Toys: Lifted.

When Shawn's time on this Earth is done, and he's waiting for the boatman to cross the River Styx, or standing at the Pearly Gates to speak with St. Peter, or whatever afterlife myth you might subscribe to that basically represents the moment that you have to justify all the shifty things you did during your life to gain access to the great beyond, at least he'll have this in his favor:

Toy Lift, 2013

Another year.  Another 500 bikes for 500 kids to open on Christmas morning as a part of the ToyLift.  So at least he'll have that to fall back on, because lord knows he's otherwise got some 'splainin' to do.  A man can only make so many deals with the devil at 3 AM on the back side of a race course, desperate, clinging to a 2 minute lead, with 9 hours of hell to go, and expect that stuff not to be brought up when it's time for his annual review.

And it's certainly not just Shawn. No indeed, a community of sinners-who-could-use-a-little-karma-at-the-finish-line came together to turn 500 cardboard boxes full of poorly engineered aluminum and mismatched bolts into answered prayers.  So, if you were a part of that, thank you.  And good luck talking your way in.

Also, as I sat there truing a wheel on Friday afternoon, amused by just how great I felt in the middle of all of this, I had an epiphany: I sort of hope these 500 bikes go to only 499 kids, in that one of those kids found a way to get himself two bikes, not just one.  That kid, more than any other, is on the right track.

Build a stable, kid.
Start early.

Up, up, up.