Well,
I just tried to say good bye to an old friend. I have a rusty, (not too rusty) Peugeot racing bike that I bought 2nd hand in 1978. Yes, 1978. For $50. A French original.
I rode for many, (clearly many) years. Through ALL my later schooling, outlived ALL my girlfriends, pets, drugs, at least ten jobs, and moved out through seven houses and flats with me. It waited for me as I travelled the world backpacking for a couple of those years in the mid 80s. Its been here with me and my wife and daughter now, for a long time.
Well, I tried to dismantle it and put it out to hard waste. I'd been given a new bike (not a Peugeot, a cheap replacement and I'd ridden it instead as the Peugeot had begun to rust and had had too many years under the house.)
To cut short, I simply couldn't do it. I through out the old brown crusty wheels, but couldn't do any more.
Instead, I put it back within reach, and promised myself to rebuild it, and have it ready to ride again by March 2006. I feel better now.