Saturday, July 29, 2006

out and about

Yesterday I set out to Rubin’s off the Square to buy a chest of drawers. I took Mr.B not because I thought I could cart it back home in one of his saddle bags, but because I had another errand to run nearby (framing my treasured canvases from Pierrerue) and parking is always tough downton.

I did not find it to be a problem to cart two large canvases on a bicycle. I put them in an extra large trash bag and they sort of flopped like a sail as I sped along Washington Ave.

At Rubin’s, they did not have a chest of drawers for me. But there was one at the far west Rubin’s. So I biked there to take a look.

It was close to 100 degrees yesterday, but Mr.B has his own air conditioning system (it’s called the wind as you speed along) and so I did not mind.

At the far west side Rubin’s, I fell in love with a lamp. It has a large glass shade with orange and blue splashes of color. I purchased it on the spot.

Can I wrap it for you in bubble wrap? – the salesperson asks.
If you wrap it in bubble wrap, it wont fit into Mr. B’s saddle bags.
(I know, I have just made Mr.B sound like a horse, but what else do you call those big bags over his rear wheel?)
How is it that you’re taking this?
On a bike. If I fall, it will crack no matter how much bubble wrap you puff it out with. But I haven’t fallen for more than a year so chances are good that lamp and I will make it home.

Lamp is heavy. I push forward, pausing to buy several ears of corn at a stand, a baguette at Wild Grains and a jug of rose wine at Steve’s. At Border’s I refresh myself with a latte.

At Whole Foods I pick up some olives. I come out with more than just olives and as I stand contemplating how I can stretch the saddle bags even further out to accommodate the additional nectarines and pea pods, someone comes up and tells me: your bike attracted quite the attention a few minutes ago. People were talking about whom it may belong to.

Don’t others routinely ride around on bikes with bright yellow fenders in 100 degree days with lamps and baguettes sticking out of their saddle bags and jugs of wine and ears of corn packed tightly in between?


summer 06 144

This morning I was out of my superman clothes and going about as if life was normal and the world was full of happy children holding sunflowers and orange balloons. I left Mr.B at home.

summer 06 151



UPDATE (in response to commenters): the lamp:


summer 06 159