bicycle! bicycle!

i was talking with dad and carter yesterday after the father's day dinner about how i would like to learn to ride a bike. i was never really interested in it as a kid. i never got past training wheels when my bike vanished (whether it was stolen or i gave it away, i can't remember.) then i got a pair of roller skates. i loved those skates. *sigh*

later, as i was visiting ken, i get a call from carter. he and dad had just bought a bicycle for me, a light blue mountain bike. the following photo is courtesy of carter. isn't it pretty?!


it's got 15 speeds. oy. 0_o
and i haven't even mastered the lowest speed, much less keeping my balance and pedalling at the same time! dad and carter showed me some pointers. i nearly crashed into a tree after dad thought it'd be a good idea if i went down the side of the storm cellar to gain momentum. mind you, it was a sapling, but even if i didn't miss it, it shouldn't have caused too much damage. after that, i packed up the bike and took to ken and so he could give me bike riding lessons. i nearly fell a few times! i think the bike seat left some bruises on my butt!

i'm learning. when i fall or mess up, i get back on. i'll get outside with it today after work and try to keep my balance on it with keeping my feet off the ground as much as possible. ken thinks that if i master that, i'll be more than ready to add the pedals in. pedaling is easy but keeping you balance at the same time is the tricky part.
i'll have to get elbow and knee pads soon, not to mention a helmet. wish me luck!