battered and broken

On his way home Tommy would take a short cut through Old Man Hendrix's property.  Tommy would pass by the old decrepit barn and sneak a peek before scurrying on home.  Each day he would stare longingly at the sweetest, most bad ass bike he'd ever seen.  He admired the sleek lines, the paint that just screamed SPEED, and the tires yearning for dirt.

One day Old Man Hendrix rambled upon Tommy as he had his head in the barn door.  "What are you doing there, son?"

Tommy, startled and panicked (for fear of being in trouble), squeaked out "nothing."

Old Man Hendrix threw the door open and instantly knew as a smile creeped across his face.  "It's a beaut for sure.  My grandson has had many adventures on that bike."  Sizing Tommy up Old Man Hendrix motioned toward the bike, "what do you think?"

Tommy's nerves settled and his eyes widened as he wondered if Old Man Hendrix's was offering him the bike.  "It looks awesome!" he exclaimed with the energy that only comes from the pure giddiness of a child.

"That settles it.  It's yours"

"Really??"  Tommy didn't wait for an answer, he rushed to the bike.  Grabbing the handlebars he pushed it forward, turning to take the wondrous machine into the sunlight.  In all the times Tommy had stared lovingly at the bike he had never inspected it closely.  The dry dirt flowed like the wake of a boat before the back tire.  Shocked, Tommy looked over the frame of the bike to discover the drivetrain was completely rusted out.  The shiny "fast" bike was seized up....

You may, by now, be asking yourself what this little piece of fiction is?  Well....  Let's just say after a week of 12 hour days, including the weekend, I have discovered the drive train is rusted.  No amount of chain lube (me) is going to get this going in the right direction.  To preserve my health (I haven't been eating... and of course there is the BIG TIME lack of sleep) and sanity I'm back on the job market. I feel shitty walking out on a job like this, but it just isn't right.  And I can't survive moving forward with it.  I feel bad for the kids (even though school hasn't started and I only met a handful throughout the week and at Open House) but I do not believe in my heart that I would be doing the job I would want to in the conditions I face here.

Bright side.  Health, happiness, and bikes can all return to my life.

Race Sunday?

Doesn't look quite ready...
In my sleep deprived, nutrient deprived state, I'm not sure how safe that endeavor would be.  But hey, that's two days away, a lot can change once the deed is done today and I'm separated from the stress that has taken over my life.

Even if I'm not on the bike, I'll be at the race doing my other favorite thing - taking pictures.

I'll have to somehow find a good spot on the course the day of the race...