Been tired

Yes, I am a woman who loves my sleep. If I were into tattoos, I'd probably get one depicting the joys of sleep. But this has been beyond my usual sleepy - turning in at 9:30 some nights, sleeping until 7:00, needing a nap midday... a bit much. And then there were my allergies bothering the snot out of me (no pun intended, but I'll go with it). Stuffed up to the point where my ears were clogged every morning. Guess what? It wasn't allergies - I have been living with a nasty cold and had no idea. And I never thought I was easy :)
So today, instead of getting bits of housework done and dragging myself around to do errands like I have been, I embraced the recovery process. It has been a day of tea, Mucinex, and rest. Daniel had preschool today, and both my mom and Jake helped with the child patrol duties so I could rest. I may actually feel better tomorrow, as opposed to the "better" I felt when I was forcing myself to get up and do things.
New project - Jake called me with a curb alert last week - a bike trailer was in the trash near his house. I know I didn't want one, per se, because of the way I thought they rode. I imagined that they would feel like dragging dead weight along the ground, so I made Frankenbike. But I wasn't going to pass on a free frame and wheels, so I grabbed it. I quickly found out why it was in the trash. The frame and wheels were great, but the fabric canopy and seats were torn in several places. So I got out my pile of jeans that weren't earmarked as messenger bags and began sewing a denim cover directly onto the torn nylon one, making use of the original straps and connections. Ol' Blue is nearly done - I have to sew it by hand while the kids are playing outside, so the going is slow. It does need fresh inner tubes, as does my bike and Catie's "new" bike, but what a deal! It hooks up to Frankenbike with no problems, and both kids CAN sit in it together. They shouldn't, since Catie is now learning to ride on her own, but it's cozy fun. Now I have a way to tote groceries and a child, should I want to.
I confess a bit of embarrassment when I ride around with the kids - part of the reason that I covered more than just the torn parts of Ol' Blue was because it really looked faded and trashy, and the Frankenseat looks pretty goofy with all the duct tape. I can't help but wonder if the people around me are shaking their heads in pity. I think it's time to pimp out my ride - I need to make my bike system stylin' as well as cheap.

Score!

Perfect weather for yard sale scrounging today! I found the ideal yard sale, too. They had piles of vintage and antique kitchen items that they were giving away for 5 and 10 cents! I got two enamelware dishpans, two pizza pans, two cookie sheets, two oil lamps with no chimneys, a bottle opener, a flour sifter, a juice squeezer, a meat grinder, and a pastry edger all for $6. At another yard sale I picked up two loaf pans and two chimneys for the oil lamps for $2.50. At a third yard sale, I found a video of "Into the Woods" and a huge wax candle for a dollar, and at a fourth Mom found a solid pine shelving unit for the basement for $2. Unreal. God is so good to us. Mom then had to go swap cars with Dad to pick up the shelves, and was given a 22lb bag of pork chops by the SOM. We're having roast pork tonight, and we'll try making sausage with our new meat grinder!
I tried my hand at yogurt making the other day - easy! All you do is heat milk until little bubbles form at the edge of the pan, stir in a little extra powdered milk for thickness, allow to cool, then add two tbsp of live active yogurt. Set in a jar in a warm place for 4 - 6 hours, and voila! I also stirred in a tbsp of Jell-o powder to give some extra flavor, and it could really use some more sugar. But it works!

Got my legs

Thank goodness, my legs are fine from the biking. Too bad my arms are hurting!
See, after my biking I went over to Jake's to help shovel dirt into a better yard shape. I forgot what an upper body and core workout that is - and how unused those muscles usually are.
Using our free HersheyPark passes today. We're planning on feeding everyone before we get there, bringing some minor snacks like crackers along, and leaving when everyone gets really hungry. I just can't face those captive audience prices.
Pray my patience lasts!

It's ALIIIIVE!!!!

I shall call you... Frankenbike!

I started off with a wooden frame that was structurally similar to the basic bike rack, supported at the seat post and rear axle.

Then I scrounged up some thick foam padding (it was actually too thick, so I sliced it in half with a serrated bread knife) and sprayed the seat with strong adhesive before I put it in place.

I was planning on a vinyl or fused plastic cover, but as I kept working on this I realized that a cover would be a serious challenge, as I have minimal upholstering skills. So, duct tape to the rescue! I used an old belt nailed to the back of the seat as a seat belt, and added small footrests on the sides.

Total cost for project

Bike - $10 at a yard sale

wood frame - scraps from the wood pile

hardware - had some around

foam - found it in the basement

Duct tape - $5.99 for a 60 yard roll

Biking to the library with my son yelling "whee!" - priceless

$15.99 plus personal satisfaction.

I know you're wondering "is it safe?" - I tested it with my full weight on the wooden frankenseat, with no creaking, cracking, or groaning (except for from me - thirty is looming ahead in 11 days). I used solid hardware and wood, and I may have even over-secured it with screws throughout the frame. Plus, it's swathed in duct tape - tell me that thing isn't secure! :) It's perfect for my 4 year old, but I can even carry my (chunky) 7 year old - on level ground. I tried getting up a hill with Catie on there, and all I can say is both of us need to get in shape! Her bike needs a few repairs too, and hopefully we can become more of a cycling family. For my peace of mind, though, I may need to put a bike rack on the car so I can drive us out of our development. I was a little nervous about getting up that steep windy road with Daniel on the back, and I would be more nervous about Catie trying to bike up that way without blocking traffic and becoming a public nuisance.

I did make it out with Daniel, and we rode about 2 miles each way to the nearest library to return an item. Not too bad! Of course, the weather was perfect today. But still, I biked up and down hills, through traffic, and braved weird looks all with an extra 40lbs on my bike!

Tune in tomorrow to see if my legs fell off!