two for the price of one!

Ok...so to family who have inquired as to the long absense from the Blog...check your texts from this morning....to our friends?  Well, we posted a new saying in the shop.."i don't have issues..i have epic novels!"
Suffice to say, we paid off a HUGE electric bill at the house, Thursday last, and wirked out things with our landlord at the same this morning.  The shop is still dark, but will have to wait until household water is up to date!  We are scratching and clawing our way out of the hell of this summer, best we can, but feeling the strain...BIG TIME!
Angi brought up a REAL good point the other day, not only is it the weather hurting us, but the fact that gas is under 2 bucks a gallon!
We can understand why folks don't want to bother riding a bike, risking getting wet when they can drive so relatively cheap.
Sucks though...they lure them in with cheap gas, get them dependant, then hike up the price!  Watch for it folks!  By November...mark my words!
Today, being somewhat coiler, marked Suzannes first trip back to the shop!  We SOOOO Need her back on schedule!  Tired of cleaning up "accidents" in the mud room!
(On to next day...I pooped out)
Well, Suzanne went up today too, but as it was hot and humid yet again, i brought her home early to the AC...she's so spoiled!
Well. Today was pne of blessings!  My family pitched in and we got the water up to date AND the shop electric ALMOST there!!! Yay! Thanks alot folks, we REALLY appreciate the assist!  BIG TIME!  LOVE YOU!
We are now SO close to getting out of the woods we can almost taste fresh air!
Amongst it all, we even managed to get another couple rides out as well before i had to head out, a nice older ladies FS elite, and a kent 7 speed comfort bike.  We are really starting to fill up again, thank God!
I'd post pics...but I'm doing this entry on my phone, and I...don't know how to do that!  Maybe tommorow, time willing!  I have to go to the bakery in a few hours to finish the clean, then to shop...then to the plant...ugh.
Well, today marks Kalebs BIG 18TH BIRTHDAY!!  Or, as we call it around here....D-Day..as in "Decision"  day!  Will it be school....or work? I'm hoping he picks school...but....well, there's a little skeptic in me saying if he does, he'll just keep blowing it off, so he can live rent free for as long as he can push it.  What he doesn't understand is...we have portal!  We'll. KNOW. If he skips!  I've already lined up a spot at the plant....just in case!
Angi got a little busy towards close and sent one ride to a new home...the older Pacific i believe...but I'll check tommorow, that was a nice cheap banger to boot, someone lucked out cause she gave them a good deal.
Well...for now, i'm going to punch out, grab a shower and hit the sack!
G'night folks!

Whoops...out of date!!

So...Okay.
Sat down this morning to get our ducks in a row and realized how woefully out of date everything was!  SHEESH!  Craigslist was littered with listings long since sold, and the blog pic's of what we had available were, like, MONTHS out of date.
I have shirked, and am duly chastised! 
SOOOO, I updated the listings with the newbies we have built up over the last couple days (and we have a bevy more were working on as well!) and will list them below, as we were building fools yesterday! 
I must say, I wish the weather we are blessed with each morning would continue throughout the day, as once nine or ten hits, the persistent heat prevails.  Yesterday was met with gray, threatening skies, so was inevitably, a slow plodding day.  BUT, we kept our spirits up on rebuilds! 
That's not to say we don't get visitors, but as expected, they are holding off until the climate is more predictable and conducive to riding.  Alas, some folks just don't have the opportunity to get out in the early AM and enjoy the cool weather ride! 
Opps, looks like I'm running out of time, I know, sort entry, but here's hoping I have more to write about Monday!
See ya soon!!

WAIT! WHAT? HOW LONG?

Whoa!
I think that's the longest pause between posts for me in a LONG time!
Nine days...
Wow!
So, okay, trippy part is, not a lot has changed!  Still working in the summer heat and darkness (yes, September, is STILL summer in Florida), the reality is, misery loves company.  We have heard from many folks telling us similar tales of woe.  The summer here has been SOOOOO bad for so many people.  Trickle down economics. Basically that means the little guy gets "trickled"on!  Sadest story we heard was from a VERY sweet retiree (well...of age for such, but still needing to work) her family owns a Cadillac dealership and are so hard up, they can't afford lights OR water at their house!  For over three months!
Oh...i yell you...it's the "NEW" America folks!
Well, anyway, harkening back to the old garage days, we have still been building all along, and have added several sweet rebuilds.  Got in a hard to find Hercules "nepal" low step over urban.  These suckers are German "over-engineered" but SAH-WEEEET!!!  Also, most recently, put together a scratch build "big boy" six speed cruiser today, VERY nice, and Kaleb has roughed out two DBS MTB'S ASAP that aren't FUBAR'D! Gonna try and finish them up tomorrow.  Angi and Kaleb have been doing their damndest to hold down the fort as my attendance is not as stringent as i had hoped.  What can I say?  I'm not a young man anymore, and ten hours a day in a non climate controlled warehouse? It takes its toll! Not to mention drinking rot-gut cofee until 2 in the morning, i sit out here on the porch for three hours trying to mellow out so i CAN sleep!  Then up again at 7am?  I don't think so!  Heh!  Wendsday of last week, Elijah didn't realize i was still in bed, came in at three in the afternoon, found me there and woke me with a "hey! Don't you have to work?" Oh ye,,,THAT tired!
But, i have since left instructions to not let me sleep past ten...so more is getting done.
Poor Angi, though, she's getting real hard on herself when the shop doesn't do much, but I try and reassure her, it's not anything she's not doing...just that time of year!
The morning and evening weather is getting a lot better though, so it's just a matter of time!
Today..or yesterday, was our son's Logan's birthday. He's now fourteen...wow!  He's almost as tall as his dad!  Unfortunately, we couldn't afford a celebration, so it was a simple Happy Birthday from everyone.  Yes, over the last few months we've had to indefinitely post pone thre birthdays, but thankfully, they understand.  Bills and survival come first.  Sucks though.  Real shaft for them, but, unfortunately, beats being homeless...again!
Sorry, hate to lament so much...maybe thats why, unconsciously i haven't posted in a bit!  HA!
Every night, i pray it will get better, as we are holding on for dear life to not let this go.  And I'll tell you, its for reasons such as the following, we do...
Got a call from a gent who had brought in a Schwinn hybrid that was given to him with a badly damaged front fork he wanted to see if we could fix.  Unfortunately, the frame itself was badly tweaked, so a total loss.  He understood, but was disappointed.  However, he did go on to explain that the reason he broughr it in, was because we were the ONLY. bike shop he would ever use! He explained, we fixed his Giant last year, after two other bike shops refused  to even consider it, and he should just buy a NEW one, and two other places were looking for a kings ransom to fix it.  Then he found us!  Not only did we do it for a third of the lowest quote he got from the OTHER GUYS but that it had never ran so good!  And as that was his sole way to get to work, it was a Godsend!
THAT'S WHY WE DO IT FOLKS!!!
That conversation made a LOT of our troubles melt away!  Lot's of folks get it, and I thank that wonderful gentleman for making me walk on air for the day!
On the homefront...
Oy.
The "Banging our heads on a brick wall" has only mildly abated, but I'm still dealing with the arrogant prick I was at eighteen, and have come to the sad conclusion that had my mother, in fact, chosen to kill me in my sleep, when all the facts came out at her trial, it would have been ruled a "Justifiable Homicide "!
Ugh!
How i survived....I'll never know!
Kaleb turns eighteen in a week, and is under the same delusion that somehow his life will become a magical whirlwind of freedom and unbridled joy...
Criminelly!!!!
Has he been LIVING in the same house!?!?
Had to spend this morning having ANOTHER. "Coming to Jesus" talk this morning.  In one ear, out 'tother!
Oh well....we have five more ro pin our hopes too!
Allright, i best get cleaned up and hit the sack...long day tomorrow!
Love ya folks, see ya soon!
God Bless!

Our Own Fabulous Furry Freak Brothers!

 WELL!  That's the way to start a Monday!
Went out to have my morning coffee as the kiddos got ready for school and was delighted to feel a slight chill in the air!  There was even actual dew! Oh, I'm so having hopes fall is on it's way! We felt the cold shift last night after dinner, but thought it was more wishful thinking than anything else.  Saturday showed a littke promise as well, as several folks were coming in to get their rides in working order.  A sure sign that others are cautiously optimistic as well.  Although, a sure sign of the still refraining financial strain of this season, was the sheer volume of folks desperate to sell stuff. Sad, truly, as i had to be very selective given our cash crunch.  We did, however pick up a couple goodies, in the way of a girls 20" that looks brand new (as that was a donation from our good friend, John) and a ladies DBS that is also in excellent condition.  I'll have pics of them tomorrow as i forgot to charge the computer. Sorry!
Saturday, we just chilled. Friday night , usually reserved for movie night, was instead utilized for "discussion" time with the older boys, as the younger ones watched the pic.  Oh...Elijah was of the mind, Thursday night to try and convince me of the way life really works.  Convinced that happiness trumps everything, regardless of morality, legality, common sense or the pain and suffering one persons happiness inflicts on others.  Not to mention a genuinely sincere diatribe of how certain laws, make NO sense, therefore, he is not oblidged to adhere to them.
Oy.
He went on for sometime informing me that my outdated mode of obeying the rules put forth by society was senseless, and i was patient (to a point) to listen to his well worn, often repeated, reasons why certain things shouldn't be outlawed.
Yawn.
Somehow, he was under the impression his arguments were original.  Honestly, there were people in my parents generation saying the same bloody things, verbatim.
Once we got to the point of him asking me "so why is it illegal" i gave him the only answer that really matters "because it is."
I think he was looking for more, but given the fact I don't make the laws, doesn't matter what my opinions are, just that its my obligation to follow the law, and keep my family safe.
Yes, this went on for sometime, so in the end, Angi and I missed the movie, but watched it again with them on Saturday.
The final agreement with the boys was simple, in our house, should i even get a whiff of anything illegal I would be the one to have the police haul them away. And if, in fact, that was the lifestyle they would choose, they best start looking for another place to lay their heads....yesterday!
So, onto happier tidings! A belated SHOUT OUT to our friend, and frequent regular, Tim.  He buys and sells road bikes, and brings his booty in for work, and last week had a couple needing tweaks.  Knowing our current predicament, and the heat wave we (we'll, Angi more than me) have been under, he went out and found a couple battery operated fans to keep her cool!  Thank you SO much young sir!
Today, as it is cooler in the shop, I'm going to start stripping down some of the rides we've picked up that needed more work than we could endure the heat for (ok...I'm a whimp ) and bring them to the plant tonight and finally get to test them out on the sandblaster.
So, with that, best get a move on!
See ya soon!

Work Time Is No Time For Nap Time!

Yea, bit of a break there, but it's only been due to chaos. LOL! 
Things have gotten a smidge better.  We're at least seeing a few more faces come in, and more folks are starting to get out on two wheels again as the mornings and evenings have been slightly milder (rain not withstanding!) and of course, months of inactivity breed the need for tweaks here and there.  We've even managed to send a couple rides to new homes as well. 
This weekend was...well...not sure what the heck went on!  I was a little under the weather dealing with nausea and a persistent headache, but still trying to "Press On!" so I tried to keep up the schedule.  However, on Saturday, sitting in the back of the shop, having done everything I needed to do, I was just trying to rest my head, and, dangerously, kept nodding off!  Oh yea!  NOT good!  Trouble is, I have a "condition" (low grade narcolepsy) that allows me to function, walk, talk and interact when I'm sleeping!  Especially in times of heightened stress!  What? Stress? Around HERE!?  Yea, surprise, surprise!  Now, I have splintered memories of the interactions, but vague at best.  Here's the kicker!  I had been waiting for a young lady to come in and pick up an old Schwinn three speed, that we refurbed for her in exchange for a bike she brought in a while back.  She had bought a Townie "GiGi" a few years back, wanting vintage, but it only looked that way, and wanted the real thing. Now...I'd called and spoke with her earlier, and she informed me she would be in, in a little bit, than, having nothing else to do and my temples throbbing, I went out back and plopped in my wicker...and apparently passed out.  Next thing I remember, was Angi and Rozy, having come back from the library, rousing me when they came in.  We talked for a little bit about their adventures, than they left, and as I stood in the shop, alone, I looked around...and realized the Schwinn was no longer where I left it! 
Then....that creeping, fog enshrouded semi-awareness that accompanies the remembrance of any interaction I've ever had while "sleeping" slowly crept in.
OY!
I can remember greeting her, giving her the bike...but I cannot remember what....I.....said.
OY!
See, the trouble is, in that almost trancelike state, the conversation can go one of two ways, either I am completely coherent in my speech OR it will start out that way, and than degrade into incomprehensible ramblings (not unlike this blog HA, HA!) Oh...I can only hope it was the former!  (for example, one time, a friend of mine, who's house I had crashed at one night, told a story of how I shot awake in the middle of the night, got up, made myself a bowl of soup (cold from the can) and grabbed a box of pop tarts, sat at the end of his bed, and just started to talk pleasantly about the events of the day.  It was when he spoke and responded, he stated my eyes went wide, I jumped off the bed (dropping my snack) and looking forward, I apparently started stabbing my finger towards a corner of the celling shouting "Blood Money, Blood Money!! Rate a Penny! Rate a Penny!!"  I, to this day, have NO idea what the hell I was talking about! (and was never invited to sleep over again!) )
So, you see my concern for what, if anything I might have said!
Anywho, as no formal charges have been made (ha, ha!) I can only hope it went well!
So...anyway...
Yesterday was a bit of a SNAFU.  Angi came in to open the shop, as I was on my way to clean the bakery (was not up to it on Sunday) and to also check and see if the plant was in operation on the Holiday (it wasn't! YAY!) Trouble is, that morning, when my ultra rude alarm on my phone awoke me for the third time, I apparently shut off all the volumes.  Ugh!  Angi came in, shop phone in hand, only to not know when and if anyone called!  Until of course, several hours later, I came in and told her.  Needless to say, we missed a lot of calls.  Thankfully, I managed to reach a few folks, and they were looking to come in and check out the wares.  Here's where it got comical! 
For some unknown reason, three of the calls were looking for a 24" ride for a young girl. 
We had one left.
Oh...don't get ahead of me...
The first family to come in, gave it a test ride, liked it, and were more than happy with the meager price.  Actually, they were quite thrilled.  As it was raining, and they only had their family car they stated they were going to run home so they could grab the work van and come back and snag it.  Now, he left without paying for it, and while technically that meant it was still up for grabs, they were so smitten with it, I decided to consider it on hold.  Angi brought up the question "what about the others who wanted it?" A good point, but I still wanted to keep my word. 
Now it get's really interesting...
As Angi and I sat outside playing cards, two vehicles arrived, simultaneously in front of the shop...I mean, their tires bumped the curb at identical times!  The Indy Speed Way would have been studying the photos for HOURS to determine the winner!  We both looked at each other and chuckled a nervous laugh, chiming in unison "Ohhhhhh boy!"   Sure enough, it was the gent returning with the van AND the lady from California who had called first.
Oy....
Everything turned out okay in the end.  The gent was happy with the ride, and the young lady understood the timing, and even took the time to have her daughter try out the sweet 20" Mongoose we had ,which truthfully, fit her daughter a lot better than the 24", which would have been too big.  They decided to look around a little more, and that's cool.
Then, going back to our game of war, another two fathers came in with their daughters....looking for a 24"!
Sheesh!
Okey Dokey!  Now, I'm going to look desperately for something to keep me busy!
See ya soon! 

Back to the stone age, WILMA!!!

Oy.
Another slow night! This time around I only had about an hours work!  Sheesh!  I actually went out to the back work area with a bucket, and spent three hours hand picking all the little left over bits of metal off the ground. I was THAT bored!
Seems things are slow, all over, as there was no call from Angi that anything needed my attention at the shop, so I ended up sleeping until almost one pm!  She did, however, manage to pick up a couple rides, that while a tad bit outdated, were prime candidates for "AS-IS SPECIALS!!!  Requiring little more than a couple tweaks, they went out super cheap!  We pass the savings on to YOU!!  Yea... we're swell that way!
Hopefully, providence will step in, the weather will be nice, and we can have a busy day.  We did get in a couple more repairs and FINALLY found a source fir 26" presta valve tubes, so I can finish working on a customers Cannondale!  This thing has been sitting fir two weeksin the summer doldrums for us to licate sone!
One thing I DID accomplish the other night, was to build "DADDY'S BLACK BOX" out of scrap wood!  What this is, is a locking control box for the power stick where all the TV and whatnot cords are plugged in.  Once installed, I and Angi will have total control of when any of the entertainment is utilized.  From now on, this family is going "techno cold turkey!"  TV, video games, ETC. are a reward for school achievement, and completion ofchores and the like.  No more zombies droning out all of existence and reality for "feed me" instant gratification!  No, they'll be reading, playing games, going outside, clumbing trees, riding bikes, the things kids SHOULD do!  And just wait until Sunday!  Thats when i unceremoniously collect ALL the cell phones, hand helds, adaptorsand power cords and lock them away in my tool box, come monday, at the plant.  The mandate being, they won't be released until the end of the school year and ONLY if they pass with a B average or better! As far as the older boys?  Only, when they get a job, can pay for the setvice AND towards the electric consumption to charge them!
Oh, and I'm getting a lick box for the thermostat, setting it at 80 and leaving it there!  Oh heck yea!  I'm going all militant!  I'll be damned if I'm paying another $600.00 light bill so the kids can keep the house at 65 every damn day!
Samuel L Jackson eat your heart out! Im the TRUE medieval!!!
And to put one final nail in the coffin, I'm going to have a landline put in the house, and scour second hand shops for a wall mounted roatary phone for the kitchen, in case of emergencies.
Daddy is SO freaking serious!
Alright, about time for a shower and bed, then up again in three hours. Yahoo!
Make it worth my time!  Ha Ha!

I swear...that clock is going BACKWARDS!

Lord, what a SLOW nighr!  Sheesh! Got into the plant this afternoon and my to-do list was only four items! About two hours worth of work i had to stretch to ten! Seriously, by eleven i was SO BORED i contemplated climbing into one of the machines and taking a nap. Turns out it was already packed up inside with the extra equipment...no place to lay down.
+Sigh÷
Turns out they are training new people in first stage, so production is very slow. All the other departments were just as bored, but better than me at looking busy.  But, with no supervision around to give me something else to do, i wandered about, seeing if I could help.  Not so much...they were all trying to look busy as well!
I only popped my head in briefly at the shop this afternoon, did a couple assessments for repIrs, and checked out a little Mongoose BMX Angi picked up.  Didn't need much work, and hopefully Kaleb got it taken care of.  One of the repairs we ended up getting for parts, as i unfortunately had to let her know the repairs far exceeded the value of the bike.  She bought it from us about a year ago, lent it out, and they left it outside, after beating it to death.  Hate to write off a bike, but don't want them to waste their money either.  No worries, though, we'll get her hooked up with something better!
Angi also sent the ladies giant hybrid to a new home this AM.  We'd had a LOT of calls and texts on that one, but it sat for almost two weeks!  Then, without fail
, no sooner do we sell it, do three more people come in expecting to pick it up!  LOL!
So uea even with this opressive heat, starting to get busier! Fingers crossed!
lmost have enough to pay taxes, then on to lights!
If nothing else, Suzanne is getting fat and lazy wothpit her daily jaunt to the shop.  Oh, i can't have her come up now!  No AC and the poor girl is miserable! You would be too wearing a fur coat in Florida summers!
I spent the remainder of the afternoon cleaning and organizing my bay, not to mention finding all my tools the boys keep leaving lying around!
Hoping tomorrow brings more folks out, just avoid the afternoon sun.  Ugh! Thats a killer!
Okeu dokey, shower and bed. See ya soon!

Mr Roboto!

Well, early night tonight! Things have slowed this week at the warehouse, lots of folks taking vacation days for the time being. I had a short list, which was good as i felt like tital doggy poo when i went in. I think it's stress mashed up with forcing myself to consume some carbs for the long nighr. Not a good thing in the heat. On top of that a headache, so once i was done with the list, i requested an early departure. Chilling on the porch now before i hit the shower.
Today we had a couple(or few)repairs, and srnt the Specialized to a new home. Haven't touched base with Angi yet as if there was anything else after I left, as she's passed out asleep right now. Hopefully I'll get the full scoop when she wakes up. Still not anything new to report, funny how you grow dependent on power tools! But, nothing new coming in, anyway. Oh, i am praying so hard for the Snowbirds to come SOON!
Oh, I've been meaning to rant on this one thing i heard in the odd moment of actually listening to news a few nights back (swung past NPR while trying to escape the incessantly repeating 20 songs on all of Floridas radio stations!) They had an interview about this "Hacker dump" of all the personal information of ALL the people who had patroned a "cheating site". Now, forgive my bluntness, but i think any who comits adultery should be branded on the forehead with a BIG A, but thats me. Seems that some pious hackers thought it would be a good idea to post everyones info for the world to see. Hmmmmm? Ok, the righteous side of my brain, at first, shouted "HELL YEA!" but then the calmer side said..."wait..." lets face it, people can do some dumb sh...tuff, and many of these folks may never have actually "hooked up". But what i find REALLY disturbing is...how does ANYONE know if the people listed ACTUALLY are who they SAY they are!? Talk about a good way to frame someone! I mean REALLY, do you TRULY think all those people you chat with and divulge your life too on Facebook are Really real?  Well, i guess of you enough of a knuckle knob to give out a lot of personal info to a total stranger? Well, you deserve to get screwed every way to Subday! I mean, do you KNOW how easy it is to post a fake bio to any of these things?  Here's a hint, go to yahoo, make a fake Email  adress, go online, type in the kind of person you want to be, hit photos, and youll have a tsunami of pics to choose from! You have now changed from a 49 year old, slightly overweight white male, into a buxom 22 latin girl (pictures courtesy of adds for spandex!).  Then, get creative, write up a backstory, and get friended ALOT!
Yes folks, the numbers are in, 87% of all responces online are NOT real people!
So no wonder my incredulity!
Allright, i best get some shut eye!
See ya soon!