17 January 2011

Saturday was a good day.

Saturday was a good day.

It started off with me waking up to an email saying I had won tickets to see my favorite band in concert that night. A concert that I was going to have to miss, because I couldn't justify the $60 for tickets right then.

Then, I had to take my daughter shopping so she could buy some goldfish to ask the boy she likes to the Sweethearts dance (if you have dating-age kids, you understand. If not, just wait...). She's is 16, and can drive, but she isn't able to drive with friends in the car for another 3 months. It's a frustrating age. Her best friend - who was going shopping with us - was meeting us at a dress store in town. Two girls in a dress store? I decided that my time could be better spent, so I told my daughter that I'd be a couple of stores down at the bike shop that is owned by one of my friends.

Dan and I were talking about a couple of upcoming centuries he's planning on running from his shop when he told me he had something that he thought I would appreciate. We went into the back room and he pulled a box from the back of one of the shelves. It was a saddle. He said that he didn't know what to do with it, and that he would give it to me for whatever I offered. I told him that if I came home and told the wife that I charged a new saddle to the credit card, I would be a dead man. He again said it was mine for whatever I offered him. I did a quick mental calculation of all of the cash I had in my wallet, and offered him that amount. Sold! He rang up my purchase, and my daughter, her friend and I left to continue our shopping excursion.

You're probably wondering what the saddle is. Well...


I purchased a limited edition Brooks Swallow TI saddle. Complete with chrome adjusting wrench, a tin of proofhide, buffing cloth, saddle cover for rainy days and a signed, numbered certificate saying that it is #597 of a total of #999 which will be made. My bicycle is not worthy!

Immediately, I started dreaming of a new bicycle build, consisting of an Italian frame, Campy components and this saddle. Oh, if only I had a money tree in the backyard!

I haven't mounted the saddle on my bicycle yet. It sounds stupid, but I'm a little nervous to do so. I'm sure that It will find it's place on top of my seat post before too long. (mental note, I need a new seat post now...)

I feel like I owe Dan dinner, or something now.

The concert? It was awesome!


Best.

Day.

Ever! (well... maybe not "best day", but it certainly ranks up there).

3 comments:

Kelly Hill said...

I'm so glad you had a day like that. You deserve it. And more!! It couldn't have happened to a nicer guy.

Loving the Bike said...

I've never heard of Guster, but I'll have to give them a listen. Nice work on the sweet saddle. Be sure to post some pictures when you get that baby on your bike.


Darryl

Bryan said...

That's awesome. Congrats.