Wheels Up

I love this time of year. Green things rising up from the wet soil. That light and liberated feeling you get in your clothes. Coats and sweaters a distant memory. Feeling more ambitious with the long daylight.

While Naomi was at the playground for a friend's birthday McKibbin and I took my new bike (I've christened her Lulu) out for a spin. McKibbin always leads in the tall grass. Sunlight dappled across our path. The ride had an upward feel. Like I was skimming above the surface rather than bound to it.



We looped out and around, then back to the playground. The birthday party was wrapping up. Balloons and streamers. Cake frosting on my kid's cheeks. Makenna's mom with a garbage bag of wrapping paper and plates. Naomi looked up from a gaggle of her friends to see us. Her face a mix of disappointment that we were back, and envy for the hour we spent on two-wheels.

She clutched her friend in a big, big hug. Happy Birthday, she said, thanks for inviting me.

Rushed over to the bike rack, gave one last wave to her peeps, and pulled out her own ride home. Naomi's bold nature insists on pedaling hard. She's like her dad that way. Head down. The wheels fight their way across the grass to the bike path. McKibbin and I watch as she advances toward us.

Those training wheels, McKibbin says, should come off this summer. Chin to chest Naomi shifted her gaze and abruptly stopped, almost toppled over. I flinch and close my eyes. Waiting for the crash or the sound of her cry. I remind myself I'm not cut out to teach my kid modes of transit.

She's O.K., McKibbin says. Bird. Stopped so the bird wouldn't get hurt.

I open my eyes as Naomi, unphased, re-mounts her bike and trudged toward us. The bird circled higher. We all head home.

Running The Numbers

Having recently returned from Colorado I thought I'd run the numbers on my trip....

Frequent Flier Miles Logged to My Account: 1,000
Flight Delays: 0
Small World Experiences on Departure Flight: 1. Shared the flight to Denver with Jim Bleed & Family. Jim was McKibbin's best-friend for the longest time and we all went to High School together. I haven't seen or talked to him in at least 13 years - it was nice to catch up.
Children of Colorado Friends I Met For the First Time: 6
Median Age of Children: 4
Occasions Where I Got To Catch Up with Old Friends: 3
Hours Spent Listening to KBCO: 4
Times I Got Drenched In The Rain: 4 (just Sunday's count)
Occasions I Had My Umbrella With Me: 1
Favorite Purchase of the Trip: Thermal Pedicure Foot-Scrub
Hours of Restful Sleep: Not Enough
Fellow Bolder-Boulder Runners: 1,000,000
Runners on Mile 4 Who Collapsed 5 Paces Ahead of Me: 1
Huddle of Runners Stopped to Help Collapsed Guy: 3
EMT Bike Guy Response Time to Collapsed Runner: 90 seconds
Race Time: 1hr 9 min.

Name That Tune

Me: So what's that song by The Who?
McK: Which one?
Me: The one where the title is different than you'd expect.
McK: You're kidding me right?
Me: No, it's one of their radio-play songs...but the main riff isn't the title.
McK: How does it go?
Me: I don't know...but...it's by The Who.
McK: ...and... the title is different than I think it should be.
Me: Right. How about "t-t-t-talkin' 'bout my generation..." what's that song called?
McK: My Generation.
Me: Well, that's not it. (pause) Why do I think it has something to do with hummus?
McK: The Who wrote a song about hummus?
Me: No, I think it's related to the title. Hummus...like pita or something...rita maybe.
McK: ...baba ganoush?
Me: Oooo, that's it! It's something like baba-
McK: Baba O'Rielly?
Me: Ok, that you knew the song based on those clues...that's creepy.

Mother's Day

I had a great Mother's Day.

Brunch with my grandma, daughter, mother, aunts, and uncle Jack. Dinner with my parents and brother's family. I was miracled by a rain-barrel from my husband, a pink potted plant from my daughter, a Wonder Woman coffee mug from my brother. Chocolate dessert. Greeting cards. Ample hugs. Naomi insisted we play a silly parlor game after dinner. Everyone joined in and laughed long and hard. Who could ask for more? Well, the last Mother's Day gift was a freebie facial I got through email from Origins on Monday.

Wow-zah!

Cleanser, hot towel, toner, moisturizer (part one), hot towel, tea bag treatment, mud masque, hot towel, moisturizer (part two)...I was in heaven. Tingly, clean-feeling, lemony smelling heaven. Years ago McKibbin rightfully pegged me as a moisturizer-aholic. I prefer to consider myself a moisturizer connoisseur. In either case, I got up from the Origins "spa" chair and wanted to hug my beautician.

Grabbed my purse, turned to go, and she called me over to the make-up table. Oh, I said. I just don't wear a whole lot of make up. Mascara and lip gloss, sometimes, but that's about it.

The beautician psyched me out pretty well. Made sure the finished product looked natural enough. If I could bring myself to appreciate make up, I would have adored everything my face wore. Call me lazy, though, I like sleeping-in more than I like primping.

The upshot, though, of sticking around to get powdered up was my parting gift: a mint gumball. I love gum, love gum. Mint gum in particular. I walked away, swinging my paper bagged purchase (lemony moisturizing cleanser), and smacking my mint gum loudly. Fought the adolescent urge to blow a bubble inside the store. Chuckled at my visage in the rear-view mirror of my car, and blew a big minty bubble at my reflection. Happy Mother's Day to me.
________________________
Currently Watching: Eureka (reruns) with Naomi
Dinner Line-Up: Grilled Portabella Mushrooms, Cilantro Lime Marinade, Sweet Potatoes & Spinach Salad
Recently Enjoyed: Star Trek
Personal Soundtrack: Ray of Light (Madonna)
Found Interesting: A Feminist Discussion of Michelle Obama

Speak Tiger

"Mommy, wouldn't it be cool if we lived in the jungle? And we were rich somehow so we could have all the stuff we get at home; like, you know, chocolate milk and stuff. I could make a bunk-bed out of sticks so my friends could visit and sleep over. We could climb trees and dry out the leaves for paper. We could go swimming in the water. Paint our faces with mud. Dad could bring his telescope. It would have to be a pretend jungle not a real one so we could speak tiger and monkey languages. Make friends with the birds and bugs. That way they could help us out, you know, and teach us about jungle stuff. Wouldn't that be cool? Shouldn't we do that sometime?"

-Naomi

Out For A Spin

...I've gone crazy on this road with all of this travelin' alone but the asphalt is burnin' tonight... - Nanci Griffith (Spin On A Red Brick Floor)

File this one under Random Observations, but, recently we've spent a fair amount of time riding bikes. Built before we all were enslaved to our cars, the Near South Neighborhood sports schools, libraries, parks, grocery stores, churches, a neighborhood bar and a post office drop box within walking distance. Quicker by bike.

This time of year McKibbin, Naomi and I spend a fair amount of our travel time on two-wheels. Naomi gets an itch to go somewhere, I suggest we bike, and McKibbin slips outside to get the gear.

I scramble around to house to assemble a few essentials. You know: house keys, water, snacks, sunscreen...when I'm really Type A I grab the First Aid Kit. Naomi flits around me like a butterfly with a zillion ideas for our outing. We kind of stumble our way outside. I'm still stuffing essentials into my backpack, and she's about to burst with the anticipation of forward motion.

This past Saturday followed our usual script, but, as Naomi and I spilled outside from the patio door I actually noticed my husband. Know somebody long enough, or fall into enough routines, and I stop really noticing them so much as anticipating them.

McKibbin was standing next to the garage, putting on his customary bike-ride-red-bandanna. Next to him were the three bikes propped up along the sidewall of the garage. Helmets hanging from the handle-bars. Without asking I knew he'd dusted off the seats and checked the tire pressure.

I've always been a good assembler of the essential backpack. Once I lay eyes on the bike, though, my instinct is to skip straight to the pedaling. I probably spent twenty years, in my pre-McKibbin existence, riding around various college towns with cobwebs and dust on my seat. When I was flush with cash (which wasn't often) I'd take my bike to the shop once a year and have it tuned up. But I can not recall a single instance where I actually checked the tire pressure.

Naomi rushed from my side to grab hold of her Dazzle-Jazz bike handlebars. McKibbin turned to help her with the bike helmet. He caught me staring at him...at our lives on a random Saturday...the sun high...the sky blue...and he fidgeted a little.

You ready? He asked.
Yep, I winked and gave him a buss on the cheek. I'm ready.

Inclusive Nature

Naomi: You want to come play magic fairies?
Me: Hmmmm, I’m not sure.
Naomi: Are you a little nervous?
Me: Nervous?
Naomi: We’re nice fairies.
Me: I don’t doubt it. You’re a nice kid too.
Naomi: Yeh, we even say it’s ok to let grownups into our forest.
Me: How gracious.
Naomi: I know.

No Shame In That

As the sun goes down on this weekend the McKibbins are absolutely exhausted. Naomi ran a full mile for the Mayor's Run on Saturday, and I completed the half-marathon on Sunday. McKibbin kept everyone hydrated, photographed, and anchored at the crowded finish line.

The number of digital cameras in the cheering section was at an all time high. The ratio of dozing infants in strollers or bored children per adult was also high. The mug of hot coffee, however, won hand-over-fist as the most common accessory found among the people lined streets.

Naomi suffered a case of pre-race jitters but gave it her all once she hit the starting line. My mp3 player drowned out my own jitters come Sunday.

Neither of us finished impressively from a time or metal perspective. At the risk of sounding immodest, though, there is a particular pride that comes with the knowledge that you laced up your running shoes one morning, fired it up, and gave it what you've got. No shame in that.