Saturday Fall Ride

9:00 A.M. Sun is up and a light rain falls. It's time to go to the store. Stand up and slip on the slippers. Cover up the puppy. Move the sheet rock door to the dressing room. Slid on the jeans and sweater and sweatshirt hoodie. Lace up the old soft shoes and find your eyes. Slap on the VCU hat and off you go. No coffee, no water, just go.

Turn the blue bike with the saddle bags out to the gate over the moist walkway, past the birch tree. Open the gate and walk up the graveled alley.

Climb on the 29" bike and pause. Look at the cloudy sky. Turn right and off you go. Adjust the mirror and coast to the stop light. The misty rain still falls but it is clearing.

Coast down the hill pass the Westmoreland Lake and shift into 6th gear. Peddle up to the stop light at Monument. Pause for the runners iPods in hand.

Up pass the witches house and turn left to the newly paved streets. Pass the house sold on auction from the long haired strange sick person who lived there. Pass the VT gate that held the barking dogs. Pass the house that was sold at auction and is now for rent. Pass the house that half burnt down but is still there. Pass the cannon in the yard.

Mail the bills in the post box. Still use checks as a security issue. Up pass the traffic school for bad drivers just letting out. Turn right then left pass the gym just letting out. Blond girl talking on the phone has no idea I am there and keeps walking while talking on her cell. No tits, so she better keep working on that booty.

Drift down the hill and drift left to the back of the store.

Lock up the bike with the vinyl covered black lock. Take a breath. Attack the grocery store.

Avoid the old carts and the passengers who are lost in the maze of corn and shampoo. On to the animal isle. Pick up the 14 pound litter container and move as fast as possible to the 20 or less items isle. $5.24 the check out person says. I swipe the card and he slaps a sticker on the container and hands me a printout from the register.

Load up the bike, unlock, and wait for the traffic to go by. A guy in a Harley head rag smiles and give me a signal to go on. "I'm going this way" I say, as I turn the bike to the opposite direction. "It's OK" he says, "I watched how you waited for the other people to go by." "Patience" I said. "Yea, I ride a bike... a motorcycle to work every day and I understand." he said.

As I climbed on the bike he said, "And you look just like Jerry." I gave him the peace sign. "No more flashbacks for me" he said. "Stay cool" I said smiling and riding out.

The clouds lifted on my third trip and the day became warm by my forth trip.

Then on to football, 60 birthday cards? , a cake, and Beatles covers. Not yet!

And so it goes for another Saturday.

The best part? Stand out in the yard. Listen to the breeze. Listen to the tree monkeys jumping and running. Listen to the dogs barking in the distance.

Then go inside and put on the headphones and listen to music. Maybe make a couple of CDs.

And so it goes in another life.