Dining Room ReDo

We are redoing the dining room. I can't call it remodeling, it's a re-doing. New carpet, new paint (celestial blue) new outlets (they makes such a big change), and moving furniture around. Makes it feel so special. Silly how just a little change can make such a big difference.

Kinda like life. A little change can make a big difference. Just a change of perspective can make a day bright and sunny versus dark and cloudy. Sometimes when life is giving you a grey, gloomy day, you need to shift positions to see the sunshine.

Step the the left, step to the right, take a step back or make a wild leap forward, but when gloominess sets in, MOVE, CHANGE, GROW!

I'm moving, letting things change. I'm smiling in the sun!

My Bicycle

I did it. I bought a bicycle. When I was a kid, I rode my bike everywhere. Sometime around the time I got my first car I never seemed to have the time to bike around town anymore.

When we were in Bay City recently, I got the opportunity to ride my friend Casey's bike. What a cool bike. The pedals are set a bit forward so it is a more natural leg movement, and the handlebars are a bit higher, so no back strain. Only one problem, my ass hurt from sitting on the seat. Resigned to never finding a bike I could ride again, I went home to Alpena, with a sore bum and my heart a bit heavy.

Well, today I stopped in the bike shop looking for a recumbant bike, ya know, those bench seats that you almost lay down in to ride. Like biking on a sofa. Jerry, the gem at the bike shop said, "Try this one" same bike as Casey's, but a girls bike in a cool girlie color (lavendar suede to be exact). I told Jerry, "I like this bike but it hurts my, um, tailbone." He fixed that for me with a new seat. I call it the butt hole seat, it has a hole in the middle for your tail bone to sit in and it takes all the pressure off of the lower spine. I told Jerry I would give him half now if he would hold the bike for me, and I would be back on the 9th with the remainder to pick up the bike. No problem.

I picked up my kid from school, told him of my new purchase and asked him if he wanted to see it. "SURE!" We pulled into the bike shop, I waved to Jerry and told him I just stopped by to show off my new toy. Without a moments hesitation Jerry said, "You need to take that bike home today." I told him I would like nothing more, but just couldn't squeeze out the remaining money until next payday. He said no problem, as long as I came back on the 9th, and didn't come up with an excuse like the waterheater went out or some such nonsense. Wow. I was floored. This guy was willing to let me skate out paying half for this bike taking on blind faith that I would return in a week. He said "There a only a few precious days until the snow flies, and you need to go for a ride with that young man." Only in Alpena.

I insisted on giving him a post dated check, just to make me feel better about the whole transaction, and I know how time can get away from me sometimes. We rushed home and went for a bike ride. Just me and the kid, talking about school, bikes, dogs, birds, legos, and pickles. You had to be there.

Actually, I'm glad you weren't. It was a great time, just him and I and our bikes.