Would you like to hear about my weekend? Good, because you're about to. There is another version available at Kara's blog for those unable to stand my random tangents.
It started with a normal enough plan. Go to Bloomington with Kara, Mia, Jessica, Josh, Andrew and Patrick to ride a 35-mile bike ride (65 miles for the guys), stopping on the way at my house to eat some dessert prepared by my mom and pick up some stuff. After missing our exit and accidentally directing Andrew to go the wrong way down a one-way street (yeah, we wondered why that car was beeping at us), we arrived. And stayed a bit later than we perhaps should have, since we didn't get to the Wegeners until around 11:30. Anyway, the next morning we started out on our adventure. Let it be stated right now that I thought riding 35 miles was crazy from the beginning and wasn't sure why I was able to be talked into it. However, after we had gone 14 miles to the point where the two rides separated, I talked myself into something even crazier.
That's right. After the guys left, Kara and I couldn't resist. With happy grins we took off down the road....the 65-mile road, dragging my poor sister along with our lofty plan. By lunch we had actually caught up to the guys. I could leave it at that and let you all praise my excellent biking skills, but the truth is that Andrew had a flat and as a result they were still at the break tent when we panted up. They seemed rather surprised to see us. That should have been a big clue.
The guys took off and we tried not to die under the shade of a lovely tree. Finally we dragged ourselves up and pedalled off slightly faster than we'd arrived. Parts of the route were wonderful. That would be the downhill portions. Parts were quite torturous. That would be the uphill parts, especially the ones designated "The Alps" by some insightful Hoosier Hills people. We didn't make it to "Mt. St. Helens." At 54 miles, as the very last three people on the ride, being followed by the supplies truck, utterly worn out, we surrendered.
The snack station people gave us the three bananas and Powerades they had saved for us and told us we'd done a good job on those clunky mountain bikes. We smiled wearily and gratefully rode up Mt. St. Helens in the back of the truck.
Let's just say that evening I had difficulty getting up off the couch. Yeah, it kinda hurt.
Sunday we attended Church of the Good Shepherd and ate a delicious meal prepared by Mrs. Wegener, who is one of the best hostesses I know. It can't be easy to have six collegiate bikers (and one "Miss Mia") overtake your household for a weekend. Then we started on our way to Lafayette, with detours to the Brights' and to attend Southside Reformed Presbyterian Church's evening service. We arrived at the Long's just in time for Fireside Chat. Laurie came up, which was absolutely fabulous. I miss my Indy gals. The evening ended with a last-ditch attempt to get some online French homework in before midnight.
Now, Kara, Jessica and I are going to go deliver a late-night birthday gift to Patrick Daniel Blue, who is twenty entire years old.