It was the kind of day that makes some folks pine for January: hot and humid.  The air was heavy, the skies mostly cloudy, yet I was loving it!  Once one becomes accustomed to perspiring in public, high humidity can be embraced as an accessible form of exercise.  Just grab an iced tea, kick back, and let the water weight pour off of you.

We loaded up the bicycle trailer for a brief trip to the grocery store with playtime soon to follow, but Fate intervened with her own ideas, which always seem to trump my illusions of self-determination.  I took a right turn onto a busy street for a one block dash to the relative safety of a residential road when the rear tire began rubbing against the frame, causing us to slow dramatically at the most dangerous moment.

Pulling into a parking lot, I discovered that the wheel could be adjusted easily enough, but would not hold its position without being tightened by a wrench.  My face was the Red River of the North, flooding its banks with torrents of sweat as I struggled to both hand tighten the nuts and keep a grip on my sanity.  Dylan kept his cool, sitting patiently as I explained that we would have to walk the bike home first to fix it, then we would go shopping and play.

The equanimity of a toddler in the face of disappointment is rare and inspiring, so I lifted the bicycle by the seat and began the arduous trek home.  Eventually we would go shopping, we did in fact play at a few parks, but in that moment of adversity my little boy reminded me that although plans may go awry, it is up to us to make the best of the situation.  I also learned to carry a wrench.