Sunday morning we woke and got ready for church. We had a trip of 3.5 miles with a nasty hill to make it to church. We figured if we left the house at 9:30 we could make it by 10:00. We walked out of the house at 9:15, everyone with hair done and church clothes on. Oh yeah - we were doing awesome. Michael pulled his bike out of the shed and immediately noticed he had a blasted flat tire. Goat head season is killing us. I don't remember when we last had a flat and now we can't keep our tires inflated. Michael proceeded to whip off his tire and replace the tube fast - like greased lightning - but very carefully as he was wearing his white church shirt. He got the tire put back together in record time and went in the house to wash his hands.
Meanwhile, I had the babies in the trailer and went to hook it up to Michael's bike. Alas, it was not to be. Michael has braces on his bike to help carry wide loads, (which he has dubbed "Hobo WideLoaders") but their location made it impossible to hook up the bike trailer. Michael came outside to find me muttering and close to swearing (it was Sunday, so I couldn't actually swear). He grabbed his drill and started disassembling his hobo accoutrements. Five and a half minutes later, we were ready to ride.
It was quite the sight. I don't know why I didn't get a picture of it. Probably because I didn't have the camera and we were in a hurry. Now usually Ethan and Libby would bike themselves but it was an unfamiliar route and we weren't sure if we would have to be on Cole Road for any length of time. I'm not letting my kids bike along Cole. The trip was actually very quiet with very little traffic, but I digress. Michael had Ethan and Libby on the back of his bike and was pulling a trailer with Grace and Sam. I'm surprised his bike didn't take one look at the load and simply refuse to move. If I get ambitious I will make everyone recreate the ride so I can photograph it for posterity. Meanwhile, I was biking my own little self. The time was 9:30. Amazingly, we were still on time.
A quarter of the way to church the rain started. Blue skies behind us, blue skies in front of us, and a deluge precisely overhead. No rain for weeks and suddenly, on this Sunday, we have rain. Michael wanted to pull over and wait it out while I was for pressing on. He hates getting wet. For disliking cats so strongly he sure acts like one when it comes to water. Before I could convince him it would be okay he had already taken himself and the kids to a covered sidewalk against a nearby building. After much coaxing and assurances the rain would soon stop, coupled with promises of ice cream, he agreed to come out. I went to the light which soon turned green and I hollered to Michael to hurry out. "I'm stuck!" came the yell from his shelter. I turned around to find he had wedged the trailer in a corner against a post and couldn't wiggle free. After a brief struggle I managed to free him and we were on our way.
There was much grumbling when I proved to be an unreliable meteorologist and the rain persisted. About this time Michael realized he'd left his tablet computer sitting on our trailer in the back alley, open to all. I was expecting a nervous breakdown and a panicked pedal home but we continued on. The hill almost killed him but we made it to church and before the opening hymn! I took the slightly damp kids in to the meeting while Michael called his father to rescue his tablet. Does this count as cheating? Asking someone to do a favor for you, knowing full well they are going to drive to do it? It makes my head hurt thinking about it. Any opinions? I guess the important part was his tablet was saved and we made it to church on time. Thanks, Con!
After the meeting everyone loaded back up on bikes and we started home, receiving many looks of awe and consternation. Everyone driving away got an up-close view of our contraption. One woman said, "You look like those Asians!" Michael and I must have looked confused because she went on to say, undoubtedly in a futile effort to clarify her original statement, "My husband is Asian." I had no idea what to even say to that - still don't. I can only assume she was talking about pictures on the internet, like this one:
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| http://www.melbournecyclist.com/forum/topics/1684380:Topic:13534 |
but the way she said it still sounded so very wrong. Kind of like our whole Sunday adventure. Really good intentions but still so wrong.
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