Secret Admirer? Or Stalker?

Now THAT was a Monday! 

With all due respects to Garfield's disdain for the first day of the week (although, to my confusion, Sunday is supposed to be the ACTUAL first day of the week?) for us, it's usually a good one.  Folks, having dedicated the weekend to their Veloist lifestyle, come in first of the week to fix everything that when wrong with their rides, or to pick up new ones.  We sent home the Schwinn Ranger conversion with a VERY nice gentleman who has visited us twice before,  pledging on his honor, that he would ONLY buy a bike from us!  He kept his word!  And I love the style with which he did it!  Came in, happy to find something to his liking, asked to take it for a test drive, left his key as collateral and took her for a test drive.  Five minuets later he came back in, sans bike, and stated "I took the liberty of just loading it on my car" and slapped the money down!

Another real sign of dedication and desire was a young man who came down from New Port Richey.  Now by dedication I mean he had a friend peg him all the way on his BMX just so he could purchase a bike from us!  WOW!  That's 19.4 miles! (the real kicker being, they traveled down Alt 19 to Main, passing FIVE other bike shops on their way to us!!)  Standing on the back pegs of a 20" BMX!  For almost 20 MILES!!!  He has been following us on Craigslist and by extension this blog and stated he wouldn't buy a bike anywhere else!! He'd been saving his money and when he felt he had enough he solicited the assistance of his friend and planned a day to come visit us, leaving very happily with the modified Roadmaster MTB we had!  I mean color me HONORED!!!

And that was not the end of the blessings we had yesterday!  Had a mother bring in her young daughter with her 24" cruiser.  Seems a friend of her sisters maliciously punctured her rear tire and they needed a replacement.  Single Mom, limited income, they had been to two other local bike shops (all the while walking the bike) attempting to get the bike repaired.  The two quotes she had received were, respectfully, $39.00 and $45.00 (plus this place said she should just get rid of the old Walmart cruiser and buy a new one from them).  When I informed her that a new tube and decent used tire would only cost her $19.00 plus tax, she was taken aback, and a wee bit teary eyed to boot.  Even doubly so when I informed her it would only take five minutes to perform the repair (another of the shops said they would have to leave it for the day?!) Once done, she was very thankful and left a promised future repeat customer!

Now all that wonderful grace is only magnified by the surprise that awaited me in the morning when I went to get my cup of coffee at the Wren's Nest. 

My routine in the AM is to meander in, open up, turn the lights on (prop open the doors now that fall is here!) take out the sign and clown bike, sweep up, turn on the 'puter then go and get my COFFEE!!  When  ordered up at the counter, the regular waitress came back inside and informed the owner that the day before (Sunday) a gentleman had come in and informed her that I had really helped him out recently on his bike, and that HE would be paying my coffee tab for this week! 

WOW!  I am very humbled, and in no uncertain terms perplexed.  How did he KNOW I got my coffee there?

(insert Twilight Zone theme here)

I send all my gratitude to my mysterious benefactor!

Well, that's about all I have time for today!  But check out the new goodies we put out yesterday, including a gorgeous pink three wheeler (of who's origins are a wee but of a humorous story I can share with those of interest) and ANOTHER recumbent!!!  WA-HOO!

See y'all soon!