Update on Audrey, Sons-in-law... Youth Shall Be Served
Tuesday, July 5, 2011 8:55 amAudrey is home and doing well with her meds. I was watching her yesterday and even though she has been through a lot... she seems like a happy little baby! Sometimes life does not seem very fair... at least when you see what some children have to go through. Yet, she appears to be taking everything in stride and is smiling most of the time.
I had fun yesterday and early this morning but I am reminded again that time and age does take its toll. The things I could so very easily do only a handful of years ago are now much harder. I'll give you just two examples.
(Photo taken July 4th, 2011)
Last evening, after an enjoyable afternoon at Tammy and Bob's as all of the family celebrated the fourth of July, Roger (Steph's husband) asked me if I wanted to go bike riding with him? He has two bikes... one is a 1,300 cc and the other is a 750 Kawasaki. The reason he asked me to ride is that his smaller bike is for sale and a guy had just sent him a text and was coming to see it and Roger knew he was interested and he might not have it beyond that evening.
As a young boy and then into adulthood I had always loved riding motorcycles... but, I hadn't ridden one on the streets or highways since I was in my early 30's... a very long time ago! Roger knew a country road in Charlestown that is fun to ride a bike on so we rode out to it. This is one of those “ribbon-roads” with several “s” turns and he was right... it is a fun road to take a bike over, and from start to finish we rode about 40 miles.
I suppose the saying is true that once you know how to ride a bike you never forget: however, I was still quite rusty. Everyone who has ever ridden a bike knows it is much less about steering and more about leaning. Yet, for the life of me I was having trouble on all turns to my left and I was having to quickly gear down and apply brakes on all of those turns. Inexplicably... all switches to my right I found it was still like it was for me as a younger man and I could lay the bike over and keep the throttle open. The left-and-right turns were about evenly numbered so Roger was easily losing me on the “s” turns and then I would have to open the throttle up and attempt to catch him as the road straightened out. Although, even then I wouldn't have caught him unless he allowed me to as he is a more skilled rider and has a more powerful bike. All-in-all I had a very fun ride with him and it brought back a lot of memories of my youth and all the promises that such a thought at one time held. So, Roger, if you read this... I had fun!
For any who knows my wife and how timid she is about most things I will tell you one thing you would probably not guess about her... she used to ride with me on the back of my bikes when we were young. That all came to an abrupt end one day in Charleston, West Virginia. She was several months into her pregnancy with Steph and she was riding on the back of a (“smokin' hot”) solid black bike I owned and we were riding down MacCorkle Avenue and (thankfully) I was not flying along that day. I was keeping up with traffic only so we were doing maybe 55-60 when my rear tire blew out. We skidded along for a while but I was able to keep it upright and I got it off the highway. Anyway... surprise! That was her last trip on a motorcycle with me.
Then, this morning I rode a different kind of bike with Bob (Tammy's husband) as I rode a ten-speed and Bob rode his 18-speed bike. I left the house riding my bike to meet him at 4:33 this morning and I got in my third longest ride to date... 33 miles. (On June 16, I rode for 39 miles and on June 23, I rode my farthest so far on my bike 42.5 miles.) This morning at the 25 mile split Bob and I had done that time in one hour and 41 minutes for an average speed of 14.75 mph.
I was glad for the chance to ride with Bob this morning as I haven't been able to do that before because he has been in training for his iron-man competition and frankly I would have held him back. In his training rides he averages about 5 miles an hour faster than what we rode this morning and I could not average those speeds for long periods of time. Because his race is this Saturday in Muncie, Indiana he has basically finished his training and he is now only taking shorter and slower rides so his legs will be fresh for the race. Although, this morning I did feel a lot like Lance Armstrong: of course, minus his youth, looks, build, wealth, fame, etc. etc. etc. The one way I did feel like him was that I rode directly behind Bob and very close, thereby allowing me to draft behind him and I let him do the hard work of breaking down the wind and making it easier for me to pedal along. And believe me... that is no small thing. Drafting behind team-mates is one of the things that made Lance the winner that he was. Now that I think about it this morning I should have worn my yellow biking shirt as I do have one. I mean, had I done that I am quite sure all onlookers would have thought Lance was in the Jeffersonville area this morning. Instead, I was decked out in shorts and an old grey tee shirt that says “Property Of My Grandkids.” across the front of it.
The morning of June 23rd when I rode the 42.5 miles there were strong storms predicted for the early afternoon and all morning long we were getting strong winds and I fought them all the way out. I thought that going back home they would be behind me and make my ride home easier. However, at my turning point and going back home they were STILL in my face and I thought how in the world is it possible to have the same head winds both ways? Anyway... it was definitely a help to me this morning to have Bob ride point and therefore make my ride that much easier. So, Bob, if you are reading this... I had fun!
Now, if memory serves... I have another daughter and another son-in-law. (Missy, and her husband... Brian.) Now, I know Brian has a bike... but, been there and done that. I don't think he has a motorcycle? Even if he does I have recently done that also. I do recall though a very fast speed boat that I like to drive, or tube behind... or even ski. So, Brian, if you are reading this I am waiting for my invitation to the river! Seriously... c'mon.
posted by Robin Johnson @ 8:52 AM
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