So, today my husband bought a dirt bike.  He used to ride them when he was a kid, and the last time he owned one, he was in his very early 20s.  The fact that he is now 47 does not deter him from dirt bike mania, apparently.

I have known ever since we started dating that he used to ride dirt bikes all the time when he was younger.  He has told me many war stories of his adventures in the woods and trails around his parents’ house.  I’ve heard for years about the wrecks, misadventures, and repairs needed to the many motorized vehicles, cycles and cars alike, that he has owned.  All of this, of course, did not make me feel better about him getting a dirt bike.  Perhaps leaving out the “I didn’t even need stitches that time” would have been nice.  But, alas, he told me the stories and then dropped the bomb on me on his last birthday:  He didn’t really want me to buy him anything, because he wanted to save his birthday and anniversary “gift money” to buy a DIRT BIKE.

I almost fell out of the chair when he told me this.

He’s 7 years older than I am.  I have ridden a motorcycle about 3 times in my life that I can remember.  I have never, ever ridden a dirt bike.  They are for guys, at least as far as I am concerned.  The thought of riding a motorcycle through the woods and trails and getting all muddy just isn’t that appealing to this 22-years-away-from-the-country-city girl.  Apparently, however, this does appeal to him.

I told him that if he breaks his leg, I’m not taking him to the hospital. He’ll have to hobble his way back to his truck (you know, that mode of transportation for those of us over 25) and drive himself to get a cast.  He laughed and said he would not break his leg.  Yeah, right.

So why name her Deena?  Well, I thought it was an appropriate name.  The last time he owned a dirt bike (in his early 20s!) he was dating a girl named, you guessed it, Deena.  From the stories he has told me, she was a bit of a rounder, and he claims, “She wasn’t very good for me, but I liked her anyway.”  Yes, in a man’s early 20s, that’s who they choose – women who aren’t very good for them.  So, since the dirt bike is also a rounder, and it’s probably not very good for a 47-year old, I thought it was an appropriate name.

The only connotation that doesn’t settle quite well now, though, is that he’ll be riding Deena, probably like he did in his 20s.  Yuck!