not swashbuckling

An urban bike is a type of race bike which is made for the city, so you have the same built, and same handlebars, but they’re a lot heavier and more stable. So you can use those in, say, London, or Boston, or anywhere, while race bikes belong on quiet streets. Mountain bikes and Downhill mountain bikes, well, those are a given, kind of. And then there are electric bikes, too - Ashley has an electric mountain bike, and a normal bike. Really? That’s pretty cool. My dad watches sometimes, but he isn’t much of a fan. I like that idea, it’ll be quite mutually beneficial.

A race bike. For the city. Blimey, the things that exist. I know I sound like a bit of an old fart right now, but I am honestly a little amazed. I feel as if our love for cricket is a bit of a stereotype, but my parents love it, I grew up with it, so there we are. Wonderful, let me know when I need to squeeze into my bike shorts and I’ll be all yours.

I did! I do love the rain though, spent a while in front of one of the big windows to watch as it poured. Puppies weren’t as excited as me, curled up, some hid away, but they all survived! Did I hear it right that you got drenched in the storm?

I am not sure if love is the right word. I mean, when you grow up in England, you do get a fair amount of the stuff. Though these days, we’re all more thankful, I feel. Anyway - good! Wouldn’t have wanted you caught and carried away. I, uh, did, yes. Especially my ice cream didn’t survive the downpour, it was very sad. 

5: What does your latest text message from someone else say?

It’s from my mom, reminding me to eat more vegetables. Yeah, she’s that kind of mom - the best!

8: Put your Spotify on shuffle. What’s the first song that pops up?

A good boy? You do realise that’s what I call my two doggos, along with the third good girl. They got some ice cream, too, today, because it was way too hot for humans or dogs outside. But now… It’s quite nice to have it cool down, and it’s coming down while I’m safely inside, with the French doors open. It’s nice. That is, until my boys, my kids and my dogs come back in all muddied up.

Here I am working on allowing myself to treat myself and, you know, self care. My sister gave me a book and I mean, it sounds weird, but I think it’s a good idea. Oh, a summer rain is brilliant when you catch it from your veranda or your window, just not when you’re trying to log groceries home on foot. So, did your kids and boys and the rest of the zoo muddy down the whole apartment?

I was just caught in the rain, and I’m drenched like a wet towel, it’s disgusting… how could the weather turn so quickly? Did you get to eat your ice cream before it went runny? 

Well, disgusting sounds a bit harsh, don’t you think? I am sure you look quite lovely after being caught in a storm. I didn’t get to finish it, no. I mean, I had a few licks, but that was it. 

Hm, yes? I do - I don’t own a car, though, my wife does, so I get to have all kinds of bikes. I have… I think six, right now. Six different ones, that is. Some of them aren’t new, but they’re great for what I use them for - I go race biking often, and downhill mountain biking, and then I have a regular mountain bike, too. And an Urban bike. A fool of yourself? Naw, Dev, not possible. It’s all in good fun. I went to a boarding school, rowing, rugby and boxing were kind of a staple there. Thankfully, we never got into cricket or lacrosse, or I would truly sound like an upperclass twat. 

That’s quite impressive, mate. And opened my eyes a little because I have never thought of bikes that way. What is an urban bike? I mean, mountain bikes, I know. Racing, too, because I think everyone accidentally watched some Tour de France at some point in their lives but urban? Oh, now, don’t know a good game of cricket! My family are huge fans and I’ve played that with my dad growing up. Hey, how about I show you the brilliance of cricket and you enlighten me on rowing and biking?

I can lend you one of mine - Ashley always complains that I have too many anyway. I was thinking some downhill biking at the end, so we’d take mountain bikes, if that’s okay for you? Do you need gear? A helmet? We’re almost the same height and size, so that shouldn’t be much of a problem. 

Cycling and biking, next to rowing, are some of my guilty pleasures, they relax me like little else out there.

You have ... multiple bikes? Is that like some people are with cars, have a garage full of the coolest, newest ones? But, mate, I am absolutely ready for it and to probably make a bit of a fool of myself. You seem like such a worldly man, now. Rowing, huh? Now you sound like a bit of a prat, I have to say. But a likable one. So, when and where do we set off?

birthday shenanigans || dev & ari

“They did!” A grin spread on the woman’s lips again. “I did consider wearing the blanket-slash-hoodie here, but I feel like that might’ve been a little too warm,” she laughed softly. Had she spent the morning munching on the cake while curled up in what was easily going to be her new favorite blanket? Or hoodie.. whatever you’d call a mix like this. She for sure had. And the dogs had tried to get in on the comfortableness too. “Lafayette tried to snuggle into it with me. It was a struggle, but it fits me and a fully grown bloodhound,” Ariana told him. “Piggy tried to eat at the flowers, but I put them away safely. Thank you.” She offered him a genuine smile, eyes flickering up to his before turning to take in the buffet. “Oh no,” she laughed. “Gonna assume those are really good then, though. Which means, this could be the first thing we try and then we just continue to eat our way through everything.”

birthday shenanigans || dev & ari

“Please don’t  get me wrong, I fully support all this social distancing. I think we should all betterbe safe than sorry, but.. I’m just not great at being by myself,” he admitted with a small shrug. Too late she realized that this might have come off a little dark, so she shook her head quickly. “This really is a wonderful surprise,” the smile returned tohis lips now, and it only widened a little more when Dev mentioned how glad he was it had made her smile. Did he just almost put his arm around her? He clearly didn’t, but for a split second she had thought he would, and she almost wished that he had. Years of acting and performing on stage had given her enough ground to practise how to push off the nervousness, or really, play pretend as if she wasn’t. That seemed to come in just a little bit andy right now. “I stil got no idea how many people you were expecting for this amount of food,” Ariana giggled softly as she looped her arm through his and nodded towards the buffet. “You may,” she laughed softly, as together they headed for where the food had been spread out and piled up.

It’s a great day for a biking tour! Who’s in?

A whole tour? I mean, I think that sounds like a neat idea, but I don’t actually have a bike. Are you an expert on that?