Yesterday, all things considered and with a continuation of lovely weather, Ralph and I decided on another bike adventure. While he collected bikes and helmets, I packed a picnic lunch (vegetarian po’ boy sandwiches, carrots and baby corn w/hummus, apples, snack mix, and plenty of drinkable) and we called my parents for ideas of good trips. My dad advised us – no shit – to the idea of taking the road from Vance Creek Park to the nuclear power plant.
As it turned out this was not only a beautiful route (we did about half the seven-ish miles it would have taken to get to the plant) but there was also a bike race going on. Pilot cars and whirring crowds of bicyclists, uniform in their race-car spandex and posture surprised us around turns and seemingly at random. For the larger groups my family would pull over and the kids would stand up in the bike trailer and clap. The weather was so nice the kids traveled with the trailer opened up to fresh air. Ralph remarked, “I’d love living out in the country like this. Except you hate the smell [ manure guns ] and I’m scared of the dogs.”
We got back late; too late to give kids their nap. After being home only an hour we packed up and headed to a churchy dinner thing at the Methodist in Hoquiam. And after that (good food, decent film, good discussion, excellent coffee), on to bowling at Rainier Lanes which housed loud rock and roll and mostly teenagers, except that old dude in the Wolverine t-shirt who I begged Ralph to get a picture of. Which he didn’t.
By the end of bowling – or should I say the premature end, as we did not finish our game – Nels’ lack of nap had him rude as hell and I was bored (as I get easily when it comes to bowling). We headed home, swung by the video store to rent a movie (Singer’s X-Men in hopes of decent family fare and perhaps by subconscious influence of the Wolverine guy), ate some cold cuts for dinner, and snuggled the rest of the night away.
All in all, Big Fun Weekend ended up being a success, although I’m hearing Ralph say he thinks we went too far with the “fun”.
Currently reading: Patricia Cornwell’s book on Jack the Ripper, which is the creepiest thing I’ve read in a while.