the kiddie like play

title: sex on fire – artist: kings of leon

It’s spring. I’m 25. It was definitely time.

I’d been toying with getting around to it for at least a couple of years. More seriously within this last year. Something likely aided by having had to, within a short amount of time, twice confess to not yet having done this. Then my mom and I started talking about it a couple of weeks ago, which led to a spate of information seeking and even some active hunting. By the time I found myself faced with a third confession a few days ago, I had already determined it was time. Something was going to be done.

And why not knock off a couple of firsts in one fell swoop? I’d never contacted someone on Craigslist before. And it appeared to be the best route for what I wanted. I’d found an ad that seemed to meet all my requirements, so I fired off an email. After a few exchanges, I had plans to head to a part of Horseheads I’d never been to, come 5pm Sunday.

It was one of those chilly, rainy, very grey kind of days. I had my Google Maps directions in hand and set out. By the time I got to 14, I realized, after 5 years in this region, I should really probably learn that 14 is called 14 and not "that road near Elmira Heights that you take to the credit union or the mexican restaurant, depending on which way you’re going." It would’ve made things a lot simplier. It would probably also make giving someone else directions, should it ever come up, a lot easier, too. But I digress…

So, closer to my destination, I admit, not only did I go in circles for a bit, what with older residential sections being a little wonky and all, but I also drove past the house I was headed for. When I’d circled back around, she was standing outside, under an umbrella, waiting for me. After I’d parked and got out, she led me inside the garage, letting me know she had thought she should probably keep an eye out for me. That’s when she showed it to me. In person. The bike I had only seen a photo of in her ad.

It wasn’t a great beauty. There were no angels weeping or hearts stirring. In fact, it was mostly beige. But it was functional, and that’s pretty much all I was after. Then she informs me she has another bike out in her shed. So, we traipse out in the rain to check it out. It is also nothing spectacular. But it is black and hot pink and totally rocking the late 80s/early 90s vibe. It is the one I take. It seems fitting since it is what I would’ve gone for at that time. Which, had it not been for moving and storage and growth spurts, I would not have been at her house, buying this now.

The tale is not that interesting. I had a bike with training wheels. Then we moved and the bike went in storage and there wasn’t really anywhere decent for embarking on the sans training wheels learning, anyway. Then we moved and the bike was out of storage, but I had grown. Too tall for the bike. So, my mom took me shopping for a new one. I was in between kid bike height and adult bike height. The latter, though too tall, was what came home since a.) I was always tall for my age and b.) I was bound to have another growth spurt in the near future. Except I didn’t. There was more moving and storage, moving and storage and then moving and flat tires. That wouldn’t hold air. And while I was now tall enough, it seemed more of a hassle than it was worth. One more move and I was almost 15, which means it was almost time for a learner’s permit and it also means I was definitely not motivated enough to see the tire replacement thing through. Besides, I was living in the DFW metroplex, right off of Loop 820. Most everywhere I went required some sort of driving. I saw no point in learning to balance on two wheels.

Ten years later, it’s a different story. It’s been added to the list of things I should know as an adult, along with learning to drive stick/standard and reacquiring parallel parking skills. I could probably do with a refresher on tire changing, too, but I’m pretty sure I recall it well enough to get by if it came down to it. Digressing, again.

In any case, while bike shopping in the last week or two, I finally came to the conclusion I just needed something fairly inexpensive to learn on so I could get to the place of figuring out if it was even something I was interested in doing with any regularity, let alone figuring out what kind of bike would be best suited to such ventures.

So, for $25, I had my first Craigslist encounter, the ability to cross something off of my "I’m a grown up now" list, 10 speeds and a black and hot pink throwback to my childhood. Not to mention a whole new way to feel violated. By an inanimate object, even. Plus, it came with a helmet!

Talk about a sweet deal, eh?