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Pony: bikes and mice
10.27.2003
There are mice in my apartment and they are on attack. The are chewing though everything. They are running across the floor. They are squealing and having babies. They gnaw at everything with the obtuse relentlessness of zombies. I do not want to poison them.
I move in a week. I have asked them not to come with me.
Saturday I went to the police bike auction at the Ex. It was early, but crowded, and I was hungry and irritably tired, standing by a squaking megaphone as the auctioneer announced bids on scores of bikes.
Auctions are like gambling. It was so hard not to be impulsive. My adrenaline was pumping. I was so excited.
I bought two bikes and I feel sick about it. The first was shiny and new with "V" brakes, but on closer inspection, it was heavy and had "falcon" parts. What are "falcon" parts about?
After that misguided purchase, I found Peter, the old head from the now-defunct "bikes on wheels" co-op. He indicated a "catic" cruiser that was lightweight with Shimano parts and a cool chain guard and "V" brakes that I bought for 50 bucks cuz it had no seat. It is a pretty good bike. But now I have to sell the first one.
It was so sad to see all those old bikes at the auction. It was like attending an estate sale. The moving vestiges of personality: the baby seat, the "dinosaur" water bottle, the "one less car" sticker, the personalized details that made me feel a bit dirty for buying them, even though I know it is a legitimate alternative.
Yesterday Chris and I went to pick up the bikes, but neither of us had the wisdom to bring a air pump. So we walked them up to Dufferin and Queen where we had left our bikes the night before, after Asia's birthday party.
Exhausted and dreading the journey ahead with two bikes each, we popped into the Cadillac Lounge for a burger and fries. They were having a fundraiser for the foodbank, so we bought raffle tickets and settled down for some Kensington Hillbillies tunes. We were the youngest customers in the bar.
We did not win a thing at the raffle, though something like 25 prizes being given away. I really wanted that signed picture of Eddie Belfour for my new apartment.
Is there anything like a country western band, a cozy local dive, burgers and fries and good company on a rainy Sunday late afternoon?
