My husband said we should get a hitch installed on my Xterra
so we can put on a bike rack. Okay. I shopped around. U-haul was the cheapest
(half the price of Nissan!). We got the works, because--as my husband said--we
might want to actually tow a trailer some day. Okay, whatever. I spent three
hours at U-haul while it was being installed.
Next came the bike rack. We had bought one at Walmart, but
when my husband attached it to the hitch, it wobbled. A lot. Back it
went. He searched Amazon and found one specifically made for our size hitch,
and it promised to be wobble-free.
That came in the mail Wednesday. He promptly took off early
from work, assembled it and it worked. Wobble-free. Problem is: it attaches
with a nut and bolt. Not too easy to take on and off, but easy enough for
someone to steal. Hmmm… Now he’s looking at finding a locking bolt. Yes, they’re
out there. And for our model of rack.
Who knew two bikes would cost us so much money, time, and
effort? Ah, but let me tell you, it sure is a lot easier to tote those bikes
now!
We rode 11 miles on Wednesday (yep, my butt was feeling it).
I hope we get out on Sunday (since I’ll be at a writers meeting on Saturday).
Looks to be a great weekend--weather-wise.
So…have you spent an unexpected amount of money on something
lately? Care to share?
Have a good weekend! Go biking!!
Stacy
11 comments:
That's so often the way, isn't it? Last summer the Catbird (my youngest daughter) won a scholarship for an Outward Bound wilderness experience in Maine. Free trip, free room and board, transportation, instructors' time, totally great deal. We didn't have to buy backpacks or tents, but we did have to buy her a whole bunch of clothes and ancillary items--ouch! But it was a great experience for her, and I don't regret the costs.
When we lived in Chicago, we rode to the bike trails. Greg was fine with it, but I wasn't as experienced a cyclist and it always made me nervous weaving through traffic.
We couldn't have hauled our bikes anyway though. All we had at the time was a little MGB. :)
Jeff - I don't think anything is ever really FREE. But at least it made the experience cheaper!
Maria - The road is narrow (and way too hilly) to the bike path. I'm afraid I'd get hit by a car! I don't exactly "drive" it all that straight yet - haha!
Before we moved here, I was planning on buying a bike and toodling around the area. (We'd only seen the place via Google maps.) After we got here, I said 'no way'. The hills are hard enough to walk. LOL
Have fun with your biking, Stacy. =o)
I tell ya, we never budgeted for how much we're spending on critter food. Birds, yes, but not deer, squirrels, rabbits, etc. (Or the raccoons and possums who steal the birds' suet bricks when I'm not looking.)
B.E. - It's like having outdoor pets, huh? My mother used to (maybe still does) feed the racoons peanuts because she likes to watch them open the shells. Once the racoon brought her babies over. I was lucky enough to witness that. They're cute, but you have to be careful with those creatures.
I love how serious you are about your biking .There's something invigorating about exercising outdoors. :) The unexpected expense in my life is my dear puppy, Athena.
Well hopefully this is a one time expense - costly on the front end, but once you have all the stuff it should be smooth sailing. Maybe it will motivate you to bike more - more bike rides equals better bang for your buck. ;)
I spent a fair bit of money on my car lately, but can't say it was unexpected (it is older) but no fun regardless.
It is super sunny here today, with a gentle cool breeze, and your post is encouraging me to get out on my bike! Keep having fun! :)
Samantha - Yep, I'd much prefer to work out outside. Unfortunately, when winter hits, that won't be possible. Then I'll be sad :(
Jen - I know all about the expenses on cars, too (we have 3 of them). But it's cheaper to get them fixed than to buy another one. Hope you get a bike ride in today!
But think of how healthy you'll get, and how much longer you'll live. (Once you get over the stress of spending all that $$$, that is.)
I spent a good bit on a quality juicer, though that wasn't unexpected. Hope your bum, feels better and you get tons of fun rides from your new toys.
Cheers and boogie boogie.
Michael - And if it comes to when I can no longer afford to buy gasoline for my car, at least riding a bike won't kill me, then. Right??? Haha!
Ivy - Seems you're having tons of fun with your juicer. Congrats on the weight loss!
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