A woman walked up to me on Gottingen Street today. “Hi there!” she said.

“Umm, hi?” I said.

“Did you know that this was Waste Reduction Week?”

I glanced over my shoulder. I was afraid she was going to give me hell for the gig posters I’d just stapled to every telephone pole on the street.

“I did not know that,” I said.

“Well it is!” she said.

I stared at her. She gave me a big smile.

“I’ve been going around giving out prizes to people I find doing good things for the environment,” she said. “I see you have a bicycle, and bicycles are good for the environment. So I want to give you a prize.”

She rummaged around in her bag and took out a small blue card and handed it to me. “It’s a gift certificate worth fifty dollars at Wal-Mart.”

I stared down at it. “Thanks,” I said.

“You’re welcome!” she said. She continued up the street.

I don’t even know where Wal-Mart is in Halifax. Probably because you have to drive a car to get there.