this was going to be more of a heroic post

So I was tootling along on the Townie (is that acceptable? tootling? well, whatever), and thinking that I would come home and write about how I can get around my neighborhood on my bike, no problem! I had spent part of the afternoon with Carolyn and baby Tate, doing errands, getting coffee, and practicing biking on the sidewalks near my house. Some of them are pretty narrow, and I'm not good enough at staying in a straight line to ride them safely. We spent some time at the rec center park (where a kid told me "nice bike!"), and then I walked them several blocks back to their house. Along MacArthur Boulevard, the sidewalks are a bit wider, mostly flat, and nearly empty of people, so once I said goodbye to Carolyn, I decided to try to bike all the way home. And it went very well, I even went over sidewalk bumps without stopping (though I did walk the bike across the side streets), and I was pretty much enjoying it and feeling like it was a much more pleasant way to get around than walking.
Then I got to my block. I really thought I could get around the big recycling bins without stopping, but my handlebar clipped a bin and down I went. Big scrape on my elbow.
It's okay, though, because when I got home, my daughter kissed it and made it all better.