“A world without a Sabbath would be like a man without a smile, like summer without flowers, and like a homestead without a garden. It is the most joyous day of the week.”
― Henry Ward Beecher
The rig of glory
Ever since Ford turned one and was old enough to ride the bike with me, one of my favorite rides is our Sunday morning rides to get some breakfast. I've dubbed the ride, "The Sabbath Morning Breakfast Ride", and I look forward to it all week. I wish we got to go every Sunday, but sometimes it just doesn't work out and I always wish that we'd somehow pulled it off no matter the reason. I love the ride so much because Sunday in Macon is what I imagine it is like to ride a bike in places where the car is only a type of transportation used, not the main mode. And Macon may be a town with a population of around a 100K, but on Sunday mornings, it feels like a very small town. It always feels as if you have the town to yourself and the only cars you pass are the kind people trying to get to that 9:30 Baptist Sunday School class. They don't honk at you or scream at you for having the audacity to ride a bike on their rode. They wave and move on and you do too. It is almost the only time you feel as if you are actually sharing the road. It is just plain nice and I'll even go as far as saying it is pleasant.
On weekend mornings, I'll wake up early, go get Ford, who is already awake and is the reason why I woke up, put on some coffee, change clothes, change Fordy's clothes, grab a few necessary things, and head out the door. I love taking care of Ford on the weekend mornings because the other five mornings of the week are days where I still get up early, but then I have to leave for work instead of staying with Mel and Ford. And if you have small children, you know that those early morning hours are very special and sweet times. Little Ford is very snuggly and cuddly on most mornings and it is so nice to get to have a slow morning and not to have to rush off to work. No, I'm not ignoring the fact that it is early, or that there are diapers to change, mouths to feed, mountains of laundry to do, or that many times Ford is alternating between crying and begging for the food that I'm trying to make for him, but my time with Ford is limited and I don't want to miss more than I already have to. That is all I'm really trying to say. I'll say the rest in a few words and several pictures.
Why so sad, little Ferdie? I dress this guy as quickly and as warm as possible and then we're off. He normally looks a little more happy, but this pic was taken just a few seconds after we had to get little FH to understand that telling daddy, "no", is really not an option.
We go several places, but our favorite place to come is Jittery Joe's. We've hit the "Buck's" and we've hit the Waffle House, but Jittery's is our best place and we've been coming here for the past year. It is a little over three and a half miles from our house, but it is a good little ride and I really enjoy pointing things out to FH and now FH points out things to me and we make animal noises, sing, and make crazy noises when we ride under bridges because they echo. Jittery Joe's is in Mercer Village. A place that I wish would have existed when I was a wee college student.
This is a bike rack. Mercer is working with several non-profits that have the main goal of revitalizing Macon. I'm pretty sure Macon would not be where its at without MU making it a better place. And one of the initiatives that they've been working on is making Macon and especially what they call the, "The College Hill Corridor", a place that is bike and pedestrian friendly. They want to do this because places where people bike and walk are more healthy and places where people really support local businesses; two very good things for any community. Car transportation often leads to businesses leaving a town. These racks and slowly appearing bike lanes are two ways that Mercer is trying to get bikes into their "Corridor". They also do this really neat bike share program where you rent a bike for something like $40 a year.
The sign for our current Breakfast Mecca. Although, I miss our beloved Joshua's Cup of days gone by and do wish I could have taken Ford there more than once. Jittery's offers a nice alternative. And on Sunday mornings FH and I usually have the place to ourselves or pretty close to it. There may be a few college kids there pretending to study (aka: looking at Facebook or Instagram) or one lone med or law student actually studying, but usually it is just us and we go crazy. And if there are people there, I feel like I'm a living PSA announcement for the college kids there.
The menu at the Joe's. Who doesn't love a chalkboard menu.? They change it. They add little clever items and funny doodles. It is a great little menu and they seem to have something for coffee lovers and haters alike. And the prices are pretty reasonable.
The display case that FH has titled the, "Yummmm!, Yummy!, Yummmm!" case. We always order the same way each time. I get two cinnamon apple scones for FH & me, a cup of water, and a cup of regular coffee with room (lots of it) for half and half. It sets us back about $6 or so dollars, but to me it is money well spent. The other baked goods are just that good, but scones are where we pitch our taste bud tent. They are big enough to just need one and FH likes them the best. When he was much younger, he shared one with me, but he has quickly grown up to eating almost a whole one himself. Most Sunday's, we order two of their great (and big) breakfast sandwiches to go and Mel, FH, and I eat on those as we get ready for church. Our church starts at 11:15 and that is a huge blessing. And to be honest, if it were earlier, I'm afraid we'd just not make it most days. Yes, we love God. Yes, we think it is so important to not forsake the community of believers, but we also have a 21 month old who wakes up early and by the time it is time for Sunday School/Church, is already needing to lay down for his first nap and if he misses that will usually not make his afternoon nap and if FH misses both naps, he usually won't go to sleep till 11 or 12 pm no matter what "putting to a child to sleep" method you proclaim to use.
What would an independent coffee shop be without a hint or more of nerdiness, smugness, and that oh' so easy to do jab and "The Establishment" that Starbucks is in the land of coffee houses? FH wishes that would lose the nerdiness and just draw animal shapes; especially spiders, snakes, and elephants.
The Sunday morning selfie.
Sometimes, you just need the big cup of water.
The Sunday morning breakfast meal du jour.
The very delicious and edible cinnamon apple scone. We get it warmed up so it is soft to eat. FH is glad they have started giving us two forks. You get more of the scone when you control the input. He gets that part of economics.
Most mornings there just isn't time to both talk and eat, so we just eat first and then point at things.
The Jittery Joe's Breakfast Club. Move over Emilio and Judd, FH and I are here to stay.
Maybe this is how most of the people who know me feel. I have talked them into doing something that they really don't want to do and then are caught in the middle of it and really wish there was some way to rewind the moment and begin again by telling me that they're afraid that they just can't make it to....I love the breakfast ride, but from the looks of it FH wishes that things were different. I promise that he does like it or at least the riding part. He's only a ham sometimes in front of the camera. Or maybe, he's like me and wishes that the bike ride home didn't always feel so short.
As you already know, I love riding with FH on the bike. Each time is a great and happy time for me. Each ride is special to me. I hope when he is older he will remember our rides. I hope we will get to ride together for a very long time. I always love the Sabbath. It is my favorite day. I can't wait till FH gets older and we can really start establishing some Sabbath day traditions. We've already started a few and they are great.
Happy reading and even happier riding,
DAVID
