Brace Face and Bicycle Fixes

Josie FINALLY got her braces on.  She was scheduled to get them

on the day before we left for Portugal in October but then a few friends suggested that she might be super sore and to be gone for a week just after getting them on might not be such a good idea.  So we postponed it to Wednesday.  She really handled it so well.  I can never tell with her.  She can have a complete melt down over a small sliver in her toe but takes the 2 hours in the dentist chair in stride.
They said it could take up to 2.5 hours so I blocked out most of the day.  She was done in less than 1.5 and once she saw the time when we were packing up she said "I can still make it back in time for drama if we hurry!"  We we raced back to school on our bikes.  She just missed a few minutes.

I am continuing with my ortheopaedic dr and have been now half a dozen times.  It really is helping my back and my feet.  Maybe it is helping because it is the first time that I stuck with something this long or maybe she is that good.  Not sure but happy with the results.  Benjamin went over to his friend, Zeke's house, after school.  I love living so close as I run into the kids sometimes just running my errands.  After dropping Josie off at school after getting her braces on, I started riding through the park toward home.  On the way I ran into Benjamin and Zeke getting on the bus to go to his house.  They had early release.  I rode home and then rode to my Dr. appt.  I rode specifically because it is faster than taking the bus and that way I could race home and go with Josie to her weekly college math class. 
As I was leaving the dr appt I went off a curb kind of hard and my chain snapped off.  I was so mad.  It was raining, I was half way across town, I was meant to race back home to go with Josie to her math class.  I had promised her that I would go this week. 
I've never actually fixed a slipped chain before but I have seen Marty do it.  I turned my bike upside down and set in to fix it.  No luck.  I was getting more frustrated by the minute, my hands were getting greasier and I was getting wetter from the rain.  I texted Josie and said I might not make it. 

After about 30 minutes I decided to let it sit and caught the bus Josie was on taking her to her math class.  At least I could go with her for the last 1/4 of her trip.  I go in with her to the University building, use the bathroom and TRY to clean my very greasy hands.
I wait for the bus to take me back to my bike but I had just missed it and it would be another 20 minutes.  I decided to just walk the 15 minutes, in the rain, with greasy hands.  I struggled with it for another 15 minutes, trying to wipe wet hair from my face without using my greasy hands.  I watched a Youtube video on how to repair a slipped chair and voila!!  I DID IT!!!  I was so proud of myself but also so frustrated to have to ride home in the cold and dark and wet with greasy hands.  I was supposed to meet Benjamin at the bus stop to walk with him home as he returned from his friend, Zeke's, house.  I texted his mom and said I had no idea when

I'd be home and to please tell him to walk home on his own.  As I entered Zehlendorf I took the longer way home hoping I might time it just right and be there when Benjamin got off the bus.  And the one thing that went right that day happened miraculously.  Just as I pulled up to the bus stop Benjamin was getting off!  The timing was amazing and I fixed my own damned bike.  Bad day with a silver lining.