Today is the day I look forward to all winter long.
It’s the day I know that summer has finally arrived: the first Saturday of June – garage sale day in Victory Neighborhood. My own personal Christmas morning!
So this morning I got up, lifted my bike off its winter hook in the garage, pumped up the tires and set out to cruise the alleyways, up and down and all across our hood.
Although, note to self: Next year, I might want to slap an “NFS” sign on the blue bomber – since every time I step away to browse, I turn around to find someone kicking the tires and inquiring about the price.
But, oh, garage sale day. It’s like a 40-square-block shopping mall of other people’s stuff, on clearance. The possibility of scoring that perfect find stretches out as far as you can see in every direction. As do the people you are competing with.
In years past, R-kids have been as excited to go as me, their pockets filled with just enough cash to land some pretty great loot, or at least a steady supply of home-baked cookies and lemonade. If R-girl wasn’t so swamped with end-of-the-year homework, I’m sure she would have come, but she was fighting the good fight and R-boy wasn’t interested, so I was on my own.
But not really on my own.
I could barely bike a full block without running into someone I hadn’t seen in a while. There was my client/neighbor who disappeared mid-project last week to deliver her first baby, a girl, whom I got to meet. A six day old baby, people!
There was my former neighbor who has moved 45 minutes away but who still came back with her clan of kids for garage sale day.
There was another former neighbor who moved just a few blocks away and who called me by my daughter’s name when he spotted me.
And then there was my friend from an old book club, whom I didn’t notice standing there until I snapped a picture and realized she was in it. I promised her I wouldn’t use that shot, so here’s this one instead. Imagine Jennifer standing exactly on the X, next to her daughter’s stroller, loaded with books and a huge stuffed (eyeless) giraffe.
And then, of course, there’s all the stuff.
This beauty reminded me of the restaurant tabletops I bought a few years back – dirt cheap – which have found their second life as my office desktops.
And then there was this delicious table.
And I bet you think this is an awesome retro radio.
Nosirrreeee. It’s an awesome retro radio that has been converted into a purse. Yes.
With a busy day ahead of me, I had to make today’s hunting trip much shorter than usual. My best find this year was some brand new salon products, being sold at half price by a stylist raising money to help her friend visit his dying father in Arizona. I mean, come on.
No pink appliances this year. No are-you-kidding-me perfect typewriter box. No sweet retro finds.
But I did leave with the same thought I always have, every first Saturday in June.
I love this place.
And thank God it’s summer.
xo
3 Comments