Mama was off to the salon to get her hair did, so Finn and I were home this morning getting ready for a birthday party. This involved making a card and then decorating a drum head we found at a yard sale (her friend is the daughter of a drummer and a huge Beatles fan) so I showed her how to practice drawing her design first before she got to work with a black Sharpie. It came out good!

Then I went hunting for wrapping paper. Jen swears we have bags of it but I’ll be damned if I can find it anywhere. Driving to the CVS to restock, Finn and I spotted something on the side of the road. In front of a table piled with housewares, a white women’s hybrid bike stood waiting for some attention. We took care of our shopping (also grabbing two folding beach chairs for $20) and drove back to look it over. When Jen got home from the salon we rushed back to try it out. the tires were flat but we did a brief test run down the sidewalk, and she said it felt good. Sold!

I took some time out this afternoon to wash it, fill the tires, and run through the gears. It checked out well except for the front derailleur, which was disconnected. I put it back in the Scout and dropped it off for a tuneup at the local bike shop, where it should be ready by Tuesday.

Now, a new bike has been on our list of priorities since, oh, 2002, but this Christmas I promised her I’d buy her one. This wasn’t quite what I had in mind, but with professional servicing and a thorough wash, it’s an excellent bike (It’s the same vintage as my second mountain bike, a Trek 820) and it’s right in time for our vacation. Plus: Comfy saddle! rear pannier! And the basket from Uberbike (the tandem) will fit perfectly on the handlebars for trips to the Farmer’s Market.