I realized that it was time to put Tessa on the market. Since meeting Alice, I couldn't keep my minimalist reputation with having three bicycles around. But I also didn't want to try to sell a road bike in the middle of winter. The time had come.
Yesterday afternoon, I penned a quick craigslist ad with a total cheesecake shot of Tessa and sent it to the masses. Then Meego and I left to run some errands and returned later with dinner sandwiches - which are the same as lunch sandwiches, just eaten later in the day.
After dinner, I decided to check my abbymail to see if there was any interest in the lovely Tessa, although the ad hadn't been up very long.
Oh. My. God.
My e-mail on FIRE.
"I want it!"
"I'll buy it tonight. CALL me!"
"I WILL buy this!"
etc...
I thought it would only be fair to go with the first response. An interesting side to that one was that he had the same last name as ours. Some long lost relative? Nah, despite the fact that, more often than not, our name is mispronounced / misspelled, it's pretty common. He was just another one.
I went with the second one. He had me at...
"Hello my name is [ ~ ]. This is just what I am looking for for my beginning cyclist
girlfriend. Please call or text [ ~ ]. I can meet you."
Hopefully, readers here know that I'm not looking to make a buck. My main concern was that Tessa go to a home where her many attributes would be appreciated and utilized. So (1), yes, she was priced to sell, and (2) I wasn't letting her go to someone who would just put her in the garage so the neighbors would think a bicycle person lived there.
I sensed from this e-mail that this was a good home. And the love story was gravy. Plus he used decent grammar.
We met at a nearby parking lot. He was all excited. The happy girlfriend was with him. She's a bit shorter than I am, but nothing a lowering of the saddle won't cure. They're both in their late 20's, I'd guess. Nice couple.
While he rummaged around his truck looking to see if he had a tool to adjust the saddle - in my separation anxiety, I'd forgotten to bring one - she asked a bit about the bike, and I let my intuition decide if they were the right buyers.
And just like that, Tessa has gone on to other pastures. I jumped on a computer and took that ad off craigslist before my e-mail crashed.
So, it's bittersweet to see her go. But thankfully, I got this t-shirt surprise in the mail this week from brother Guano.
.
15 comments:
Well it looks like she has gone to a good home - maybe you will see her wizzing past from time to time?
I certainly hope so!
Aww! It's just like letting the kids go. Sad, but good for everyone!
And that t-shirt is perfect for you! What a great big brother you have!
I hesitate to admit to this, but my one and only bike was a Huffy with front and back fenders. We were poor, and I wanted white walls, so I took dad's whitewash and painted my own whitewalls. The neighborhood kids made fun of me for months and it truly was horrendous.
Long live Tessa!
What a beautiful green and blue babe she was... or still is.
Cool t-shirt. I'll be waiting to see you wearing it, posted on the blog.
Good karma coming your way for choosing an appropriate home for Tessa.
And you are SO gonna rock that t-shirt on campus. I couldn't NOT get it for ya.....shameless blog publicity notwithstanding :-)
He showed up! I was waiting for the typical CL experience. I will probably write one about, God help me, trying to give stuff away on CL to pay it forward. I should have tried to become fluent in Japanese with no lessons, as it would have been less of a pain in the ass.
Awww. So long Tessa! We'll miss the Girl with the Emerald Tires. Nice to hear you have found her a good home. Some place where she won't become dusty and a permanent fixture to hang clothes from. I hope you get to see her on the trails around town. I also hope that the guy tightened up that seat bolt good - wouldn't want to have her encounter RC's problem.
Good analogy! Maybe she'll visit, bring her laundry...
Yup, I've got a good big bro.
Where are they now? I want to beat them.
I've got a good feeling about Tessa's next chapter. I'm waiting for the next short-sleeve day!
Didja notice that the words/graphic are kinda blood colored? On purpose? Awesome!
I've heard horror stories (literally - in the news), but I've always had good luck with craig and his list. Maybe stop trying to give it away for free? Reach a better client base that way.
Prior to the meeting, I took her out for a spin to make sure all cylinders were firing properly. I almost called him and said, "Nevermind, I'm keeping her!" But it was time to let go. I think she'll be happy and not jettison the saddle in retaliation.
I'm glad Tessa found a good home. She's a beauty! When I was looking for a new bike I had trouble with the listers never calling back. I love her tires!
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