Three Treats to Brighten a Rainy Day

I'm giving out treats today! No particular reason; that's just how I roll.

The first one went to . . . Random Dude on Bicycle!

Susan, the girls, and I were out running a few errands this afternoon, one of which was to refuel the Explorer. As we sat at the stoplight of a busy intersection waiting to turn onto the street with our destination gas station, Random Dude was riding his bicycle down the sidewalk toward us from the opposite direction. Little did we know that he was about to make two potentially fatal errors in judgment:

1. There were several flash downpours throughout the afternoon, and it was sprinkling at the time of Random Dude's approach toward the intersection. He failed to account for the detrimental effect that wet sidewalks and streets would have on his bike tires' traction, and he did not reduce his speed to compensate.
2. Random Dude disregarded the traffic signals, probably thinking that they didn't pertain to him since he had chosen to ride his bicycle on the sidewalk instead of the street. While those of us in motor vehicles were stopping or moving according to the lights, he barely glanced up and certainly couldn't have noticed what the changing lights were telling us motorists to do at the same moment that he decided to drive off the end of the sidewalk and onto the street, taking a wide arc right to continue his journey down the same street onto which we would soon be turning.

When the left-turn arrow turned green for me, I turned just as Random Dude on Bicycle was shooting out onto the street from the sidewalk . . . directly in front of our oncoming vehicle! Worse yet, he lost control of his bike on the slick asphalt as he was trying to execute a wide curve to the right, and he biffed it, ending up lying on the road . . . directly where I was about to drive!

I used my keen eyes and spry reflexes to apply the brakes as soon as Random Dude on Bicycle crashed to avoid driving over him. I also turned on my hazard lights and waited as he shook himself back to awareness of his situation, got up, remounted his bike, and started on his way. He happened to be headed for the same gas station that we were going to, and once we got there, Susan was able to find him inside and check on him. He said he was okay--just a little wet. Yes, Random Dude on Bicycle, you were wet instead of dead. My treat? The gift of life. You're welcome.

The second one went to . . . our family!

Did you know that today is "Waffle Cone Wednesday" at TCBY? Susan knew it and suggested that we make a stop there once our errands were done. (It was no accident that I chose to patronize the gas station that is directly adjacent to TCBY.) TCBY's waffle cones are huge and hold a lot of frozen yogurt. They normally cost over $3 apiece. On Waffle Cone Wednesdays, however, they're 99 cents! Yep, for just over $5, our family walked out of there holding large, crunchy, sweet waffle cones overflowing with our choices of creamy chocolate, golden vanilla, or white chocolate mousse frozen yogurt--a treat that would have decimated a $20 bill any other day of the week. Thank you, Susan, for knowing about it; and thank you, TCBY, for offering this special deal!

The third one went to . . . me (and, now, to you)!

It was still lightly sprinkling late in the afternoon as I drove home from the office. As I approached our block, I noticed the girls out on the driveway, skipping around while wearing brightly colored raincoats. I had phoned Susan before leaving to let her know that I would soon be home, so I figured that the girls had timed it to be outside to greet me as I arrived. But they weren't merely skipping while waiting for me. I rolled down my window to greet them as I neared our house, and I could hear them singing! (What must our neighbors think?!) Faithful Reader, here is the treat that they gave me upon my return home this afternoon . . . a treat that I am now sharing with you! Enjoy!