Rebecca's pushed and pedaled and followed her bike wheels...

[rebecca_in_blue]

I just got back from riding my bike home from the Shabbat evening service at the temple. (Edit: I actually got back about an hour ago, but just now got on the computer.) I really enjoy going there and find myself looking forward to Fridays. In fact, the weeks are practically flying by now, because I always have two things to look forward to: new NCIS episodes on Tuesday, and temple services on Friday. Doesn't get much better than that.

I'm glad I live close enough to ride my bike to and from there. Lately it's dark by the time the service is over, and today a few people offered to give me a ride home, but I told them not to worry, because I was wearing a white shirt (which greatly increases your visibility and is safest to wear at night) and had a spray-can of mace in my purse (which was true; Ben gave it to me for my birthday, and I always try to carry it when biking at night -- never had to use it, though).

It's a short bike ride, but I almost never go straight home from the temple. Tonight I meandered all over downtown. There's so much to see when you biking at night, things you never notice during the day. There were night construction crews at work inside my bank and a hair salon, hammering boards and laying down paint. There were a few lights still on in the tall buildings downtown, maybe from people working late. There were teenagers coming out of the Catholic cathedral (a youth group meeting, I assume). There were well-dressed couples and the most delicious smells coming out of the corner cafe. There were guys and wafts of alcohol coming out of a bar, its doors open onto the sidewalk, and big front windows where I could see everybody watching sports on the big-screen TV. There was an antique store, empty and closed, but its window lights were still on, shining so brightly on all the glass, gold, and silver trinkets, it was almost hypnotic. There was a group of guys in a cadillac who whistled at me as they drove by. There was a couple taking a ride in a horse-drawn carriage. There was a breeze coming off the lake. And as I got closer to my apartment, there were blocks and blocks of quiet little houses. And there was Rebecca on her blue bike, riding past it all. (Also rode right by babygoose85's house. The kitchen place next door to you smells so delicious! How do you resist it?)

Refuah shleima, people.

Comments

[guihong.livejournal.com]

I'm not religious, but I've come to need Shabbat services too. It's an hour to "chill out", get centered and just take care of myself. And no one asks me for anything! Somehow I didn't know you were Jewish; it never came up, I guess.

I envy your bike rides. Somehow I never learned to ride a "speed" bike, with the brakes on the handlebars. And this city has so many trails, too..

[rebecca-in-blue.livejournal.com]

Actually, I'm not Jewish. Going to the temple is just something I started doing recently. But I enjoy it and think I get a lot out of it.

Speedster bikes are awful! I hate the brakes on the tiny handlebars, the hard, narrow seats, everything. I have a cruiser bike, which has nice wide handlebars (with no brakes) and a fat, cushy seat. You can actually sit up on a cruiser, while on a speedster you have to bend way over because the seats are so high and the handles are so low and tiny. I guess they're more aerodynamic that way, but unless you're competing in a race, it's a good idea to stay away from speedsters. [/bikerant]