...cool free stuff!

It was a surprise to open my mailbox yesterday afternoon and see a bright blue package inside. What's this?? I haven't ordered anything lately. So I tore into the package to discover a water bottle and two stick-on tattoos (!) from Eleven Gear.

What fun! Last week Kathie had emailed me the address--we're going to order one of their jerseys as a birthday gift for Scott. As I poked around on their site I noticed that they had cycling haikus on a sidebar, so I submitted one of mine--and they used it! And since they sent me cool free stuff I won't get too upset about the fact that they changed the title I had given my baiku and changed "farm truck" to "big truck." (How dare they! haha) So, I have a new bottle (like I really need another one!) and am sporting a tattoo on my right hip. ha! I'd love to be able to show it to Katie with a straight face next weekend--she knows I'm not a tattoo kind of mama--but it will probably be starting to fade by the time she's here, and I can't keep a straight face about anything that makes me giggle. (I'd have both tattoos on my bod, but neglected to take the protective plastic covering off the first one. Rats!)

Thanks, Eleven Gear!

...baiku

Farm truck, you would slow

for a tractor or stray dog.

So why not for me?

...my shadow

Shadow rides with me

sharing in the beauty of

early morning lightSilent companion

oblivious witness to

the tranquility

...more Baiku

On your left! we cry

as we zoom past on the smooth,

winding, river path

Sunburned and tired

Maybe I won't ride today

What's that? The bike calls!

Gratitude for legs

growing stronger and spirit

renewed while cycling

...Baiku

My Language Arts class has been having fun this week writing Haiku. So it was serendipitous to find "Baiku" on another cyclist's blog: http://oldbag.blogspot.com/ I was inspired. Here's my first attempt at Baiku:

Sun on my face and

bugs in my teeth as I fly

downhill with a grin

Are you sneaking out

and getting more rides in than

me? No fair! cried Scott

Downhill fast but look

ahead we are turning

left at the stop sign!