actually, a funny thing that happened.
Backstory:
1) The storms that came through and beat up San Francisco like a bully beats up a nerd rendered the outdoor, coded keypad entrance to my house's garage inoperative.
2) My neighborhood is pretty quiet, not a lot of people milling about.
3) So I've been leaving my bike outside unlocked for the quick 15 seconds that it takes to run inside then down the stairs to the basement to open the garage from inside, not because I have any faith in humanity -- I just think the odds of someone coming by and taking the bike are slim.
4) I am stressed the fuck out about trying to not get fired at the end of this week.
5) It is kind of raining tonight.
6) I've found that on days when I get a little bit of exercise before work - even just doing something simple like riding my bike to work - I perform much better, think much more clearly, and feel quite a bit more focused. Today was no exception; I did okay.
7) As I rode up to my house tonight, someone across the street called out, "hey man, do you smoke herb?!" to which I replied, "no, sorry, have a good night though!"
8) My housemate Gitesho was arranging flowers in the living room (at, like, 12:15am) and we sort of bumped into one-another as I was passing by the living room; we said hello and I made a brief comment about late-night flower arranging, making sure to hustle down the stairs to get my bike.
9) There are times in life of fantastic clarity, the moments before a jarring event that, in retrospect, seem so much bigger, so much more real than all the other events of your life. That brief, three-line conversation is now one of them.
Because, STORY: SOME ASSHOLE STOLE MY BIKE!
The odds were against it, I'd say. They were better than they were in, say, Iowa City, but I find drunk college kids to be more likely to commit stupid, indiscriminate crimes than, you know, anyone who would have been likely to be in front of my house in those 30 seconds. It was just a case of an opportunist seizing an opportunity. And I am having fantasies of hitting them with my bike helmet and getting my bike back and crying in the warmth of my own victory.
Really, though, it's just annoying because the bike was pretty messed up - jammed, flattened gears, worn-out brakes, a really badly-bent back wheel. That bike isn't worth much money, but it was, you know, my mode of transportation, made even more valuable by the recent sale of my car.
The moral of this story is, never wish anyone a good night when it's just a platitude to make the conversation more friendly and you're actually kind of annoyed that they even asked you so loudly. They will always steal your bike!
1) The storms that came through and beat up San Francisco like a bully beats up a nerd rendered the outdoor, coded keypad entrance to my house's garage inoperative.
2) My neighborhood is pretty quiet, not a lot of people milling about.
3) So I've been leaving my bike outside unlocked for the quick 15 seconds that it takes to run inside then down the stairs to the basement to open the garage from inside, not because I have any faith in humanity -- I just think the odds of someone coming by and taking the bike are slim.
4) I am stressed the fuck out about trying to not get fired at the end of this week.
5) It is kind of raining tonight.
6) I've found that on days when I get a little bit of exercise before work - even just doing something simple like riding my bike to work - I perform much better, think much more clearly, and feel quite a bit more focused. Today was no exception; I did okay.
7) As I rode up to my house tonight, someone across the street called out, "hey man, do you smoke herb?!" to which I replied, "no, sorry, have a good night though!"
8) My housemate Gitesho was arranging flowers in the living room (at, like, 12:15am) and we sort of bumped into one-another as I was passing by the living room; we said hello and I made a brief comment about late-night flower arranging, making sure to hustle down the stairs to get my bike.
9) There are times in life of fantastic clarity, the moments before a jarring event that, in retrospect, seem so much bigger, so much more real than all the other events of your life. That brief, three-line conversation is now one of them.
Because, STORY: SOME ASSHOLE STOLE MY BIKE!
The odds were against it, I'd say. They were better than they were in, say, Iowa City, but I find drunk college kids to be more likely to commit stupid, indiscriminate crimes than, you know, anyone who would have been likely to be in front of my house in those 30 seconds. It was just a case of an opportunist seizing an opportunity. And I am having fantasies of hitting them with my bike helmet and getting my bike back and crying in the warmth of my own victory.
Really, though, it's just annoying because the bike was pretty messed up - jammed, flattened gears, worn-out brakes, a really badly-bent back wheel. That bike isn't worth much money, but it was, you know, my mode of transportation, made even more valuable by the recent sale of my car.
The moral of this story is, never wish anyone a good night when it's just a platitude to make the conversation more friendly and you're actually kind of annoyed that they even asked you so loudly. They will always steal your bike!