I guess if I can't tell embarrassing stories about my kids, I might as well tell one about myself.

I had decided that once school was back in session, I was going to be a better blogger.

So far, that has not occurred. Probably because my kids don't want me to  post too much about them (nothing personal or embarrassing anyway - and really, those make the best blog stories) and also because my life is really,really boring lately.  Feels like all I do is take the kids places and bring them home from places.  But I suppose that's the life of a stay-at-home mom with teenagers.

In an effort to get back into blogging I am really going to attempt to come here more frequently and write about the boring stuff because (thankfully) life is mostly boring stuff.  And some of my favorite bloggers are people who write about their every day happenings.

So here goes...

This weekend Dan and Peter went with the Boy Scouts to the Virginia Creeper Trail.  They've been before with the troop several years ago and Peter also went in 7th grade.  Sarah went last year with her 7th grade class so that makes me the only one who hasn't been. 

Dan assures me that even though it's a 17 mile bake ride,  it's more coasting than pedaling because it's all downhill and I'm almost sold on going as a family BUT every trip includes a story about several people in their group falling off their bikes and getting hurt.  Not sure what to make of that except that if someone is a group is going to fall off their bike - it's me.

I even fell off my bike when we were doing the Shining Sea Bikeway at the Cape this summer.  And this trail is perfectly flat.  I guess if I can't tell embarrassing stories about my kids, I might as well tell one about myself.

I was behind the rest of the family and we got to one of the few spots where the bike path crosses a street.  The signs say you are to stop, get off your bike, and walk your bike across the street.  However, no one else was doing that - except me.  I am such a boring rule follower.

Dan and the kids reached this particular point and crossed the street where there was a car stopped to let them pass.  I, as usual, was trialing behind and could see that the car was going to wait for me to cross as well.

So I decided in order to save time I would slow down (not come to a complete stop), hop off my bike (because - rule follower), and cross quickly so as not to hold up the car any longer.

I was able to slow down but it was the hoping off while the bike was still moving that was the problem.  Instead of gracefully throwing my right leg over the bike and walking it across the street as I had planned, I ungracefully threw my right leg over the bike and someone managed to fall face down on to the bike path landing unceremoniously on top of my  bike and the pavement.

The kids and Dan could hear the crashing sound so they stopped to turn around just in time to see me hop up as fast as I could, grab my bike and run it across the street without even glancing at the car that was waiting patiently for my sorry ass to move things along.

Other than a bruised thigh and a bruised ego, I was fine.  While we were eating lunch before completing the bike trip back, Sarah told me that if it hadn't been me, she would have laughed.  I told her that if it hadn't been me, I would have laughed too. 

All this to say that when Dan tells me that a 17 mile ride coasting down a mountain is easy, I have to pause and wonder how much damage I would do to myself and the rented bike. However, Dan said that there's a really good diner halfway down the trail that serves excellent burgers  so I might be persuaded to take that chance.  I'll do almost anything for a good hamburger - even fall off my bike a couple of times!

Here's a picture of Peter and his troop at the start of the trail: