Monday, November 23, 2015

I Fell on the Ice Yesterday While Biking

I can’t seem to get off the couch today for more than a minute or two. Actually, the time it takes to go potty. Too much information? Sorry. Hey, at least you’re here. Therefore, I have something to admit.

I fell on a DIVVY bike yesterday. (If you don't know, DIVVYs are those blue bikes you see in cities that you rent to bike from destination to destination.)

In front of a lot of people.

How? Let me explain.

So we had our first winter storm in Chicago. It snowed/slushed/rained on Saturday. It was a frozen tundra by Sunday afternoon, and the perfect time, with wind chill in the teens, to catch a football game with a bunch of college boys. (Remember, we are Bears fans. It’s what we do. We lose, it is also what we do. Thanks, Jay. No wonder everyone drinks a lot of beer.)

After four quarters and a miserable loss, my face was almost as frozen as my toes. Getting home quickly seemed like the right idea. I told the twenty-somethings we were going to gut it out and go. So I’m pretty sure the bike rental was my idea.

It was crowded on museum campus with everyone leaving the game as the six of us got biked up. As soon I as made my first turn, I slid. First my left knee, then hip, then shoulder bounced off the ice glazed concrete. Did I mention it was crowded? 

I got up as quickly as it happened. 

“I’m FINE!” 

Biking is not easy in a puffy, long, down coat and snow boots. Scarves get tangled in handle bars. Gloved hands can’t shift gears. Whose bright idea was this anyway?

As insensitive as this sounds, I did find some joy and comfort in the fact that I wasn’t the only one to fall. One of the boys did, too. He was probably more embarrassed than I was.


So here I lay bruised and battered. Hungry, too, with no energy to find sustenance. I’m feeling pretty pitiful right now.

10 comments:

  1. Well. That sucks. Lots. If it's wrong to be glad a youngster fell too, then, um, I'm there with you.

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    1. I am sure we weren't the only ones to fall yesterday. Believe it or not, there were plenty of crazy Chicagoans with the same idea. He was 23-years-old. I think of him as more of an adult...

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  2. Who rides a bike on icy roads in the middle of winter? Wait.... Gina does :)

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    1. It was along the lakefront, it wasn't a road, and it was only the second day of winter. There were plenty of bikers!

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  3. Why do we fall, Master Bruce?

    I know you're not Bruce Wayne, but I'm pretty sure Batman is the only other one bad-assed enough to ride a bicycle in the winter.

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    1. Or the messengers who deliver in the city on bikes as their job! Sometimes, snow masks ice patches. Let's go with that. And with no cabs to be had, it was either bike or walk a couple miles. Biking sounded like the best overall idea. We actually did feel pretty bad-assed barreling down the lakefront path (once we got the hang of snow biking!).

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  4. The Bears game must have been so not fun! I know someone else who was there, too, and I was glad I was not there. ;) We just listened to it on the radio. I hope your bruises heal quickly and you finally ate something yummy! A big bowl of ice cream, maybe?

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    1. Well, it was fun until the sun went down behind the stadium. I'm sore but I've been worse! It's the holidays; no time to be down!

      Ginny, thanks for the visits!!!

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  5. I hope you get better quickly! I just moved to the cold weather and I'm worried about how slippery it gets!!!

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    1. Oh, I'm fine! Maybe I'm being lazy. I don't know. I'm used to the cold weather, but for you, I'd say, "Watch your step!"

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