I started my journey a little groggy, Chelsea's got me used to this thing called sleeping in whereas I used to get up around 9. The alarm clock goes off 8:30 - I get up around 9:20 (typical horrible habit). I'm getting ready and pulling up google maps to make sure I know where I am going. Get dressed, collect all of my things. At this point I'm planning on going by the store after getting the bike so I grab my debt card and USF ID (I got from orientation in St. Pete) and try putting them in a case on Chelsea's laniard. They get stuck. I tug and try to wiggle the cards out, no luck. I begin imagining myself trying to buy some lemonade and standing at the register trying to pry my debt card out of the little case. Forget it - Its 9:30 I need to go. I walk out the door and do a mental check making sure I have everything that I need. sunglasses (check), Chelsea's cell (check), room key (check), the laniard with bike key (check), toothpaste (what?!) Seriously I still don't know how the toothpaste got into my hands! Anyways, I was putting it back in it's place when I realize I didn't have the sticky note Chelsea left me with the building number. Oops! I guess that little tub of toothpaste knew I wasn't ready to leave yet haha. Again, I verify that I have everything I need and finally leave, here we go!
I get down the stairs and decide I can find a shortcut by using a side exit out of my apartment complex. Success! And a good thing because I only have 10 minutes to get there! At this point I am not even 100 feet away from Julie's apartment complex (oh convenience!). As I approached the entrance I realize there is a grate, crap. I figure I could wait for a car to go through and run like a maniac directly behind them, nah. I stand there for a little while looking for other options and eventually I find a gate with a handle that says I need a key. A little frustrated I go to the front office where I am rudely told to go use that gate with the sign, I try to explain that the sign says I need a key, but yet again I am rudely told to "just go use it!". Fine. I head back over to the little passage way and (of course) it worked without a key. That's ok since I only have 5 more minutes. I walk through the complex looking for the building numbers I have on my little sticky, and naturally its the building directly in the BACK! but oh well It is 9:45 :) YAY!
I head up the stairs and look at 4 identical black doors. Uhhhh, her room number is 204. I decide to call her and she lets me know that she is the second door on the left. As I approach the door there I see it, 204, right smack dab in the middle of the door! My mind conspires against me, I know it! Feeling a little silly Julie opens the door and gets the bike for me. We converse a little and then head our separate ways. I (very clumsily) carry the bike down the stairs and think to myself, "the lock can't be up - it was in a closet why would Chelsea of locked it?". Very confidently I jump on top of the bike and start to pedal, that is when I realize the lock has it so I can't pedal with my right foot, but I'm already moving! I look up and not 20 feet in front of me is this parked white SUV - AHHH!!! I run into it! I quickly look around to see if anyone saw me like maybe Julie, to my relief no one was outside. whew! Next thing I do is find the breaks haha. I jump off the bike and get out of the street. I begin trying to tackle the lock with the key around my neck - I get so confused! Chelsea said something about leaving the key in the lock. I think I've got it and I head off but not for long. Only one pedal works because my right pedal was still blocked by the way I positioned the lock. Quick fix and I am now finally on my way back home.
I'm going through the neighborhood and decide to go the way I came in. I bike towards the little gate hop off the bike. As I'm attempting to carry the bike, open the gate door, and trying to fit myself through the passage way, part of the lock fall off of the bike, crap! I'm already halfway through so I just reach out my foot and start dragging it through as I am making my way out of the gate. whew! I reattach the lock in place and am on my way again. I haven't ridden a bike in ages so I look a little silly trying to pedal and steer. Even so, I decide to take the long way home through the main entrance since the breeze feels so nice! I'm enjoying my ride thinking about how grateful I am to be able to use Chelsea's bike and what a time saver it is. The trees are so beautiful with the way the light hits them at this time in the day. Everything is bliss! Until a bend comes up in the road and the sidewalk gets curvy. I come up on a curve and maneuver through it quiet easily. Next curve, I cut a little close to the tree but nothing to be embarrassed about. Third curve, it comes up on me too quickly and I steer directly into some tree limbs that are hanging down, I could stop but instead I close my eyes and plow right through them! Naturally right as I make my embarrassing move a car is passing by, fantastic.
Eventually I make it back to the apartment and finally master the bike lock. I head upstairs and begin fighting with the key (its like a hotel key and most of the time the door likes to be mean and won't give you a green light to go - Chelsea and I have discovered that if you have food with you it is more likely to work haha or at least we like to think so) After probably 50 tries the door works and I am safe at home :) Dreading my next encounter with 'the bike'.
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