Randoms and Fixed

Randoms and Fixed

Remember the broken items of July? We are well on our way to getting those fixed! However, there have been some snags (and lags). I sent the Garmin back and I received a new one in the mail and guess what? It was the wrong model!! The one I sent them is a new one (the 410) and they sent me back an 8 year old 305! So now I have to send IT back and wait for another new one!

Speaking of that, I was really hoping to get it back before the Squamish 50k! I can't run an entire 50k in a new, cool place, with lots of ups and downs without my Garmin! What will I do!?

I also figured out the car situation. I decided to donate it to the American Cancer society. However, the process has taken longer than I thought. You have to fill out the online form, then they send you a confirmation, then you send in your pink slip and once they receive it, they come and get the car, which they then sell for cash. I lagged on sending in the pink slip, as for some reason I was worried I would do it wrong. Well I finally sent it on Thursday and will hopefully hear from them soon about coming to get the car!

The bike is fixed as well! I took it out for a test ride after I picked it up from the shop and it shifts perfectly. Plus they only charged me $30 instead of the $60 they quoted! In fact, I liked them so much that I told my friend about the shop and he asked if I could take his bike in, so on Saturday I rode his bike over there and left it with them! We are getting things fixed over here! I would like to incorporate a once a week or every two weeks bike ride into my schedule but am not sure I will be able to until after the 50 mile race in October. Luckily in the Bay Area, we can run and ride year round!

manifesto
Manifesto -- Bike Shop

It feels really good to check things off the list, especially ones that have been on there for a while, or ones that are kind of a big deal. It's often easier to do the "fun" things on the list and to pass over the more tedious ones. I am glad to get these done!

What fun things have you checked off your list this summer? What tedious ones have you checked off?
If It Ain't Broke, Don't Fix it*

If It Ain't Broke, Don't Fix it*

*This post is alternately named: Procrastination Breeds Productivity.


I have had several things in my life break lately. Okay, to be honest, a couple of them broke months weeks ago and I have been procrastinating doing anything about them. In fact, am just getting around to figuring out what I am going to do about them. And there is no better way to start getting a lot of things done than a day where you are procrastinating something else.

Case in point. On Sunday, I was going to run. But first, breakfast. Then another cup of coffee. Then laundry, gardening, cleaning the bathroom (you know I am really avoiding something when the bathroom is clean!) and even getting my (2 month late) thank you notes/birthday cards written! And then I really started to tackle the To Do list. This is the list that each week I wipe clean the things I accomplished and add new things onto. Often there are things that I keep avoiding and therefore are on there for months weeks.

So, I started finally figuring out what to do about some of my broken things. I also recently acquired several new broken things, so July is going to be the month of fixing things.

What broke?

New tent. I JUST used it for the first time and then I glissaded down the mountain with it on my back and I ripped it! Luckily (?) it's on the bottom, so I should be able to fix it with just a patch or a piece of duct tape.

Sleeping bag. There is a tiny tear in it. It is not an expensive or great bag, but it has done the trick for a few years. I will probably just keep it until the tear gets too big to bear while simultaneously searching for a good deal on bags. I have actually been looking for a new one for a while, but the combo of lightweight, compact + low temperature = expensive, and I haven't found one in the right price range just yet. I hope my old one holds up until I do.

Garmin. Yup. The NEW Garmin. The strap broke! This is like losing a leg. I have been carrying it around on runs and I will probably send it back to Garmin since it is within the limited warranty (1 year). However, that will mean doing without it for a couple of weeks and I really don't have time for that! I will of course be running a lot, but I also have race weekends two times in July and two times in August so I definitely want it for these. I am not sure how to make this work exactly.

Phone. I dropped my phone in the toilet a few weeks ago. I snatched it RIGHT out (seriously folks; it was only in there for about 1.6 seconds) and turned it off and took it apart (and cleaned it!!) and put it in a bowl of rice. Later I turned it back on and it worked! However, there have been a few glitches since then. The camera makes a strange noise and the photo gallery keeps freezing up. I did not buy insurance and this phone is only about 8 months old, so I will have to just bear it / keep my fingers crossed for another year or so!

to do

Shoes. Have you ever found the perfect pair of black flats and then tried to replace them and it just doesn't work? I had the perfect pair but they wore out so I tossed them and since then, I have bought probably half a dozen pairs in an attempt to replace them. Two of those pairs have already fallen apart! I have searched high and low and spent anywhere from $15 - $60 dollars each and still no luck! I threw the broken two away; there is no use keeping broken shoes.

Car. Remember this? I put a lot of money into this car and it still doesn't work. Now the question is...do I put more money in or do I give up while I am "ahead"? I am on the fence.

Bike. Remember this? I haven't been riding the bike because the chain falls off the chain-ring every time I shift gears. The only gear that really works is a high (difficult) gear. So on Sunday I took a ride to the bike repair shop! Now I just have to go and pick it back up and I am good to go!

Okay, so maybe the only thing I have actually done on this list is the bike (and the shoes), but at least I have gotten the gears rolling, so to speak. This month I hope to figure out solutions for the rest of the things on this list as well! Wish me luck!

What things do you put off doing? Do you have any broken items in your life that need fixing? Do you have any tips for fixing any of these items?