Retiring an Old Friend

After 9 years and an estimated 1800 bike rides my old Microsoft Visual C#.net sweatshirt (see photo) is going into retirement. A friend who still works at the company that makes Windows got me a replacement this week. The new sweatshirt has already provided my outermost protection on two rainy rides. That’s a good start on the process of achieving the proper weathered look biking apparel should exhibit.

Although today is trash day, I’m not going to toss out the old one. Too many memories for that. The old sweatshirt is exactly what the Beach Boys had in mind when they put this couplet in the lyrics to “Little Honda”:

Put on a ragged sweatshirt
I’ll take you anywhere you want me to

So I’m going to keep it and perhaps bring it out of retirement from time to time.