make you stronger and lean. This can be in the form of yoga, Pilates and weight lifting. You can do this either on the same days you do cardio or in between, it's up to you.

Once your body gets used to working out regularly, you can start increasing the intensity or your workouts, or even workout more often if you want. Just keep in mind that you want to avoid pushing yourself too hard, so try to be sensitive to how your body is reacting to the extra exercise. Don't convince yourself that you have to workout everyday because working out should not be viewed as a chore. Good luck!

Source

Come Story Telling with me!!! The Completed Story

DearSugar — Sun, 23 Sep 2007 11:30:00 -0700

I hope you all enjoyed this new feature as much as I did! Your wild imaginations made for a great story line! To read the completed tale you all helped create, read more

"Next time we go wine tasting, can we please do it on a Saturday instead of Sunday?" I typed to Sandra from the office Mac.

"I am super exhausted and have a wine hangover!" "Maybe if you hadn't DRANK so much Kammie," Sandra said. "I can't believe you got drunk from a wine tasting. What was that all about anyway?"

I knew I should've told her yesterday that I had seen Marcus from across the room. He wasn't alone; he was with a girl and what looked like a toddler, too old to be his that was for sure. He had everything I had ever wanted with him, but it was what he wouldn't give me.

L-O-V-E. They were four single letters that meant nothing without one another and everything when put together. Sure he had cared about me, but I cared about the barista that made my iced non-fat vanilla latte too, but that didn't mean I wanted to spend my life with him. The fact that he was clearly playing for the other team didn't help that fact either.

Kammie sighed and started to type back her usual tirade about men and how she was going to join a convent if her love life didn't pick up in two weeks. In the middle of a paragraph, she stopped and started to re-read what she had just written. With a sense of purpose, she highlighted and deleted the self pitying e-mail and typed "Give me a break. It was free wine! Anyways, it's lunch time now. How about we try the new retail diet? It's guaranteed to make your waist line AND your bank account shrink at the same time."

"Oh yeah. Where?" Was Sandra's quick reply. "Hush on Union Street at noon." I typed back. I've been dying to check out the new boutique since it opened in August. I'm sure I'm going to have to max out at least one credit card, but I'm dying to get my hands on a new DVF dress and some wide leg pants before winter gets here.

Now, back to work. Why couldn't I get this bank statement to balance? Maybe because I had a headache so bad I can't see the numbers straight. Why did I have to drink so much?!? I head to the kitchen to grad some Tylenol from the drawer, only to find that someone took the last one and put the empty bottle back in the drawer. I guess I'll .just have to wait on that. I grab a citrus Italian sparkling water from the office fridge and an oatmeal muffin and head back down the hall.

Tabatha, the office gossip, is heading towards me, giving me that I know something that you should know look. "Kammie, you will not believe who I just overheard saying that she saw you drinking a lot yesterday at Stone Villa Winery."

"Somebody else from the office was there? Oh sh*t," I squeaked. "Can you please tell me who, I am really hungover as you now know and I want to eat my muffin sooner rather than later."

"Laney Ridgeway," Tabatha said. "She was there with her fiance and her daughter." "Wh-who's her fiance?" I ask remembering that I saw Marcus with a slightly familiar face. "Marcus Ambrose. He works on the other side of 46th and 7th street I think at that new agency," said Tabatha.

"Yes, I'm familiar with that agency. Thanks Tabatha, that's juicy. I gotta go now." I didn't want to give Tabatha any ideas that might fuel her motor mouth. I took off down the hall and was totally engrossed in my thoughts when I turned the corner and ran right into Laney Ridgeway looking like she had just stepped out of the pages of a magazine.

"Why?" I screamed in my head as she shifted to the side to avoid colliding with me. "Hi Laney. How are you? New bag?"

Laney took in my limp, unwashed hair, and the wrinkled shirt I had picked up off the floor five minutes before running out the door this morning and frowned slightly. I squirmed under her gaze and literally just wanted the floor to open up and swallow me whole. She looked down at the gorgeous, quilted Versace bag in her hand and nodded curtly.

"Yes, my fiance bought it for me as a surprise. In fact, I think you two know each other. He seemed to recognize you last night at the wine tasting."

"He what?!? I mean, I didn't even know you were there last night. What a surprise! I'm sure he was just mistaken. People always mistake me for other people." Laney narrowed her eyes. "Don't you want to know his name in case you actually do know him?"

Saved by the bell.. My Blackberry chimed just in time. "Ready? I'm downstairs," Sandra had sent to me. "Gotta go! Bye!" I half-heartily told Laney, or should I say Snotty McBoyfriend Stealer. Okay I know she didn't "steal" Marcus but the smug self-pleased look in her eyes told me she knew we had history.

Alone, finally, I looked into my reflection on the elevator doors and felt like my heart was being wrenched out of my chest. As my sad face disappeared as the elevator doors opened, I was staring into the face of none other than Marcus Ambrose.

He was there picking up Laney for lunch. We did a little dance trying to get off and on the elevator, and sheepishly said our goodbyes.

Once I got off the elevator, I walked through the crowded lobby out into the fresh air. I needed that after the last 45 minutes took me for a ride. Sandra was walking towards me from the cab. "What the hell took you so long Kam?" Sandra asked. "Get your butt over here, otherwise this cab ride will cost us about as much as we want to spend today."

"Sandra you will not believe who I just ran into and what I just heard. It was crazy up there for a bit. Tabatha told me about Laney being at the wine tasting with her fiance and her fiance turned out to be Marcus, who I saw at Stone Villa yesterday," I said in one breath.

"WHAT? Do we need to walk to get the whole story? Should we be shopping? Let's get out of the car, find a cafe, order heavily caffeinated drinks and talk about this. Driver please stop at the next cafe, Starbucks, whatever comes first," Sandra said.

"OMG do I need a latte with a shot of espresso," I said. "Sorry about the shopping San, I know you were looking forward to it. How about this weekend?"
"Honey, when you have gossip like this, shopping can wait. And besides, this way you have to buy me something in return for listening to your life story," Sandra said.

"Ma'am, I got you Starbucks; that's be $24.50 ladies," the cabbie said.

After talking to Sandra over our Starbucks lunch, I felt much better. What could I do about it anyway? I went back to the office and ducked into my office quickly, so nobody could see me. I needed to refresh and get this whole mess off my mind so I could do my work and get the hell out of here.

I turned on my monitor and noticed that I had received a new e-mail since this morning. It was from an unfamiliar address. I didn't have time to mess around with personal matters, and the subject line didn't seem very business-like: "What is Going on With You?"

I was about to crack a folder open to start research for the new company ad we just received moments ago when my phone rang.

"Kamron Smith," I said. "Hi Kam. What is going on with you?" Jim said.

I knew instantly that I could safely delete that e-mail because it was from Jim, "my office buddy" who was 2 offices down, but always decided to call me instead of dropping in to chat. "Jim, you realize that we are 2 offices apart and can just come in anytime. I don't think either of us have anything to hide."

"I know, the secret phone calls are just too thrilling to me though. Nobody knows who either of us are talking too," Jim breathed. "So what is wrong with you? I saw you this morning not looking so hot and really frazzled."

"Oh, Jim, why worry your pretty little head over these issues? You know you don't have to pretend to care right? It's only sex between us, not emotion," I said you under estimate me, Kammie. I care about you much more than you give me credit for. So what's up?" Jim was so convincing sometimes.

"You do not. Anyway, I just found out that my ex is marrying Laney Ridgeway and after a night of drinking too much at a wine tasting, I just wasn't ready for that." Why did I feel safe confiding in Jim? He was so easy to talk to.

"Well, you are better off without him, and she probably deserves him. You know, I heard that she isn't even sure who the father of her kid is? Okay, so let me take you out tonight and you'll forget all about what's-his-name?" Jim said.

"I can't possibly go out tonight, I feel like I've been hit with a garbage truck." I sighed. Jim was very firm in his reply. "Then I'm coming over and we'll order in and get cozy on your couch and watch a movie."

I agreed and hung up with Jim. Only three hours to go until our "date." Until then I needed to focus on this research project.

The afternoon seamed to drag on. Finally it was 4:50 and I shut down my computer and tidied up my desk. Just as I leave my office I catch a glimpse of Jim getting in the elevator. I decide to take the stairs. My Blackberry rings, it's Sandra. "Hey Kammie, do you want to grab a bite at the new Italian restaurant on Lincoln?" " Sorry hun, I just need to go to bed. How about tomorrow?" I know I should not have lied, but I don't want her to know about Jim just yet. "Oh, of course. I'll talk to you later." Sandra hung up. As I entered the parking garage noticed a letter tucked under my wiperblade.

"What was up with all of the notes and e-mails today," I said under my breath. The envelope was addressed to Kamren. Nobody who would tuck a letter under my wiper would call me Kamren. The note read:

I'm sorry for the awkwardness at your office today. I didn't think I would see you since I have been coming to pick up Laney every Monday for lunch since we've been together. I should've told you before you had to see us together or heard from someone else about us. P.S. was the wine really that good yesterday? I didn't think so, but we never could agree on much, could we? Cheers, Marcus.

Where does he get off ending his letter with a cutesy little comment like that, I thought. I threw the letter in the backseat as I turned the key to start my car. Speeding out of the parking garage, I finally see daylight. This afternoon was drab, perfectly matching my mood and look. Suddenly, Pearl Jam is blaring from my phone as it vibrates and rings.

"Hello?" I say. "Kamren, hi. How are you?" "I'm doing ok, but who is this?" "Oh, um, Marcus. I guess I thought you would remember my voice or still have my number programmed or something." "Oh, no. I just cleaned house when I got a new phone; I took out of the numbers that I don't use anymore," I said.

No, I took that out of my phone and my memory when you took out my heart you bastard, is what I really wanted to say.

"To what do I owe this pleasure?" I sarcastically said. "I just wanted to call and make sure you were okay. You looked....well you looked miserable when those elevator doors opened up." "Gee, thanks. You sure know how to charm the ladies," I said ,while silently cursing life." "You were the best girlfriend," Marcus suddenly blurted out.

I was shocked and nearly hit one of those annoying bike messengers. The silence dragged on and I asked "Why are you telling me this now? It's been almost a year since you broke up with me."

"I - he truth is, I feel guilty. I still have dreams about you and in them you're always yelling at me and calling me a bastard. I know I really hurt you and you didn't deserve it one bit. I had some things I needed to get over in order to move on and I just wasn't ready to let go of them during our relationship. You were a fantastic girlfriend and I'm sorry I didn't trust you enough to give you everything I had."

I was shocked. There was not a single thought floating in my head for a good 10 seconds. I was finally hearing everything I had wanted to hear. Did I really want Marcus back? No, but it hurt so deeply when he ended it and despite all the "independent woman" messages we're barraged with every day, I felt like somehow I was to blame for how things ended up. What is it about matters of the heart that can take a perfectly confident woman and reduce her to a quivering, self-pitying, puddle?

"Kamren, are you still there?" Marcus stammered. "uuummm...yeah...I'm here." I took a deep breath and tried to pull myself together. Why!!! Why, why, why???? My head is racing with a zillion thoughts. "I don't know what you want me to say," I tell Marcus as I try and keep an eye on traffic as I inch along. Please I silently beg, please just let me get home. I am going to need a long hot bath to be able to deal with Jim. "I am not sure either..." Marcus sighs heavily.

"You called me and unloaded all this on me and you cannot even tell me why!!" Cause I am supposed to know how to fix everything!! Why do men do that? Why couldn't he have just stayed lost in my past??????

"Marcus, I appreciate your honesty, but I am finally moving on and I think it would be best for everyone involved, especially your fiance, if you just forgot my phone number like forgot yours. Good luck Marucs, and good bye."

I hung up the phone and felt a huge sense of relief - and surprisingly excited about my date with Jim!

Caught Up In A Routine Rut

DearSugar — Thu, 28 Sep 2006 13:18:56 -0700

Dear Sugar
I have a wonderful life, but I just need somewhere to vent. I shouldn't complain about work because I was just promoted to manager, I have a cute two bedroom condo and a gorgeous Yorkshire Terrier as a roommate. Yet life feels like the same day in and day out pattern. Occasionally I'll go on a date or meet a friend for dinner/drinks, but basically everyday I have the same routine.

I work in a corporate office about 15 miles from home. To save money, I usually pack my lunch and eat in my cube and talk to co-workers. Around 7:00pm, I pack up and head home, driving the same tired route and usually picking up some take out. Then I walk my dog, watch TV, and go to bed.

I need some spice in my life. I am not looking for anything super wild or adventurous and I am a happy person, I guess that I am just feeling a little bored lately. Can you help? Bored Jordan

To see DEARSUGAR's answer read more

Dear Bored Jordan
You have a pretty positive outlook on life which is very refreshing. I think that all you've got to do is change your gears a little more. Here are some suggestions:

Try getting up earlier one day a week and taking an interesting class at the gym.
If you can, walk or ride a bike to work one day a week. 15 miles is pretty long, but the fresh air and physical activity might feel very refreshing.
Even try something as small as driving a different route to work allows you to see some new things.
Try going grocery shopping for your lunches/dinners at a different store once in a while, or try to go in the morning if you can so that you can avoid the crowds.
If possible, ask a co-worker or friend to join you in a park for lunch. It's amazing how much of a difference you feel by spending time outside during daylight hours.
Take a vacation day mid week.
Make an effort to make plans more often after work. Go home, walk your dog and then go out for dinner more often. Leisurely social interaction is extremely important. Plus, it gets you out of the house and experiencing new things.

I hope this helps. Don't try everything at once, just make one small change per day and see how you feel at the end of the week. Life is sure to become super boring if you don't stop and smell the roses every once in a while.

Death To Mojo?

DearSugar — Tue, 21 Mar 2006 09:48:17 -0800

Dear Sugar
I am a 20-something woman and after taking a break from dating, I'm ready to get back in the game. I was unhappy in the past and felt that it would be unhealthy to try to have a relationship when I wasn't "whole." Well, a year and a half later, I'm happy, healthy, in great shape and on the right track. I've got two problems: my social skills and general dress have declined greatly and I don't know where to meet men. I used to party and drink a lot. Now, I'm relatively free of tobacco and alcohol. I had an easy time meeting men at parties, bars and clubs, but it's not longer my scene. In fact, I feel really uncomfortable around drunken people though I am not against drinking sensibly. I don't even know where to go to meet men that aren't just looking for hook ups. The second issue is that I now live in comfortable gym-quality clothes. I used to wear make up every day, I wore heels all the time and I dressed up every chance I got. The ability to clean up nice has disappeared completely. Missing My Mojo

Dear Missing My Mojo
Two things have happened here. 1. It sounds like you are finally comfortable being you! Congratulations, somewhere during your male-free hiatus you discovered what really makes you happy. Not drinking, not smoking, wearing comfy clothes and working out. You've channeled your unhappiness into good things and look atcha now! 2. You are looking for a meaningful relationship and not just a fun date once in a while. So now besides going to clubs and bars, you need a new strategy to meet men. Here are my ideas. If you like working out then join a running /biking club or spend more time at the gym. There are tons of hotties there and you'll never have to wear heels or make up. You could also ask your friends to set you up on blind dates. Perhaps, if they do the screening, it will take some of the stress away. You could also try online dating. In your profile explain your aversion to smokers, heavy drinkers and partiers. There are so many guys out there who are looking for the same qualities in a woman. But when you do go out on a date, try just a little mascara and gloss. I'll bet YOU'LL feel prettier. Slowly but surely that Mojo will resurface!