Dude, where's my (Italo's) bike?

In order to save money and get a little more exercise, I started riding my (well, Italo's) bike everywhere. At first, I was terrified of getting hit by a bus, but I soon felt (almost) comfortable riding everywhere. My place in El Centro to El Golf? No prob! Riding with the micros through the center down to Barrio Brasil? Chya, easy peasy. Riding the bike to Providencia and locking it up outside? NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!

So, I had a 1-hour class yesterday in Providencia. I picked my pole carefully and since I had locked my bike there before, I felt comfortable it would be OK. I wrapped my lock through every spoke and bar and wheel I could. I wiped the inevitable sweat off my forehead, drank Santiago's finest tap water, and took the elevator up to the 22nd floor to my class with my helmut swinging from my backpack, feeling cool.

Fast-foward 1 hour and I'm a lot richer since my student paid me for the whole month. I call my honey to plan to meet for lunch and round the corner to get on my sweet ride and then, I'm brought back down to Earth when I realize my boyfriend's pride and joy (OK, that's a little overkill, but he loved that bike!) is nowhere to be seen. Feeling like an idiot (and a jerk for getting my boyfriend's bike stolen), I manage to tell Italo (since I'm talking on the phone with him when I realize his prized possession is gone and probably halfway to Las Persas to be sold by the motherf**ker who cut my lock and stole our ride). Being the greatest guy in the world that he is, Italo doesn't miss a beat in telling me to get home and not to worry about it and that the important thing is that I'm OK.

What's lamer than someone thinking they're so cool for riding their bike everywhere, you ask? I'll tell you. It's me, helmet still in tow, having to buy a metro ticket since I ditched my BIP pass when I ditched Transantiago for the bike.

So here I sit, next to my bike-less boyfriend, feeling like a jerk and hoping I never see that model again because I think I may accuse some innocent person of stealing from me.

After researching it, apparently this is the only kind of lock that works so I will be buying several and putting them all over the next bike:


So, my dear boyfriend, even though you don't want to hear it because you really don't seem the slightest bit mad at me, this is my public apology. I'm sorrrrrrrry that beautiful bike isn't sitting outside on our patio tonight.

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On the bright side, we have a kitten who is adorable and fitting in wonderfully here. Say hello to McNulty: