The dog-running-along-with-the-bike attachment (thanks blog readers!) should be arriving any day, but I’m impatient so I’ve been taking the slow, back roads with Atticus the running poodle – The S L O W L Y running poodle – puffing along on his leash.
I’ve been making Atticus run along with me for short jaunts like biking to Kowalski’s for Gerry’s breakfast muffin. He runs along pretty well for about 10 blocks (Atticus, not Gerry), then he slows down and – because we’re so evenly matched – I slow down, too.
We just look at each other as if to say, “You’re not going to push this, are you? If you don’t push it, I won’t…” and we cut each other some slack.
I love this dog.
This evening Max and I biked to his baseball game and we took dragged Atticus along, but it was just that much too far for him and he went on strike, slowing down little by little until I was barely able to stay upright myself.
I walked him the last few blocks, got him a big bowl of water at the rec center, and he sat like a calm/submissive dog for the entire game. Yay!
Max did great, he held the flag for the pledge and slid home his last time at bat. As I was watching him playing; loving his team, the game, loving everything, I realized, “Hey, this is THE Charlie Brown little league experience!”
The kids in this little league are so great – so supportive of each other and just kind, fun kids. I watched one boy carry around his little 1-year old sister, showing her off to his teammates while another kid hung off of his very pregnant mom. It occured to me in a year the second kid will probably be carrying around HIS young sibling between innings.
Then in one of those oddball deja vu moments, the P.A. system blasted, “The Macarena.” I was transported back to Pittsfield, MA, summer of 1996. I was pregnant, we were on one of our minor-league baseball vacations and I was dancing in the stands with my hands on my hips, shoulders, ears, wherever they were supposed to be for that stupid dance…
(The pregnant mom wasn’t about to do the macarena, but it would have been fun if she had.)
Coming home we walked a bit, biked a bit, walked a little more. Folks were out watering lawns, playing with kids in the yard, it was coolish and lovely.
I think little by little we’ll get Atticus up to speed. I was riding back from the hardware store the other day thinking, “Gee, just a few weeks ago I had to walk half way back from this…” So if I can do it, Atticus can do it. We’re roughly the same age now, anyway.
I didn’t think I’d find a bike I liked as much as my {sob} motobecane that was stolen during Grand Old Days last year. This one is almost as good. And it’s 28″, so my long, long legs are happy when I’m riding. Woohoo!
I’m becoming addicted to riding around in the mornings. It’s such an enjoyable, free, exciting feeling. NOW I understand why Max wants to ride to school every day!
Hannah will be riding to her Jr. High, I think it will be wonderful for her.