I'M THINKING ABOUT RIDING MY BIKE

I'm thinking about riding my bike. It is sitting in the living room, all pretty and dressed up with nowhere to go. Getting a bit dusty she is.



I thought about buying a new bike, for a long, long time. I had a bike previously that rusted up in the bike yard and finally gave up the ghost. Everytime I went to a garage sale, I spied to see if there was a bike. In 2008, I probably went out garage selling about three times, bought a few books and trinkets, but no bike. Go figure. I thought maybe I could get my brother to get me a used bike somewhere, but he is pretty incognito and not into bikes anymore. In fact, he probably hasn't been into bikes for about ten years. Finally, sometime in the fall of 2008, I decided this is the perfect time. Go buy your bike.



First I checked K-Mart, Wal-Mart and Target. Then I tried a couple of bike stores in my hometown. Finally, I "impulsively" bought myself a bike at a shop near my daughters house. I planned on getting a beach cruiser, but I bought a five speed instead. I hopped (well, lumbered) onto the bike and "there she blows", I rode her about two blocks. It was pretty exciting!



Of course, on my new bike-riding adventure, I needed a few acoutrements. I bought a bell, cuz who can have a bike without a bell? I bought a light, for all those night time rides I was going to make. I bought a bike rack for all the times I plan on doing some long distance bike-riding and need to drive out to nature to find the perfect spot. My daughter was kind enough to get me a lock, so all those rotten thieves won't steal my bike. I already had a helmet, given to me by a co-worker in 2006, when I was still "thinking" about getting a bike, and I bought a "bladder" at Goodwill BRAND-SPANKING NEW for only $5.00. For those not in the know, a bladder is a contraption you wear on your back to supply your water on those aforementioned long bike rides in nature.

I took my bike out of storage and put it in the hall. My cousin put my bike in my bedroom cuz she was tired of tripping over it as she entered the house. I used the bike as a clothes rack for longer that I am willing to admit to anyone but a priest. Finally, I took my bike and put her in the living room, where she now sits. Every once in a while I look at her and think to myself, "Lib, why don't you take your big fat ass outside and ride the damn thing!"

The only problem is, I'm not quite ready. I don't have a basket, I don't have a thingy to put my water in for the short rides when I don't want to wear the bladder, I don't have the other things to keep my pants from getting into the spokes and most important I don't have the goony clothes to wear.

Well, even with all the deficits of the previous paragraph, I am still thinking about riding my bike. I'll even make a promise to myself to ride my bike This Sunday, my wedding anniversary, March 29th. At some point, you gotta stop thinking about it, and just do it. I just don't want to rush into any big commitment here, I mean bike-riding not marriage. Marriage should be rushed into, or you would never do it!

That's it. I've just decided, this Sunday is the BIG DAY! I'm taking the plunge, I'm galloping off in the distance, I'm taking the leap of faith. Dang nab it all, I'm riding my bike!