Sunday, June 01, 2008

in which I am called "Toots" for the first time

First off, a special thank you to Kat and Crash and Oscar, who took my super-rotten Friday and gave it a happy ending. Salut!

The next morning, Oscar and I joined them and Kat's sister for a leisurely bike ride through five-mile drive in Pt Defiance Park. The drive is very scenic and is closed to vehicles on Saturdays It's a fairly gentle ride, but that didn't stop me from stopping to rest and/or push my bike on the hilly bits (other people called them "speed bumps". I call them "hills".) I'm a pretty fit walker but I had forgotten that cycling uses different muscles than walking so I was really feeling it. The total loop was just five miles, but Crash must have biked at least twice that because he kept doubling back to see if everything was all right.
"Hey, Toots! Everything ok?"
"Did you just call me 'Toots'?"
"I didn't mean any offense!"
"No, I'm not offended. It's just that no one's ever called me "Toots" before."

From him it was completely charming and perfectly acceptable. However, anyone except my mother who ever calls me "Baby" will be kicked. Very hard. Probably more than once.

It is one of my deep dreams to actually do a triathlon, and getting back on the bike this last weekend was a good start. All I need now is a pair of running shoes....

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