Me, Myself, and Irene.

As many of you know, I've been shopping for a bike recently (the non-motorized kind) so I could start biking to work/library/ymca/etc (another undeniable factor is the second childhood I seem to have entered). The bike quest has been pretty dismal lately though, with all the bike shops having "the perfect model" for upwards of $400 (even craigslist didn't have much under this price) - which was a bit more than I was hoping to spend for a get-around-town bike. I also didn't want one that was all perfect and new, so the inevitable scratches and dings aren't as traumatic (confession: it's been over 10 years since I've been on a bike). I was about to pack myself up and head to Clarksville to a bike shop that had been recommended to me when I thought I'd give craigslist one more chance - and there she was. Being sold right next door in East Nashville only sweetened the deal, and I went out there to take a look. Max had built her for his mother apparently, but when she preferred a different bike style he put "Irene" up for sale. She was positively perfect in every way and I bought her after a quick ride to Eastside Cycles for a checkup.


Sunday arrived and I desperately needed to return some things to the library, so Irene and I combined that with some exploring. Bike, backpack, ipod - I couldn't possibly have been more urban. Eventually I stumbled across the fountains at Victory Park, an irresistible pair, and CLEARLY made for you to dip your feet in.


Soundtrack for my day: Iron and Wine, Sting, Norah Jones, The Cars, Led Zep, Rachael Yamagata, The Shins. Think Garden State soundtrack.

One more note before I run out - I had grown tired after 2 years of sitting on the bedroom floor to use a mirror, and with a bit of money tucked away to take care of this serious problem I went in search of a small table/chair/mirror combo. I typically have one rule when it comes to this kind of thing - it must speak to me. However, I also didn't want to call out the gendarmes just to help me get a vanity table, so I went with the thinking that if I couldn't move it myself or fit it in my car, it's likely too big for the space anyways (my room feels bigger than it actually is - a trick of the high ceilings). I wandered through a few thrift stores hoping to avoid mass produced options (which was an adventure in and of itself - who knew you could find a rainbow bright doll on top of a 70 year old radio next to an old mantel piece?), but I ended at Target who had the only thing that I could manage myself. I do love the one I bought though, it's the kind of table that makes me want to sit in a dressing gown and write lengthy letters to my sister - using words like "gainsayed" "vexation" and perhaps even "caprice."



more pictures of all this nonsense here (yes, it's flickr).