[CR]Subject: Bike Count aka Spousal Disinformation Poll

(Example: Framebuilding:Norris Lockley)

Date: Sat, 30 Oct 2004 09:00:36 -0400
From: "HM & SS Sachs" <sachs@erols.com>
To: Classic Rendezvous <classicrendezvous@bikelist.org>, raydobbins2003@yahoo.com
Subject: [CR]Subject: Bike Count aka Spousal Disinformation Poll


Raymond Dobbins wrote with subtle humor about a common situation (below). I'm not sure that I'm on- or off-base here, but I wonder if it has to be this way. Susan and I may be unusual, but every couple is unusual in its own ways. We started dating in 1965, and married not that many years later. Her engagement "present" was a used Atala, all SP, because we certainly didn't have money for a ring ("Daisy, Daisy..."). Early on, in Providence, Corvallis, and Princeton NJ, we had a bedroom set aside for bikes. And worse: the 8' workbench in the living room in Princeton. I think it was a clue that I wasn't cut out to be an academic.

To my regret, gardening and walking the dog have largely replaced the tandem in her affection now. But, there's been what feels like healthy evolution about the bikes in other ways. She trusts that I won't bring home the $4000 uberMuseum bike, but stick with On Topic "riders" in reasonable numbers: roughly a dozen. I think she's happy that the '38 Paramount is finally going to get restored this Fall I trust that she won't bankrupt us with garden stuff (although I did get frustrated the Fall that there were 150 plants in pots that had not yet found homes in the ground).

But, there's humor, too. One dark and stormy night at a silent auction, she watched the 73 Cinelli SC all evening, to be sure I would know if someone might top our bid. I love the bike, and thanked her that evening. Her reply, "You're welcome, dear. After this, I can buy any laptop I want." And she did buy the top of the line G4...

After 35 years or so, I'm grateful that the rough edges have worn off. Feels like a life sentence, no parole. :-)

harvey sachs mcLean va.

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familiar scene # 1 - a garage, basement or den in anytown, usa

[spouse walks in on cr list member working on a bike. the bike was delivered by ups to the list member's workplace. the cr list member brought it home and unpacked it while the spouse was out of the house, and just finished stashing the box in another part of the house]

spouse: is that a new bike?

cr list member: nah, it was here.

spouse: really? i don't remember it. when did you get it?

cr list member: i dunno, we've had it, just haven't ridden it in a while...so your sister's coming to town, huh? when is that? haven't seen her in a while, huh?

familiar scene #2 - conversation at a restaurant between a cr list member and spouse, and the sister from out of town

sister: so, how many bikes do you have now?

cr list member: i dunno, 10 or 12

spouse: i thought you had more than that.

cr list member: maybe for 14, i'm not sure

spouse: you have more than that

cr list member: around that, yeah, i have to count them again...so when was the last time you were here?

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no poll needs to be taken. i'm sure that all of us with more than 10 bikes have gone through situations like the ones above.

hope you enjoyed it.

ray dobbins
miami, florida