my new ride

The last time I had a bike it was a hand me down from my sister, Jenny.
It was hot pink with a banana seat and had a bionic woman sticker on it.
I dug through a whole box of cereal for that sticker.
But when we moved from to the flat farmlands of Illinois to Santa Cruz,
we ditched our bikes because we lived on a hill
the size of a small alp and riding down it would
have launched us to an early death or incurred some time of paralysis.
My brother, Chris and I did take the hill in a little red wagon once.
He was thrown clear into some weeds and I still bear the scars on my knees.
But I digress.
This year for my cousin Beth's birthday,
Beth and I stayed at a fancy resort called Solage
that had matching Schwinns parked outside the door
so you could tool into town on them if you wanted to.
They were black with fat seats and wide tires and looked like fun on wheels.
So Beth and I did tool into town and I only fell over once....
when I hooked my purse on the handlebars as I was trying to get off.
But I told my sister-in-law Cheri about the bikes
and she was as excited about them as I was.
We decided that this year was the year of the bike.
That we both needed one.
Even though I haven't had a bike since I was 7.
So on my birthday, my dreams came true and Scott presented me with this...

And here I am looking very happy on my bike.

And it gets better because Santa brought Cheri a bike for Christmas.
She looks happy, too, doesn't she?

I think we are so happy because when you are riding a bike,
even when you are a little wobbly, you feel free as a bird.
The wind is whipping at your face and you
know somewhere in your gut that maybe you could win a race...
as long as there are no hills involved.
And you can't help laughing out loud,
like I did when I took a wide turn today and
almost got my handlebars stuck in a chain link fence.
It made a really loud clanking sound.
I was laughing because I was so glad I didn't pitch over my handlebars
into the bushes.
Mostly, I think riding bikes makes you so happy because it
makes you feel like a kid again. Really.
I'm excited about my bike.
I'm going to ride over to Cheri's house this week.
Right after I call my mom and make sure it's okay.