Bigger than Watergate. More compelling than Wikileaks. Here is the full Ripley Down Under transcript from Monday, 20th January 2014:

12:10pm —received following email from Peter, Ibis distributer:

Hey Lester. Just heard back from the freight company and its ETA is Thursday!!  Much longer than I was anticipating…  So it probably won’t get to Erina Bikeworx till next Monday.  Sorry for the delay, freight normally is way shorter than that…

12:31pm —I replied:

Thanks Peter. We have a lady here that used to work in Freight in a previous life. I told her I was waiting for my bike to come from The States – she said January is notoriously backlogged – maybe work their butts off in December for Xmas then go into skeletal mode in January. Monday is a public holiday so it will probably be Tuesday or Wednesday. Can’t wait, too exciting

12:39pm—email from Peter:

Ha!!  No sooner did I hit “send” when the door bell rang – it being the Ibis order arriving!!  Go figure!!  You will most likely be riding your Ripley this weekend!

12:49pm—I reply, after audible hooping and hollering:

UNBELIEVABLE!! Kill the fatted calf!! That’s just toooo exciting. 
I’ll wear it out on the long weekend!!!!

2:30pm—from Peter:

The Ripley has left the building!!

3:50pm—I reply:

That is more exciting than an Elvis concert!!
Just think, another black and green Ripley rider in the land of Oz!
Too cool!

Rest of the day—unashamed smiles and obvious expressions of excitement from me!

5:01pm—sent by Peter, not read by me till next morning:

Whoah, whoah!! Did you say black/green….???  Didn’t you decide on blue in the end??  Please tell me you did

9:30am Next Morning—phone call to Peter

It is confirmed. The Ibis Ripley about to arrive at my Local Bike Shop is indeed blue ~ and now, so am I!

Photo provided by Peter to help me decide if I could happily live with the Blue Ripley

And so, what should I do? I spent the rest of the day comparing photos of The Blue verses The Green Ripley and pretty much decided to stick with The Green as planned. To be totally sure, however, when The Blue  arrives at my LBS, I’ll pop in and see it for myself.

The excitement of it being almost in my hands and now having to wait several weeks more has left me feeling a bit flat. But hey, the really good things are worth the wait.

Mary, a fellow cyclist, sent  me the following encouraging email upon learning of my plight:

“I know you may be feeling a little flat but you have waited this long for your Mr Ripley. 

If he is not perfect in Blue
And you don’t think it’s the colour for you
Then hold out for the sexy Green
And you will definitely look …
     –          Seen?
     –          Lean?
     –          Like Dean?
     –          Mr Bean?
     –          Keen?
     –          A Queen (easy)?
     –          What’s the word I want?
     –          Ah ha!
     –          Mean (in a good way)“