Wednesday 18 May 2011

everything turns out fine, always

I had a really, really important meeting. It was with Evans cycles, to show them my products and see if they'd like to stock them. I was pretty nervous and had spent the day before preparing. When the time came I had memorised the 1.5 mile route and hopped on the train with my fabric bike.

I got off the train and rode towards the A23, I knew I had to head south and turn left at the first round about. Easy. But south and the first round about was towards brighton, on the M23!! I freaked out at the exit of the round about, that joined the motorway and pedalled as hard as I could in the outside lane, in my high heels, to avoid getting hit by cars peeling off at 60mph. I found a workman and got some directions of him, to go South I had to go North first.
I got terribly lost. 
I didn't have a phone, as I generally don't. So I asked someone. I said "I'm lost" he said "where are you trying to go" I said "south." I realised that in memorising the really simple route from the station that I hadn't bothered to remember the address! I ended up in a car showroom, and they googled "evans head office" for me. "do you want their number?" They asked, knowing that by then I was already 20 minutes late "...I don't have a phone" I mumbled. They were pretty weirded out by me, but let me use their phone to leave a voice message to say I was 5 minutes away.

Clutching my newly printed map, I got back onto the A23, under Gatwick terminal and just before I got to that first round about my crank fell off!!! I was cycling down a speedy duel carriage way, with no pavement to my side, and was suddenly grateful that I had clips and straps. This allowed me to pull up and push down using just my right foot, and destroying the gorgeous patent leather on the toes of my shoes. I pulled up and pushed down as fast as my right leg would allow me! 

I arrived, 40 minutes late, sweating like a beast, scuffed shoes and holding a screwed up map and a crank complete with pedal.

It turns out the dude thought the meeting was at 3, not 2.

So it kinda proved my point. Every thing is fine in the end.

Plus, they liked my stuff! See AnaNichoola soon in Evans.....