Sunny Sunday - with a difference.

This weekend is not the weekend in which I would normally have my daughter to stay overnight. Normally at this time of the morning, I would probably just be waking up enough to get ready to go and meet her at the train station.

Normally.

This weekend has turned out a little differently.

It's my daughter's birthday soon, and she has had her eye on a bike made (or put together) at a small independent bike shop round the corner from where she lives. She refers to the design as 'the google bike'. Shouldn't really give them ideas, should we ? They'll come up with a bike made entirely of recycled plastic or something that has an inbuilt camera, GPS locator and bluetooth sync capability with your smartphone. The Google Re-Cycle ? Actually, dammit, I think I'm on to something there.

You heard it here first folks.

Anyways. Back to the point. She's been yearning for this bike for weeks, and is actually amazed that no one has bought it, considering she hasn't been able to reserve it. (Shop keeper has the sense to insist that kids must have an adult with them in order to reserve a bike).  From what I can gather, it's not a standard construction, but more an amalgam of parts for other bike types. I'm not entirely sure what image that conjures in my head. Really I'm not. I think of the bicycling equivalent of something from the Wacky Races.     

Her mum has had a look at it, and we decided that it was a good idea that I too go and have a look. In a moment of uncharacteristic endeavour, I opted to hop on a train and go down there yesterday afternoon / evening. 

Chloe's mum had joked (maybe not so joked) earlier in the conversation that maybe I should have Chloe today (IE Saturday). When I was enroute, by bus, I offered that if she wanted, and of course Chloe agreed, I could take Chloe back with me. I have to admit to being amazed when she said yes. Had I not been sitting on a really hot bus with a load of disgruntled looking chavs I may have whooped, or even hollared. I restrained myself. 

Anyway, after all that, the shop was shut. Bless teenagers for their myriad of communicative means, but lack of the ability to use one to call the guy in the shop and ask 'hey, dude, what time you shut today'. Hashtag - Just saying. 

Anyways. Looks like I'm going to have to try and find a way to go down there during the week, after work, before the shop shuts. Racing around is exactly what I want in these sweltering temperatures.