King of the Dork Day

I spent the day with my honey today. I dub this day, "Love your Dork Day" (wait that doesn't sound bad, does it?) .
"Why?" you ask.
My soon to be better half and I went to Goodwill to drop off some un-needed items from my closet. I wanted to stop in and check out the new store. I found a very nice skirt for only $1.50. That was a steal! Well, Kent found a Gryffindor (Harry Potter) kid's bookbag. This thing is worn out! But my man loves it! He needed a bookbag to put his workclothes in. It needed to have a pocket to hold kitchen shoes on the out side. Demonstrated here by the dork himself. This bag really did have everything Kent needs. Its even has a mesh pocket on the side for a water bottle. However, its tearing at the strap and is DIRTY. But heck, for $1.38 (random price) you can't go wrong. Unfortunatly, it looks like he ripped it off from some poor little third grader. I hope no one beats him up.
Kent just bought a new skateboard. I told him he needs a physical activity that is good for his heart. Kent's body gets worked really hard at work but it has caused him a good amount of stress. I think that his skateboarding idea will help him feel better and have more energy even while he's at work.
Since Kent has a backpack and a new skateboard he also needed new skateboarding shoes to skateboard to work. We went to Payless and found himself a nice pair of black airwalks. He was very happy and I was too because he was able to buy me a cute pair of black suede boots for half off and a sexy pair of silver heels for half off red sticker ($4!!!). I love Payless. I have always told people, "I am a man from the ankle down." So I have to shop for sexy shoes where the drag-queens shop. The drag queens told me that they shop at Payless. They were right.
I recently have made it a habit of riding my bike to work. Kent and I are no longer willing to pay for tank after tank of gas if we can avoid it. As a matter of fact, Kent just left on his skateboard to work. I hope he gets there in time. Kent and I live just outside of city limits in the rapidly developing farmland around Iowa City.
There is an unfinished biketrail that can take you practically to our front door. This bike trail ends at a very busy road into town and starts again about a mile down that road. The trail runs down the Iowa River and is really very beautiful. I feel pretty safe on it while on my bike. However, I worry a bit about Kent going on it with his skateboard. This part of Iowa City was a favorite for our homeless before the bike trail. There is a particularly popular spot where the trail runs under Highway 6 bridge. Campfires, liquor bottles, 40 oz. cans are all testimony to the night before's activities. There is a bed disguised with a wall of rocks in the crook of the bridge.
Last night was particularly spooky. It was a full moon but the clouds and the shadows on the trail were dark making it very hard to see. I rode faster than usual because I was a little scared. I had to stay longer at work than I had anticipated because the regular Friday manager went home sick and I covered her duties. It was crazy at work yesterday. I was stressed. Anyway, there was only one person that I passed on the trail but they were making a weird mechanical movement with their hand over their mouth like they were trying not to vomit. The other hand looked like it was missing at the wrist. That made my heart pump harder and my legs move faster.
I didn't want to ride on the busy street so as soon as I got off the trail I turned into a new subdivision (just a few houses on an unfinished road) and was going to cut through. I ended up walking in grasses up to my shoulders with my bike. The road still wasn't finish and dead ended. I was terrified that a snake was going to crawl up my leg. It didn 't. I saw some weird things jump away on the ground however. They were probably some bull-frogs. I arrived home panting and sweaty. Kent was in the computer room looking at LEGOs on the internet as usual (I really think we should start selling them since its all he does anymore).
So, that should give you a little idea what the commute to and from work is like. I just love riding my bike instead of driving. I feel so much better and healthier and really feel like I'm doing something good (for the environment, myself, and others). I decided on one of my rides that whether or not you want to be a bike rider is more environmentally aware. I can't tell you how much trash I see on the side of the road. You see every bottle, cigarette, and wrapper that blew out of a window or thrown to the side when your on the road into work. It also give you time to really think about it. I recommend commuting by bike to everyone. We should all petition to send my Pop-o home and to ride bikes to work! Who's with me?