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Remember back when I discovered my newest crush?

Well CHECK THIS OUT:

http://nothingsgonnastopmenow.com

There Are No Words......

Holy Crap I love this guy!

First of all his cat's name is RUFUS..... Second of all

!

Oh, the humanity!

So... yesterday after work, I got on my bicycle and began my trek home.  This has been a sometimes trying journey for me due to the uphill nature of said commute.  Yesterday was even more problematic.  Picture this- Sicily 1945...... OK not so much.  Let us try again-

Picture this- Dundas Street, 2012.  KZ biking home listening in her iPod (quietly- I am no dum dum) to some LCD Soundsystem - Dance Yrself Clean  when I realized a sound that most definitely was not coming from the tunes in my ear buds, rather my "ride".

I popped out one ear bud, and sure enough THIS SOUND was being projected out of my supercycle, varying in tone and severity:

I sheepishly tried to make my way north-- up my usual route of sleepy, one way-ed side streets only realizing that the quieter the road I was on, the LOUDER my bike sounded to those around.  So I then tried NOT to pedal (the sound only happens whilest pedaling).  That only slowed me down (obviously?) and prolonged my ear-splitting presence!

So I did what anyone would do- MADE IT to Kilgours, parked it and waited for my main squeeze... along with a very deserved bottle of Export to keep me company (hey! I never admitted to being any kind of Beer Connoisseur- I'll pretty much drink it all!).

C arrived, we played some trivia and then (after a few pops) made the final trek 1 km up our street.  The bike was making so much noise and C and I just howled the whole way home.  Who would have knew that my initial embarrassment could turn into sheer joy - just 3 beers later!!

My poor bike though. 

Here she is in all her glory. "Bea Arthur" The bike with the veggie burger bell.  

The fact that I have not put a cent into her since I got her back in the spring of 2007 shows that she has been good to me.  But it may be time for an upgrade.  Of course we will have a look at her and see what the DEAL could be.  Perhaps a little greasy-greasy will fix her up real nice... I am hoping at least to get me through the fall.  

And then next year- a new bike could be in my future.  

"Bea 2".

This is what it looks like to fall for MY FATHER'S worst joke..... via at-work messaging:

sadness

We lost a great woman yesterday.

Sue- we will all miss you terribly.  As mom said, you are free from any pain now.

My memories of Susan began when I was very young and would be up north visiting my grandmother "north of the checkerboard".  Kelly and I would sneak into Susan and Wayne's apple orchard or ride our tiny bikes around their property singing "Hello Wayne and Sue, Yabba Dabba Doo", a homemade song we still chant today once in a while.

My mother and Sue had a great friendship which dates back decades and decades. They met as young kids and continued their friendship- especially when mom and Pete moved back up north 12 years ago.  Mom and Sue were essentially neighbors again!  Susan was a gentle, loving woman who loved to harass me about getting married.  "When are you and Corey getting married?  We need another destination wedding, for chrissakes!" -This a reference to a trip we took in 2008 for our good pal Sarah's wedding to Manny in the Dominican Republic.  We made it quite the family affair. A large group of friends as well as Lil Kel & Brother Rob, myself & Corey, Mom & Peter and their neighbors Aurelia and Roy- and then Susan, for good measure!

We had a blast!

Susan was the walking pharmacy on that trip when I found myself covered in Dominican mosquito bites.... or whatever it was that got me.  Being a nurse by trade- the woman knew how to take care of you.

My regret is that I did not go to see Sue on my last trip up north.  This is something I really have to work on.  Death is the most frightening thing to me, and I guess I try to shelter myself from it whenever possible. 

I am glad that my mother was nearby.... was always nearby to comfort Sue during her illness.

I will be up north in less than 2 weeks and we are going to do something for Susan. Perhaps plant a tree in her memory, and cheers our glasses with something sparkly.

Goodbye Sue.

You can now be with Wayne senior again.