Beulah

I've named my new bike Beulah. I learned that it means "the promised land" and that is what she is to me, so it's a nice fit, I think. Beulah and I rode to work yesterday and it was glorious and beautiful and just a little cold. She rides so perfectly--I could have just kept pedaling for hours and hours, but I didn't because I needed to go in to work. I checked on her a few times throughout the day and even rode her from the library lot to the student center lot, and then after lunch with Nat and Skyler, I rode her from the student center to the education building, just so she wouldn't get lonely or miss me too much. I wished I had one of those enormous chains to wrap her up securely like Pee Wee does in his Big Adventure, except minus the clown and the returning to a stolen bike. Those parts would suck. But I do love Beulah like Pee Wee loved his bicycle, possibly even more. At 8pm last night, Sean and I rode our bikes home together, and Beulah and I made it up 800 West with three gears just fine. We were slow, but we didn't have to stop even though it is a big hill and we were working pretty hard and it had also been close to six months since I had last ridden up that hill. I was proud of us. Then, as we met Sean at the top, it was flat ground and smooth sailing all the way home. The snow streaked mountains surrounding us were outlined by the powerful indigo of dusk, and I felt like I was riding in a better world. Beulah said she felt the same way. So, we are getting along great, Beulah and I; obviously, we were meant for each other.