MrDaveyGie's Big Adventure Part 1

Pee-Wee's Big Adventure 1985 Movie

The plot revolves around Pee-Wee's prized bike, which is tragically stolen. After deciding that the police couldn't possibly help him in his endeavors, he "takes the law into his own hands" and sets out on a quest to find his bicycle.

My stolen bike.

It was June 2003, I had been divorced for over a year now, raising two teen boys Caleb and Joshua, 15 and 16 years of age.

Our house was the "hangout" every night the teens would chill out here, there was a trampoline in the back yard, a basketball hoop, and a bunch of kids

Seems crazy when I think back now, but I think I was crazy after years of trying to battle with the demons of alcoholism and drug addictions that resulted in a spouse going to multiple rehabs, and jail times and finally divorce and me being a father and a mother in a house full of my teens and other's teens. Melissa my oldest had left in the peak of madness for college, and stayed away for good reason at that time, and immersed herself into a Chemical Engineering degree.

I immersed myself too, into bicycling, it was my therapy, after work, every night, I would ride, and ride like the wind I would. After talking to my friend, bicycle shop owner Parrish, I upgraded to a 1220 Trek, and added upper end wheels. Money was tight then, being a single parent, paying off a large divorce settlement, and 5 years of support alimony that the judge thought would be best. I bought a bike above my current means, but I needed too.

This bicycle became my best friend.

Soon with such social activity in my house, items began to go missing. I didn't always know who was here, or what son had who here, kids would sleep over and that's the way it was. Who was taking my stuff began to really concern me. I was friends, and in many ways a dad to the teens that hung out here and more and more items were vanishing. Everything from X-Box, games, shoes, belt, wrist watch, money, nothing was safe. It was a feeling of being violated as personal items one after another disappeared.

Well, I still had my bike, so I thought. Ready to ride, after work, walked into my garage, and my bike was GONE!!! ALL GONE!!!! NOT THERE.

NO RIDE!!!!

Over the next few weeks one at a time I would begin to suspect various kids that were hanging out here. It would build up inside of me, until I would challenge them, have you been stealing from me? Brian, the oldest of the group, hung out here since he was 4 and was now 21 older then the rest of crowd. Seems he was a bit lost, I felt sorry for him, attending Alternative Education for most of his grade school and high school education. His parents didn't seem to be interested where he was, or what he was doing from his younger years till now. I did, helped him out when I could, gave him rides, he helped himself to food as one of my boys.

He was going to set up watch, and help me catch the crook.

One day he phoned me at work and said he saw my bike, that there was a man, 30ish, tall, thin and riding past my garage . Looked like he was staking the place out for more.

My blood pressure went sky high. I wanted capture. It was more then thievery to me, somebody had gone through this house over several months and systematically robbed my household.

It was now July, Saturday afternoon, and Parrish phones me. He says "Dave your bike is in my shop, a man just walked it in looking for repair parts with your bike"

Parrish knew it was my bike with the non standard rims on it that I bought from him.

Parrish told him to wait that he thought the bike was stolen property and wanted to phone me to come look at it. Parrish told him that he recognized the rims that they were over $300.00. Surprisely the man said ok, and was amazed that rims could cost so much, and that's when Parrish phoned.

Next thing Parrish says to me is, "He just left" "He's gone"

I jumped in my car and headed to Bicycle World, Parrish's shop and circled the place a couple of times, drove up and down the streets looking for the crook that had robbed me of about everything.

No where in sight. I next talk to Parrish, ask him what he looked like. Parrish said he looked street rough, like a downtowner, 30ish, very tall, and thin, Brian was right.

Monday after work I spent looking around downtown, I talked to police on bikes, I talked to a mailman I saw in the area, asked him if knew a bike rider that matched the crook's description.

Lo and behold, YES he did. He pointed to the 3rd floor apartment where the man lived.

I was happy, close to finding out how everything from belts to bike ended up missing from my home.

I, being who I am, my personality character is 'go get em'. I climbed the steps went to the door of the apartment and knocked, and knocked harder, and waited for what was to come next. I was ready to get my bike back, I was ready to do battle if necessary.

.....to be continued.....

Guard your bikes, someone else would like to have em

RideON,

DAve.