If the shop burns down at least write a blog post about it

Written by the ghost in the machine with notes and clever lines provided by Jon and Lori.

It’s appropriate that a few weeks out from Halloween, the shop would seem eerily quiet and abandoned. Any regular volunteer or frequent visitor knows that B4H is typically boisterous and busy. However, today is not a typical day. For one the shop’s still standing and relatively organized.

With only a few people left in charge – Lori, a steadfast employee and Jon, a loyal volunteer – and a surprisingly calm day on Powell Blvd, it was easy to keep the chaos fairy under control. Lori says she is glad to have had time to finish up the tubes, which seem never-ending on busier days, and Jon says he is glad to have recently recruited a new volunteer.

Although don’t get them wrong, as nice as it is to have a relaxing autumn day just fixing bikes and flipping over tapes in the tape player, they are in agreement that they miss the usual rush of customers and volunteers, and so do the bikes!

Jon has almost finished fixing up a full-suspension mountain bike, which his freshly recruited friend dubbed “Mt. Red,” and the lovely “Fronnie,” a pastel pink late-’80s Bridgestone mixte, has been hanging overhead just waiting for the right rider to appreciate her road-warrior flare.

Busy or not, at the end of the day Lori and Jon agree that they are both grateful that with the rest of the B4H crew out, the shop didn’t burn down on their watch.