I rode a bicycle for the first time in over ten years today. I bought a music player on the condition that I would pick some sort of physical activity thus making the purchase a worthwhile expenditure. Running was out of the question, what with the heat and humidity and me not being able to breathe and hating it. So then I thought about swimming, but I would have to spend money on a membership and I wont do that. Then it was biking, but I don't have a bike and I don't have money to spend on one.
The good thing about housemates are that they have stuff they are willing to share. Brie doesn't use the bike she bought some years back and has ridden a total of a dozen times or so, so she said I could use it. She also said the tires may be low.
I woke up early to a text from my co-worker entailing that she would not be able to go to Barton Springs tomorrow because she has a friend to pick up from the airport or something of that nature. I don't know, I was still half asleep and tried to fall back into full asleep but the ol' noggin started a'clunkin' away at how typical it was for people to flake out on me until I gave up and turned over and turned on the computer.
The search for the bike started fairly early and with some difficulty. I could see Ran's bike out on the porch, a beautiful Schwinn carelessly hanging from out wooden posts with an unused lock, free for the taking. Brie's bike wasn't in the front with his nor in the storage area on the side of the house. I was starting to give up when I spied a tire peaking out from behind the backyard shed and there I found a be-cobwebbed bike with a metal basket in the front, a little seat for bags in the back, and two properly flatten tires. I didn't notice the tires until I got it on flat ground and tried to ride it, though.
Then it was a search for an air pump. I tried all the places I had looked for the bike before giving up and going back to rest in my bed. I sent a text to Kristie asking if she knew if and where we would have such an air pump. She didn't respond but came into the house not fifteen minutes later, told me where it was (in the storage compartment under the stairs) but also insisted on texting Ran to ask if I could use his bike. He ended up saying I could, but I already had Brie's bike aired up and ready so I went out for a ride.
It was the most clumsy disgraceful display of bike riding, to be sure. I was shaky with the handle bars, the least bit of a turn becoming a gross over-correction nightmare. When paired with slowing down and coming up onto a sidewalk from the road, I nearly hit a parked car in view of who was surely the owner of the vehicle. I didn't bother to look at the man in my embarrassment, just tried to roll on. I made it three songs before I pulled back into the driveway. My legs were aching, I was out of breath and shaky and hot. I went for another go in the late afternoon, but I didn't do much better, with my legs suffering major fatigue afterward, not wanting to support my weight for a bath so I had to just sit in a tub of cool water.
I kind of suck at it, but I will continue.
The good thing about housemates are that they have stuff they are willing to share. Brie doesn't use the bike she bought some years back and has ridden a total of a dozen times or so, so she said I could use it. She also said the tires may be low.
I woke up early to a text from my co-worker entailing that she would not be able to go to Barton Springs tomorrow because she has a friend to pick up from the airport or something of that nature. I don't know, I was still half asleep and tried to fall back into full asleep but the ol' noggin started a'clunkin' away at how typical it was for people to flake out on me until I gave up and turned over and turned on the computer.
The search for the bike started fairly early and with some difficulty. I could see Ran's bike out on the porch, a beautiful Schwinn carelessly hanging from out wooden posts with an unused lock, free for the taking. Brie's bike wasn't in the front with his nor in the storage area on the side of the house. I was starting to give up when I spied a tire peaking out from behind the backyard shed and there I found a be-cobwebbed bike with a metal basket in the front, a little seat for bags in the back, and two properly flatten tires. I didn't notice the tires until I got it on flat ground and tried to ride it, though.
Then it was a search for an air pump. I tried all the places I had looked for the bike before giving up and going back to rest in my bed. I sent a text to Kristie asking if she knew if and where we would have such an air pump. She didn't respond but came into the house not fifteen minutes later, told me where it was (in the storage compartment under the stairs) but also insisted on texting Ran to ask if I could use his bike. He ended up saying I could, but I already had Brie's bike aired up and ready so I went out for a ride.
It was the most clumsy disgraceful display of bike riding, to be sure. I was shaky with the handle bars, the least bit of a turn becoming a gross over-correction nightmare. When paired with slowing down and coming up onto a sidewalk from the road, I nearly hit a parked car in view of who was surely the owner of the vehicle. I didn't bother to look at the man in my embarrassment, just tried to roll on. I made it three songs before I pulled back into the driveway. My legs were aching, I was out of breath and shaky and hot. I went for another go in the late afternoon, but I didn't do much better, with my legs suffering major fatigue afterward, not wanting to support my weight for a bath so I had to just sit in a tub of cool water.
I kind of suck at it, but I will continue.
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