Yesterday we ran out of two important things: flour and toilet paper. (Not necessarily listed in order of significance.)

“I think I have to go to Target tonight. After I iron,” I told Joey, whose evening was going to be spent knee-deep in articles he was trying to read and comprehend so he could do one of those early church fathers analysis papers or something.

Aside: ironing on Monday evenings has been going much better. It only took me 15 minutes last night, as opposed to the 45 min – 1 hour it was taking me before when I’d let it pile up, and it’s much less awful in small doses.

“It’s beautiful outside…I thought I’d run there, but I don’t think I can run back carrying 8 rolls of toilet paper and a 5 lb bag of flour. That just sounds catastrophic.”

“Let’s go to the bike store and look at panniers for your bike. I think they have some you could put grocery bags in, then you could ride your bike to the grocery store all the time,” Joey suggested.

Panniers are expensive. We are not getting them now, and probably not for awhile. They are, however, awesome and someday if I ever get them, I will be a happy lady as I use my own personal energy (of which there is a surplus) to pedal me to and from the grocery store. No unnecessary foreign oil for this girl.

“I have been thinking about this,” Joey told me on the way home, “And I think you could just take your bike into the store with you, just walk it alongside. That way you don’t have to chain it up outside and it could potentially get stolen.”

“Not a bad idea…” I pondered, imagining the funny looks I’d get as I wheeled Thunder through Central Market.

So as soon as I finished my chores, I fixed up my black corduroy messenger bag (which is now Henry’s toy bag…he was in heaven when I dumped all his toys out on the floor so I could use the bag; we usually hide most of them so he doesn’t harass us with three chew toys at once), carried my bike downstairs, and with a smile and wave to my studious husband, I was off.

The ride there was a breeze. The weather was cool, the sky was clear and blue, and there were no pedestrians to avoid while riding on the sidewalk.

I reached Target in record time, faster than driving even, and hopped off Thunder. “Well, here goes…” I said to my bike, and we marched in the store. We walked right past the security officer as though we did this every day, thank you very much, but I was half expecting him to say something like, “HEY, LITTLE GIRL. No bikes allowed in here!”

He did not, much to my relief.

I got the funniest looks from other shoppers…they’d hear the click-click-clicking of Thunder’s wheels and turn around sharply to figure out what in the world that noise was. A girl with a hot pink helmet and a gray bike were not quite what they were expecting. Children stared blatantly. Adults at least tried to be discreet.

I located the flour quickly and put it in my messenger bag. I then found the toilet paper and, with some difficulty, wedged it into the bag as well. While walking up to pay for my purchases, I kept hearing a disconcerting tearing sound. A quick check on the straps holding up my messenger bag confirmed my fears: they were slowly ripping. The 5 lb bag of flour was clearly not helping.

Thunder and I rode like my tail was on fire all the way home, hearing tiny ripping sounds every time I hit a bump or stood up to pedal harder. Somehow we made it home without losing either end of the strap…can you imagine what a mess a 5 lb bag of flour would be hitting the sidewalk at 12 mph? Oy.

When I returned, my husband was slightly frazzled.

“Oh. My. Gosh. Henry has been banging his purple ball against my knee trying to get me to throw it since you left.” (The aforementioned purple ball is one of those toys we keep hidden in the toy bag, for obvious reasons.)

Poor, poor Joey. But at least we have toilet paper now.

So as soon as I either fix the corduroy bag or jury-rig another solution, I will be happily riding my bike to as many stores as possible.