Bicycling Anyone?

Well, I think I will write this story, because it's been about a week now and the pain has subsided and actually seems kind of funny to me now.  Maybe the grandkids will get a kick out of it someday, even though I am admitting my clumsiness openly.

I got my bicycle out of the garage last week because I have been thinking that I could get some good exercise with it, since I love riding my bike.  I have also been thinking that I should possibly get a helmet since I am 61 years old and not quite as adept as I used to be.  In fact, I have to practically lay the bike on its side in order to hike my leg over it to get on.....or, as I discovered, stand on the deck with the bike on the ground and climb on that way.

Anyway, I took the bike out my garage door and thought I would just take it around to the back of the house and leave it out, but....hmmmm, maybe I could go in and push the garage door button and run across the garage and get under the door before it closes.  That way I wouldn't have to come back around and shut the door.  Well, it worked.  I felt really proud that I was fast enough to beat the door and not get squashed under it while it closed.  However, as I was patting myself on the back, I realized that probably all the other doors were locked.  Oops!  Sure enough, I checked and they were all locked.  I was locked out!  I could either tap on our window and wake Gary up.....or ride my bike to Todd and Heather's and get their key.   I chose to ride to Todd and Heather's.  She rode back with me and I put my bike up and unlocked the door.

 The next night, I decided I would just ride around the back yard for a few nights until I got my legs in shape to ride any distance at all, since the previous night's ride just about killed me.  Well, I rode around in a pretty large circle for a while, around the trampoline, between the trees, behind the shop, and back around the deck to the trampoline.  I did that for about three times, but the last time, I must have waited a little too long to turn around the trampoline, because all of a sudden I saw myself heading for the sandbox. I thought to myself, if I try to turn this thing now so sharply, I will fall over and hurt myself....So, I just went straight....straight into the big, plastic frog sandbox.  My bike stopped and I fell over....and hurt myself.  I got up thinking I had broken my ribs and my shoulder....but I didn't cry.  I just picked my bike up and walked it over to it's parking place and left it.  I went inside and told Gary and he felt sorry for me...so I felt better.

I don't really think I broke my ribs, but they sure did hurt for a while and I did take a picture of my arm.....the biggest bruise I think I have ever had.

When I think of what I must have looked like, I think of Ruth Buzzi in the old Saturday Night Live episodes where she was the little old lady on the  little tricycle riding along and all of a sudden she just falls over.

Well, I did buy a helmet, but actually my head was the only part of me that didn't get hurt.  I think I need full body armor or a grown-up tricycle.

Donna