Frustration

I had some bad luck the past couple days. On Wednesday I was all set to ride. I was heading out the door when I noticed the mail had come. I pulled it out and saw jammed in the bottom of the mail box a bill and netflix dvd I had put out 2 days before. I guess they fell in and then got jammed down by the new mail. I grabbed them and figured I'd just ride to a mail box somewhere. There used to be one around the corner from me, but it got moved when a developer started work on a Lowe's/Condo project. I had seen a mail box at the end of my street, so I rode up that way. But the street was closed off for construction. After looping around I found the mail box at the end of my road wasn't there any more. At that point I really couldn't think of where there was another one close by. I decided to head for a main street and on my way I got a flat tire. Great! So I walked the bike back home and decided someone really didn't want me to mail that stuff. I realized I was kind of short on time and needed to get to a haircut appointment.

On Thursday I finally had time to fix my flat. Everything was going along great. I thought, "Wow, this is going to be my fast change ever" (Kinda like Ralphy's dad in A Christmas Story). But I wasn't being that careful. When I pumped up the tube it must have been pinched between the rim and the tire cuz it popped. Bang! It was very loud. I thought back to the bike shop when I had first gotten this bike. I told the guy I wanted 3 extra tubes. He convinced me I really only need one. I don't know why I listened. I got busy with a few other things and set my wheel aside for a while. My friend Henry went to bike shop with me later (one that would happily sell me 3 tubes). I put the new tube on and got the rear wheel back in place, lined it up and realized for some reason my brakes were super tight. This is the exact problem for which I had just taken the bike to the shop to have fixed. Argh! Well, I just adjusted them myself this time. Finally I was ready to go! Too bad it was dark outside. Some day off! But I'm about to get a ride in today before work. I worked 6 days last week and am working 6 days again this week. They're both part of swaps I worked out. Now someone else will work my Saturday shift so I can be at the Booty for all 24 hours this year. The ride is a week from today and I'm getting pretty excited!