It’s that time again! September is a mellower 30 Days of Biking round, but it should still be a blast. And this is your seven-month warning to be ready to join me on the bike every day in April. I dressed up for the occasion because nothing says bike like lipstick and skirt:

Today’s first big adventure was paddle boating. I don’t know if it really counts for 30 Days of Biking, but 2 Wheels 6 Feet and I did a ton of pedaling on Green Lake today. I’m quite proud of myself because the last time I was on a paddle boat was when I was 12 or so in Amsterdam and my mother let me steer for a minute. I steered us right into a houseboat and a very angry Dutch woman ran out and yelled at us while we fled at a snail’s place. I did the steering today, too, and it was still hard to go in a straight line, but I didn’t crash us into anything. I successfully guided us around Duck Island and then back to the dock as quickly as possible because the two littlest kids weren’t feeling particularly nautical. Paddle boats are hard, especially with a toddler on one’s lap most of the time. I think we won’t go out again until the kids’ legs are long enough to reach the pedals and do the work while we kick back and relax.

The paddle boat was nothing compared to our evening trip to David Rodgers Park. It’s just six blocks from the preschool the four-year old is going to attend this year, but those six blocks are the difference between Lower Queen Anne and Upper Queen Anne. I’m glad I didn’t realize this ahead of time because I would have considered leaving the lake early to get home and drive with Mr. Familyride (remember, broken shoulder = no biking for him for a few more weeks).

Speaking of driving with Mr. Familyride, the kids caught a ride home from Rodgers Park in the car and I biked home alone. They caught up to me as I was bombing down N 34th St in Fremont; the boys shouted “Hi, Mama!” out the windows and my husband shouted, “Hon, I can totally see up your skirt!” For the record, I didn’t have any issues earlier in the day when I was traveling slowly and mostly uphill. Apparently downhill requires some skirt tucking, even with a heavy fabric like denim. Live and learn. And I don’t think anyone else noticed in the dim evening light.

Today’s miles: 9.0 miles
September cumulative: 9.0 miles