The Holidays: A Time for Swiping

I stowed my fabulous and classic Specialized Rockhopper bike on my patio over the weekend. I usually keep it outside of my front door (not locked up, because I don't have anything to latch it to), but I decided to put it out on the patio because I was going out to a party on Saturday night and I thought it would be safer there.

I was painfully wrong.

On Sunday morning I walked out onto my patio to see how cold it was. I came back inside oblivious. It took only a few moments to hit me......."Wait a minute!" I went out onto the patio again.

"Did you move my bike?" I asked Dayna. Her eyes widened, "Oh no!" She responded, knewing immediately what had happened.

I was so pissed that--as one could expect--it affected my mood for much of the rest of the day. It was such a great bike that I rode frequently, including to and from work. It had been given to me by a manager in my company, and I was proud of it.

It's frustrating when the holidays bring such desparation to people that they feel they must resort to stealing things from others. Even those who can't really afford to buy all the bullshit that they see on television and at their malls are consumed by materialism.

I tried to look at the positive side of the situation: maybe it would be given to a child who doesn't have a bike and would really love it; maybe someone sold it and with the money is able to buy much-needed food for their family.

I'm going to start saving to purchase a new bike sometime in early spring (here's the bike I want). But from now on I'm leaving nothing to chance.