85. Nathan

Sometimes I get names stuck in my head for no real reason. Maybe it's the writer in me-I'm always looking for alternate names of people I know so I can put them in a story. Maybe I just feel names like I feel other words or moments on whim. Anyway, this morning I was feeling the name, Nathan.

I spend my work week adult-ing harder than I ever have with a job previously, so when it comes to my weekend, I try to adult as little as possible. I sleep late and crack open a beer upon my my waking. I procrastinate EVERYTHING. Even my writing has hit a slow patch. Why? Because that's what adults do, and on the weekends I'm 21 you guys.

But today I opted to go get my bike fixed, simply because riding to work > spending $25 a week on the CTA. Being resourceful does not quite equal adulting, least in my opinion.

I hit my pedals and road to Boulevard Bikes. My poor girl, The Purple Nightmare, had seen better days. Her chain felt scratchy, the handlebars were bent from my accidents in the fall. The front tire couldn't keep an inflate for longer than a day or two. When I brought her in, the bike mechanic, a big burly dude with long black hair and a wide brim hat, put her up and checked her out.

"She needs a lot of love," he said.

"A hundred dollars worth of love?" I asked, "Because that's all I have right now."

"Maybe a little more than that, " he said, "but we can make it work."

After checking it out he gave me the ticket- front wheel realignment, a brake tune-up, a second hand set of handle bars, and grip tape for $73.

Fair enough. He told me he would call when she was ready.

When he called a couple hours later, I walked back to the shop. Something about getting work done on your mode of transport makes it feel like new even though it isn't. The teal grip tape on her handle bars completely clashes with her neon color and I love it. He fastened it together with bright pink duct tape because he thought it worked.

I smiled and paid him. I shook his hand thanking him for getting all the work done in just a couple hours.

"No problem, Miss!" He said, happily.

"Hey!" I shouted back as I was leaving the shop. "I didn't quite catch your name!"

"Nathan." He said.