My husband has a thing for bikes. He’s had a thing for bikes ever since I met him 19 years ago. He has a thing for bikes like I have a thing for bags and journals. (But let the record reflect my things are far cheaper than his thing. Ahem.)

Because Marcus is a big guy (6’5”, more or less), finding a bike frame that fits him can be a bit of a challenge. Some time ago, he ordered a custom frame, and it arrived right as the world was going into lockdown from the COVID pandemic.

“It’s a beaut,” I said, admiring it.

“Yeah,” he agreed. “Now, I just need to take it to the bike shop and have them build it out.”

I looked at him quizzically. When we first got married, Marcus built himself a bike (that sadly, was stolen when we lived in Trinidad). I remember he loved tinkering in the garage every night putting it together.

“Why would you ask the bike shop to build it? Couldn’t you build it yourself?”

“I could,” he said. “I was just thinking that they could just get the pieces faster and …”

I interrupted. “Marcus. Build it yourself. You love building bikes, and you haven’t done it in years. Besides — this COVID lockdown-thing is stressful. Building your own bike will be good for your head.”

So he decided to build it himself. And you’ve never seen such a happy man as when little bicycle parts show up in the mail.

(Besides: I love the idea that Marcus will have built something tangible and beautiful to show for this weird, wacky pandemic time.)