Putus rantai, putus asa

My bike chain broke today just as I turned in to the sidewalk up to my apartment well after 11pm. Thank God it didn't happen earlier, say as I was crossing a major road late at night or whizzing down Midvale Boulevard at 15mph.

Come to think of that, the chain popped off the back gear on Midvale earlier today and I noticed a defective link but kept riding anyway. Maybe this is why I spend so much money on new innertubes and other repairs. I can't bear to stop even when something is spoilt.

The problem is that this is an ancient Motobecane, and I was told at two different bike stores that given how worn the gears are, the chain can't be replaced without replacing the sprockets, and the bike is so old that they would have to be specially ordered. Which would cost several times what the entire bike is actually worth.

So, new bicycle on the horizon. Or, hopefully, a good cheap secondhand.

On top of that, my computer has been BSODing (Blue Screen of Death) at least once a day for the past several weeks and won't connect to my landlord's wireless network for more than a few minutes at a time. It's over four and a half years old, so it looks like it's on its last legs.

Although I do have enough money in the bank I don't feel like I can justify buying a new comp till at least a couple of paychecks from now, having just spent a bit of money moving into my new apartment. (No, I will not get a Mac.) So...Waion will have to wait before I offload this one onto him for playing DotA (Pa's suggestion).

So it looks as if I'll have to do a lot of spending in the next couple of months. Much as I hate to admit it, my laptop is a non-essential, but the bicycle isn't, even though it isn't necessary in the strict sense for sustaining life - how shall I say this? My computer gives me imaginary freedom; my bicycle gives me real freedom. I don't like having to depend on other people (including bus drivers) to fetch me to work, to get food, to church, to see friends, etc.

And nothing on the Internet, wonderful as it is, can open up your mind and your senses the way flying down a road on a bright, crisp day can.