I realize that my posting's been scarce lately. I had three tests in the last three days of my Microbiology class. Oh, and I got A's on all three of them, bringing my grade for the class up to an A. Just thought I'd mention that.
I've got three great lab partners, and we've been getting our labs done quickly and correctly, so a lot of days we even get out of class early, including today.
But as well as this summer has been going, one thing has been bothering me-- getting to school.
I've been driving there a lot of days; the gas I burned was less than the four bucks round-trip the bus would cost. Several days last week, I didn't drive-- there was street-cleaning around the school, so I walked. It took me only thirty minutes to walk. But I don't necessarily want to walk every day-- since I now work not one, but two jobs as a waiter, my knees are frequently killing me. But it occurred to me that driving my two-ton Chevy Blazer the ten blocks to school is kind of ridiculous, particularly given how great the weather has been lately.
And on top of it, my lovely bride rode her bike to and from her downtown Chicago job yesterday, about a fifteen mile roundtrip. This shamed me into action.
On my way from work last night, I stopped at Target and bought the bad boy that is pictured at the top of this post. It's a Schwinn that cost just over $150 after taxes. It's very basic; it's got five speeds, and none of the "quick-release" wheels and seat that my mountain bike has. My mountain bike would be picked clean in an hour in the drug-addict-filled neighborhood I go to school in.
It was great not only going to school and back on my new bike, but running to the produce store, Trader Joe's and Jewel's for broccoli, tomatoes, cabbage, basil and dried tomato chicken sausage, Malbec and other staples, all while burning calories rather than gasoline. I realized that with gas at over four bucks a gallon, and a car that gets about 12 miles to the gallon in the city, I saved about ten bucks already with the purchase of my bike. I realized that I'll save the price of the bike in about the first month I own it.
Or more than the cost of the two bottles of Malbec I bought.
Take that, Exxon/Mobil/Bush/Cheney. Eat my bike.
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