Introducing 'The Feather'

Wednesday, December 5, 2012

I was up early and had one of my uncle’s smoothies and another bowl of Kefir for breakfast.  He makes them with celery, carrots, frozen fruits, yogurt and cider and they’re not nearly as sweet as mine.  They’re good though, and since he owns a Vitamix, they are blended to the smoothest consistency I’ve ever had.  I wouldn’t mind having a Vitamix, but I have trouble justifying the $450 price tag when I paid $30 for my blender at BJ’s.

My uncle asked me to join him in the garage after breakfast.  He walked over to 'The Feather’…his name for his light-weight, carbon-fiber Trek 2300…and pulled it away from the wall.

“Johnny…I’m getting a new bike this spring and I want you to take ‘The Feather’ home with you.  I think you should have it,” he said.

I was dumbstruck.  He’d been riding this bike for 20 years and loved it.  I don’t think anyone other than me had ever ridden it and he treated it like a baby.  I loved the way it rode and although it wasn’t as light and sleek as ‘The Rocket’…John’s carbon fiber bike, it was sweet, light and quick.

“Uncle Bill…I’d love to have it if you’re sure you can part with it,” I replied.

“Oh…I’m sure.  You can’t rust through it and I know you’ll appreciate it,” he said.

He’d given my his baseball cards when I was about 12 years old and I still had those in excellent condition, so I suppose he felt comfortable giving me something that was so important to him.  And he was right about appreciating it.  He keeps a log of every mile he rides and told me he had 23,835 miles on it and wondered if I could remember the number.

“Well…it’s only 165 miles from Willie Mays,” I commented.

He looked and me and thought for a moment.  He’s a baseball man and finally the light went on.  “Willie Mays…number 24…24,000 miles…I get it,” he said.  We loaded in the car and went inside to dress for the funeral.

I have been to many funerals in my 57 years, but the one for my grandma was the least sad one I have ever attended.  She had lived a wonderful life for over 106 years and we all knew it.  Though we will miss her tremendously, it seemed wrong to be sad since she had had so much and we had enjoyed her for so long.  I went to my aunt’s after the service where I managed a meal that should surely cause indigestion on the 8-hour trip home.  It included spaghetti with sausage, a three-bean casserole and half a dozen cookies.  I’d had a large serving of Kefir for breakfast and my stomach was still feeling good so I wanted to load up for the trip.  I don’t like getting hungry while driving and I certainly won’t stop for food if I do, though there was little chance I would feel that need.
I arrived back in Ohio around 10 p.m. and had some more Kefir before turning in.  It was day three without stomach problems and I had a new bike.  I was a happy guy.