of bicycles and penguins

i have a love-hate relationship with my bicycle. i always think i don't wanna ride it so instead i walk or take the bus, or take one of my too-indulgent friends up on a ride offer. but when i do tell myself to stop being lazy and dumb and i ride my bike i have the best time. and i think yay this is so much fun i'm going to ride my bike EVERYWHERE from now on. and then i get home and it goes back to leaning against the outside of my little house, near the front door.

awhile ago one of the people who own the front house emailed me to nicely and at some length enumerate the reasons why i should really take advantage of the locked bike storage room that i have access to as part of my lease. i did that after i first moved in here, but then i just rode my bike even less. this way at least it's accessible, it looks at me every day when i come home. it welcomes me and reproaches me with the darkened stare of its AA-powered headlight. but the email was very convincing, leaving me sure there was a real possibility my bicycle would be stolen if i did not put it inside the storage room. and yet there it sits. perhaps i'm subconsciously hoping that someone will take it. i love my bicycle.

the other thing i wanted to tell you is that although my summer class crush has come and gone and been replaced by quieter comfortable feelings, last night at the movie when one of the penguins turned his head & looked into the camera, and summercrush leaned over & whispered "he's looking at you," i was quite charmed.

i want to go camping.