Good morning our beautiful cage family, long time no blog. Sorry about that it's been kinda hectic, somewhat interesting, and all good.
So Hazel started a new stay at home job working for a contractor who does customer service for a phone carrier. She's been in training for the last 6 weeks and yesterday was her first day with her new schedule working 10 hours a day 4 days a week. Off sundays and Tuesday and Wednesday during the week so time to do things.
She's been doing so well that they just gave her a raise of 4 dollars and her manager is thinking about making her a trainer I couldn't be more proud of her. Another plus side of this is she doesn't have to deal with the weather or traffic, gets up has her morning coffee, cigarette, bathroom stop, walks down the hall and boom at work.
Only down side we have is 2 dogs who decide to bark while she is on the phone, most customers are sympathetic about it. I feel better knowing she is safe just a room away, love knowing she doesn't have to deal with the idiot's driving around here.
On another note they made a walking and bicycle trail out of the old rock island railway near our house when fully completed it will connect with the Katy trail and be 544 miles long.
On a dog walking trip awhile back we decided to walk part of it. We can access a place to get on a couple of blocks from our house so off we went. So about a mile away and 2 dogs dragging their tongues on the ground we headed home.
So as the story goes I made the comment we need to get mountain bikes and go riding this trail. So we got Hazel's bike first, she picked a purple 24 inch bike with 18 speeds, I ordered a 27.5 inch schwinn with aluminum frame and 21 speed. New bike helmets, water bottle holders, phone cases, headlights and taillights.
All ready to go, so first night out we get on the trail, things are going well, about half a mile away there is a rather large bridge they built over what I would call a body dumping spot, wooded and deep it was on this bridge Hazel's left pedal feel off.
Needless to say whoever at Walmart didn't do a thorough job, the right one after me riding back home to get the jeep to pick up Hazel and her new bike wasn't all the way in either.
So my daughter living with us decided she wanted to go with us next time so a trip to Dicks sporting goods and a with tax a 600 dollar Gt bike with lever shift and disk brakes in a very cool purple and black paint scheme.
So trip number two, let the fun begin. Off we go everything is going well, Hazel is getting used to which gears to use for uphill and flat ground we are enjoying the sites, we get to a point where it's getting late so time to go back. Not more than a football field later Hazel's seat falls off not all the way but it's either falling forward or backwards needs tightening up and were in the middle of the woods. I'm good at fixing things but hell I'm not that good at popping a wrench out of my ass.
So being the gentleman I am I let Hazel ride my bike back and I attempted to ride this busted seat, to small for a grown man who is almost 6 foot tall while Hazel is 5 foot 3. Now imagine we are already tired it's getting late, nerves are a little strained I seriously considered throwing that piece of shit over that bridge as we passed it. No I didn't we paid 100 bucks for it and I wanted my money back.
So next day bike went back to Walmart, had Hazel pick out any bike she wanted, offered to but her the 500 dollar bike like my daughter's. She found a schwinn sidewinder on Walmart's website had good reviews, level shifters, disk brakes and 26 inch wheels all for 200 dollars.
Bike arrived last Friday, got it put together, front wheel, seat, pedals and handle bar is all to it. I had to mow Saturday while she worked so we all decided Sunday evening would be our next ride.
So trip number 3, all of us had our earbuds, music playing, enjoying the sites. Went about 6 miles out, my phone tracked the whole trip as a little over 12 miles. We decided to head home when Hazel was having issues with her shifters, they are only hitting certain gears and making it hard for her. So we traded bikes and with a seat adjustment I'm good riding her bike back home.
Now please take a moment to get this into your head, right before we left Hazel decided to inform us that people were saying there were snakes on the trail. Ok folks its in the woods what would you expect all the snakes to move.
So it's getting dark, the headlights are more for someone else seeing you not good for lighting a path in the middle of the woods. I'm quite a bit ahead of Hazel trying to get up a hill with her bike not shifting great when I look back and no light no Hazel.
I turn around and start back down the hill all I can think about is some redneck came out of the woods and grabbed her, hills have eyes comes to mind. Round a slight curve and I see the headlight, can't really see the bike or Hazel yet. Get closer I can make out the bike but couldn't see Hazel, pedal faster finally see her. Pull up and she is having a asthma attack and pointing at the bag on her bike.
I immediately hand her the inhaler and after she takes a puff I here the word snake. She ran over a snake, don't worry all you reptile lovers it scurried off into the woods. Clearly she was visibly a little spooked by the whole situation I had to laugh, thinking how she just told us about the mother fucking snakes on the trail. Thanks Samuel Jackson for a classic movie line.
So after getting home we haven't been out again, I have to get her bike to a shop and let them get the shifters tuned. We want to get a hitch rack so we can load the bikes up and go to different parts of the trail without having to ride all of it to get there.
Hazel's doing well, I've had some tummy issues lately but hopefully it won't last long. I took on mowing my neighbor's yard for the summer so a little pocket money always is nice.
Well that's about all from our adventures lately, I'll try not to be a stranger and keep you posted on what's going on. Big hug to everyone, best wishes and much love, Lion and Hazel.
