My little 'un starts at her new kindergarten this Friday. I'm going to duck out of work at lunchtime to meet her and my mother-in-law there, so we can walk through the first arrival routine together. Then I am going to leave work a little early to pick her up three hours later.
It occurred to me late last week that, realistically, the only way I'd make it from work to kinder (and back) without having to steal an unreasonable amount of time from my employer would be to ride my bike. Walking was just too slow, public transport too unreliable.
I can't say I was looking forward to this. I am not the most confident rider and I am not especially fit.
But, over the weekend I bit the bullet and asked my dear husband to dig the bike out of the garden shed, where it had been stowed outta sight and outta mind for two years.
Today, I pumped the tyres with air and rode over to the nearest bike shop to organise a service. I also need some new lights and a bit of reflective gear.
Today, was my favourite sort of day. Cool but sunny.
Today, I just got on my bike and rode it.
Today, I sailed along the bike path and it felt so damn glorious and easy.
Today, I arrived at the bike shop in Nicholson St and booked in for a service. Then I wandered up the street in the direction of the fish monger.
Today, what I saw was a whole new world. My little 'un usually walk up to the fish monger from a different direction. Nicholson St usually looks tired and a little saggy and quite uninspiring.
Today, having parked my bike and strolled from a new direction I discovered a new French patisserie, a bakery that makes my husband's all-time favourite white hi-top sour sough loaf, a beautiful independent children's book shop, a cute retro vintage store, and a butcher I'd never noticed before. The latter was something of a revelation, as the one we usually go to (a little further up the road) has some major 'tude.
I also picked up a flyer on classes run by the local council for adult riders who want to build up their bike riding confidence.
Today, I felt like riding my bike revealed to me a whole new world... one that had been under my ose the whole time and patiently waiting for me to notice it.
Would you believe the hardest bit, and the bit that took me the longest, was finding my helmet in the back of my wardrobe? I'd cunningly hidden it, so that my little 'un would desist from using it as a toy. A little too cunningly, as it turned out!
I can't remember the last time I rode a bike. Sounds like you found some great new shops to visit. That's always fun. Have a wonderful rest of the week. Tammy
ReplyDeleteLet me know about the bike riding class if you're interested. Could do with upping my cycling confidence.
ReplyDeleteThe pastries at that patisserie are wonderful (though I can't eat in, the decor upsets my sense of aesthetics!) and before the SE went vegan he swore by that butcher (and the one in Brunswick St that slaughters its own beasts).