Biking Jersey City

We went on the Jersey City Bike Tour today.  It was an organized ride, with about 500 riders, that rode through Jersey City, with motorcycle police stopping traffic to allow us to proceed.  The route was 16 miles, mostly flat, at a slow pace (took two hours).  It was a really nice way to see the area and get some riding in.   Without an organized ride, it's hard to ride very far without having to stop for stoplights, and traffic is pretty heavy.  

Adventures in Babysitting

Julia with Grandpa Brauer

Today we started taking care of our granddaughter, Julia, during the day while John and Nancy are working.  She is a sweet, easy-to-care-for child, but I had forgotten how taking care of a baby (4 months old) divides your life into small segments of time:  feed (1/2 hour), play (1.5 hour), nap (1 hour) walk (1/2 hour) and then repeat.  It sure makes the day go by quickly!  Julia makes us smile and laugh all the time.  She loves her grandpa -- she smiles when she sees him.  The Paulus Hook neighborhood of Jersey City (where John and Nancy live) should be called Baby City.  When we go out for our daily walks, there are strollers everywhere. We see lots of other grandparents taking care of young children.  Lots of Au Pairs, too.  We call ourselves the Grand Pair au Pairs.

BBQ in Brooklyn

Beer, Beans and Brauers

Today we rode our bikes (took them on the PATH to the World Trade Center Station in Manhattan and then rode) to Brooklyn for a backyard barbeque hosted by John and Nancy's friend, Tim.  We took a detour along the way to buy a vinyl tablecloth at K-Mart in Manhattan, then headed across the Manhattan bridge to Brooklyn.  It was hot and humid, so the cold beer (6-point, various flavors) tasted especially good.  We brought a tub of Captain Ken's Firehouse Baked Beans from Minnesota to share at the potluck.  John made delicious chicken skewers marinated in "shwarma" sauce.  Got a chance to visit with a lot of great people.