And James Robert laughed...

Last summer, before Jimmy got sick enough that he didn't want to leave the house, I visited. He was under doctor's orders not to drive because he was on some pretty hefty pain killers, so I got to be chauffeur while I was there. He was still strong enough to tick things off his To Do list, and although he had to rest, after those rest periods, he was pretty good. One of the things he needed to do was to get a part for the Burley - a bike trailer they had attached to his bike. He needed to attach it to Kate's bike and required a special part. So off we went to the bike store. While we were there, he window shopped. He told me he wanted to trade in his bike. He'd ridden Kate's and it was so much easier to ride than his. He wasn't wistful like he was in my later trips, knowing he wouldn't ever get that new bike. He and I discussed it like it was definitely going to happen after we got cancer under control.



So yesterday, when I headed out to purchase a new bike for myself after giving mine up 16 years ago, Jimmy was a little voice in my head for the trip. Mark and I stopped first at the store where I'd bought my touring bike so many years ago - Peddlers in Henrietta. The CHEAPEST road bike they had was $779. I believe Jimmy was standing behind me, holding me up so I didn't pass out from sticker shock. I took a test ride on the bike and boy was it nice. It seemed to practically ride itself, but as Jimmy was so fond of telling me, I'm cheap, so I just couldn't wrap my head around $800 for a bicycle! Off we went to Towners and Park Ave Bikes where the least expensive road bikes were $850 to $900. I was told I could thank high gas prices for the high price of commuter bikes. Ugh... Mark and I went to lunch, the entire time I was saying I just couldn't do it. I couldn't spend $800 on a bike. In my head, I was saying to Jimmy "I know, I know, I'm cheap. But Jimmy, $800????"

I came home...bikeless...still struggling with my dilemma. I'm having trouble running still. Yesterday's 3 mile run was actually a 1 mile jog, a 1 mile limp, and then a final 1 mile hobble. So I really need to get a bike. But $800???

Later that evening Mark tossed a Performance Bicycle sale catalog at me. I went to their outlet Web site and found a $1399 K2 T:Nine Jetstream Ladies Road Bike on sale for $699. A 10% off promotion and the whole thing could arrive at my door for less than $700. As I was trying to decide, I remembered going to the bike store with Jim. I would give anything to be able to lay down the $800 for a new bike for him. If I could do it, I'd lay the money down for him in an absolute heart beat, but I can't. In the end, I decided life really is too short and I bought myself the bike.

Today I went to Performance's Web site to look at shipping to see how long it'll take to arrive and saw that today I could've gotten 20% off instead of yesterday's 10%! and I swear I could hear James Robert laughing.