Miss. Communication

So this weekend, Firstborn went on a 25 mile bike ride with the boy scouts. Well, sort of. He went to the bike trail (about 45 minutes away) and stayed overnight, but it was raining and snowing and the leaders (bless them) felt that the mixture of fall leaves on the ground with rain and snow was an unsafe combination and so the boys just stayed at the camp for the day so that one of them could finish an outdoor cooking requirement. They came back last night cold, tired, and wishing they had never gone.

It's the back story that is really interesting.

You see, we have been putting off buying Firstborn an adult bike because 1) it took him so long to ride, 2) he showed absolutely no interest in getting an adult bike even after the neighbor's twins got adult bikes, and 3) we had a hand-me-down teen bike that still fit him. So, when he announced that he wanted to join the BS troop on the 25 mile ride and we couldn't nudge him to understand that this was a long way to go for your first distance ride, we decided that he probably needed something more grown up with larger wheels.

I looked around on line for an American made 18 or 21 speed bike. I still can't get over the fact that 10 speeds just isn't enough. Target carries some really nice Schwinns that were somewhat in our budget, but DH really wanted to fit him and buy from a small bike shop where they know what they are selling. So off he went with Firstborn and they came home with a Japanese made 21 speed bike that cost a wee bit more than I wanted to spend. DH believed the line about American made bikes are either crap or too expensive. The only American made model at this shop was over $1,000. As you read this back-story, you will know why a $1,000 bike is just not acceptable for an 11 year old boy.

Firstborn is very happy with the bike though, which is very important. He rode it a bit, wiped out once, and didn't really make us feel any better about the upcoming 25 mile ride in the freezing cold. However, I'm trying not to be the overly protective mum who doesn't let him do anything.

So, Wednesday night, he headed out for his pack-out. This is a time when the boys get together and pack the supplies (tents, gas cookers, rope, TP, etc) that they will need for the trip into the troop trailer. I had a meeting scheduled at my house and DH was out of town on business. So I arranged to have some friends drive him to and from the pack-out.

When he arrived home, I sent him straight to bed because it was late and he didn't say much. I later went outside to bring the garbage to the curb because DH always seems to plan his travel around garbage days. I notice the bike was gone. I was kicking myself for leaving the garage door opened. Our investment was gone and Firstborn would not be able to go on the bike trip. This last point I was ambivalent on. I knew he would be crushed but at least I wouldn't have to worry about him freezing to death. I tried to call DH but he was not answering. So I called the sheriff's office to report the robbery.

The sheriff's deputy came that night and took the report where I explained the missing bike. He asked if it could be anywhere else and I confirmed that the bike was in the garage when my son went to his BS event and it couldn't be anywhere else.

I lost a lot of sleep that night upset over the loss of this bike. DH never called back. I had to handle the whole thing alone, including breaking the news to Firstborn. He got up early Thursday to finish some homework he had not finished.

I knew he was still a little sleepy, but I wanted to get it over with quickly. I told him his bike was stolen. He looked confused and asked how. I explained that the bike was missing from the garage when I took the garbage out and someone must have grabbed it while he was at his meeting. Still confused, he said, "but I loaded it onto the trailer last night."

"What trailer," I replied.
"The Boyscout trailer. "
"You brought the bike to the pack-out?"
"No, the leader brought me home and when we got home we loaded the bike."

Guess who had to call the sheriff and tell them that it was all a false alarm.
And guess who had to send her boy off on a 25 mile bike ride in the freezing cold snow and rain.

But guess who was relieved that the bike wasn't stolen and survived the whole ordeal.