What I do for a bike lock.

Someone recently told me about these free French classes that are being held four times a week for an hour and half each. I decided to check them out. The first class was...okay. Mainly review of what I already know and the chance to try and decipher French being spoken by someone with a heavy Turkish accent and a heavy Palestinean accent. I understood nothing either of them said.

This week would have been my second class. Let give some history to the story...we just purchased a 6-month old city bike from some friends who recently moved back to the US. I love it and ride it around everywhere. Every morning I think, "Where can I go today so I can ride my new bike???" It has a basket in the front and a front light and back light plus a shelf on top of the back tire so I can tie a crate of the fresh French produce I plan to buy at the outdoor market...someday. I have so many ideas!

So I ride my bike to class on Tuesday. The class is located across from a church. I decide to lock the bike to the railing next to the church and just above the canal. As I'm trying to lock the bike, with our very nice Specialized brand bike lock, I lose hold of the lock and slowly watch it fall into the canal. Lovely. Then the brain starts to churn:
1) Can I leave the bike, unlocked, forget the lock in the canal, and go to class? Negative. Theft is high in France.
2) Should I save the lock? Mind you, I'm on day 7 of my cold and it's pretty cold outside (yet, where is the snow?!). I decide to save the lock. It's a good lock.
I leave my bike, cross the little bridge, and walk down the few steps that lead into the canal (I have no idea why there's access to the canal anyway. No one goes into the canal.) I roll up my jeans just to the bottom of my knees. I soon find out that I didn't roll them up high enough. I step into the canal, traverse it, and grab the lock. Why did I not roll up my sleeve when I put my hand and arm in to grab it? Smart move on my part. Soaking wet sleeve. I walk back to the steps and finally realize that the water went above my knees. I roll my jeans back down and notice that I'm soaked. I'm thankful that it was so early in the morning that no one was around to see me do this. After feeling like I total idiot, I go home.