Thumbs Up

I enjoy riding my bike to work (TODAY WAS DAY # 4 FOR ALL OF YOU KEEPING TRACK) - not to mention the fact that I like being environmentally friendly and getting a work out at the same time. Don't get me wrong, it is pretty tough! The hills are killer, my quads feel like rocks about half way through the journey, it hasn't been ideal weather lately (I mean, when it is ideal to workout, hehe), but I still end with a smile on my face. I love saying "Good morning" or "Good afternoon" to the folks walking their dogs, the kids waiting at the bus-stop, the fellow bike commuters, the sign-spinners, and just about anyone else that will make eye contact with me (sometimes people just won't even look at someone coming by them, so it is hard to say HI to those folks).

There are a few spots along my trek that I have to be EXTRA cautious of vehicles - especially since I still don't have a helmet and are waiting for my blinking lights to get here in the mail. Most of the trip I am riding either in bike lanes or on the sidewalk on streets that the max speed limit is 35mph (but you know people and their speed limits... most people like to push them). There is this one spot on my way home that two lanes of traffic merge together (like an upside-down Y) and I actually have to cross in-front of oncoming traffic to get over to the bike lane (none of the lanes stop, because the two lanes don't merge, they just run next to each other). Anyway, I am super careful (DON'T WORRY MOM) and today there was actually a car coming in the lane I need to cross over through. I stayed in the lane of traffic that I was in and kept looking back at the lady. She was slowing down, so I figured I would cross over. I gave a little wave when I got into the bike lane (to let her know I was in and she could speed up again). When she got up next to me I made sure to give her a big smile and a wave and mouthed the words 'Thank You'. She gave me a big thumbs up and mouthed "Way To Go".

It just made me smile! I know that when Ryan and I are driving by hills and there are folks that are trying to bike them, sometimes I will put the window down and cheer them on - saying "YOU CAN DO IT". I was just so happy that someone was that cheerleader for me :) So lady-in-the-car-on-the-101-this afternoon-about-4:45pm: THANK YOU FOR SEEING ME, LETTING ME OVER, AND BEING MY LITTLE CHEER TEAM THIS AFTERNOON!!