I love the look of the bike when it’s clean. The chain is silver, the rims are shiny, it looks like it’s brand new. And I know that after one trip downtown, it will be covered with road grit again.
When I finished with the bike, it was after 10:00 pm, and the garage was wicked cold. The skies have cleared this week, and the temperature has plummeted. If I wanted to ride in today, I would have had to get the seat bag back on, pick out a change of clothes, and put together what I needed to shower at work. All for the pleasure of riding in when it was predicted to be 24 degrees in the morning.
I decided to wait for warmer weather.
This morning dawned fuzzy and white–a good hard frost covered everything. As I waited for my windshield to defrost, I congratulated myself on my decision. At least the bike is ready, whenever the weather decides to cooperate.
Today the girl and the wife brought Girl Scout cookie orders into the office. I sent the email out letting people know their orders were available at the front desk. It was like watching a herd of hyenas descending on a wounded wildebeest. Man, people are serious about their cookies.
The wife had brought along extra cookies, because she usually ends up selling a few boxes over and above the preorders. It’s a good thing she did, too, because people were pulling me to the side with anguished looks on their faces: “The signup sheet was gone before I could place my order!” or “God, I wish I had ordered more Thin Mints!” Upon being told there were in fact extra cookies, they rushed forward, crumpled bills in hand, and a thin sheen of sweat on their brows. We actually ran out of a few kinds, and I’ll need to bring some in tomorrow.
The girl looked very professional, in her Girl Scout vest. She was wearing a nice outfit under it, and a pair of green earrings that matched her vest and brought out her eyes. She did a good job filling orders and making change, too. Several of my coworkers commented on how much she’s changed over the last year. She’s really grown, and when she wants to be, she can be quite charming. Just usually not with us.
The rumor I’ve heard about kids is that they save their worst behavior for the parental units because they feel “safe”. On the other hand, it could just be because they feel The Boundaries more at home.
I think it’s a phase some kids go through. I remember being such a rebellious and sulky teenager. I HATED being at home because my mum nagged a whole lot and every word that left her mouth was aimed at scolding me, or making me feel inadequate, or stupid or wrong. She used to drive me to school every morning and it always felt as if time slowed down with me trapped in her car.
Today my mum is still the same, she’s till the same naggy and long winded person, but I’ve changed because I understand her better, and our relationship is great. I’ve come to realize that when she nags about me, it is often out of concern and not of disapproval. I know she does it because she loves me, it just that when I was younger we spoke in different languages.