Dirty Laundry

Bike Riding and Lightning Storms in the Distance

I started riding a bike again.  Actually, I started riding a bike again… again.  My wife and I dipped our toes in the bike riding world a few months ago when we were living in downtown Vancouver.  To give the dogs a nice bout of exercise.  It’s been quite some time since I actually rode a bike.  It’s odd the things you take for granted.  Like riding a bike for example.  Or that saying “it’s like riding a bike.”  Well, I’m here to tell you it’s totally true.  You don’t forget.  I’d have to say it’s been a good ten years (and maybe more) since I hopped on a ten speed (now a 27 speed???).

I used to work at a bike store when I was a teenager.  My brother got me the job.  I had to learn how to put together a bike from many many pieces.  I needed to learn how to true wheels and adjust brakes and change inner tubes.  It was a real education.  It served me quite well, actually.  When I first moved out to Los Angeles I needed to get a job quick and the only real skill I had (besides writing, and it wasn’t exactly a honed skill at the time) was building and repairing bikes.  And so I got a job at this place called Palms Cycle.  I don’t even know if it still exists.  But it paid the bills for an entire summer. 

Anyway, I’ve taken a detour.  I was going to talk about how I just bought a new bike because we have moved to a peaceful little community that begs for you to ride a bike around the streets.  I want to say that they are flat and well paved but since I’ve ridden around them the past few days I can attest to the fact that there are portions of the streets that are quite hilly and not so well paved.  I don’t know why I think you’d even care about this.  It’s just riding a bike, for Christ’s sake.  But I find it interesting, rediscovering old interests. 

Speaking of which, I nearly went mildly insane at a street fair today.  I almost broke down and purchased all the old LPs I gave away twenty years ago.  (I was just about to explain what LPs are because I realize there are several generations now who have never listened to music on a record player, but I’m not going to go there.  If you don’t know, Google it.)  Anyway, I was getting all nostalgic about these records.  Mostly because of the record sleeves and the album art and the lyrics.  It used to be such a part of buying an album.  Something that doesn’t exist anymore.  My friend Ron said he just bought a turntable and has been buying records again.  So maybe that had something to do with it, as well.  I gave myself an internal slap to the face before I succumbed, though.  I don’t need any albums.  I don’t need to buy a turntable.  I’m trying to remove things from my life, not add weight to it.

Finally, my stepson and I had a really nice day together.  We went to a street fair (see above) and we played fetch with our dogs and later in the evening we watched Robert DeNiro on Inside the Actor’s Studio and then spent a good chunk of time outside watching a lightning storm in the distance.  It was like free fireworks.  I’ve never seen anything like it in my life.  Lightning bolts criss-crossing the sky.  Creating all sorts of patterns,  Lighting up the clouds.  It went on and on.  We watched as the storm swept off out of sight.  On our left was an amazingly orange and red sunset and to our right this dark, brooding, and incredibly beautiful lightning storm.  I know I’m supposed to be a writer and all, but there is simply no way to describe it that would do it justice.

And so, I’ll stop…

Posted by Don Calame on 7.25.09 at 11:47 pm in Prattlings. (0) Comments