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February 03, 2006
Trike of Flame! Or, Zen and the Art of Tricycle Maintenance
Yesterday I came across an article in which a very wise Buddhist teacher was quoted as saying "get used to the feeling of falling."
Words to live by, as well as words I am considering having tattooed, in some lovely and tasteful typeface, above my right knee. (Maybe even in a pretty arch, framing the kneecap?) Ah yes, the right knee which kisses the pavement every chance it gets, most recently, as I made a slow-motion start on a certain coveted chopper, which is slightly too tall for me, but was nevertheless graciously loaned to me by a Travis D. Tipping over sideways, I landed squarely on, could it be, the tip of the tibia? Whatever it is, that delicate little bone below the knee cap always gets to the concrete first. It didn't ruin my chopper ride, (and plus there were muffins involved! I fell in front of the bakery!)
but it did get me thinking about falling, in a metaphorical as well as literal sense.
Most people don't seem to literally fall from bicycles nearly as often as I do, especially in the situations where I have. Maybe I'm wrong about this, but it seems that way. In any event, it kinda makes me wonder what it is the Universe is trying to tell me??
Its hard to say, but here is something else! The Universe will deliver wonderful surprises too! Right to you, on a silver platter, when you least expect them! Or in my case, sitting on top of a heap of filing cabinets and old kitchen appliances in the back of a scrap metal truck! As I came out of the drugstore on Lawrence Ave, there it was, a bright blue adult-size tricycle, complete with only slightly smushed cargo basket! The scrap-metal guys looked surprised to see me rushing out into the street to tap on their window, saying something in incredibly odd broken Spanish about la bicicleta, gesturing towards the back of the truck. They agreed to take $5 for it. Those guys getting the behemoth off the top of the pile was quite something to see. We blocked off traffic and pissed people off! Yes!!
So there I was, last Saturday afternoon, pushing my mountain bike slowly but surely on top of the trike with three flat tires up Damen when I was rescued by three fresh-faced young women in skirts, Christian missionaries from Hammond, Indiana, I kid you not. Angels, like bikes, and objects from one's past, appear in the oddest places, its true! They pushed the trike while I walked the mountain bike, and we talked about Jesus, we really did! I told them what I knew and tried not to lie too much.
Oh there's more to tell, but the main thing is, the trike is home and happily stored away in our bike room, and has been named~ The Tricycle Red Trike of Flame, or simply the Trike of Flame, for short. Why the Trike of Flame? I'm not really sure, it just kind of came to me and stuck. (To be fair, there really is a Trike of Flame in Chicago,-although its called a grillbike- and I've ridden near it recently, so maybe that's why I was thinking of it, although its an inverse trike, with wheels in front.) There is a slight issue with the tires but once that is resolved look out. I will be on my way to the grocery store.
I'm wanting leather handlebar streamers. Some might say they're dorky but I really want 'em.
Pictures to come, I swear.
There is knitting news, too. I finished the first of the Skull Socks of Fury from here. Mine are slightly different in that I used grey for the main color and orange for the skull and also the toe.
Oh for a camera.
Posted by at February 3, 2006 12:55 PM
Comments
Pictures, we want pictures!
Posted by: rob helpychalk at February 3, 2006 02:46 PM
That would be a damn brilliant tattoo.
Posted by: cari at February 3, 2006 04:00 PM
That is an incredibly cool story! Thanks for the skull socks link. I just started my own second sock ever!
Posted by: Elizabeth at February 6, 2006 07:36 AM