To be fair, I actually contracted the food poisoning Thursday and started feeling ill in the afternoon, so really those two words only sum up the last two days. But they've been two very long and painful days, and I feel like it's been wrecking me for the whole week. If you've ever had food poisoning I'm sure you understand. The worst part is, I shared some of my lunch on Thursday with the baby, so I think she's been feeling sick too. Cranky, not sleeping well, not eating well, poop problems... poor kid. As if she didn't have enough troubles, what with being a baby and all.
Here's a picture of my bicycle (it's not my my bicycle, it's just the same make and model):
My bicycle is overdue for a tune-up, so I took it down to the bike shop yesterday. I was kinda forced to do it because I loosened (and couldn't seem to fix) the back brake in the process of putting on a new rear fender. Since I'm only going to be in the office one day next week, I figured this was a good window of time to get the tune up (okay yeah, and get the brake tightened and get the fender adjusted, since I screwed them up).
The bike shop owner put my bike on the rack to check things out. Turns out I've got a worn down something-er-rather and a loose something else, and a thing that's bent, and I could probably use thicker brake pads. Plus some other stuff that was totally optional but would be nice to fix. I don't even remember all the things the store owner listed, but I've noticed problems/challenges with all the stuff he mentioned, and I agree that it would make for much better cycling if I got it fixed. But by the time you add up the stuff that has to get done and everything that could possibly be improved, the total cost is about what my old bike is worth if I sell it.
I've actually been thinking about buying a new bike anyway, I tell the guy. Well now he gets excited -- which in this case means he went from a 1 on the Enthusiasm Meter to a 2; not really much change but perceivable on so dry a character -- and starts showing me some different options. At first he lists a few things that make sense to me, like a lighter frame, easier shifting, certain parts that are reinforced against damage, and standard sized wheels (because my bike is old, my current wheels are a wacky, non-standard size). Then he starts getting into nuances, listing all kinds of little details that don't mean anything to me, and when I ask what he means he launches into the nuances of the nuances. Are you getting a headache yet? I was. I was at the point where I just wanted him to stop talking and let me leave. TMI. Props for knowing his stuff, but yeesh.
I'm not ready to buy a new bike, and certainly not ready to drop the kind of money he's suggesting for "something that will last me 10, 15, 20 years." I'm only at the very beginning phase of buying, where I'm thinking about maybe buying something and I want to get some ideas. (I get this purchasing caution and patience from my awesome mother, bless her.)
So maybe in the next year I will get a new bike. Or maybe I'll just spend a whole lot less money and do some major improvements on my current bike. We'll just have to wait and see; I've got enough to worry about for now. I'm not even going to give it another thought until after the new year.
One of the other things on my mind is still bike related: Trailers. If you recall, this summer my mom bought us a used Burley Bee trailer for my bike. It has been such a blast to haul my daughter in it, and such a blessing since I commute via bike. But I've had some issues with the tires on the trailer... let's just be generous and say that they are very sensitive tired. After several frustrating experiences, I have decided that I am going to buy a brand new trailer. (I will resell the old one in the spring, hopefully for the same amount my mom paid.) I want to stick with the Burley brand, but move up to either the Encore (larger; see picture at left) or Cub (larger and burlier) model.This story could get very long if I go into all the details, so I won't. Here's the short of it: The Cub (pictured below) has a hard plastic bottom, the Encore has a fabric bottom. This means the Cub is more durable and water proof, but it's also quite a bit heavier. I was really worried that the extra weight would be too much. After all, the uphills coming home from work are pretty brutal. But I love that the Cub is sturdier and built all-around to handle the harsh weather.
So I ordered the Cub, thinking I would take it for a test ride and send it back if it was too heavy. I've actually taken it out for two test rides... surprised myself when the extra weight really wasn't that much harder. But remember how the Cub is supposed to have a bunch of extra weather proofing? I got it home from the second ride, which I deliberately made on a rainy afternoon, and it was pretty wet inside the trailer. There are a couple of "vents" that allow water to enter the trailer. My daughter's socks were wet. Her blanket was damp. Yuck.So what do I do? I don't know. Maybe the Encore is the better choice, since it doesn't have the water-allowing vents. I'll have to stew on it; more on this later.
Let's move on to...Christmas. It's just a couple of days away. I wrapped presents yesterday and today. Why did I get so many little things for my kid? She doesn't care. She'd rather I just slide the new books right onto her bookshelf, slip the jammies in her drawer, and drop the big yellow airplane in the bathtub. I guess I got them so I can enjoy watching her unwrap stuff. So hopefully she'll want to unwrap stuff!
I got Nate a new tool for Christmas. We decided that we want to use Christmas gifts as an opportunity to buy each other things that will be beneficial to the family. We figured that birthdays are a good time to be selfish, and we each have a monthly allowance if we want to get a toy, so why not put this gift-giving occasion to better use? Nate got me kitchen stuff, although I don't know exactly what.
Next year I think we're going to do Christmas differently. I would like to really focus on making Christ the center of Christmas. I don't know how to do that, I'm not really sure what that even means for us, but I know there's going to be a lot less of the worrying and working and frustration I've felt the last few years. More acts of service, more time with people we love, more time talking about the Savior... fewer presents, less shopping, no worrying about decorations and to-do lists. There's my outline; I'll figure out the specifics sometimes next autumn.
I took the last three days off work. Glorious. I'm off Monday and Tuesday, too, so that's a whole week away from the desk job. I almost never take time off (I haven't really been able to anyway); it's weird but nice to have some staycation time. Of course all of it went to running errands, housework, and rolling on the floor clutching my aching tummy.... it wasn't exactly a fun and relaxing time. Still, I suppose it's better than being in the cubicle.
I'm not sure how to end this somewhat random round of updates. Next week's post should be really good, though -- a recap on the year, whether I met my goals, highs and lows, and some deep thoughts. Check in with me again if you have time!
Until then, may your holidays be safe, fun, and filled with joy.
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