Distributed Storage

Finding a place to keep the first run of the twenty Haulin’ Colin bike trailers I’ve commissioned has proven to be a challenge, so I’ve hit upon an idea that I believe may be an example of what one of my intellectual heroes, the poet, philosopher, and farmer, Wendell Berry calls a “good solution,” a criterion of which is that such a solution solves more than one problem at a time.

Here’s what I have in mind:

I’d like to offer a select group of interested parties the opportunity to have free use of one of the first run of trailers in exchange for safe and secure storage of it.

The deal would be that these folks would agree to be responsible for keeping a trailer at some place out of the weather and away from thieving hands; for this, each party would have permission to use it at will, just so long as they made a reasonable attempt to keep it from being thrashed—and with the understanding if the trailer was wrecked or stolen, then they’d have purchased it (albeit at the special screaming better-than-friend-pricing price of $575.00.)

The other part of the arrangement, of course, is that each person housing a trailer would agree to give it up at a moment’s notice should the trailer be sold (although, I would, of course, give them first dibs should they fall in love with it and want to buy it.)

The reason I say that this seems like what Berry calls a “good solution” is that, among other things, it solves two problems simultaneously: one, the difficulty of trailer storage and two, the challenge of getting trailers distributed as widely as possible.

I realize that danger here of someone not buying a trailer because they could use one for free this way, but I’m willing to take that chance.

If you’re interested in getting in on this, email me: dashap327@mac.com.

Haulin’ Colin trailers save the world.

Blondes

This is why every household needs a Haulin’ Colin trailer:

Last night, the whole fam-damnily—me, Jen, and the kid—plus Mimi’s friend, along with our housemate, Beth, all rode bikes to the outdoor movie in Cal Anderson park; thanks to the trailer, we did so in style, arriving with a full cooler of soda, beer, and already-mixed margueritas, a stack of blankets for spreading out upon, a couple of lawn chairs for those who like to sit up, and a big box of picnic food, plates, glasses, and utensils, surrounded by all manner of coats, sweaters, and sundry wraps for when it got chilly after sunset; all this was easily carried and I could have even piled on more; had we not had such cargo capacity we’d have had to divvy up the load in much less a practical manner; we couldn’t have brought the cooler, and in the end, we might even have had to (shudder) drive.

As it was, we all got a pleasant little bike ride on a lovely summer night and were able to enjoy—without worrying about the legal status of our sobriety on the ride home—the full experience of watching the hilarious “Gentleman Prefer Blondes,” a movie I’d somehow mostly overlooked in my years of film-watching; I had no idea it was so witty, racy, and filled with delights for just about everyone, no matter what your orientation towards cinematic beauty; in addition to the obvious charms of watching Jane Russell and Marilyn Monroe, you also had to love the dance bit featuring Speedo-clad male swimmers and contortionists as well as the unabashed naughtiness of the signature number “Diamonds Are a Girl’s Best Friend,” especially when Ms. Russell performs it her way in the French courtroom.

After the film, we just piled all our junk back on the trailer and rode home, merrily humming the evening’s tunes; diamonds may be a girl’s best friend; me, I’ll take a trailer.