Easy As Riding a Bicycle

Do you remember people saying to you "It's as easy as riding a bicycle"? That's all fine and good if you were coordinated and had all of your brain waves functioning as indicated. But, remember kids, I was from Idaho. While there were plenty of bicycle-riding potato farmers there, there were a few of us who couldn't get the hang of it and would rather have been.....well, I just can't say it here. I tried and tried....up and down the streets and dirt roads of my quiet neighborhood. And here's the really cool, masculine part: I pushed myself along while I sat on the extra passenger seat on the very back. (Do you remember those seats? It's where your cute boy friends (not BOYFRIENDS....."boy" friends) would ride....and you were so happy when they had their arms wrapped around you...and it especially brought a smile to your face when their hands fell lower than they should have). So, there I was happier than a clam. Riding around on the pumper seat, pushing myself along with my feet. That regular seat was just plain old too scary WAY up there.....plus, you had to balance at the same time. (This is where I'll pause for laughter, finger pointing, and snickering.....go ahead, I had a lot of that growing up......I can stand it.) The pic I've posted along with this post is a letter that my dad sent to me while he was away on his two-week Navy assignment in the late 1960s. As you know, I'm preparing a three-part series to run at the end of this week on my father. While I was researching for it, I found several letters including this one. As much as I cried while reading the letters, I laughed when I found this paragraph about learning to ride my bike. I'll never forget the day when it finally happened. I grinned from big-pokey-out ear to the other. Then you just couldn't stop me from riding as fast as I could, wind in my hair, and the little plastic rainbow-colored fringe flapping from my handlebars. Ah, things were so much more simple then.

I'm in the middle of packing for my trip to Orlando: tight-fitting jeans--check; slinky shirt to show off my small, tiny guns--check; no shoes (hey, it's Florida!)--check. I hope they don't all gang up on me (I do crazy things under pressure). I've already been instructed not to ride in the front seat of Sorted's car for some reason....I don't think I want to know. I fly all night tonight, arrive there early Tuesday morning, take a little nap, and then prepare to meet up with all of the boys for dinner: Sorted, Spider, Actorschmactor, I Deal With It, Mid-Afternoon Snack and hopefully even a few more. I will definitely have to find time to apply some Preparation H to my eyes.....it shrinks the tissues, you know....and after being up all night, there will be plenty of shrinking necessary. Seriously, I can hardly wait.....this is going to be an excellent time, I can just feel it. It almost makes me tingle and get goosebumps....oh, wait, that's something else. Anybody else in Orlando tomorrow? Get a hold of us soon for details on joining us!

The series on my father will run starting at the end of the week and over next weekend. The posts will be long--adapted from the book I started a few years back. But I'm pretty excited for you to read them.

Wishing you health and happiness in your journeys today and always.