Day 121

121/365, originally uploaded by Aaron LaRue.

This is Elliot on a brand new bike. This one's a two-parter, with the first part of the story after the jump.  

So I was walking to one of my classes a few weeks ago, and I was working up a thirst, so I stopped off at the corner store on campus. I walked in, assessed my options, and decided to grab a water. I grabbed a dasani purely for the fact that it was the cheapest, walked up to the register, and payed for it. It was probably close to two bucks because the stores on campus are super overpriced. The girl working the register asked me if I wanted to enter a raffle, and I politely declined. Then I thought about it, and I realized that most people probably wouldn't take the time to fill out the little form, and I changed my mind. I asked about it and she said that it was a raffle for a free bike sponsored by coke, and since I bought a coke product, I could enter. It only took a minute, so I filled out the little form, dropped it in the box, and forgot about it. 


Then yesterday, I got a call from a random number. I answered my phone and the person on the other end told me I won the raffle. I was super stoked, because I've been saving for a bike for a while, and was getting ready to make a purchase, so this was perfect timing. I went and picked up my prize, which was basically a coupon for a free beach cruiser from one of the bike shops in IV. The thing is, I didn't want a beach cruiser, I wanted either a road bike or a fixie. So to remedy this situation, I decided to sell the bike. Elliot, who is the editor-in-chief at the Nexus, told me he could use a new bike when I told him I won the raffle. After a couple phone calls and some intense negotiations, Elliot was the proud owner of this sweet, brand new beach cruiser, and I had some more dough to put towards a bike. The best part? Elliot hopped on the seat and said, "I've never bought a bike before". A bike is pretty much a necessity at UCSB, so dumbfounded  I said, "YOU'VE NEVER HAD A BIKE?!". Cool as a cucumber, Elliot smirks and says, "Oh I've had bikes before, I've just never paid for one."


It all happened really quickly. I sold the bike within 24 hours of winning it, which was cool because it's like Coke just gave me cash. To see what I did with the cash, you're going to have to check out Day 122.