Labor Day (Chinese Labor Day) provided a day off for Drew. Seizing the opportunity, we took a day-long bike trip north along the river, out of the city and into the country. Auntie Wang and no less than four other play babysitters tag-teamed to care for our boys 8am - 8pm.
Drewbs and I pedaled all morning, stopped for lunch at a roadside restaurant, turned around and rode back to Changsha for supper, then back home. I wiped out twice, which was rockin awesome. First time I was speeding through a construction zone with loose dirt, tumbled and rolled. Drew thought it was hot. Added to the romance. Second time I was angling down a grassy hill and caught my pedal, slid out. Also viewed as cute by my husband. I just can't lose.
Did about 80 kilometers / 50 miles.
We saw herds of horses, temples, picnickers, and a barge parking lot.
Also saw laborers erecting big trees without any equipment! Heeve-hooo in unison, they did it! They did it for like 20 trees!
To honestly and accurately recount this day, I should let you know that the air pollution was nasty. Our throats were awful for several days. Other, smarter, cyclists wore masks.
But my husband was so happy. So so happy. Happiest I've seen him in many months. It was like he's been waiting our whole marriage to take his wife out on a bike trip.
Guess what!? In six years of parenthood, this is the longest we've ever been away from our children, 12 hours. Beat out our previous record of 6 hours.
Friend joked, maybe after an additional six years you'll get away for an ENTIRE TWENTY-FOUR HOURS.
counting the graces
thank you Father for
lunch with women, honesty, encouragement, girl time, fun
after-dinner strolls with the family at dusk
reading storybooks to kiddos
snuggling with Jonathon and treasuring
Titus can't got to school because of his virus so we have several days of 1-on-1 time to connect and learn
yellow pepper
getting to know John the Baptist
50 miles! Wow! Any soreness or are you both used to it by now?
ReplyDeleteI'll be biking to work soon. I don't want to make Drew jealous, but I've got bike trails virtually the entire way, though I do have to go through a creek right at the beginning. I did a test ride last week: there and back in 70 minutes at a neither fast nor slow speed. I was a bit tight in the gluts that evening.
The trip sounds fun. And 12 hours away is definitely amazing.
Hey Matt -- so happy you can bike to work -- trails!!! that's perfect. but we are thankful for what we got here too.
ReplyDeletesurprisingly, not sore at all. even went running the next day (short run, that's what I do, 2 mi.) and it felt really good.