Pending repairs

It's been two hundred days since the bike accident. I had my last appointment for my wrist on Monday - the x-ray showed that it was finished healing. My elbow pops when I hold it in one place for too long, but I just don't do that, so it's fine. The surgery scar faded, the colors match the rest of my wrist. You can miss it if you look too fast.

Last week I packed up all the winter stuff into the shed in the back, and pulled out the summer stuff into the shed up front. The other day I mowed the lawn for the first time this season. (Alright seriously, every single time I was home and could do it, it was raining. It was getting long). But one thing broke that day that hasn't been fixed yet.

The bike.

The right handlebar was still loose and slipped off easily. The left handlebar impacted and dragged on the pavement, and it was all torn up. The handlebars were misaligned, but that's an easy fix. The gears took a hit somehow and they rattled when I moved it. I'm taking it to a pro to get it looked at. Cosmetic damage and functionality can be dealt with, but that handlebar...

I want assurances. I want to know why it failed and how that can be prevented again. I honestly can't see myself riding that bike again unless I know why the accident happened in the first place. And I want to ride that bike again.

Taxing trips

Tax season ended Tuesday, Wednesday was a breather, and Thursday we were out of town for a long weekend. The wife wanted to take the family out to Kirtland Ohio to see the church history sites. 

Like this one

In the past when we traveled, we needed one hotel room. Now, with the six of us and their increasing sizes, we need two. Now for some odd reason, the hotels in the middle of nowhere Ohio were strangely expensive. Prohibitively so. I worked in hotels for a long time, I can understand spikes in the prices, but they usually followed things like concerts, festivals, or solar eclipses. (Yes, every hotel in town was booked solid)

I checked. Nothing was happening. I couldn't explain it, so... whatever. We went camping instead. Now for clarification, we didn't go camping. We were staying at a campground. We had all the gear, and we're experienced, so this was nothing. Except... the first night it was almost too cold, and the second night it was almost too hot. Being fully prepared meant bringing twice as much clothing as you would have expected.

Oh, and my second born son fell off a dock into a lake. Everyone, him included, got a solid laugh out of that. At least it happened at the end of the day, so he could just shower off and slip right into some pajamas.

The formal wear

My older brother is getting married this June.

I didn't say anything about that here, have I? Whatever. He can blog his own life.

Anyway, I'm the best man and apparently, I had to make sure that the tuxedoes were arranged. In reality, it meant that while the groom and other groomsmen were getting sized, I was on the phone with the bride relaying her preferences. She said what she liked, and I repeated it out loud. When we were met with options, I repeated it to her and relayed her reply.

I have never seen someone take such studious notes as that man in the tux shop. Lines crossed out, options circled, even a red pen made its way into the margins while he dashed a set of instructions in all caps.

I reminded the bride that nobody would be looking at him. They're all going to be looking at her, it was his job to look classy. I suppose I understand, wedding days are understandably rare. But the importance of that day wanes with time.

Your first apartment together, you have the little wedding shrine with photos and your cake topper. Later, as you redecorate or move, it shrinks down to one or two visible photos, and eventually it's all in a box somewhere. The stuff from my wedding only comes out as Valentines Day decorations. (My wife has a theme for every month)

Pressure differential

Can I make a request? I just want the wind to stop blowing. The temperatures are going to wobble all over, I understand. It's April, we know this. But... I just want the wind to stop blowing so much.

The weirdest lining

My son got his learner permit today. He turned 16 on Friday, celebrating by skipping school and doing... I don't know, I was at work. He spent the day with his mother. He politely asked that I not take him to a government office to deal with paperwork, so we did it this week instead.

So, my 'technically' driveable car that's not going to pass inspection?  Yea, he can learn to drive in that. If he absolutely wrecks it, I haven't lost much. No pressure really means no pressure this time.