It was in the third week of his new found freedom from depression that Walter woke up on a Sunday morning with the desire for pancakes. Walter, since his wife passed, are cereal for breakfast every morning. He usually choked it down with strong black coffee. After Gina's death he often forgot to eat breakfast at all. It was extremely unusual for Walter to think about anything he ate. Most recently he had eaten whatever was around the house, as long as it was easy to prepare.

Walter took it one step farther that Sunday morning he decided that he wanted to have pancakes at the Griddle Cake Restaurant. The Griddle Cake was about two miles from his house. Walter decided that the trip was more than doable with the bike, it was ideal for a Sunday morning ride..

Walter dressed warmly, then he topped off the gas tank on the bike. The bike started with a roar and a cloud of white smoke as it always did. Walter started his two mile ride in something less than a roar but still under power. Since most of the land in his hometown was flat Walter was required to pedal only a couple of times.

He arrived at the Griddle House in really good shape. He was not the least bit tired, not had he raised a sweat. He was in fact on a bicycle high, as he had come to think of the feeling of well being he felt after his morning ride. He left his Walmart bike helmet on the handlebars as he went into the restaurant.

"Walter, how the hell are you," a man only slightly younger than Walter's 59 years asked.

"I'm just fine Jim how are you?"

"I'm good Walter. It's good to see you out and about. It's been too long."

"Yes it has."

"Why don't you come join me and the wife." Jim had been on his return trip from the bathroom. Probably prostrate problems Walter thought.

"Thanks Jim but I'm not quite ready to socialize yet."

"Well when you are ready, keep me and Betty in mind. She would love to see you. At least stop by the table and say hello."

"Oh alright," Walter agreed. The meeting with his friend's wife went well. She managed to say her twenty words without mentioning his wife or Gina. Since it went so well, Walter was still in a good mood when he devoured his pancakes.

Instead of going straight home Walter road through the neighborhood behind the Griddle House. I was the area where he and Gloria's first home was located. Walter decided that he would like to see what had become of the old place.

He found the house pretty much as he had seen it last. The paint was new and the yard showed signs of coming to life after the winter otherwise it was the same. There were even kid's toys in the yard. just as there would have been the day before he moved to the new place. Walter had time to notice all that as he rode by. He decided again that he loved Gina's bike. He love being able to look around a see things not just drive by them.