Remember my post about my husband’s dumpster-diving tendencies?
I was carrying trash to the dumpster this morning and thought “Wow, Hubs would have a field day out here.” There was a big wooden hutch (which was actually quite nice, but we have no room for it), some junky furniture (no thanks), stereo speakers (we don’t even use the ones we have!), and…a bicycle?
I tossed my bag of shame cat crap in the dumpster and took a closer look (at the bike, not the dumpster). It was a faded blue men’s-style bike (the kind with the bar in the middle). The back tire was flat and the chain was rusty; but it still had two wheels, two pedals, a seat and handlebars. I pushed it a little, and it moved pretty well…a new tire and chain, and it would be a rideable bike. It seemed wrong to let it go into the trash. I thought to myself, “Even if we can’t use this, it can still be donated or used for parts.” So I started wheeling the bike back home.
Our neighbor Dan– who had been loading stuff into a moving truck nearby this whole time– waved and started walking toward me. I waved back. “Was this your bike?”
“Yeah!” He quickly explained “We have like, four of them, and we weren’t riding that one. We don’t really have room for it.” He added “The tire needs some air, and maybe a new chain, but it’s a good bike.”
His lady friend smiled “I’m glad you can use it. I hated to see it go into the trash.”
Me too, girl. Me too.
***
I haven’t really decided what to do with it, beyond fixing the tire and chain and cleaning it up. I could ride it if I lower the seat; and I always thought it would be nice to have a bike to ride around the neighborhood in. Or maybe our friend’s son would like to ride it when he comes to visit on weekends. Or we could donate it to Workshop Houston. We’ll see.
In the meantime… “Honey, I brought home a bike!”
Cloud Cuckoo Lander 