On Bike Riding

The Cool Thing I did this weekend with the gals was that we rode our bikes up parts of the Bay Trail to Point Richmond.

There were no singular, noteworthy events, but every aspect of it was wonderful in every way. Here's why:

1. We left a little after 7 in the am. I love being up early in the morning. Everything just seems clean and new, it's quiet and there's no traffic, and the sun isn't too bright or blinding or hot.

2. Riding bikes makes me feel like a kid in the sense that I feel like there's absolutely no stress whatsoever in my life. When we were little, riding bikes was the principal means of summer transportation, so riding bikes now just makes me feel like it's summer and like I have no upcoming responsibilities (playing catch has a similar effect). The entire bike ride brought back a lot of very nostalgic memories, like the time that me and Emily decided to ride our bikes to Brookside (is that even what's it's called? My memory is failing me...it's a little mini-mart out near where we lived, but kind of out in the boonies). I think we thought that the fact that it was a 10 minute drive by car would make it a relatively short bike ride, but it was definitely the longest, most interminable thing either of us had ever done. This also reminds me of the time we were in their minivan stopping by Brookside to get some food before heading for the river to go swimming, and her mom pulled into the parking spot right in front of the door and almost hit Sir Mix-A-Lot, who was walking out with a sack of groceries. That's right, the King of Back lives out in the boonies behind good ol' Auburn, WA.

It also reminded me of this really tender, heart-warming memory I have of riding bikes with my parents and Burke on Lopez. We probably weren't any older than 8 or so. I'm not sure if everything was connected exactly this way, but there are two images in my mind. The first is trying to ride up a big hill, peddling alongside my mom and feeling like I couldn't do it, so my mom reached out and put her hand on one of my handlebars to kind of help push me along, and I remember just looking at her as I was peddling up the hill and listening to her say, "C'mon, you can do it." She still has to do this a lot for me, only more figuratively. It was such a little thing, but I look back on it as being really indicative of the kind of mom she's always been. The second image, in direct contrast to the first, is my dad and Burke catching up to us later. Burke had gotten tired, so Dad rode back to town and got him one of those yellow carts to pull kids in behind his own bike. I find that amusing, but perhaps not as indicative of the kind of person Burke is today. Anyway, thanks for indulging my nostalgia.

3. The breeze felt amazing after sleeping on top of my covers spread-eagle the last few days due to the freakish heat.

4. Riding along the waterfront made me feel like I was up in Seattle or Lopez or something. I love the ocean, and sometimes I crave it and just drive/ride over to the Berkeley marina and sit on a bench watching the water for a bit. Then I feel better and go home. Another memory: my freshman year of college, over in land-locked Utah (which, for the record, has some other fabulous geographical features - Exhibit A: Coyote Gulch), I called my dad and said, "Dad, I need some ocean, like, real bad." And it was true. I could hardly stand it; I just needed to see an open expanse of water, feel the breeze, smell the air, etc. (This is one of my dad's favorite memories, because we kind of connect when it comes to stuff like that, and is one of the reasons why he says we're "kindred spirits." Cute, huh?) Any form of water would have done, actually - my first year of college it didn't rain from the weekend I moved in until about March, and this being my first time away from Seattle's blessed rainy season (and no, it doesn't last the entire year), it actually caused pent-up anxiety that I didn't know was there until it rained for the first time in months and I suddenly had a very physical release of tension as the rain started coming down. This still happens today, hence the oft-repeated phrase at work every time it rains: "Ms. Snow, it's raining! You're going to be happy today!" Not sure what that's saying about the other days...it also led one girl to draw me a picture of me standing in the rain with my arms in the air grinning. There's also a penguin and a squirrel in the picture. Again, not sure whether that's a reflection on me or her...

Point being, I'm extraordinarily glad that I've had a large amount of exposure to water in its various forms throughout my life, minus the College Years. Even when I was in Portugal, we occasionally made our way over to the praia/beach, and I was always really grateful for it. Being around water relaxes me and makes me feel like everything in my life is going to be A-okay.

5. I love my friends. I went with Amy, Ashley, and Alisa, and I also really wish that Courtney/Prayerful had been there because it would have been even better. All of them are hilarious, witty, SUPER interesting, capable and cool and I frequently wonder why they let me hang out with them.

So the bike ride just kind of brought up a lot of happy feelings, as all bike rides do. I would be okay with riding my bike all the time. I really can't express how happy it makes me feel.

I would also like to send a shout-out to Burke, who knowingly/unknowingly is contributing to all of this happiness and joy by letting me use his bike. I think it's his old bike from junior high. Hopefully, after all this talk, he isn't wishing he had it for himself. I ain't givin' it up.

Here are some pictures of our lovely ride.

Bike rides are even better when brunch is involved.

That's all.