Married to a MAMIL

I am married to a MAMIL- no, not mammal… M.A.M.I.L. Middle Aged Man In Lycra.  I can’t take credit for this clever acronym, but because the acronym exists, it must mean there are a lot of us living with a  MAMIL.

A MAMIL is easy to spot.  He’s typically over 40, and his favorite form of exercise is the bicycle. His magazine selections consist of Bicycling, Bicycling Times, Road Bike Action and Men’s Health.  If he receives a bonus at work or a nice tax refund, his thoughts immediately turn to a new bike or bike accessories.  And one bike is never enough- a true MAMIL must have at least two bikes. MAMILs can be solitary animals, but can be found in packs at local cycle shops, gathering for “group rides.” And when you get MAMILs together, the talk will be about bikes, bike parts, how many miles they rode that week and the countdown to the Tour de France.

And like the name says, these MAMILs love their lycra.  Their outfits emulate those of professional cyclists - The brighter the better.  I’ve often responded to the following statement, “I saw your husband riding his bike today,” with an, “I’m sorry you had to see that.

My husband started his freefall into the land of MAMILs in his 30s.  He started his love of bike riding with mountain biking.  His first lycra purchase was a pair of baggy cycling shorts with a lycra lining. There was nothing embarrassing about that!

Then he discovered road biking, and everything changed.

He wanted to look the part and every Christmas and birthday, pieces of lycra would appear on his gift wish list.  I believe his inaugural lycra was a hand me down from a fellow MAMIL.  It was a bright red and white bib number.  I was horrified.  What started as one hand me down has turned into an entire drawer of shorts, bibs, leg and arm warmers, gloves and some sort of head band thing that helps with a sweaty head.

The MAMIL’s lifestyle has invaded almost every part of our home.  There are MAMIL shirts hanging on the back of the bathroom door, MAMIL food (protein powders, special vitamins and energy gels) in the cupboard and MAMIL water bottles and foam helmet inserts on the kitchen sink.

As if riding a bike and reading about riding a bike wasn’t enough, MAMILs also like to watch it on TV and worse, DVR various televised tours.  Even when he knows the results, my MAMIL likes to watch every stage of the Tour de whatever.

One would think that the bright MAMIL wear makes it easy to spot them on the road, but that’s not always the case.  This is why many will affix blinking lights to their helmet and /or seat backs.  It’s hard to believe, but not everyone appreciates sharing the road with MAMILs.  My MAMIL has almost been grazed by the side mirrors of cars, forced off the road by impatient or distracted drivers, chased by numerous dogs and even had Taco Bell hot sauce packets thrown at him.

Living with a MAMIL presents certain challenges, yes.  But all teasing aside, I”m actually proud to be married to a MAMIL.  He loves the sport,  has made several good friends (Mark, Johnnie, Daniel) who share his love of cycling, and it keeps him in shape.

Just don’t ask me to wash the worn and sweaty MAMIL outfitts!

Snow Day

It starts with mere mention of the “s” word…. snow.  That four letter word is all it takes to get the kids into an absolute frenzy.

Especially in the South.

Because if we get snow, even a minute amount, chances are school will be cancelled, and if it’s several inches, you can count on several snow days.

Growing up in Colorado, snow days were truly a luxury.  I can remember watching TV as a child after a heavy dump, praying to see my district included in the school closings.  We didn't have bus service so there weren't the transportation safety concerns.  Your parents either brought you or you walked.  And yes, I walked plenty…. uphill.

When the kids got a snow day, I was excited, too.  No matter how old they were, they turned into little kids when it snowed.  They spent hours outside building snow men, having snowball fights and sledding down the park hill.  Yes, they would come in and out all day, wet and muddy, but that’s why Swiffer Wet Jet was invented.

Last year, we had “Snowmagddeon 2014.”  If you were stuck in your car for hours only to hike miles home, you may not recall this event very fondly, but it would prove to be the last snow day I would have with my kids.

Because the roads were virtually impassable and due to our proximity to their high school, we had several of my son’s friends “stranded” with us.  Here were 17 and 18 year old “men” playing in the snow from sledding to snowball fights.  By the time they were able to return to their respective homes, my freezer and refrigerator were completely empty, but my heart was full.

Recently, we had our first “snow event” of the season.  And being in a empty nest, it looked different. Rather than checking the school district website first thing to see if school was closed, I checked road conditions to see if I could make it into work.  No one was coming in and out of the house full of wet and muddy clothes; no one was eating through every package of bacon and carton of eggs I had; no one made a snowman. I still enjoyed the beauty of the snow, but just in a different way, now.

Just another “first” in my empty nest journey…..