of bicycles and Obama

More gifts.  My beloved bicycle Bluebird (named after the bluebird of happiness, because that's what she was to me) was stolen on Wednesday - the bike mentioned in my Star article. She was locked with a heavy U lock, but not in the right place - whoever it was managed to cut the post not the lock, and probably lifted her up over the post and carried her off, still locked.  This was at 4.15 p.m. in the middle of Gerrard Street.  I was in the Doubletake second hand store buying a pair of $6 jeans; I came out and just stood there, looking in incomprehension at the empty space where my bike should have been.  

I had sent her registration number to the police, who were kind and helpful.  You never know, they said, it might turn up.  Sometime this weekend I'm going to go down to the warehouse where police are keeping the thousands of recovered stolen bikes - maybe I can find the three that were taken over the last ten years. 

So where's the gift?  I told my dear friend Norrey, a lifelong bicycle rider, about the theft.  22 year ago, we bought this house from Norrey and her then-husband, and she comes by regularly to visit and to see how it looks these days.  Our children are the same age, so we have lots of stories to tell.  Yesterday when I got home, there was a message from Norrey - she had left something on the deck, a bit beat up, she said, but it'll do for now.  Somehow she had brought her former bike over from the other side of town, where she lives now.  It will more than do for now - it will remind me of her generosity and thoughtfulness whenever I ride it.

And speaking of generosity and thoughtfulness - I watched Obama speak at the Democratic convention last night, and all I can say is, the Republicans must be shaking in their stilettos and Gucci loafers.   He's a bloody miracle.  I can hardly bear to listen - it's like a dream, hearing someone say these things out loud after the monstrous nightmare of the last years, the loathsome silver-spoon-sucking fratboy idiot Bush.  How can Obama fulfill this idealistic mandate in a country drowning in problems?  How can such a sane and sensible man be so keen to try?