My new pet

I couldn't get a pet dog since my wife isn't fond of any so she and our two daughters got me a Halfbike as a Father’s Day gift last June. While waiting for the arrival of my ‘pet’, I told this boy (inside a middle-aged man) who really really badly needs his pet/toy not to get too excited. Getting my Halfbike was in a way the start of a new adventure. I had made an earlier decision in February this year to follow a healthier lifestyle with better diet and more exercise. I decided to stop consumption of red meats. I’m not a gym rat but got myself instead into regular walking and running first and, later on, started jumping rope regularly. To those, my halfbike which I now call ‘Bart’ (beautiful accessory for recreational transport) brought an additional flavor of challenge and adventure. The typical learning curve described in the package was spot on. In the first 10 minutes of learning how to ride Bart, my mind and body were so stoked making new connections in my brain that were never there before. When I pause to rest, I look at Bart and just smile at its aesthetics. And it proved to be a head turner. Everywhere I went riding it, even with social distancing, people couldn’t help shouting out to ask what the thing is. Since getting it, I’ve taken Bart to many locations in the Los Angeles and Orange County areas of Southern California. Last week, I did ten miles in Long Beach and another 10 miles in Huntington Beach on two separate days. Today, as of this writing, I just took Bart to a marine nature reserve in Newport Beach to watch the birds wake up to a golden sunrise. Each time we go out, my heart and body get stronger, my mind gets a needed rest and reset from work pressures, and I’m able to attain a level of life balance and well-being that make me feel two decades younger! Obviously, I’ve fallen in love with this ‘pet’. It’s become a quiet but hardworking companion. Bart cannot fetch sticks, nor kiss or snuggle with me but, hey, who wants to be covered in drool, anyway?? Before Bart, I would joke with my wife that I’m really just a boy in front of her just wanting to have a dog. Well, he got one that’s so much better!