Wednesday, March 2, 2011

Walking in the Rain


I have been utterly swamped these last few weeks with an abundance of homework. If I wasn’t reading for one class, it was one of my other two, or working on one of my three papers or presentations. Then two weeks ago there was a conference at my college for Architectural History, which took up the whole weekend. The quarter is slowly drawing to a close (two more weeks!) and I still have two papers and presentations to get done. Then I’m setting up my sewing machine! There is a light at the end of the tunnel.


Last weekend I had a language exam, for if you get a degree in Architectural History you must be able to read a language, besides English. It was my second time translating an article from German to English, an hour and half is not enough time for me to get through anything substantial. But I think it went better than my first try, highly doubt I passed.


I rode my bike to this test and while I was almost to the building something happened with my chain resulting in me peddling and going nowhere. That was a bit of an inconvenience, but I figured I’d just realign things when I was done with my test and it would be dandy. Half way through the lovely exam it started raining. If that wasn’t a sign of impending doom I don’t know what else could be. Perhaps the assignment I then got back and was informed I had to redo.


Paper packed away and ignoring the drizzle I started to look at my bike. Or rather I unlocked it. Metal hit the ground. Really not a good sign. I looked down to find this on the ground:


And this is where it went. See where the chain lies? That's where the broken metal piece is supposed to go. Without that the other gears shift back and form making it unstable and unable to be useful.


That is somewhat important in order for me to get anywhere. I attempted to see if I could change the chain to a different gear on the cassette (the back part of the gear-thingy by the tire), no such luck. Which meant I had to walk my bike home. Two miles. In the rain. With a jacket that had no hood and I was without an umbrella. Needless to say I looked like a drowned rat when I got back to my apartment.


Good news though, after spending all weekend attempting to figure out how to fix my bike I found the original receipt for it. By some small miracle I was within the 90 day return policy and didn’t have class Monday morning. So what did I do? Returned the bike, with broken part and bought a new one so I didn’t have to beg for a ride home from my evening class.


I think that was enough excitement to last for the rest of the quarter. And enough bike drama to last me until I graduate and no longer need to use a bike.

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