When it comes to stamina — sheer mental and physical toughness — it seems like I just don’t have what it takes anymore. I’m talking, of course, about furniture shopping.
Looking for a sofa with my wife is like training with an elite athlete. Just when I’m tired, cranky and ready to head home, she suggests another one or two stores.
Regular furniture shopping is not so bad, but you know what really gets me? Looking at furniture we can’t afford. Oh, man — that’s like running sprints uphill. So we compromise.
Last weekend, after looking at furniture in Sarasota, Naomi wanted to visit Tampa, too. Fine, I said, but let’s at least take our bicycles and ride the path along Bayshore Drive.
Kind of like a duathlon. Shop-and-bike.
Turtle Beach ride
We went to the stores first and finally found our holy grail of a sofa. Sweet relief. But by then she was tired, it was getting hot and I didn’t have the heart to insist on the bike ride. Late on Sunday — our make-up day — we headed to Siesta Key.
After parking near Point of Rocks, we enjoyed an easy sunset ride down to Turtle Beach. Just a few miles. A little pedaling and sightseeing.
Life must be nice on Siesta Key, because lots of people smiled and waved as we passed. That was refreshing. So was the evening breeze.
Midnight Pass Road has a standard bike lane, three feet across, but Naomi isn’t used to busy roads. She got a little spooked by the traffic.
“Hoo,” she said. “That’s close.”
There was no one walking on the sidewalk, so we rode there for awhile.
I know you’re not supposed to, but we kept an eye out for pedestrians. When this jogger came along, we got back in the bike lane.
I guess it worked out all right.
Fall in Florida
For some reason, I thought the water might be chilly at Turtle Beach, but it was perfect. Just perfect. A perfect reminder that fall is the best outdoor season in Florida.
It’s warm enough to swim, but cool enough for a not-so-sweaty bike ride or camping trip.
The tourist season hasn’t arrived, so the traffic’s not so bad and you can usually find a parking spot. Daylight Saving Time hasn’t ended, so there’s still enough sunshine to venture out in the evening.
We should savor October while we can. And we should pace ourselves. Even on a sofa-shopping weekend, there should be time for a compromise bike ride. And a swim into the sunset
