So, for the past several years I have been on a search . . . to find a fabulous bike. Bike riding is one of the few sports that I really enjoy . . . only I don’t enjoy it on a competitive level, more of a cruising through the neighborhood level.

Anyway, so I’ve been looking for one of those fabulous vintage cruisers–you know, one with a tank and a light on the fender. But they don’t exist in Utah. I know. I’ve looked.

In fact, they’re hard to find via the internet anywhere. In four or five years of looking, I’ve never found one with all of the features I wanted for less than – well, more than I was willing to pay. About a year ago I discovered that Schwinn actually makes cruiser replicas. But, go figure, there isn’t a single Schwinn dealer that carries them in Utah. So to get one I’d have to order it–pay shipping, etc. and then find out if I actually liked it. Hmm . . .

Every time Wyatt and I have traveled for the past several years, I’ve also looked on for bike shops at our destination. In California I found cruisers . . . but not classic Schwinn’s. In Oregon I found a Schwinn bike shop that had the replicas in stock-my first in person look at them. They didn’t quite have the feel of the old cruisers–like a vintage car vs. one of today. The older ones are heavier and just feel old.

Weston honking the horn Wyatt got for me. (The tank has a horn that works too, but this one just looks cool.

When we were in Arizona a couple weeks ago, I decided to look, yet again. I Googled “vintage Schwinn cruisers” and actually found a guy on Craigslist who was selling just such a bike at a price less than a replica!

His name was Larry. He was leathery, had no teeth, chain smoked, and spoke real thick and slow. He was the nicest man. He had just the bike I was looking for. A late 1950’s SpitFire cruiser.

And that is how I found my bike.

When we got it back to Wynn and Heidi’s house, I took it for it’s maiden voyage. Trouble was . . . I actually forgot how to ride a bike. I went to make a turn, and couldn’t make it tight enough. I forgot how to brake (back pedal) and actually ran into the curb, going flying onto the sidewalk and neighbors yard. Road rash on elbows and knees. Fortunately the bike is old–heavy. It didn’t seem to worse the wear, and my elbows will heal. Unfortunately Wyatt caught the whole thing on video. After I crash, all you hear is Wyatt laughing.

Wyatt came home today and said “Let me show you what I have . . .”

He brought in a big book–like an oversized Atlas. But it wasn’t an Atlas. It was William Henry Jackson’s Rocky Mountain Railroad Album: Steam and Steel Across the Great Divide. A photographic book full of 16×20 prints of the American railroad landscape from the 1800’s.

Wyatt decided to look it up on the internet, finding copies anywhere from $500 – $1000. (It was a limited edition printing). Our copy is in really great shape–no bent pages, or fading.  It doesn’t even look like it’s spine has been opened, and other than a lot of dust on the leather cover, it’s in great shape!

But alas, my general love for photography, books, history, AND old things, all will keep Wyatt from cashing in on his trove. It’s like the first edition Hemingway For Whom the Bell Tolls that I found in a thrift store several years ago, and bought for 50 cents . . . it’s just one of those things.

AND, while I was on the internet looking up this book, I also looked up Touchstones and Structure, two Tillman Crane limited edition books that I have dedicated copies of (Tillman is my photographic mentor)–those books are now both in the $500 range as well. Not that I would ever sell any of these books, but it’s kinda fun to know.

UPDATE: We took Cal back to the doctors on Wednessday, three weeks after his initial visit. He weighed in at 15 lbs, 10 oz. and the doctor is happy with his progress. He’s still supposed to eat at night (no sleeping through the night yet), but Dr. Gardiner thinks things are going well, and by his next appointment (next month) we should be able to start getting him to sleep through the night and eat more regularly. Good baby Calvin.

This article was originally published on January 30th, 2008.

Baby Cal turns six months old today . . . in fact, in about an hour! What a darling little boy he is too. He sure can turn my heart to mush.

He rolled over for the very first time today. I put him on his tummy, with the binki a few inches out of reach. And with great effort he threw himself from his tummy to his back in effort to get closer. Only trouble was, once he was on his back, he couldn’t see the binki anymore! Luckily mamma was close by to award him his prize. He performed his new trick 3 times. HURRAY!

He had his six month Dr. appointment today. That didn’t go as well as one might hope. He’s actually lost weight in the past two months. He weighed in less today than he did at his appt. two months ago. Dr. G was concerned and is having me feed him solids etc. over the next two weeks, at which point he must go in and be weighed again. He also gave the little guy an ant-acid which should help curb his constant regurgitation. That will be nice . . . to get through a day-or an hour, or whatever the case may be- without needing to change my clothes (let alone his!).

I think he’ll be okay though. What a dear little cubby. And of course he did get his shots. . . four today. What a brave and dear little cubby.