Freedom is ...

... a purple 7-letter word.

Yesterdays surprise envelope from my American mom and dad contained figuratively what I photographed today. Though the drawing in the early-birthday card showed a red one, I think I'll be forgiven for getting one in my favourite colour.
And for good girly measure, I got a pink lock :)
Research was done, Walmart* was visited, and the bike I decided on last night was right there, at the end of the isle, almost ready to go. Serendipitous.

The Beloved got Tom, who raised the handlebars, checked the breaks and said we were good. I cycled from the exit to the car. Oh, yeah, baby!
At home I went for a bigger spin.
I discovered that the art of riding a bike (after an almost 4 year hiatus in a 40-year cycling career) really is like riding a bike. However, everything else desperately needs to find its shape back. And me overdoing it didn't help; a short tour around the block became a rather looooooong optimistic ride around several blocks and over a dirtroad that through recent thawing and rain has turned into a mudbog. I was so out of breath when I got home I needed an emergency sit down in the middle of the kitchen. That'll teach me to not go crazy :)

It is so incredibly lovely to have a bike again. I hadn't even realised how much I missed it.

Oh, and the word the lock shows is not actually the word needed to unlock it. In case you were wondering.

* I hate Walmart for various reasons but you can't beat their prices.


ps. One year I bought myself a Blipfoto subscription. Aw. I'm enjoying my One Year ago thumbnails :)