Ride to Work Day

For those of you who missed it, yesterday was the 17th annual Ride to Work Day - a day set aside for all who ride on or in two wheels.

I was looking forward to participating, you know me, anything for the biker cause, but a couple of things prevented my intention.

First of all, I don't have a job to ride to! Well, not quite yet anyway. Secondly, I had an interview yesterday (second round!) for said job and due to it's professional nature, felt compelled not to show up with wind blown hair and my skirt over my eyes. My alternative plan was to attend the interview, rush home to put on more comfortable riding gear, like a swim suit (it was near 90 by noon), then hit the open road for the remainder of the day.

The interview went very well, the ride home in the four-wheeled vehicle was excruciating - I think the air conditioner is going, but the payoff was near if I could only locate the suit I wanted (it has a cute matching skirt).

Just when I was about to throw my perfectly coiffed hair into a ponytail, the phone rang - it was my baby daughter and I couldn't blow off that call. She was letting me know she was literally blocks away and coming to enjoy the often ignored pool and me, I think. Well, at least I was dressed properly for the occasion.

Throw together some homemade Hummus, baked tortillas, elk sausage, Wisconsin cheese, fresh black raspberries, flotation devices, underwater goggles, CDs and a couple of Bloody Mary's and you have the makings for a perfect poolside visit with your offspring and her girlfriend.

Situate the lounge chairs, towels, etc. But wait, "are those dark clouds moving this way?" No worries, you get just as tan when it's overcast and besides, it's freakin' hot without the sun shining so shiny. "Yeah, well we were going to go to the beach near our house (an hour north of said cloud system!) and this will really suck." No rain in the forecast, it's nothing at all, it will pass.

I don't recall who grabbed what, but let's just say it all worked out - we had fun without the sun, except for that deer-in-the-headlights pause we experienced when the town's alarm went off and we pondered carrying the Bloody Mary fixings to the basement!

I expect to be employed and a participant in the 18th annual Ride to Work Day, my kid can have the pool to herself!