massive

So I have this bike - the Trek VRX - that I bought from my friend Eric in 2001 for $250. It's worth way more than that, but we've been friends for 20+ years and he already had 17 bikes (bike mechanic who used to work for Trek HQ in Whitewater, WI.). I was his best man,.. so that means that I'm publicly his "greatest friend" (besides his wife). Anyways, this is a special bike... this particular frame was the prototype for the entire line of VRX bikes... the fucking very first one made. Eric used to hop it off of service ramps. So, Trek was going to throw it away, and Eric rescued it from the dumpster, upgrade components and eventually sold it to me for $250.

I had some great times on that bike, and took it to some amazing places... all over Chicago, my old stomping grounds in Milwaukee, bombed over UW Madison's campus and 250 miles around the Puget Sound. I was even in two accidents (no helmet) that could've fucked me up bad, but I walked unmarked: once over the handle bars when coming to a dead stop from 24 mph and nearly colliding with some idiot who lazily pulled onto the street from a sidewalk down a lane in Chicago that had no streetlights. Pitch black. And the time I got doored at 20 mph by some yuppie bitch on a cell phone and her enormous SUV door. I dropped into traffic, got up and was not harmed. She, however, was totally freaked out. She'd been sitting in that fucking truck on the phone for a few minutes. I asked her to be sure to look next time.

So, this summer one of the swingarms on the back of the bike cracked down the weld, fucking the bike up and making it un-rideable. Dangerous. Over the 4th of July I took it up to Minnesota, Eric stripped it down and rebuilt El Scorpio with the VRX's parts. Two months ago I took the VRX to a bike store in the city that I hate (I took it there only because it's a Trek dealer) to have Trek take care of it under warranty. Understandably, it's take Trek two fucking months to "take care of it." But, they've come through for me handsomely. Instead of repairing the VRX they're giving me a new Fuel 90 frame. This is generous. I'm going to see the frame outright, and use the money towards a track bike I've had my eye on.

Otherwise, life is lame. I'm waiting to hear back from someone I got into a massive fight with long ago (and hadn't been much in contact prior to that fight). I don't think I'll be hearing back from them. At the time, I really needed them to stop calling me and stay out of my life, so in arguement I very effectively let them know that I was through. I thought that the pushing away (which I'm not used to) and revenge (which I'm not used to) would drive the person away (it did), and make me feel better about the situation and my role in the situation (it hasn't). I don't even know what I want to say to them. All I can think of is reminding them that they'd been cruel... but they don't want to hear that, and I doubt that they'll openly allow themselves to walk into that talk again. I don't think I'll be hearing back from them.

I have no answers.