As I posted earlier in December I am getting married. Actually, in about two weeks from this day I will marry the guy I had a crush on when I was 16 1/2 years old, who became the man I dated when I was 23, who became my best friend in the whole world when I was 27. We've taken our time, but its also taken me time, we started dating when I was in the middle of a divorce, and it took me a while to take him seriously, who could blame me? He had a car.
Oh sure my cats adored him, but frankly I was repairing his car so often that I thought he'd never actually give up driving, even if we did move thousands of miles to a major metropolitan area that had bike lanes and cars. He seemed utterly tied to the convenience of a car, and if I'm to be honest, he's not an outdoors kind of person. Or even an out of the house kind of person. He's funny, a deep thinker, an empathetic listener, a god at Guitar Hero, but not naturally inclined to look at a cliff and think, 'I must climb that! for... Reasons!' and then scurry off. I think just initially dating me he lost 15lbs. Now, many countless adventures later, we're formalizing our partnership.
Before we even got on the plane I was pushing him to rethink purchasing a new car when we landed, it would be expensive, (a major deal since getting from Alaska to Seattle alone can be expensive), we probably wouldn't need it if everything everyone said about transit there was true (it mostly was), and anyway I hated driving so he'd end up shuttling me again. He said he'd think about it. Which is Ben's way of saying he will think about it for a long time considering every point, and the tangents therein, and get back to me.
After a month he'd agreed even entertaining the idea of buying a car here in Seattle was crazy. He realized how much he missed biking, and when he realized there would be no snowfall heavy enough to force him to give it up, he rejoiced. Sure, he'll never join a club, or go to bike events on his own, or even have it occur to him to go to a biking event. To him its always going to mostly be a way to get around.
That's a good thing, for myself I'd just make more trips to the store, Ben, the practical as ever, decided a trailer was just the thing we needed, but wisely let me go crazy with research. He may not ever be a MAMIL* (in fact, he is unable to ride with no hands), but I wouldn't want him to be one, I like him just as he is, because while he's not a racer, and I'll probably always need to wait for him to catch up, its not like he'll ever ditch me either. He agrees all my clothes are cycling clothes, but still encourages me to consider biking when I'm getting clothes.
He's always on my wheel when I need him to be there, and while he doesn't have my passion for bikes, he understands it.
Planning a wedding with bikes isn't the easiest thing either, especially when your mother tells you she's renting a car because "our people don't bike or bus," (read that in a haughty east cost voice) and the rest of the party is of the same sentiment. His family is of course, also renting a car. I suppose that's good because that's probably the best way to transport the cake under the circumstances. Still, I'm hoping to show at least a few people in my wedding party the beauty of the bike lanes here, and my best friend from Alaska is eager to see my saddle bound world (no surprise since we rode everywhere together as kids).
I wasn't able to find wedding rings of a bike themed nature, but I did find invitations and a cycle themed wedding topper that I actually liked, though it required some changes, You can see how mine is different here. My step-mother, and probably one of my sisters will be making the cake, I say probably one of my sisters because my step mother fractured her arm because winter is furious I'm not getting married in December again. Don't worry, my step-mother made sure all of her girls know how to make and decorate a cake, also I'm going with a simple wheel and spokes design. After the wedding dinner Ben and I will be taking off on our bikes to our home to change for the after-adults-only party.
I probably won't be able to bike to my wedding because Seattle has a ridiculous helmet law, so even though there is a perfectly safe path to the park I can't use it to get there because no matter what the all mighty helmet lobby might want you to think, helmet hair is not cool. It will never be cool. However, after the dinner I won't have to care about my hair anymore so I can strap it back on. Besides, I can't really express my joy in any other way, someone like Michael Bennett understands, when joy overtakes your heart, well, what else can you do but get a on a bike?
Speaking of joyful cycling, I've made the pledge for this April's 30 Days of Biking, you can see my pledge as number 496, I should've just waited a tick and snagged number 500. I encourage you all to make your pledge, it doesn't matter the distance, it doesn't take money, it just takes joy and it gives kids bikes.
The Major Taylor Ride for Seattle is coming up on the 18th of April, and yes, if I'm mentioning a bunch of April stuff, well, its because I'm trying not to think of all the awesome March stuff I'm missing (so much much women bike stuff in March I'm missing), and concentrating on what's ahead. Because nothing is going to help me de-stress from this madness like a good spirited group ride.
This is probably all I'm going to have time for, blog wise, until after I've married Ben, so you can probably expect a LINK rail post coming up in the near future, as well as another post about the wedding which will have pictures.
Oh and don't think my friend from the previous post has given up, her continuing cycling saga will be shared in coming days as well.
Until April, wind to your backs my friends.
*middle age man in Lycra
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