Charlotte’s Web

So, Jason and I are trying to get everything ready for our trip to Upstate New York. There’s the usual concerns: what to pack, what to bring, etc. But then there are always the unexpected challenges and snafus.

Honestly, it seems that so often with trips, crazy stuff starts to happen before you leave so just getting outta town is a struggle. I’ll call it Charlotte’s Web.

One example:

Jason took his bike into the shop for a tune-up before the trip. But he was dealt some bad news… the repairs needed would exceed the value of the bike. So, he ordered a new bike online and awaited its delivery. After several days of no delivery, Jason again checked the status and it said that, “at his request” it had been “rerouted”. Huh? To where?? And who “requested” that??

But wait! The lost bike was found and arrived two days before our trip. Phew! I went out to Jason’s and we assembled it. Thankfully all parts were there and we were successful!

But don’t get too giddy just yet because then Jason’s home water heater thermostat decided it would clock out for good. He tried to replace it before he leaves town so his family doesn’t have to shower in water as cold as the Finger Lakes, but the fix is never that easy! It heats water but then trips the breaker. UGH! So his son-in-law Matt is going to come by while we’re traveling and diagnose the problem.

Here’s another example of Charlotte’s Web:

I proudly planned ahead and took my bike to the bike shop 3 weeks early so they could fix an issue that was causing me frustration. When pedaling hard in 8th, 16th or 24th gear it would suddenly skip a beat and throw my my momentum.

The short story is that it took 3 visits to the bike shop before the problem was fixed.

The L-O-N-G story is…

I first dropped it off 3 weeks ago with a detailed description of the problem and that it only happened in those 3 gears and when I was pedaling hard.

I was notified a few days later that they replaced the chain (“It was worn and causing skips”) and gave the bike a general tune-up and that my bike was ready! I excitedly picked it up that same day and took it home. The next day I rode my bike to the grocery store and, as I was tooling down Thomas Ave, the skipping problem immediately happened again. UGH!

So, I brought the bike back and explained that the problem wasn’t fixed. So this time they replaced the rear sprocket since they ruled out that it wasn’t the chain. A few days later I got the call that they test-drove it and my bike was ready!

I should have learned but I assumed they had fixed it so I took it home. Literally the next day I rode the bike and I’llbeasonofabitch if the same problem didn’t happen again. WTF??!!

I angrily returned to the bike shop and met with the owner, “Dread”. His customer service was “dreadful” — he mansplained to me that he’s got the best mechanics and they they’ve done nothing wrong because they follow a process where they start with the most likely and least expensive repair and then move to the next probable issue and so on until they fix the problem. Great approach Dread, but you don’t get to brag until YOU FIX THE ACTUAL PROBLEM!!!! But to him, the problem was that I failed to understand his position. What an ass.

A few days later I was notified that the problem has indeed been fixed and my bike is ready to pick up. I picked up my expensive bike for only an additional $23! It’s GOT to be fixed now, right?   Really glad I started early!

On another note, the summer in Carolina has been blazing hot and dry. It was a challenge keeping outdoor plants alive. Even the grass and weeds stopped growing and turned brown.

I didn’t have to mow the lawn for a while because nothing was growing, and also because the lawnmower’s belt had frayed away and it needed to be replaced. But then, suddenly, the past 2 weeks have been soaking wet. Rain deluges daily!

Now that the rains had come, the weeds and grass started growing again and I needed to mow things before leaving or risk returning to a jungle!

So I thought, why not change out the blades while I have the mowing deck disconnected? (They were so worn out that they left a middle strip of un-mown grass in the middle!) And…while I’m at it, who wouldn’t also change out the oil and filter? It’s well overdue anyway! Let’s complicate it!

Between an old, yellowed paper instruction booklet, frequent CoPilot queries, a trip to a mechanic (to use an air gun to remove and then replace the blades), I finally got it all done! The mower was ready just in time.

Maybe it’s a sign that things are clearing for takeoff because it stopped raining and the sun came out just enough that I was able to mow before leaving.

So, now I feel tested and ready! Glad I started preparing early!