O'Harass someone else!

I know you’re lying awake in bed, listlessly staring at your steaming cup of Postum, and distractedly flipping channels wondering and worrying about Toby’s bike situation.

As you know already, I finally got my hands on the highly expensive upgrade parts that I just had to have, the expensiveness I blame on the high cost of almost everything here anyway (for example a pair of headlights for the Volvo, brand new, $490 each, the same headlights on eBay in the States run about $150 each), next came the problem of extracting the old part from the bike, and while yanking it free with the help of a hammer, damaging the bracket, and my subsequent meltdown and inability to cope with life.

Well, I’m now at the point where I can think about what to do, and at the point where I realise the world won’t end, I talked to a bike shop and they said if the bracket is cracked, best take it to a custom motorbike shop, they do that kind of welding. So I called a shop in Penrith, and they said about 80 bucks for a small job like that, only their welder is taking a few days off, won’t be in till the end of the week. I for one am glad it’s not a total loss, and actually if you think about it, I could have let a bike shop do the replacement and they probably would have charged me 80 bucks as well. You might say the savings would also have been less grief and anger and frustration, but I would say that balances out with the wisdom I have now gained through experience.  As my Dad could tell you, I tend to have to do things the hard way - not always - but often. I kept telling myself, this should be a piece of cake, why isn’t this a piece of cake?!?!?

I also have a slight stubborn streak. It’s hard to make out, but sometimes, in the moonlight, if you don’t look directly at me, you can see it out of the corner of your eye.

I also wanted to mention a couple of other items, but I can’t quite remember what they are.

I’ve recommitted to getting more video of the kids, I realised the other day how little video we have, that we can show their friends later to my great amusement and to their great embarrassment.

Which reminds me, I have the agonising task coming up in about a month, of choosing my next birthday gift.  This only comes once a year, so I’ve gotta make it good.  Options:

• Sony Vegas movie software
• Laptop battery
• Bike rack

If we were rich I’d be asking for one of these.