Thanks to Nora for hosting!
Things that have me reaching for the wine glass:
-This is my last free Thursday before I start my new job. I'm going to miss unemployment, which I've re-named "funemployment" because it is so awesome. Well except the no money part.
-My new bike ALREADY got a flat tire! Yesterday I biked to a local park, about three miles from my house, and toured the grounds and museum there. On my way home I was maybe 30 yards from the park when I ran over something and my bike tire went completely flat. I went back and tried to find what it was that had so quickly flattened the tire but I couldn't find anything. The tire has a gash in it and needs to be completely replaced. Also I had the fun experience of walking my bike the three miles home in the blistering sun. I really enjoyed all the catcalls and honks I got along the way, and the guy who helpfully shouted from his window "You're supposed to ride it!" Yeah, thanks.
-I also had to make four (!) customer service phone calls yesterday, which was a great way to spend the afternoon. I never got a refund for my Chicago subway card, so I had to deal with them to get that taken care of (and it's still not resolved). I had to call my new insurance company, which it turns out doesn't start my medical coverage until October 1 even though I start work on September 6. I had to call my temporary insurance company, which doesn't cover oral contraceptives because they are a religious company, which was pretty infuriating to find out while I was standing at the pharmacy checkout. The guy I talked to when I picked out this insurance ASSURED me that ALL my prescriptions, which I went over with him in detail, would be covered. Liar. THEN I had to call my new bank because my checks never arrived. Turns out they were never ordered by the woman who set up my account and told me she would order me new checks. FUN! Customer service is so awesome! Hopefully I don't have to make a customer service phone call again for a very very long time. It's going to take me years to recover.
-Our doorbell doesn't work, which you would think wouldn't be a huge deal. But my bike was scheduled to be delivered last Thursday, sometime between 8:30am and 5:00pm. I was trapped at home all day, waiting around for UPS, and when I checked the mail at noon there was a "sorry we missed you" note on the door because the doorbell doesn't work, which I didn't know until that moment. Even though I had been there all effing morning. Annoying. So we had to drive all the way to the UPS warehouse to get the bike. And then USPS tried to deliver a package on Friday, when I was actually home, but the doorbell doesn't work so they left. Which meant I had to go to the post office in a sketchy part of town to pick up the package. Another thing I'm done with? Mail/packages/doorbells.
Things I'm loving, because this week wasn't a total bust:
-On Friday I successfully took the bus downtown, went on a free historic walking tour (at which I was the only person under 60, which was kind of funny), and then took the bus back home WITHOUT GETTING LOST OR STRANDED you guys have no idea what an accomplishment this is. I'm already signed up for tomorrow's free tour (of a different part of town) and I'm so excited.
-Last Saturday we went to the farmer's market and an amazing produce store in the Strip District and stocked up on yummy fruits and veggies. I think the wonderful fresh produce is what I miss most about summer when it's January and 10 degrees outside. Well that and sunshine.
-Also on Saturday I took my bike to Kraynick's bike shop and spent two hours learning about the brakes, the quick release wheels, and how to "true" a bike wheel (balance it so it's not wobbly). All for free! I know at least 150% more about bikes than I did before.
-On Sunday we rode our bikes to the conservatory for the Tomato & Garlic Festival, where we got to sample lots of yummy food and learn how to grow our own garlic, which we're going to do in the fall. We also got to tour the conservatory for free, which is awesome because we are both really into plants.
-On Monday I rode my bike to a nearby park that D and I had discovered and then hiked/ran around for about an hour before heading home. If all exercise could be this fun I would be in amazing shape. I love the freedom that the bike has brought to my days. I'm no longer restricted by where I can walk or take the bus.
Keep your fingers crossed for me that I don't have any other bike-related snafus from here on out, at least not in the near future!
