Squeaky Wheel

The idiom that the squeaky wheel gets the grease proved to be true because, along about 2:30 yesterday, I heard footsteps bounding up the stairs. Figuring it was delivery and wanting the box placed inside rather than outside, I opened the door and here comes this big guy carrying what looked to me like an impossible weight for one human to carry on his shoulders.

When I get a delivery, I usually say “Thank you”.

Annoyed that I had to complain to get the delivery, what came out was “Finally”.

Getting the box open, the contents out and unwrapped was a workout.

Lots of parts, but I’d read “easy to assemble” online.  What I didn’t see online was “The assembly requires two people”.

Two people or just one very determined 73 year old, though I, as I set about meticulously reading and following directions. Three hours later, I was about halfway done, and reached the point where I had to stop because I needed a second set of hands to hold the console in place while I attached wires and connected it to the mast.

I thought about calling granddaughter, asking her to stop by after work today, but instead tried using duck tape to hold the console in place.

It worked.

The manual gave insufficient instructions on attaching the seat and pedals. I guess the manufacturer thought they were no-brainers.

They weren’t, no-brainers that is, so I turned to YouTube.

Three/four hours into today, bike completely assembled, console lit up -- signifying wires attached properly.

Like I said, a two person job or just one very determined 73-year old. Maybe I should rephrase that to one very determined woman because, I saw a video online where a young woman and her husband were assembling the same Schwinn 130 Training Bike. The husband became a problem at Step 2 of 9, because he didn't want to take time to follow manual directions, got himself dismissed from the job by his wife, who finished the job all by herself as well.

So job well-done me, everything works and all parts accounted for -- except for this.

This mysterious part is not in the manual, and I can't identify it, but better one part extra than one part missing.

Anxious to get the box broken down, foam, box, wrappings to the dumpster before the rain started up yet again, I headed downstairs about 12:30.

Guess who was waiting for me at the bottom of the stairs, across the center divider.

Yep .. cranky neighbor.

Evidently, she saw me coming out the door and waited to engage me in conversation.

I’m thinking the girls in the office are about done with her, because she tells me she went back and got her parking spot changed from 153 to the one she wanted -- 173.

She then mentioned getting ready to go out of town and asked if the mail had been delivered yet.

“I don’t know. Sometimes it comes in as early as 10:30, sometimes as late as 2:00, but won’t hurt to walk over and check”, says I.

“No matter” says she. “I don’t get mail anyway”.

Then why did she ask?