January 27, 2010

Do you... Segway?



Husband gave a great update on where things are at with us on his blog, leaving me to talk about Segways.

My dad's in town right now and he's great fun.  He has always been kinda daring, and now more than ever, is surprising us all with new adventures to pursue.  We were chatting about Jet Blue, and wondering if they were going to do their very awesome All You Can Fly pass again this year.  My dad said he'd like to go to Costa Rica.

Costa Rica?

Dad?

HUH?

My dad likes modern, safe, satellite, DVR, paved roads, assurance of services.  When I consider Costa Rica, my brain doesn't exactly associate an abundance of DirecTV.  Maybe I'm completely out of touch with Costa Rica - when I think Costa Rica, I think of incredible beaches... but anyway. 

So my adventurous father and my brother, husband and I went down to the Eggery for breakfast in Pacific Beach this last weekend for awesome food.  My father happens to glance over to a store across the plaza and leaps to his feet, exclaiming that they have Segways, and doggone it, he'd like to go see what it's all about! 

I, having just sat in the backseat driving down a busy major street to arrive at the Eggery fully carsick (weak sauce), just kinda said, well, sure dad, you go just have a look and get yer tush back here to order a'cause I'm needin' me some stomach-settlin' food already.  I figured he'd be back in a flash with some sort of pamphlet or something and we'd move along in our day. 

Oh, no. 

My brother, husband and I stared slightly openmouthed as my father donned a slightly silly looking bike helmet, leapt aboard a Segway, and proceeded to kinda awkwardly begin doing slow movements on the machine.   Lean forward, but not too fast, same with backwards, sideways, etc.  Then he started doing some practice runs in the store, figure eights, laps....  he started having this really great grin he gets when he's having a blast.

He rushes back to the restaurant and announces that we are all renting Segways for an hour when we're through with pancakes. 

My brother flatly refuses.  My husband, who's a good sport and will try just about anything, very graciously said he'd run a boring errand for me instead of Segway-ing. 

That left me.

Me is fine with any dorky-looking activity, and doesn't mind falling in front of crowds of cool beach people.  So, we signed up right after breakfast. 



We had a blast!  Flew along the beachwalk, along the marina, and saw lots of cool people, and folks, I didn't fall at all.  Once, I skidded to a halt (yes, you can skid on a Segway - but I've patented the secret and it'll cost you!).  That was about all the daring I could muster up.



People stared as if we were out of our ever-lovin' minds.  I figured no one would care about us on these things for the following reasons -

1 -we're fully clothed.  If we were in bathing suits, I would think it would be more watch-worthy.
2 -these things have been around awhile now.  It's not like it's 1998 and they just were invented or something.  We're old news on these things!
3 -there's a rental shop on the boardwalk, who give you a map/guide thing to help you navigate the boardwalk.  I'm sure people do this all the time. 

But, I was stared at.  People would stop walking and stare.  Stop conversations and walking and stare.  Once, we stopped to put some gloves on my dad's freezy fingers, and some people stopped walking, talking and waited to see how we got the Segways going again. 



My crippling stage fright almost got the best of me.

We had a really fun father/daughter bonding time that morning.  So glad I do not fear the dorkiness of things.



Later that day, we took my brother out to dinner at Flemmings for a birthday steak.  28 year olds need steak for birthdays.



YUMMMMMMYYYY  Filet Oscar-Style.



My brother was too busy eating Ribeye to look at the iphone camera.  Too dark for pictures anyhow.

That next day, we had a really awesome Sunday just husband and I intermittently napping and football watching. 

Coming back to work after football, naps, Segway-ing, family and steak is such a letdown :)

3 comments:

  1. We had such a fun weekend, huh?

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  2. I would love to try a Segway! You are very cool in my book for giving it a go. :) I'm sure *I* would've looked like a dork though, my head is too big and I look goofy in helmets! But I woulda tried anyway.

    I've noticed security guards using them quite a bit lately--in malls and airports.

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    ReplyDelete