Keep 'Em Coming Boys

I could not believe someone stole my bike seat.  I do not have some high end Italian racing cycle, just a crappy old, off the rack bike that worked just fine and was helping me out greatly.  Most might even say it is a piece of shit but it is my piece of shit and suited me perfectly.  I was so upset last night and had no idea what to do.  I needed a new seat,  post and clamp.  I checked at Walmart online and even at Walmart prices it was going to cost me about $40.  I left the house this morning knowing I needed a solution but not knowing what to do.  I thought about going to the bicycle shop or I could walk to Walmart too.  I did not know, I just started walking at 7:30am this morning because that was all I could think of at the time to do.  

As I walked and thought about it.  I remembered seeing bikes before at the Salvation Army and thought I could check there.  Then it occured to me that there are always a million yard sales on the weekend, perhaps I could find some luck at one of those.  I first went back to the scene of the crime just to double check.  I dunno what I was double checking for as there was nothing there but then it dawned on me that I was close to the flea market and that I could go there as the other stores were not open yet.

At the flea market I came across some folks that were selling just random flea market stuff but they had about 5 bikes.  One was super nice and really caught my eye and I thought I could get a deal.  They said $140 and I could only talk them down to $130 so that was not going to work out.  But they were still unloading stuff and I noticed in the back of the truck a mangled mountain bike frame missing both its wheels but still with its seat.  I told them I was interested in the seat, post and clamp.  They took it off for me and I measured the diameter and it looked good.  I then asked about the price and they said 5 bucks for all 3 pieces - yes!  It was too good not to take the gamble.  I just have a standard bike so those things must be fairly universal I thought - oh my fingers were so crossed for some good luck.

I was texting up a storm as I walked.  Matt was funny as he asked if I purchased my own seat back at the flea market (not such a far fetched hypothesis).  Judy was even funnier as she was like you know some crazy street person is sleeping with it at night and saying things like, "Oh my precious I am so glad I found you.".  Kym was providing all types of support reminding me to really look at the blessing this week has been and the positive changes that happened, albeit not by choice.

I was talking with Judy as I was walking home and I just kept saying how excited I would be if this worked out.  I was so exhausted.  I left the house at 7:30am on foot and it was now 12:30pm.  As I got closer and closer I was getting more and more excited.  Judy was still on the phone and I said, "I am here finally - let me try it!" and VOILA - how fucking perfect, an exact fit!  I was so excited and elated - yes to have my bike whole again but more over because I did it!  I had no idea how I was going to solve it but I knew I had to and I fucking did it!!!  The new seat is fine - very on par with my last one - no better, no worse but completely functional.  Plus you need wrenches to secure the clamp that holds the seat in place whereas the last one just had a convenient lever.  What this means is that another street person will not be sleeping with another one of my seats, unless of course they have wrenches in their bag!

I fucking did it and I feel great about myself!

Thief

Someone stole my bike seat, the seat post and clamp tonight.  I am not making this shit up.  I cannot imagine this week getting any worse.  Sorry for the pity party but I will just fucking figure it out tomorrow.  I cannot believe this.  I cannot imagine someone wanting those things.  I do not have a high end bike, just a functional one.  Oh well - yet another lesson learned this week.  I suppose they needed it more than me.  I cannot not imagine that but I will still suppose it.  I am not fucking giving up yet!!!!!

Green

So my car is definitely dead - kaput - no more.   I do not know what I am going to do BUT I do know that I will resolve it and solve it, somehow - someway.  I will.  It just sucks until I do.  I have mapped out everything that I need for the short run.  It really is incredible I can get to everything important, even the doctor's or pharmacy if I have to, without a car.  It is all within walking range or a bike ride.  I also figured out that if I have a problem with my bike that I even am close to the local repair shop.  If for some reason I have to get outside of Escondido - I can take the bus as there is a stop about a 10 minute walk away.  Or I can take the train since the train station is about a 15 minute bike ride away.  I appreciate the concern.  I apologize for the doom and gloom.  Plenty of people live and have lived without cars.  I count my blessing that I can do so also.

I posted the picture above because I was thinking about it.  I took it when I was in Lowell, MA for my niece's graduation.  Escondido really makes me think a lot of Lowell, and Haverhill too, except not so impossibly green.  That is what really strikes me about this picture - how green it is.  Green is my favorite color.  It always has been and not just because green clothing makes my eyes look amazing.  My other car was green and I loved it.  I also heard that green is a detoxifying color so when I can find grass out here, I like to sit down on it or even better lay down on it and feel like I am detoxing my aura.  Who knows but it certainly is a good excuse to lounge in the grass.

Like Lowell had the textile mills and Haverhill had the shoe mills, Escondido had a very large industry when it what founded that has moved on.  That industry was avocado farms.  Avocados are very green.  Are you seeing how this all ties together?   Anyway back to the picture.  I have not modified it at all and just love how crisp and green it is.  It is so very New England to me.  The graduation was a nice night.  I am so happy for my niece being on the threshold of the future.

Rabbits

I have no good news about my car.  I was stupid and now have to deal with it.  I am not even going to talk about it in detail.  I have nothing else to say other than I have no other rabbits in my hat.  I have pulled them all out.  I will focus on the good, what I do have.  I have my bike and I have my health.  I can get to everything I need to live my life.  I am keeping everything going, I am burning calories, and I am getting tan (although I use sun block daily).  I made it to my weight loss meeting and conducted it with out anyone knowing my troubles.  I have not been late to work or missed a minute of time time and I even have plans to meet Lily for happy hour this week and am going to go through with it.  I don't know what else to do so I will just keep moving forward.  I am down on myself but nothing I can do.  I cannot not change the past but I can focus on the future.  I will get it resolved.  I always do, one way or another.

I Don't Know

I knew I was about two months behind on getting an oil change but I figured I would take care of it after I got back.  There were never any leaks or stains under it and the oil light never came on.  Last night I was on the highway driving back to my house from the store and the oil light flashed for just seconds, then my car died and I could smell burning oil.  I had it towed to my house and today I checked the oil and there was nothing.  I think I seized my engine.  I cannot believe it.  I know a car needs oil but I though that if it was low the oil light would come on and it never did - never.  I am screwed - I really do not know what I am going to do.  I do not know how I am going to pull this rabbit out of my hat.  I also am so upset with myself.  I was so stupid and really thought everything was ok and that if the light was not on then I had no problems.  Tomorrow I will know more but I really not hopeful - so upsetting.  But I am lucky I have my bike and can either ride it or walk to anything I need including my job.  That truly is a blessing but I just don't know.

A Day at the Fair

Today I took the day off from work and went to the San Diego Fair.  I worked for a bit in the booth for my weight loss support group to help spread the word and look for new members.  It was kinda slow at the booth but I did get to chat to about 5 people.  It was an incredibly beautiful day out and I like to chat so I enjoyed.  The theme of the fair this year was aliens --- ohhhh how exciting, you know I love aliens - I am so fascinated.  I cannot say I buy all the alien stuff but again I am super fascinated!  The only downfall to the fair is that it is not a place that is conducive at all to losing weight.  Actually for someone looking to lose weight I cannot think of a more evil place - except maybe a Chinese food buffet.  I was good though.  I had a roast beef sandwich for lunch - with water, no chips or fries.  The only indulgence I had all day was a small twist soft serve ice cream cone - yum!  I cannot not remember the the last time I had dairy whip ice cream so it was a real treat - even though I nearly had to cash in my 401k to purchase it - man, the fair is expensive.  Upside to working it though is that I got in free!  I always love the Art and the Photography sections and they were just amazing as ever.  I did come across something different, a section called Collections.  If you collect stuff you could submit your collection to be displayed!  How awesome is that!  I saw a couple concert ticket stub collects that were cool but not nearly as vast as mine.  I saw somebody's R2-D2 collection and someone else's Target gift card collection - hmmm.  Someone even entered their giant fur ball collection that they put together from each time they groomed their golden lab.  They were big, giant fur balls neatly arraigned and dated (and I am the freak?).  I just might need to find out how you get to exhibit your collection so I can start to prepare for next year.  PS Don't I look super svelte in outer space???  I may need to move.

That's a Tall Drink of Water

While back east I spent most of my time with my family but I did get to see my friend Judy, catch up with her and meet her new boyfriend.  His name is Paul and he is like 6' 8"!  I have not seen Judy in person in ages and we have had our good and bad but it really pleased me at how well things are going for her.  Seems that the world is really aligned for her now and that is awesome! She deserves it.  We shared plenty of laughs and acted silly and gabbed plenty.  Her boyfriend Paul was super nice.  First off contrary to popular opinion, I love a tall man (so comforting) but in addition he was very friendly, personable and interesting.  Add that all with being a super sweet guy that is tall, not so dark, but handsome -- well the pieces easily add up to why they both have such large smiles in this photo.  It was a really nice night and I am so happy I got to share time with them and see how great things have started for them both.  Here's to more times like this!

My Mother, The Cat

It seems that in the 10 months between my visits back east, my mother became a cat.  I stayed the entire week with my parents and noticed quickly a strange new behavior of my mother's.  She did not invade my space or smother me but if I moved from one room to another within a few minutes she would be in the new room busying herself with something.  All I could think is that like a cat she was following me around because she wanted to be near me but also like a cat she was trying to be independent and aloof and come off like, "What? I just happened to have stuff to do in this room now".  One example that made me laugh out loud was when I was sitting on the swing in the backyard.  She came out and started fussing with the trash cans.  I have NEVER in my entire life seen my mother go even within a foot of the trash cans before.  It was very sweet and made me feel good but I still laughed.  Oh my mother.  She is a nut and obviously and no DNA testing is needed to see where I got that gene from.  I love her.

Look Who I Met!

While I was back east I finally got to meet my niece Emily for the first time!  She was born in September 2011.  Not only is she super cute but she is so happy and smiley.  A total love.

Graduations!

Here is me and my niece just after high school graduation on 06.07.2012.  I was so happy for her.  It was great to be back east after so long.  Plus I was working my favorite vertical stripped shirt - yay vertical stripes.  She kills me anyway as we have exactly the small sense of humor and spent all the time we had together just laughing, mostly at me.  She is going to college in Virginia which I hope she just loves to pieces.

Here is my nephew after his high school graduation which was the week before I was back east.  He is a really good guy and excited to attend college in Central Mass.  He got a scholarship to play lacrosse.  I am also thrilled since for a graduation present his parents bought him a ticket to fly out to grand old Escondido to visit me in August.  We will have a blast.  PS I do not know why my father is wearing a Halloween orange polo but he looks good.  Hmmm maybe he just got mixed up because that color orange is Escondido's high school color.

That Was a Nice Visit

I had a very nice time during my recent visit to MA.  I had not been back for 10 months so it was great to spend time with my family - especially with such wonderful things going on such as the graduations of both my niece and nephew.  I saw a few friends but mostly I just hung out with my family.  It made me happy to see my father is doing well and also to hang out with my mother.  The also got this new swing chair that I relaxed in quite a bit.  I will be posting more photos and stories.

Sorry for the Delay

Hey There -- have not been posting regularly because I have been a little stressed.  I will be in MA on this Thursday.  I don't know what to write currently.  I am excited but just can't get my head straight at the moment.  I will be back soon - and recharged too, I hope.