Bicycle blues...

Ignore the laundry in the background and the cute baby in the playpen, and just focus on the exercise bike in this picture, then be tormented and frustrated along with me as I tell the tale of my bicycle blues...

So, it is cold now. And it is dark early now. Wes exercises every night by roller blading or jogging around the lake. He cannot anymore as it is dark and cold. I cannot get out much (or at all) to exercise as we have 4 kids. There is no way we can afford a monthly gym membership, so in the long run we decided it was better for us to buy an exercise bike from Sears. We did not want crap though so we didn't just buy the cheapest. We actually looked at the sale bikes, found what we thought would be a good deal and last us as we strive to be thinner. So, we bought it, brought it home, Wes put it together (not a small project), and we rode it. We rode it for 2 blissful day!

Then the clicking started, the click, click, clicking...followed by the skipping...and by the 3rd day we had it, it did not work at all. We called Sears-they said we should call Nordic Track first, then they would help us if Nordic Track didn't. (We had some trouble with Sears anyway as it was not in the original packaging.) So, it was a Friday evening when it stopped working. Sadly, the call center, which is in Logan BTW (which is why I blame Mel for all bike related problems) is only open M-F. So, we wait...

Monday comes around and I call them only to be told I need to remove the bolt (we had already tried that) and remove the pedal and see which part needs to be replaced. I tell her the bolt will not budge and am told to keep trying. I do-all day, spending literally hours.

The next morning, I call back and talk to Tuesday guy. "Listen Tuesday guy," I say "I tried the bolt thing all day and again today and even had my ripped husband try it last night. The thing will not budge." He asks me to try again. I do. Nothing still. He says "OK, let me put you on hold and see what I am authorized to do." Tuesday guy puts me on hold and I make one last desperate attempt...it budges...I get it off-Miracle achieved!!!

Tuesday guy comes back to the phone I exclaim, "I did it-the bolt is off! I have conquered the bike!" He says, "Great-now you need to pull the pedal off. It might take some time, so call back when you get it off and I can talk you through the rest." My ballooned spirits deflate as I hang up. I spend all night trying to get pedal off-doesn't work (but on a positive note, I am in fact getting some exercise out of my bike as I am spending hours of upper body strength training...)

Wednesday morning as call center opens I call..."Hello Wednesday girl. I am a dissatisfied customer and I need help." I proceed to explain my problem. Wednesday girl says "Huh, Monday and Tuesday people told you to take that off? Funny, you cannot take the pedal off without a special tool."

WHAT?!

I freak. I insist they get someone out here to fix my bike, I yell about the time lost in my quest for a perfect body (or at least a more perfect body), I complain about my worthless guarantee and their lack of customer service. I pull out all my best stuff. She asks to put me on hold to "see what she can do." Click. Line goes dead-yes folks-she hung up on me!

I call back, this time in a fury! I talk to Wednesday girl 2 and she very apologetically and patiently helps me arrange to get a tech out to fix my bike. Finally, someone is doing something. She tells me the part will be mailed to me after which I have to call the person to come fix it. The part will ship out in 7-10 business days, then I will have to wait for it in the mail, call the tech when it comes and get his next appointment which could be up to 2 weeks out. I freak again about the fact this process could take up to a month to fix-my warranty on a bike that essentially never worked is going to be out before they fix it (ok, not really) and that I am just sitting here with an isore in my living room. I yell and scream and she tells me she will put it as an expedited order, and arranges for my warranty not to begin until the bike is actually fixed and working.

I hang up still pissed and a bit annoyed, but wait for the part. 2 days later it comes in the mail (yea-things are turning up). I call the tech and he can come on Monday (yeah even better!)

So, Monday (2 days ago) he comes I give him the part, he looks at the bike...wrong part. And the process begins again...AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!

Will I never lose this baby weight?!

AHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!

Take that Jonny!

Will my house and my sanity survive potty training?! I think no...

Lets just say that today we started the only underwear thing-no more pull-ups...

All I have to say is that 6 poops on my couch and carpet later, and 4 pees in various hidden locations around my house, I am SOOOO done... all boy underwear in my house is in the washer, Armour is in a swim diaper, and we are about to go to Walmart to get more underwear-and emergency pull-ups for when mom has to actually take him places...

Oh and this weekend, he is all yours daddy! Enjoy!

Update: I also got chocolate cupcakes while I was there-for me, not him...

AHHHHHHHHH...LIFE!!

Well, usually when I blog it is to show off my adorable family and tell you our greatest (or funniest) news, but today I think I will take a break from my positive interactions to throw in a rave. So, here it goes-this week has been a bit rough. First I guess I should mention that last week when we had our ultrasound (I may have mentioned before that these cost us $250 each time we have one BTW) it took 2 1/2 hours to get the thing done. Half way through we realized the reason it was taking so long was that the girl doing it was a trainee and she had NO supervision. So the last 20 minutes her boss came in and basically redid the whole thing. I told the boss that she needed to make sure it was all right and all was well because we could not afford to come back in to get another one. She understood as sh has the same insurance we have since she is a hospital employee as well. So, just keep that in mind as I mention my week...

Wes was a=scheduled to take 2 applicants out to a dinner on Monday night , but when he called them over the weekend, he learned that they were actually scheduled for dinner on Sunday night. So, though we obviously don't usually go out on Sundays, we took the applicants out Sunday. Shortly after returning home from the dinner and from getting our kids, I started to hurt intensely in my back. Now, being 20 or so weeks pregnant, I thought it must be a pinched nerve or something, but it was more intense pain than I have had before. I had an appointment on Wednesday so I figured I'd just get through until then. This was a big painful mistake, as my back got worse as well as other symptoms. So by the time of my appointment Wednesday I had a whole list of crap going on. And when I got there the doctor had a report from the ultrasound, that basically had some weird measurements (most likely caused my the tech that was learning), but we have to go get another $250 ultrasound in 2 weeks to make sure it was her error in fact. Also the doctor has decided not to change my due date and is going to stick with the May 25th date (I am sticking to the May 17th). Also, I have some sort of bladder or kidney infection as well as a back injury that is going to have me going to physical therapy now (just more medical bills). This is obviously just another blow financially and to my state of mind, made even worse by the fact that (he will hate me mentioning this), Wes got in a car accident (small but somewhat significant to our car as the hood will not open) on Tuesday night too. So, basically, when it rains it pours!!!

Man, Life is crazy, and now I feel better having ranted and raved about that! Thanks for letting me get that off my chest!