Dat's a bargain
The three of us got up this morning and headed to the police department's annual bicycle auction. They round up all of the bikes and stuff that are stolen/found/unclaimed/whatever and put them up for auction. They also have some random household objects and garden gnomes, too. Our goal today was to get a bike for P. I went to the auction by myself two years ago and got him a basic Schwinn for five bucks. I didn't get him anything fancier because I wasn't convinced he'd ride it. For example, right now we have a family membership at a local gym. In addition to yoga classes at least once a week, I'm typically at the gym twice per week. He's at the gym . . . multiply by 3, carry the 2 . . . um, zero times per week. He hasn't been since before Thanksgiving. So, I can never be sure what kind of commitment the guy will make. He has ridden his five-dollah bike a few times - and then complains how the seat hurts his heinie.
Anyway, he wanted to go to the auction this morning to see if he could get a slightly better bike. Once again, there were over 300 bikes up for auction. I wasn't seriously looking for a bike for myself. I have a decent bike but would have been interested in a lightweight road bike had there been one in the auction. However, the vast majority of the bikes up for bid were men's and kids' bikes. I think this is because women don't leave their bikes all over town to be stolen. The kid also didn't need a bike because I got her one at the auction two years ago. It was too big for her then but it looks like it will be a perfect fit for this summer. The bike is still so new that it even has those little rubber nubbies on the tires.
When we got to the auction, which was held at the fairgrounds, we registered and then made a list of bikes that were potentially of interest. Some of the offerings were downright amusing. There was one bike that looked like it was dredged up out of the river. Others had bent wheels, or no wheels at all. However, there were also some very high-end Cannondale and Trek bikes, too.
We took our list and sat on the bleachers, where we shivered along with a hundred other people. It was around 40 degrees inside the building. Our niece and nephew were also there to see if they could score some deals. After the first hour of the auction, none of us were feeling very lucky. The first few bikes on our list quickly sold for far more than we wanted to pay. After about 2 1/2 hours, I needed to leave. A friend of mine is doing his teacher training in yoga and he was teaching a "test" class at 12:30. I had told him I would go, so I wanted to follow through on that commitment. P took me home and then went back to the auction.
After yoga class, I went shopping for the kid's birthday. Later, I called my other half and he told me he stayed at the auction until the bitter end. He got two bikes for himself and one for me, spending a grand total of $43.00. I'm glad he saved us so much money, because I promptly spent $100 on a sewing machine for her highness.
Anyway, here is my new bike. It's a Roadmaster mountain bike. The grand total? $3.00.
Anyway, he wanted to go to the auction this morning to see if he could get a slightly better bike. Once again, there were over 300 bikes up for auction. I wasn't seriously looking for a bike for myself. I have a decent bike but would have been interested in a lightweight road bike had there been one in the auction. However, the vast majority of the bikes up for bid were men's and kids' bikes. I think this is because women don't leave their bikes all over town to be stolen. The kid also didn't need a bike because I got her one at the auction two years ago. It was too big for her then but it looks like it will be a perfect fit for this summer. The bike is still so new that it even has those little rubber nubbies on the tires.
When we got to the auction, which was held at the fairgrounds, we registered and then made a list of bikes that were potentially of interest. Some of the offerings were downright amusing. There was one bike that looked like it was dredged up out of the river. Others had bent wheels, or no wheels at all. However, there were also some very high-end Cannondale and Trek bikes, too.
We took our list and sat on the bleachers, where we shivered along with a hundred other people. It was around 40 degrees inside the building. Our niece and nephew were also there to see if they could score some deals. After the first hour of the auction, none of us were feeling very lucky. The first few bikes on our list quickly sold for far more than we wanted to pay. After about 2 1/2 hours, I needed to leave. A friend of mine is doing his teacher training in yoga and he was teaching a "test" class at 12:30. I had told him I would go, so I wanted to follow through on that commitment. P took me home and then went back to the auction.
After yoga class, I went shopping for the kid's birthday. Later, I called my other half and he told me he stayed at the auction until the bitter end. He got two bikes for himself and one for me, spending a grand total of $43.00. I'm glad he saved us so much money, because I promptly spent $100 on a sewing machine for her highness.
Anyway, here is my new bike. It's a Roadmaster mountain bike. The grand total? $3.00.
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