Fuzzy Wuzzy takes a ride

I'm trying to get out there and do the 2 hours of exercise a day that my doctor prescribes. Surely, as she is telling me this, it is obvious that there is no way that's ever going to happen at this point in my life. If visualizing myself out there climbing mountains, lifting weights and running marathons every week counts, then mission accomplished!  I'm lucky to be upright and vertical  for that long every day. Still, I will attempt to accomplish some sort of physical activity daily, be it vacuuming, washing windows, sweeping, or pulling weeds.

In  an effort of some semblance of compliance , I've been riding my bicycle to various friends houses, between 1 and 4 miles one way from my house. It's easier to ride alone if there's a destination and not just ramble around the neighborhood.  So far, all of the friends have been forthcoming with cool refreshment and encouraging words when I got there, and all have lived fairly level roaded from my house, a feat in itself as this town is all on a hill and I seem to be at the near bottom of it.  I've run out of folks who live on level roads from me so my radius of ride destinations are expanding and I've been building up my stamina for those uphill parts.

My next ride was to visit  my friend Fuzzy Wuzzy.  I was surprised when she called me and said she wanted to bike ride with me to a mutual friends house, had her bike ready to go and let's meet at her house to begin the ride. We agreed to meet early to avoid the heat, 7 a.m. She grabbed her helmet, unveiled her very nice mountain bike and we were  ready to go.  As Fuzzy rolled her bike toward the street, I commented that her handlebars were on backwards, which should have been my first clue that this was not a good idea, especially when she said they were supposed to be like that.

Her bike helmet was dusty, and new - Fuzzy said she had never worn it before. Obvious because it dumped off of her head and over her ear. Who am I to tsk away a woman's dream of sweating while mounted on pieces of moving metal? Her cats are following along, thinking they are going with us too, watching her every move intently. Apparently, they go on all her walks with her around the neighborhood. Maybe they were just curious as to what their cat mom was up too, never having seen a bike before. Fuzzy tsks them away, but they just flicked their tails at her and sat on the curb in a row, watching her with big green blinking eyes.

 

On the street, Fuzzy attempts to mount her bike. It's a man's bike and she is short, and has to lay the bike on the ground to get her leg on the other side of the bar. I mentioned that I had recently attempted horizontal bike riding and show her my knees. She accomplished getting astride the bike but her feet can't touch the ground from the seat and she promptly falls over. I hold her upright on the bike and ask her when she rode the bike last? Surprised when she tells me it was when she was 3 inches taller, 7 years ago. "Besides" she says, "It's like riding a horse. I am an excellent rider "  to which I reply, "And when was the last time you rode a horse? " She is a Texan and raised on a ranch, but has been a Californian for 50 years, which was the last time she rode a horse!

Sitting on her bike while I hold her upright, she tries to readjust herself and slides off of the seat, onto the cross bar - resounding  "ouch!" from both of us. The trio of cats meow at us and start rubbing around our legs trying to help.

I've got to give it to Fuzzy. She was determined to ride. I was voicing serious doubts and laments and reminded her that it hurts to fall, again, showing her my scabbed knees and scarred elbows. I am vertically challenged on the best of days. Wondering how to keep her off of her bike and in one piece without insulting her more and avoid the cursing indignation at me for treating her like a baby. Now that she was on the bike seat, she takes a pedal forward and both bike tires go flat, like divine intervention, thus ending our biking adventure without her losing face or skin and I am relieved.

We congratulated each other for getting up so early and trying to ride. We opted for a walk and talk and agreed to try the ride again after her tires are pumped up and she is able to stay upright while riding in circles in front of her house. The cats were elated and followed along after us with tails up right like little flags, showing us the way at times and kept up with us until we circled back to the house.

So, I got 2 hours of exercise along with 2 hours of valuable time of friendship. Fuzzy Wuzzy stayed intact, and now I can claim that I have been on a cat walk and didn't even fall over once!