First Bike Ride

Jeff spent some time this afternoon sprucing up our bikes.  We couldn’t go for a ride until evening because Jeff has been having skin issues, probably from his meds that cause him to burn easily.  In the meantime, we went shopping for lightweight long-sleeve shirts and another floppy hat which, hopefully, will help.  When it was nearly dinnertime, I suggested we go home from our shopping trip by way of Shady Brook farm.  I reasoned that ice cream might spoil our dinner but who would know?  With Keith off to Marine boot camp at Parris Island, we are genuine empty-nesters completely, free of the necessity to set a good example for our children.  Jeff remembered that Shady Brook Farm never makes Rum Raisin and he proposed Goodnoe’s instead.  Good idea!  Goodnoe’s did not disappoint.

By the time we got home, the sun was no longer harsh and we set out on Jeff’s first bike ride since his BMT (and mine, too).  His goal was to ride the canal until we reached Black Rock Road in Yardley.  We had been seeing and smelling smoke at home and it continued along the canal but since we did not hear fire trucks, we assumed it was wafting over the river from New Jersey.  I kept thinking it probably wasn’t good air for exercising but the smell wasn’t very strong.  We pedaled on.  We made it to Black Rock Road and then Jeff espied customers walking the canal on the other side of Black Rock Road.  We waved.  I told Jeff, “They won’t recognize you, on a bike, with a helmet, looking different than you did the last time they saw you.”  We pedaled over and chatted.  They said they had just mentioned Jeff that morning, wondering if he was ready to work.  They told him, “Whenever you’re ready.”      

We rode home and enjoyed hot dog salad.  If we had ice cream for dinner, does that mean our hot dog salad was dessert?  Here is the recipe:  pile a plate with lettuce (we used red leaf lettuce from Kerry and Theresa’s CSA), then a scoop of potato salad (ours had balsamic vinaigrette dressing), and top with a sliced hot dog (leftover from the picnic Jeff cooked for my parents).  If they gave prizes for empty-nesting, we’d be contenders for first place!

Sadly, a childhood friend of Kerry’s died suddenly, tragically last week.  Kerry, Jeff and I attended the memorial service.  During calling hours, we spoke with Debbie A., another cancer survivor from town who expressed her feeling that dealing with cancer is not so bad compared to the very sad loss of a child.  Jeff agreed. 

The sad occasion nevertheless gave us an opportunity to see people whom we had not seen for a long time.  An older couple from town, and former customers of Jeff’s, sat three pews behind us.  When we were leaving the chapel, Jane shook Jeff’s hand and said, “When I first arrived, I thought you looked really, really good and then you walked into the room!”  It was Kerry she had first seen and thought he was a recovered Jeff.  Lookin’ good indeed!  She never did say whether she thought Jeff was looking well.