Four Wheels to Two Wheels

I was so excited a couple of months ago when I finally paid off my van. We did it 18 months early. It didn't save us very much, but the freedom from the crushing car payment every month is wonderful. To be honest I was afraid that the loan would out live then van. I treat that thing like a truck. It hauls kids, animals, tools and loads of dirt.

Saturday it crapped out on me. $800+ to fix a broken shifter and the water pump. Gas is close to $4 /gallon. I can't afford to have the damn thing. It's a good thing Tom bought me a bike for my last birthday.

This is how we will be getting around for the next week while my children are vacationing with their grandparents. Yesterday we had an awesome ride to lunch after church. We cruised around a little bit after lunch and it made me realize how out of shape I have become over the winter. Today we are expecting severe weather, so we rode in Tom's car, but starting tomorrow I will be a bike commuter like Tom. Let me apologize in advance if I ride through your neighborhood. My language gets colorful on difficult hills.

We are getting the van fixed because, while the kids have bikes, Lexington is not bike friendly. Being in the suburbs mandates a car. To get the kids to sports we drive an average of 65-75 miles per week in town. The bus routes do not cover where we need to go, so incorporating public transportation is almost impossible.

What I can do is commute to school each day. That saves 6 miles round trip. I'm totally stoked for summer. The children and I will have fewer obligations and will be working around our little homestead and biking back and forth to the pool.  

I long for the day we have a more sustainable community that is more bike and public transportation friendly. Lexington's day will come.