Last Saturday...

Okay, so I told you that I had some interesting stuff go down recently that I wanted to blog about.  Well  here it is.  It might not seem like much, but last Saturday was pretty eventful, so I figured I'd post a few pics to help me explain. 

Last weekend, IU had this bike auction where they made an attempt to sell a large amount of the bikes that had been confiscated from various campus locations over the past year.  Andrea, our friend Erin, and I decided it was worth a try to find a decent deal, as the two of them were in need of a bicycle.  

As we walked up and down the aisles of bikes (they were all parked in the bottom of a campus parking garage, hence the dark picture) it didn't take long for us to realize that the condition of each bike was pretty bad.  The reason why most of these bikes were confiscated was due to abandoment by their owner.  Considering the rust, faulty mechanics, and all around neglect, nothing seemed worth bidding.  

 
Which brings us to this place; the Bloomington Bicycle Project.  A nonprofit with the main purpose of taking in old, broken down bikes, fixing them up, and selling them for VERY reasonable prices.  Did I mention that it is primarily volunteer driven.  The majority of people you see in the "maintenance area" to the left are there out of the good of their hearts.  

Thankfully, Andrea found a Schwinn in excellent condition and made a purchase of only $60!  We are both thrilled that we can go on bike rides together.  

Here are a few pics of the inside of the repair shop.  It is EXTREMELY tiny.  However, it has a great location and wonderful functionality.  Eric, the guy in the white t-shirt has been with the BBP for the last 3-4 years or so.

Part of their mission is to provide the community with tools to make their own repairs on their own bikes.  If you have a problem with your bike, just bring it by and fix it on your own, use their tools and extra parts for free!  Pretty cool, 'eh?

My mode of transportation on this day was my new skateboard.

Later that evening, Andrea and I cleaned up and went to a concert at the IU Musical Arts Center and heard the IU Symphony Orchestra.  We arrived early, to the free showing and had exemplary seats.  
Surprisingly, Andrea and I had never been there before.  The architecture on the inside is so distinct I'm sure people either love it or hate it.  I feel as though I'm more towards the former.