And there's the first swap. The cigar god is gone, the person calls, wants to tell me what they have to swap but I cut them short, that's not the purpose.
That's not the porpoise...
Ironic, foreshadowing.
And he comes, I see him through the window, he opens and inspects his new acquisition, leaves his offering in place, and I watch my window, waiting for him to go and then waiting a little longer because I don't want to seem to eager.
It makes these -20 degree nights a little more exciting.
When I've waited a while, long enough that I don't entirely look like a nerd, I go and get my offering.
It's a statue, carved wood as well, about 8 inches tall, 4 by 2 inches at the base, of a dolphin leaping from the water. Or porpoise.
It's not "small", or as small as I was hoping, but I could live with this. Well, no, I couldn't, but it's a crap shoot out there and I appreciate that this is the chance you take...
But he's attached a little note, that his grandfather has carved this, and how would my karma be if I tried to trade this on? And now I'm stuck with it. Damned objects of sentiment.