Category: Alicia Writes

Dear Every Cyclist

On By Alicia McCauleyIn Bike Adventures, Letters3 Comments

Dear Every Cyclist,

You delight me, absolutely delight me.  I’d kiss you all on the mouth give you all a nice hearty pat on the back if I could.

Yesterday That Laura and I went for a flat spin along the beautiful Keswick Reservoir.  It was to be a short ride, a ride just for the pure joy of riding.  It was a thing of beauty.  The sky was blue, mirrored by the water.  We set off in shorts and short-sleeved jerseys.

image courtesy of happehtheory.com

About five miles from the end of the ride, Laura rode over a freakishly pointy rock that bit into her rear tire.  The tire fizzled out and we pulled to the side to change the tube, meaning That Laura replaced the tube while I held stuff for her and said “Good job!”.  I am excellent at holding stuff.

Here’s the part where you come into the story, Every Cyclist.  Every single one of you who pedaled by asked if we had everything we needed.

We did.

Many of you also asked if we needed help.

We didn’t.

But darn it all, Every Cyclist, if you didn’t make my heart grow two sizes that day.  You are the best of humanity, I’m sure of it.  Offering to help is a foundational tenet of the Sacred Cyclist’s Code.  Every Cyclist, it’s with a big smile that I say you did our sport proud yesterday.

I look forward to returning the favor.

Thankful Thursday #67

On By Alicia McCauleyIn Thankful Thursdays1 Comment
Image courtesy of audneal.typepad.com

This week I’m thankful for…

  • the little girl sitting one row ahead of me on the plane and singing “Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star”.  You made my day, little one.  Twinkle on.
  • sleeping in my own bed
  • reading in bed
  • the 90-year-old woman celebrating her birthday at the Kings v. Clippers game.  They showed her on the big screen and I was simultaneously filled with joy and pangs of grief for my grandmother.
  • carefully trying to pour ladybugs into habitats only to have them creep out in a mass invasion.  You should’ve heard the squeals and giggles coming from my little ones as ladybugs crawled all over my arms, legs and hair.  We eventually got them settled into their habitats on our desks, but we’re still finding rogue ladybugs around the room.
  • dragonfly season in my classroom
  • local theater
  • Easter morning


An Open Letter to an Uninvited Chin Hair

On By Alicia McCauleyIn Letters2 Comments

Dear Uninvited Chin Hair,

Just who do you think you are showing up as I wiped grains of sleep from my eyes and stared blearily into the bathroom mirror?  At first I thought you were an errant head hair that somehow landed underneath my chin in the middle of the night, but no, when I went to brush you away, you stayed there in all your black, curly horror.

How long have you been sneaking along underneath there, coiling underneath my chin until you reached a full centimeter or two in length?  Surely you didn’t grow that much overnight.  Just how many days have I unknowingly been The Bearded Lady?

Image by Bridgette at brigetteb.blogspot.com

Admittedly, an apology on my part is in order for the profane names I spewed at you as I tried in vain to remove you.  In my defense you were a tenacious little sucker, claiming your turf through two tweezing attempts and only finally giving way on my third and final tweezing.

Sadly, Evil Chin Hair, I am well acquainted with unwanted facial hair including an errant head hair that springs out of my right eyebrow.  Chin Hair, I am not one to be trifled with.  I will bust out the wax and demolish you and any of your unsuspecting cousins who just so happen to be innocently meandering between my chins.  So you tell ’em I’m coming and hell’s coming with me!

Sorry, I watched Tombstone the other day and have a tendency to get a little carried away.

The point, Chin Hair, is that I’m standing tiptoe on the edge of 35 and I just can’t be sprouting unwanted patches of hair for at least another ten years.  So kindly pack up your follicles and leave at your earliest convenience.  Meanwhile, I’ll be stocking up on waxed strips and keeping vigil against your nefarious sneak attacks.

Sincerely,

Your Huckleberry

Thankful Thursday #66

On By Alicia McCauleyIn Thankful Thursdays2 Comments
This image really has nothing to do with all the things I’m thankful for, except that it makes me giggle, and I’m thankful for that. Image courtesy of monicawiesblott.blogspot.com.

This week I’m thankful for…

  • the Portland airport and of all its lovely amenities including local cafes, local bookstores and free Wi-Fi
  • the friendly Alaskan bush pilot I met at the airport who regaled me with fascinating tales
  • the Hunger Games series and time this week to finish reading the last book
  • the feel of my youngest niece slipping her hand into mine
  • bedtime readings of  “Catching Fire” with my middle school niece and nephew
  • laughing so hard with my oldest niece that I almost peed my pants
  • exploring a cemetery with my nephews
  • suggestions from my oldest niece on how to improve my current disaster of a novel
  • the Columbia River
  • graceful, white windmills stretching their arms wide over Oregon
  • the sound of my husband’s voice on the other end of the line
  • my nephew’s freckled face and the fact that he is enamored with Judy Blume’s Fudge books
  • wind in my hair
  • the tingle of joy as I board the plane that will take me back home

Thankful Thursday #65

On By Alicia McCauleyIn Thankful Thursdays2 Comments
image courtesy of abovethelaw.com

This week I’m thankful for…

  • going to the movies on a school night
  • the smell of steam from the dryer mixed with the scent of rain
  • rainy Saturdays perfect for curling up to read
  • my former students (now pre-teens) who come to my classroom after school to talk about The Hunger Games trilogy.  I try to convince them to join Team Peeta.  They roll their eyes and say things like “Of course, you’d like Peeta.  You just don’t get Gale.”  Then I kick them out of my classroom for blasphemy.
  • falling asleep in the middle of a good book and dreaming about it
  • my new umbrella that doesn’t go tulip in the wind and rain
  • This morning while getting ready for work, I hit the shuffle jackpot.  You know it’s going to be a good day when your iPhone spits out this delicious combination of songs:
  1. Future of Forestry: Colors in Array
  2. Stevie Wonder: Uptight
  3. U2: Beautiful Day
  4. Bob Dylan: Buckets of Rain
  5. Joe Anderson: Hey, Jude
  6. Joan Jett & The Blackhearts: Love Is All Around
  7. Richard Shindell: Are You Happy Now?