The Coveted Mongoose

I've been pricing bicycles in order to find out if I should repair the old Murray, a 15+ year old bike, or if I should just get a new one. I popped in to Wal-Mart the other day to see what they had and the above bike caught my eye. There began the Mongoose Fever.

The bike is priced at $99 and some cents. As far as we know, the repairs on the old Murray could run up to $70. We're not for certain yet. The fellows at the bike shop on Main Street charge $15 for a chain and $10 labor. And then brakes- With labor it's like $30/$40. But that's still cheaper than a new Mongoose. There was a Wal-Mart bike there priced at $54, but if I'm going to get a new bike, I'd like to make it a Mongoose. Y'know-- If I'm going to have to buy a new one, I ought to make it a good one.
Then something crystalized in my head: Put the Mongoose on the X-Mas list. No further decisions can truly be made until the Murray's been pulled down and looked at.


But I still want that Mongoose.