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. :)

Sunday Streets Embarcadero March 11, 2012.

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I may be biased but I think Sunday Streets is about the best thing to ever happen to SF. This past Sunday was the kick-off for Sunday Streets in SF. The Embarcadero route is my favorite. I love the other routes too but I really like that the Embarcadero has wide and nicely paved streets. There are fewer stops. There’s plenty of street space for non-profit organizations or musicians. It’s close to the water. The view is amazing. There are palm trees and cool Bay breezes. It’s flat and there are tons of tourists. I think this last element is especially important. It seems critical to me that SF proves to visitors that we are focused on health while having fun as well as alternative modes of transportation.

The “Sunday Streets” movement is growing and has been for 30 years. Although it’s not a new idea, many parts of the country have never heard of it. The SS philosophy is as follows: “Sunday Streets is a series of events put on by the City of San Francisco to encourage health, community and fun, inspired by similar events in cities throughout the world. A Sunday Streets event creates a large, temporary, public space by closing off stretches of a neighborhood’s streets to automobile traffic, and opening them to pedestrians, bicyclists, and activities for several hours on a predetermined Sunday.”

Read more about SS here: About Sunday Streets in SF and its origin in Columbia. Or, the following bullets will give you the jist…

• Sunday Streets originated in Bogota, Colombia as Ciclovía, a day to promote free, health and community oriented events. 30 years after the first program, the concept has spread around the world from Tokyo, Japan to Kiev, Ukraine.
• “A quality city is not one that has great roads but one where a child can safely go anywhere on a bicycle.” Enrique Peñalosa, Former Mayor of Bogotá, Colombia.
• Ciclovía, literally “bike path” in Spanish, is a ground-breaking event that started in Bogotá, Colombia. This weekly event draws more than 1.5 million people to walk, bike, skate and enjoy more than 70 miles of streets opened to people – and closed to automobile traffic – every week.
• Nearly 20% of this city’s population turns out every Sunday and holiday to participate in the 7 am to 2 pm event, which includes unparalleled free recreation and social opportunities, including dance and yoga lessons in the city’s streets and local parks.
• Bogotá has the distinction of hosting the biggest and longest-running Ciclovía in the world. Founded in 1976, it started small and grew in the 90′s under the Mayor and the Parks Director, Enrique and Guillermo Peñalosa. By 1996 it was recognized as the most important recreational activity in the country. The route was extended to 50 miles in 1997 and events to appeal to non-cyclists were added.

SS Embarcadero 031112

The weather varied for the event. For the most part, it was cool but sunny but there were times the fog/mild rain was more than a mist. I had a blast, of course. I love hearing people, say, “Hey! There’s Bubblegirl!” They recognize me from the 3 previous years I’ve been attending Sunday Streets, ever since it began in 2008 or perhaps other SF bike events. The kids are my favorite but I love the parents too—who are just big kids really. There were plenty of “oooohs” and “aaaaahs” and many smiles at “MY” weather event—100% bubble precipitation. 🙂

Most of my favorite bikey/skatey people also attended. The Godfather of Skating, David Miles was at the North end with free skate lessons. He’s also the founder of the famous Friday Night Skate or FNS which is a 12 mile loop around SF every Friday night and the grandmaster of the 6th Avenue Skating Place in Golden Gate Park. California Outdoor Rollerskating Association.

The Godfather of Skating

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Deep was there with his Trikeasaurus, amazing beats and fun-loving spirit. It’s always a party when Deep’s around. Deep’s Flashdance.

Deep & Trikeasaurus

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And photographer, filmmaker, bboy and artist Beto was out on his old-school fixie. Beto Mooncricket Films.

But I’d have to say, Rock The Bike really stood out as an amazing contributor of WOW for the event.

Rock the Bike at SS Embarcadero 031112

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

They put in a major effort in creating a live-on-bike performance with the group Jazz Maffia. View this video for a taste of their awesomeness.

I also met a new friend, Sarah, who’s with Bike Salon. Their philosophy is as follows, “Bike Salon hosts experiences that empower women to choose bicycling as their main form of transportation. By mobilizing leaders in the community, we create livable cities and sustainable culture. Sarah is an artist who creates participatory experiences that empower women to be self sufficient, healthy and engaged through do-it-yourself lifestyle. We encourage women to choose bicycling as their main form of transportation.”

My GPS tallied up my day at 30 miles of smiles. 🙂 Thank you Sunday Streets!!

Sunday Streets Embarcadero March 11, 2012. Photo from Rock The Bike.