Utilitaire-12 task #9: Bike to a community meeting = Spring Cleaning Fashion Swap
My first ever swap was at the Barter Babes wrap party (the swap was organized by Swapsity). I wasn't expecting to take anything home, but I wound up picking up some cute things. So when a friend posted a link to this clothing swap last night, I figured I'd give it a go. If I didn't find anything I liked, at least I might give some of my stuff to someone else (and the leftover clothes go to Dress for Success, with the entry fee going to Nellie's Women's Shelter).
After biking home from work (into a 30 km/h headwind -- why is the wind always against me? Why?), I grabbed my ten items, packed them into my basket, and rode 10 minutes, still into the wind, to the Rent frock Repeat showroom.
Can I just say that I'm really glad RfR exists? I've been complaining for years that men can rent tuxedos nearly everywhere but there didn't seem to be a similar service for women. And now there is. And I wish I had more opportunities to wear such fabulous dresses. Although I'm thinking I should rent one to wear to school, just 'cuz, in the spirit of the Travelling Red Dress project. There is always Prom, of course.*
Anyway, I got there and was nearly stymied by the utter lack of places to safely lock the Opus. I managed to attach her to a water pipe or something, a process made difficult as always by the front basket.
I went inside, hung up my offerings, and started looking at the selection available. There wasn't much to begin with, but as more women arrived, I managed to snag a great jacket and a really cute top. Standing in line waiting to use the change-tents, we got to admire the other women's choices as they checked themselves out in the mirror. At one point, a woman came out wearing a really great skirt. We all said "Oh, that's really cute!" which I naturally followed with "Oh, it looks horrible on you! You can give it to me to put back..."
She didn't fall for it. I choose to believe it wouldn't have fit me anyway. It's better that way.
After I had tried on and decided to keep my selections, I wandered back over to the racks to see if anything new caught my eye... but really to see if the items I brought had been taken. Some did, but not everything. One poor top get getting put back on the rack. (Some of you feel sorry for the little top. And so you should. It was really cute!)
They had free food, which is always a plus, and free samples of Früli, which is a Belgian strawberry beer. I have discovered that Belgian berry beers are the only beers I can drink, and I'm somewhat pleased to see I can get this in Ontario.
I had some great conversations (one of the women I talked to brought both of the items I wound up taking -- I told her she has excellent taste), although I was amused to hear that what I call "socializing," they called "networking." Oh, these business-women.
The swapping seemed to wind down after about an hour and half, so I went home. On the way, I saw this floating bike.
Unfortunately, I got clipped on College St., not far from last year's unfortunate encounter with the streetcar tracks. A woman tried to pass me much too closely and I went down in slow-motion. It's weird: I remember hoping I wouldn't fall under the car's tires, but other than that I felt no anxiety. Once again, the Opus landed on top of me. I lay there for a second or two, assessing the damage, but managed to get up. The woman did stick around, although she tried to say "I was in the lane, there was a car in the next lane, you should have been over there. [Meaning: in the gutter, despite the parked cars in front of you and the car pulling out of the parking lot right beside you.]" I had to, rather emphatically** explain that I had been in the lane first, that I was entitled to the whole lane, and that if she didn't have room to pass me, she shouldn't. There were plenty of witnesses, and I think she realized she was in the wrong, so she backed down pretty quickly. She gave me her contact information, so I will be getting in touch about replacing the huge bite that's been taken out of my chain case. One of the stays on my front fender is also bent, but it's not interfering with the wheel... and I almost think it looks better. The front basket, by some miracle, seems to have come through unscathed. For once.
Nearly 20 years of cycling, and this was my first serious altercation with a car. I'm bruised and sore, but otherwise fine.
Plus I have some nifty new clothes!
Mileage: From my apartment to Golden Ave and back = 3.8 km/2.4 miles.
*You can book a private fitting party, where you and a bunch of girlfriends can try on dresses (they provide snacks and beverages). If only I had known about this for the nonad! Next year, perhaps...
**And when I say "emphatically," I may have raised my voice a wee bit.
My first ever swap was at the Barter Babes wrap party (the swap was organized by Swapsity). I wasn't expecting to take anything home, but I wound up picking up some cute things. So when a friend posted a link to this clothing swap last night, I figured I'd give it a go. If I didn't find anything I liked, at least I might give some of my stuff to someone else (and the leftover clothes go to Dress for Success, with the entry fee going to Nellie's Women's Shelter).
After biking home from work (into a 30 km/h headwind -- why is the wind always against me? Why?), I grabbed my ten items, packed them into my basket, and rode 10 minutes, still into the wind, to the Rent frock Repeat showroom.
Can I just say that I'm really glad RfR exists? I've been complaining for years that men can rent tuxedos nearly everywhere but there didn't seem to be a similar service for women. And now there is. And I wish I had more opportunities to wear such fabulous dresses. Although I'm thinking I should rent one to wear to school, just 'cuz, in the spirit of the Travelling Red Dress project. There is always Prom, of course.*
Anyway, I got there and was nearly stymied by the utter lack of places to safely lock the Opus. I managed to attach her to a water pipe or something, a process made difficult as always by the front basket.
I went inside, hung up my offerings, and started looking at the selection available. There wasn't much to begin with, but as more women arrived, I managed to snag a great jacket and a really cute top. Standing in line waiting to use the change-tents, we got to admire the other women's choices as they checked themselves out in the mirror. At one point, a woman came out wearing a really great skirt. We all said "Oh, that's really cute!" which I naturally followed with "Oh, it looks horrible on you! You can give it to me to put back..."
She didn't fall for it. I choose to believe it wouldn't have fit me anyway. It's better that way.
After I had tried on and decided to keep my selections, I wandered back over to the racks to see if anything new caught my eye... but really to see if the items I brought had been taken. Some did, but not everything. One poor top get getting put back on the rack. (Some of you feel sorry for the little top. And so you should. It was really cute!)
They had free food, which is always a plus, and free samples of Früli, which is a Belgian strawberry beer. I have discovered that Belgian berry beers are the only beers I can drink, and I'm somewhat pleased to see I can get this in Ontario.
I had some great conversations (one of the women I talked to brought both of the items I wound up taking -- I told her she has excellent taste), although I was amused to hear that what I call "socializing," they called "networking." Oh, these business-women.
The swapping seemed to wind down after about an hour and half, so I went home. On the way, I saw this floating bike.
Unfortunately, I got clipped on College St., not far from last year's unfortunate encounter with the streetcar tracks. A woman tried to pass me much too closely and I went down in slow-motion. It's weird: I remember hoping I wouldn't fall under the car's tires, but other than that I felt no anxiety. Once again, the Opus landed on top of me. I lay there for a second or two, assessing the damage, but managed to get up. The woman did stick around, although she tried to say "I was in the lane, there was a car in the next lane, you should have been over there. [Meaning: in the gutter, despite the parked cars in front of you and the car pulling out of the parking lot right beside you.]" I had to, rather emphatically** explain that I had been in the lane first, that I was entitled to the whole lane, and that if she didn't have room to pass me, she shouldn't. There were plenty of witnesses, and I think she realized she was in the wrong, so she backed down pretty quickly. She gave me her contact information, so I will be getting in touch about replacing the huge bite that's been taken out of my chain case. One of the stays on my front fender is also bent, but it's not interfering with the wheel... and I almost think it looks better. The front basket, by some miracle, seems to have come through unscathed. For once.
Nearly 20 years of cycling, and this was my first serious altercation with a car. I'm bruised and sore, but otherwise fine.
Plus I have some nifty new clothes!
Mileage: From my apartment to Golden Ave and back = 3.8 km/2.4 miles.
*You can book a private fitting party, where you and a bunch of girlfriends can try on dresses (they provide snacks and beverages). If only I had known about this for the nonad! Next year, perhaps...
**And when I say "emphatically," I may have raised my voice a wee bit.
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