Good Fortune

Five days ago Greg took the day off so we could Christmas shop at City Creek together. I’m always down for City Creek since it means lunch at Bocata. As I hopped in the truck I asked, “Do you have Christmas music?” He said he did and we were on our way.

Big mistake. I should have asked more questions.

The CD he had was Jewel’s Christmas album. (I can only blame myself as I purchased it for him.) Greg has a thing for Jewel. Maybe it’s that she yodels. Maybe it’s that she lived in her car. Maybe it’s her breathy vocals. I don’t know, but hers was the first CD he bought after his mission and the love affair has never ended. My issue with Jewel singing “Joy to the World” is that she pronounces righteousness rye-chuss-snoss which sounds an awful lot like “snot.” The other worst song on the album is the Christmas remix of “Hands” that has a children’s choir and a bunch of extra cheese added. It’s like nails on a blackboard to me but, you guessed it, it’s Greg’s favorite song on the album. I realized on the way to City Creek that the Venn Diagram of Music I Like, Music Greg Likes and Music We Both Like has a VERY small overlapping section.*

On that lengthy drive to City Creek I clearly defined my personal version of Hell. It would be a place in which I was eternally employed at the Costco Photo Center/USPS in December where we only listened to Greg’s music and only ate American cheese and generic graham crackers while coloring pictures with Rose Art crayons. There could seriously be nothing worse.

Shopping yielded minimal results and then it was time for lunch. I got my Bocata and Greg got Chang Chang. He gave me the fortune from his cookie because I save all our fortunes in a box on my secretary. I have plans for them once I get a couple hundred. The fortune said YOU WILL SOON RECEIVE HELP FROM AN UNEXPECTED SOURCE.

Last night a gentleman called our home phone and asked if there was someone under our roof that was still missing a bike. Elation! Long story short: an observant good citizen named Wayne went to a lot of trouble to find out who the yellow bike he'd been watching for over a month belonged to.

That bike was one of the few things I didn’t buy at a thrift store and it had a lot of sentimental value. It’s the bike I rode my old dog Max around town in, right down to the night before we put him to sleep. I gave him a really long last ride and remember his ears blowing in the wind as he looked forward out of the basket with a bandana around his neck. It’s the bike RE and I had multiple adventures around American Fork on- pedaling to shortbread cookies, haircuts, pools, libraries, Cristall’s house and more. One summer night we all biked over to the Cinemark parking lot and had races. I won every race because my bike, in third gear, is unbeatable. After the races we ate Smart Cookies and called Greg "Tin Man" the rest of the way home because his bike was so squeaky. It's the bike that my neighbor told me looks european...and there's seldom little I'd rather appear than european.

Though it was exposed to the elements for over three months it is still in fantastic condition. My bell and lock are still on it. The two-toned leather seat and handlebars look as chic as ever. The gears still shift and the seat still feels right. It's as if it were never taken.

All this time my lost bike was only 3 miles away. It makes me wonder if other missing things are closer than I suspect, waiting to appear unexpectedly and in perfect fashion.

*We both love “The First Noel”, Whitney’s “Star Spangled Banner”, The Samples “Little Silver Ring”, Pet Shop Boys “Go West” and The Sundays "Wild Horses." And, to be fair, I do like one Jewel song titled "This Way" and I think she is an awesome yodeler. Also, I can joke about our musical preferences because they are a non-essential part of our marriage. When it comes to things that really matter we are on the same page.