Author Archives: Bubblegirl

About Bubblegirl

I grew up on a farm 5 miles outside of a small town of only 850 people in central Illinois. After receiving my undergrad at ISU in art, I moved to San Francisco to pursue a master's degree from the Academy of Art University. I graduated with a Master's of Fine Art in Digital Art—the first person to graduate with that degree which I helped the school establilsh. I fell in love with SF and decided to stay through the ups and downs of the dotcom boom and bust. Today, I make a living as a graphic designer but am also a digital, watercolor and acryllic artist and photographer. The evolution of Bubblegirl and Pinkie Tuscadero: I used to rollerblade all over SF. Besides the bus, that's how I got around. In fact, I am still called Rollergirl by my oldest friends. But... it's really difficult to rollerblade and blow bubbles. I've always loved bubbles. What's not to love? I discovered from my balcony that I could blow bubbles and watch them drift quite a distance down the street. I thought about putting a happy wish inside each bubble with my breath and watching it blow away. Then what if that bubble popped right in front of an unexpecting passerby, putting a smile on their face and making them wonder where it came from? Maybe my wish would come true for them? I also love how bubbles define the wind, swirl and twirl around, then stop and blow the opposite direction or hang in mid-air. They're simply magical. My bubbling evolved from a single wand to battery operated hand-held machine to an industrial electrical nightclub bubble machine called the Bubbler 9901. On sunny Sundays, I would often put a bubble machine on my balcony and enjoy the honks and hollers from the many fans of my balcony bubbles. But in 2005, my life changed. I met Pinkie Tuscadero. I call her that because when I grew up, the most realistic super-heroine was Pinkie Tuscadero in the TV show "Happy Days" who did tricks on her pink motorcycle and put Fonzie in his place. I even had a Matchbox car I called Pinkie Tuscadero. When I first laid eyes on my bike, Pinkie, she was sitting in the window at Big Swinging Cycles on Lombard Street. I decided to go in and give her a test ride just for fun. Up until then, I had never had a bike that truly fit me. I rarely biked on the farm because of the gravel roads and the few bikes I had were hand-me-downs but I do have one fond memory of when I was in a parade in my small town where we decorated our bikes and were awarded ribbons. I do love a parade. What's not to love? But I left the store that day telling myself that $450 was more than I could spend. By the time I got home, I knew I had made a mistake, called the store and told them she was mine! My other bikes since I moved to SF included a man's mountain bike. The seat was uncomfortable but especially the forward lean and weight on my arms was painful, having experienced a ruptured disc in my neck in 2003 that resulted in a great deal of nerve damage in my neck, shoulder and left arm. I only bought that bike for Burning Man and rarely rode it in SF. My next bike was supposed to be an upgrade and a more comfortable ride. It was a 9 year old girl's pink Schwinn to which I then added metal side baskets. It, very obviously, didn't fit me. I had to stand up to get full leg extension and it weighed a ton. I did ride this bike around SF and even used it to commute to work. But nothing compared to Pinkie. I fell in love immediately. It's an Electra cruiser, not to be confused with electric. It's a 3 speed and the one time I let a friend ride it one block (only because it was her birthday), she described it as being as smooth as a ride in a Cadillac. Pinkie, like me, has had her own evolution. She came with a leather fanny pack, leather streamers, a rack and fenders. I added collapsible baskets which I eventually covered with sparkly fabric. Other additions include tulips in the baskets, fuzzy dice (because you're always rolling the dice when you bike in SF), dice tire caps, a pink disco ball, 2 horns, 2 bells, a Garmin GPS, retro headlight, Cat taillight, at least 3 new cranks (because I wear through them about once every year and a half), a hot pink flower on the handle bars, a cup holder I sewed, stylish pedals and ultimately, a Bose stereo, six Monkeylectric spoke lights, three down-low-glow lights from Rock the Bike, two handlebar side lights and a bubble machine, or more often two bubble machines at a time, because inevitably, one will fail, so I'm always running on at least one engine. The addition of the bubble machine was almost immediate. I figured what better way to spread the most bubbles throughout SF than to put them on my bike. Plus, I like the idea that this is my ironic form of "car" exhaust. I enjoy how they define the wind after I pass by and give a whimsical quality to my wake which lasts for blocks and how the bubbles make almost everyone smile. But—it hasn't been easy. My bike weighs 50 lbs with nothing on it and approximately 85 lbs fully loaded. I have to bring gallons of bubble juice and pounds of extra rechargeable batteries. For big events, I'm charging batteries all week. I've gone through dozens of bubble machines and batteries. I've used hundreds, maybe thousands of gallons of juice. I don't make it myself. I haven't figured out a good formula that works with my machines and it's truly easier said than done. I buy my juice and it costs me about $20 a gallon mostly because of the shipping. After every time I blow bubbles from my bike, I have to wash it, not just for aesthetics but because the juice turns to glue and will eventually rust my bike if I leave it slathered. I used to say I get paid in smiles but it's become too expensive for me with all of the events I do throughout the year, so I now accept donations. I've had a wonderful time bubbling SF. I've made many friends and I've especially enjoyed delighting the little kids. I call them my biggest little fans. :) I have a lot of wonderful fun, funny or special stories to share with you. So I decided it was way past time to share the adventures of Bubblegirl and Pinkie Tuscadero. I hope you enjoy the bubbly ride with me. :)

Pitcrew: The story of a dedicated friend.

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Pitcrew, Ray, RayRay, Rayaferd, Ray of Light

Pitcrew, Ray, RayRay, Rayaferd, Ray of Light

When I met Ray in the middle of 2008, I had been biking and bubbling while riding Critical Mass for over 2 years (pretty much ever since I bought Pinkie for around $450 on July 8, 2006). By then there were a lot of smiling-friendly-familiar faces in the crowd of cyclists I frequently rode with and one of those was Ray. For months he made it a point to say hello and thank me for blowing bubbles at each Critical Mass. But Ray and I may not have become better friends if he hadn’t given me a very memorable and thoughtfully sweet gift.

Jade Ray Collected on Ocean Beach.

Jade Ray Collected on Ocean Beach.

Ray is a very talented, intelligent and creative soul. When he gave me his gift, he told me about how he travels to Ocean Beach from Hayward (at least a 2.5 hour trip by BART/MUNI each way) and collects the often overlooked jade that washes ashore. He then spends hours polishing and transforming their ruff edges into something beautiful and magical. Like the one he created for me. 🙂

Ray's Jade Necklace Gift. Made from Ocean Beach SF jade. It can blow bubbles too!

Ray’s Jade Necklace Gift. Made from Ocean Beach SF jade. It can blow bubbles too!

When he gave me this jade gift, he explained how he thought it could be used to blow bubbles — and it does! 🙂 He explained the process involved in creating it but was reluctant to tell me exactly how many hours he spent crafting it — I’m guessing a couple dozen over a period of months. He also explained his motivation for giving it to me —— he believes in what I’m doing. I asked, “pffft, what am I doing?” And he responded, I’m “making people happy.” I’m “turning a negative into a positive” (meaning Critical Mass was often seen as a negative and I was making it more positive). I “create smiles and joy in children and adults.” He could see that my intention was greater than “just frivolously blowing bubbles” and that he felt there was a “deeper purpose in doing what ‘I’ love, (riding Pinkie and bubbling) and that it “makes a difference.” Pretty humbling and a very nice compliment.

As an aside, let me explain that I don’t believe I’m changing the world or making a life-changing impact on anyone I bubble past but bubbles tend to make people smile and all those smiles have to be a good thing. 🙂

Here’s some more of Ray’s incredible jade pieces.

IMG_0026

Ray and I began riding with each other frequently after that gift. But his greatest gift to me has been immeasurable —— his friendship, his encouragement and his dedication to the “greater bubble cause.” He will often hold my handlebars, when I pause for a break or need to add juice to my machines, so Pinkie doesn’t accidentally tip over. (She’s a heavy cruiser at 85lbs fully loaded for maximum bubbling activity.) He also frequently carries what I can’t manage, like my bubble juice donation box, an extra bubble machine in case one breaks or an extra gallon of juice for big events like Sunday Streets, the Pride Parade, the Carnaval Parade, HowWeird Festival, Bicycle Music Festival, Toure de Fat or Burning Man Decompression where we’re out all day and I really do some serious bubbling. In addition, together we’ve worked on figuring out bubble machine mechanical problems, juice quality issues and understanding how to lengthen the life of rechargeable batteries. We also get to share some wonderfully happy moments, like the squeals and laughter of children dancing in a bubble storm. He’s so dedicated and believes in Bubblegirl and Pinkie so deeply that I’ve given him the nickname, “Pitcrew.” He’s the whole crew rolled into one! I also fondly call him, RayRay, Rayaferd or Ray of Light… 🙂 He makes Bubblegirl’s life a lot easier and Pinkie doesn’t worry about scuffing her fenders as much. But, as if all of his help and many talents weren’t enough, I would also credit him in part with encouraging me to accept a more conscious appreciation of “why I do what I do” and “why I love it so much” which reveals a bit of the ‘Pollyanna” in me —— for wanting to make the world around me, a little bit better, a little bit happier and a little bit bubblier, one bubble at a time. Ray understands that without explanation.

Polyanna. "Just breathing isn't living."

Polyanna. “Just breathing isn’t living.”

With my deepest gratitude to Ray aka Pitcrew — I dedicate this blog post to you. Thank you.


















Sunday Streets Berkeley 2012

Sunday Streets Berkeley 2012