Laugh at yourself...

I have a little bicycle. I bought it a couple of years ago when my car was having problems and I didn't want to have to impose on the ladies I work with to have to come and get me. It was spring...I needed the exercise. It really is a small bike because I am short and I can touch the pedals nicely and not feel like I'm going to kill myself...an important fact when you haven't ridden a bicycle for 30 some years and the idea of traffic while in a car doesn't make me feel warm and fuzzy.

A friend from work gave me streamers for my bike on my birthday a couple of years ago. They were iridescent pink and fun and just...streamy. Bob and I were running errands a couple of weeks ago and stuffed my bike in the back of Bob's car so we could put air in tires. On the way, I had a conversation with Bob about how much I loved these dopey streamers. We stop to get the air...he does the inflating of tires...didn't take the bike out of the car...was in a hurry...gets back in the car and tells me "I broke your streamers off." I was crushed and got poopy to him. In keeping with the idea that five year olds love their streamers, he told me I was being bratty...and I was.

When we got home, I tried to put my basket back on my bike. It was not going on and was sticking out at a ninety angle to the handlebars. Bob and I got into another little set to over trying to get the basket to work correctly and once again I got called bratty. I do highly recommend living in a second floor apartment on such occasions because stomping in a huff up the stairs is highly effective. Mind you someone has to be paying attention to the stomping for it to be effective and Bob was not. A quiet evening was had by all. It is hard to live with five year old times ten plus two. Bob should get a medal.

So a couple of weeks have past. I found new lovely streamers at Target. I also ruminated on the basket problem and came up with a solution. I call Bob to the garage because I thought that we would have to hacksaw part of the basket holder off. I said we needed to adjust the handlebars because my knees were hitting them. I thought that they had slipped down from storage and moving. As we talked about how to fix the problem, we suddenly had an epiphany.

The handlebars were facing backwards.

My bike is ready...I plan on riding it...you have been duly warned.

A sidebar from when Cory was visiting:
Friend of Cory: Does your Mom have a bike?
Cory: I think so.
FOC: I think I saw her riding it...and dude, it's got streamers on it.
Cory: Huh (I am sure there was some internal cringing and I know that he laughed)

The moral: It is never too late to embarrass your children...even if they live on the other side of the country.