As I’m typing this I’m supposed to be en route to Bastrop for the “Ride through the Pines” bicycle ride tomorrow. I was also supposed to sleep in a tent tonight.
Elise signed us up for a camping trip tonight and a bicycle ride tomorrow morning. I’d been kind of dreading both when I was reminded of it on Wednesday evening (this week has been hell at work so I really just wanted to come home and get stuff done around the house and relax). We got into somewhat of a debate last night as to who was going to ride in the bike ride on Saturday morning. There was some debate about helmet safety and my bike riding shoes-of-choice being flip flops. If it’s a race, sure, I get it, gear up. If it’s a ride, I’m plugging in the iPod and just cruising. I’m a laid back kind of guy and if I have to go camping and ride in a bike ride that has rules, I’d rather just stay at home and live and ride on my own terms.
However, I dutifully sucked it up and went to work this morning, fully intent on leaving at 3:30 so I could get home and head back out with the family for our camping adventure. As it turned out, I couldn’t get out of the office until 6. Elise called and she asked if she and should wait on me or head out to Bastrop. Seeing how we’d have to take two cars anyway, I told her to head on out.
I got home at 6:30, ran into the house, loaded the iPhone with a couple gigs of new music and packed. Then I had to hook up the bike rack on the Jeep. Then I had to load up and strap down both bikes. Then I got hungry, so I had to make myself dinner. It was quarter to eight before I was finally heading out, somewhat excited because of the preparation I had to endure. Elise called as I was backing out of the driveway, asking where I was. I told her I was just heading out. She said to call her whenever I got to Bastrop and she’d tell me how to get to the park.
Five minutes later as I was getting on 71, Elise called again. Maly was apparently doubled over, complaining that her stomach was hurting. I held the phone to my ear, on standby, as Elise switched between assessing Maly’s condition and talking to our friends, who we’re supposed to be camping with this weekend. A couple minutes pass and Elise decides that Maly’s not in a condition to be camping tonight. I ask her if I should turn the Jeep around before I get too far from the house. A little more assessing while I’m on the phone. Elise decides that she and Maly are coming back home. I exit Monterrey Ranch Rd., hit MoPac south an head back to the house where I quickly unloaded the Jeep and the bikes.
I feel bad because I know Elise was excited about me getting to do this bike ride and go camping in Bastrop for a night. And I feel bad because Maly was excited about sleeping in a tent tonight. I need to figure out a way to make it up to them both.
We borrowed Rob and Julie’s tent for this trip and, since their out of town this weekend, I’m thinking I might setup the tent in our backyard tomorrow and we can camp out tomorrow night. That’ll probably get Maly excited. And in the morning, I might put on my Harley-Davidson boots, some bike shorts, a full-face motorcycle helmet and ride my bicycle up to HEB and buy some breakfast tacos.