"I" is now "WE"? How'd that happen?

iPhone and bicycle

Saturday night Ben and I went to an eclectic bar, Sister Louisa's Church and Ping Pong Emporium, down the street from our house.  We went out pretty late because Anne, Ben's sister, was in town from NYC for a wedding.  The night was fun and full of chit chatting and picking Anne's brain about her recent move to THE CITY.  Then... I realized my iPhone was missing from the bar.  Long story short - we tracked my phone with a tracking app I had uploaded.  It was late.  We were ready for bed. My phone was sitting in an apartment complex...  I thought - let's go to bed and deal with it in the morning.  Ben had other plans.  I wake in the morning to discover while I was asleep, he was with the police knocking on doors of the apartment complex where MY phone had been tracked.  He did this until 6 a.m. all because he knew I could not replace the pictures on my phone.  No luck.  I was a little upset because I had been looking forward to going to church on Sunday and with little sleep, Ben was not going to make it.  I quickly remembered it was indeed my phone he was looking for, not his.  How could I be mad?  My newly huzzzzband (so fun to say that way) stayed up all night to look after me? 

Today I get home from work, Ben's phone beeps, I look down to hand it to him, and see a text.  The text is from our friend who owns a bike shop in our neighborhood, Loose Nuts Cycles.  He and Ben love to talk bikes and cars (two of Ben's passions... um wait - obsessions).  The text reads, " John Doe is in the shop checking out your bike."  I turn to Ben and say, "what bike?"  For those of you that know Ben and I, we have NINE BIKES (down from 11).  His big eyes look at me and he begins to tell me there is a bike at the shop that he has been wanting to buy for a few months.  Its a great deal.  Exactly what he wants.  Fits perfect.   I begin to remind him that we are saving our money for our new fence, a patio, on and on.  Then it hits me!!!  The night before he had decided to put a gazillion (okay - exaggeration) bicycle parts and a bike on ebay to sale.  He stayed up until midnight working on uploading pics and writing descriptions.  Although trading bike parts, selling, and buying on ebay are a weekly occurance  in our home - last night was INSANE and there was a mission.  Ben was on a mission.  I was not.

We have been married now for a little less than two months.  Ben, 32, and I, 29 (just shy of 30, but TWENTY-NINE) when we married.  We have been singles, living on our own, making our own decisions, making our own money, looking out for number one - ourselves. I. I. I. I. I.  Get the point?

Once I realized what Ben had been trying to do by listing a bike and bike parts on ebay, I knew he wanted this bike.  I knew he was trying to make the money to buy the bike, and now - JOHN DOE is going to get it while Ben is waiting to sale his ebay items to pay for it.  OH NO he doesn't.  I tell Ben I have to run an errand.  I hop in my car and get to that bike shop to get my beautiful big eyed husband his bike! 

The moral of this story, while long and wordy.  After 30ish years of looking out for I.  Ben and Martha Jane no longer worry about I - I is now we.  Realizations of our unity have and will come in many forms.  This week it came in the form of an iPhone and a bike.  My husband is now on a weekly Wednesday ride,with his new bike and I am a happy wife.  WE are happy. 


heading home

in awe



peacocking - gonna show his tail feathers



For the bike geeks, Ben's bike: Independent Fabrication Crown Jewel.  Dura Ace build group.