Bartering Success!

Despite the absence of calls offering me $50 an hour to work for great companies, today was still a pretty productive day.  I posted an ad on Craigslist a couple of days ago inquiring about a U-lock and bike tire pump since we're really making use of our bicycle (and since we can never go out at the same time because of Olive, one bike is sufficient for both of us).  Last week Rob found the front tire flat right before he had to leave for a day at the zoo, so I went and got a new inner tube put on at the local Trek shop (side note: Pittsburghers seem to be having a love affair with Trek bicycles.  Not that I can blame them, but those things are everywhere.  Sort of like pigeons or sea gulls.).  I plan to take good care of my new Trek, and I'd be a negligent bike owner if I didn't invest in a U-lock, but those things aren't the cheapest, so I figured I'd put out the call.  Also, the dude at the Trek shop told me that I ought to be putting air in the tires about every three days, which was advice worth heeding, since I have always left it up to my dad to fill the tires, and wouldn't have happened anytime soon, otherwise.  I got two responses to my ad: one for a pump (that was stolen from the back of the guy's truck yesterday, as bad luck would have it), and one for the lock.  Perfect.  Lock guy Adam, a self-proclaimed supporter of the arts, told me to produce whatever I wanted; he'd be cool with it.  I quickly cranked out a little pear-in-bowl still life this afternoon and zipped over to Trader Joe's where we'd arranged to make the transaction, and BAM - just like that - I had earned myself a new-to-me U-lock that should keep the family Trek right where it needs to be and out of the pawn shops.

Tonight, Rob, Olive and I walked over to the Spinning Plates Gallery to attend the art opening of a friend of Kellie's fiancee's glass work.  Interesting stuff with a nice marriage of trees and modern glass.  Having worked in glass, myself, I really appreciated the work.  Olive appreciated the complimentary strawberries and cantaloupe.  We'd hoped to meet up with Kellie and Iris at the show, and while we waited for them to arrive, we walked the block to Whole Foods where we sampled some of the artisan cheeses.  Kellie had come and gone from the gallery by the time we left Whole Foods, but we caught up with her and she gave us all a lift home.  Iris was uncomfortable away from her home turf at such a late hour for her, so their first visit to our home was brief.  We'd love to have all of the Ryan kids over soon; Jack and Gail would be enthralled with the cats, Che and The Gray (Wendell's alias).