Open Mouth, Insert Foot!

As aforementioned, you never know what a day will bring.  Today was your typical holiday, and me without my woobie!  Well it was good we we're here though.  A gentleman (neighbor of ours that works here in the plaza) was off work today and bicycling around his home in Madeira Beach when his rear derailleur decided to do a swan dive over the top gear and spun into his rear wheel sheering it off.  Luckily he was not injured.  He limped the bike down to the nearest bike shop and was promptly told it would be $60.00 to re-place the derailleur.  His re-sponce was "well $%&# that" and proceeded to hoof the bike here.  $35.00 and a derailleur (plus chain, cable housing, and rear wheel trued) and he was back on the road. 
Have had several folks into chat, and peruse the bare bones of our show room (I'm workin' on it) but they left with a pleasant "we'll be back to see what more you've come up with.  Kind of a good feeling knowing that some folks would rather wait for us to finish something new rather then go elsewhere.  And in extension was a good day for buying.  Got in some nice "Banger Bike" pieces, that need little to get showroom ready! (we like that).  And posted a well overdue add for more mechanic help!  So welcome Jeremy! the newest addition to our family, any man that'll come to an interview in dirty jeans and open toed sandals?  PERFECT for us!!!  His last occupation? Nuclear Engineer.  No Foolin'!  Guess that goes to show ya where this economy is headed.  But we don't worry about that here! 
Also on a more personal note.  The Comic Strip "...warts and all" is progressing swimmingly.  Paco sent me the sketches for the remaining characters (pic right) And we LOVE THEM!  sent him 5 of my 60 or so scripts, and hes currently working on upgrading our blog sight!  I have high hopes for this venture and hope you will all click over to that link and check us out! (OK shameless plug over)
OK onto today's Top 10 Screw-ups!  AND # 1 is...
Finished this nice looking Sterling 5-speed on Saturday, posted it on Craigslist and put it out in the showroom.  Then went to my notebook o' special requests, as I have several young ladies looking for nice low step over traditional ladies bikes, and gave them a jingle.  No one home.  Must be the Holiday weekend.  So this morning, promptly at 9.30 I get a call from a nice lady inquiring about the bike, I tell her yes its available, and she informs me she will be in later that morning to pick it up. OK
15 minutes later one of the ladies I had called the day before contacts me and says shes driving in from Tampa to check out the Sterling and will be in an hour.
OY!
I politely say OK, yes it is still available ('cause we can't count a "will be in later" as a firm deal) and upon hanging up hope to god that the Tampa lady makes it in sooner.  Now mind you I would have called the first person back, but my phone doesn't register calls on its ID if you answer in the first 2 rings, so I have no number to call back! So less then an hour later who should show up?  BOTH of them, they come in the door TOGETHER!  double OY!  I explain to the very nice Clearwater lady and her rather TALL husband that I am sorry, explain the situation that if I call someone on a waiting list they get first dibs, and apologize for us wasting her time.  Well they are blessedly understandable but noticeably disappointed.  And I HATE to disappoint anyone.  And to top it all off the Tampa lady decides she going to hold off and look around some more.  Triple OY!
So the moral of the story is "a bird in the hand is NOT necessarily better then two in the bush!"
Especially if there's thorns!