Double Take

Plan A: Load the dog into the go-getter bags and take him and perhaps a few of the kids down to the dog park for a bit. I apprised my husband of the plan and he immediately gave me his “you are bat shit crazy” look. I see it often. Then he told me – very politely – that my plan was never going to work and provided a number of logical reasons used as the basis of his conclusion. Although my husband is usually right - about everything- I determined not to be dissuaded by this nay-sayer. I promptly went to the garage and loaded the dog into the bag. It was indeed not going to work. Worse, it was not going to work for all the reasons he had listed. Crap. On to plan B…

Plan B: I will drive the dog and some of the kids to the dog park. I could walk but walking takes FOREVER and by the time I got there the dog would be worn out which would make the trek to the dog park pointless. Snoopy needs him some doggy love. As I was loading the car with the dog and the kids I noticed my husband getting the other two ready.

“Where are you going?” I asked.

“I thought I’d take Schroeder and Peanut on a bike ride” he replied.

Ummmm, what?

“You’re taking the Yuba?”

“Yes.”

“But I was going to ride the bike” I whined.

At least that’s what I wanted to say. I didn’t because I realized that he had just voluntarily – without any encouragement (read: nagging) from me - gotten on a piece of exercise equipment; an event that has happened probably less than 20 times in the course of our 12 year marriage. I am not saying in any way that my husband is lazy - he works very hard but he just doesn’t like most exercise. He says he doesn’t get much out of it – no runner’s high, no relaxation, no real enjoyment. I've always been the active one and he's very supportive but I've often wished we would do more together. It's so hard to do things with the kids as they require so much attention and/or equipment. Biking could be different: it's very do-able, especially with Yuba, so I let it go and he took the bike for a ride.

I got a brief glimpse of our family biking future and loved it. :)