Black Raspberry with chocolate chips?!

Bicycle Lady IV by Jo Parry... I found this image via Google...from a website called Allposters.com, a site from which I have purchased art before. I clicked on the artist's name on the site and found some very cool things... perhaps I need to order something. This image, of the biking lady... is symbolic of my evening. My friend Suellen and I biked to get ice cream...well frozen yogurt(Black Raspberry with chocolate chips.) The bikes at the gym do not really make you experience the true feeling of biking... but that's ok... Our ride was nice... it had a few hills which were a good challenge and there were those three other bikes that passed us making me feel like a slow poke, but...we did it... The ice cream stand we went to is in the town in which I teach...so I saw a few kids I know. We were both nervous about riding on a main road with traffic so close to us. Our other rides have been on bike paths, without the traffic... so this was a big difference... but the shoulder was wide and I felt pretty safe....granted timing is everything...that road can be extrememly busy, but we made sure to be on it when it was much less busy... On our way back we had to get into a center lane, because we were turning left...and we were trying to follow the rules of the road... at that intersection we stopped at the red light...and without realizing it, across from us was a bus full of track kids from my school! The bus honked and waved as we crossed paths in the intersection... I am sure I will hear about that tomorrow!

It was nice...then we jumped in my vehicle to clock how far we had ridden - 5 miles total, which to some avid cyclers isn't a lot, but it's good for me. I do notice on the hills I shift into a lower gear pretty quickly and think it's because mentally I still worry about my knee being able to handle it... but considering that last summer I couldn't do any incline on my bike... I feel pretty good! We then continued driving to map out some othe routes. Our next ride, we have decided will be 7 miles total. And we clocked a 13 mile route that will get us to a farmer's market this summer... so we figure we can build up to that in a few weeks.

OH! And I used my basket for the first time. I bought a basket for my bike... about which my father and sister have teased me at length...even though my sister really wants one for her bike too! My basket is not a little white basket with flowers, though there is nothing wrong with that... it's metal, black, and is the shape and slightly smaller than a shopping basket you would use at the grocery store. AND... the basket comes off the bike so that you can carry the basket with you... PERFECT for walking around a farmers market and buying some fresh produce. I like this idea a lot... it's fun to me. Tonight I used it to transport a sweatshirt with me in case the breeze was chilly on the ride back... it worked out really well. I also have a little bag that goes under my seat that zippers closed... it is the perfect size for my cell phone, keys, inhaler, and wallet... so...make fun of my basket... and sing the little song from the Wizard of Oz that plays as the wicked with rides her bike and it changes into a broomstick.... but I am a happy basket toting bike chick...

Exercise wise, this has been a good week....eating habits wise... a good week...work wise... stressful, but okay.... and tomorrow... MASSAGE!!!

I talked to my dad today... he called Tuesday too... he sounds ok, sad, and a bit lost, but okay... I am proud of him for going camping and for staying there so far... I will see him in a couple of weeks.... and he is going to install my bike rack in my truck as well as my kayak rack... so... I am going to look either very sporty, or very redneckish... (I'm hoping for sporty!)