January 21 – “Tooting Arts”

We made the drive into Texas - way into Texas – the other day.  We went to see Jennifer at the rehab facility she has been transferred to for physical and occupational therapy.  The place was described to me as being “near Ikea.”  After that drive, I decided that “near Ikea” meant near Finland or Norway or wherever that foreign country is that Ikea imported from.  It was good to see Jennifer, though.  She is coming along well with therapy.  She’s even walking with a walker already.  She hasn’t done that in a long time.  We are proud of you, Jennifer.  Keep up the hard work.

Yesterday afternoon, when Chris returned from her Wednesday Club presentation on the history of quilting (I know.  Who better to do that one, right?), she and I decided to go on a bike ride.  We haven’t been since I got my new accessories for Christmas, so I was anxious to try them out.  Oh, what did I get?  A cell phone holder for the handlebars.  A water bottle for the cup holder already strapped to the handlebars.  My personal favorite – one of those horns you squeeze and beep to warn pedestrians of your approach.  And finally, the new seat – not a triangle-shaped one, mind you.  Oh, no.  This was is a basic, rectangular, wide-bottom, lap-of-luxury model.  At least that was my hope.

So on to the bike ride.  First off, I couldn’t get my helmet to fit.  Granted, it’s an old one, but I have worn it before.  Between the two of us we finally got it readjusted and hit the road.  And turned right around and came back into the driveway.  All four of our tires needed air.  Guess that bitter cold 50 degree weather took its toll.  And while I was at it, I raised the seat a bit to help avoid strain on my knees.  Finally that mission was accomplished, so we made our way, albeit cautiously, back into the street and around the neighborhood. 

And just around the first block I had to stop and adjust my seat.  It was set too high.  So much for my earlier adjustment attempt.  After that stop we made it at least two blocks before the next issue began.  The seat again.  This time it was wiggling forward and back.  Incredibly annoying.  But I determined to make it all the way back home like a trooper.  Mistake.  The bolt got looser and looser the farther we went until the seat was just a rag under me.  I realized that I never did tighten that thing back after Christmas when I proudly installed everything.  I basically stood up the entire way back home.  Haven’t done that since I was eleven.  Sure got that seat tightened when we got back to the house, though.

I did have one distraction from the seat annoyance.  Cailyn texted me to remind us she was coming over today.  And then she FaceTimed me.  That was great.  I could see her on my mounted cell phone as I rode around.  She was also the beneficiary of my first on-road exercise of the tooting arts.  I had to try out my horn, of course.  It just happens to be mounted right next to the cell phone.  I think I’m almost ready to leave the neighborhood. Toot toot. 

2 Peter 3:14 says, “So then, dear friends, since you are looking forward to this, make every effort to be found spotless, blameless and at peace with him.”

Father, thank you for the few minutes of recreation time with Chris (and Cailyn, too) on out bike ride.  Amen.