This is the place where where I periodically (meaning whenever I feel like it, or get around to it) ramble on about whatever I feel
like rambling on about. If anybody is bored enough to want to read my old ramblings, just click on the appropriate year, below, to
read them. (Y'know, you really SHOULD get a life!)
...and a wunnerful New Year to all! I would be out riding today, but the scoot is in the hospital, awaiting surgery.
If you remember the end of November, I had replaced the front brake pads but screwed up putting them back on so they wouldn't pump
up. Needing a new front tire anyway, I took it in and they discovered my boo-boo and I had brakes again...sorta. They
worked, but the lever STILL seemed a tad slack but I figured it would get better as the pads seated themselves. Since I've been
just back-roading it lately and coordinate my front-rear braking, I didn't really notice anything wrong until I was exploring some
Baldwin dead-ends (it's getting tougher and tougher to find roads I've never ridden before).
I came to the end where it
ended in some mansion's driveway and, to make it easier to turn around, I pulled in the upward sloping driveway to coast backward
into my turn-around. As I see shoulder and woods rapidly approaching in my mirror, the brake lever goes all the way to the handlebar
and I keep rolling. It took some frantic readjustment of balance to apply the rear brake but I DID stay on the pavement...and
immediately headed for home at a cautious pace since I'm not an advocate of rear-only brakes on about a combined half-ton of scoot.
Needless to say, I didn't go riding that night.
The next morning, after mulling it over, I decided to let the experts deal with
it. The bottom line is that the caliper need rebuilding (only one piston was working) AND the brake line was getting worn and
expanding. The rebuild kit and the steel-braided brake line are ordered, as well as new pads, front and rear. Until they
come in and get installed, I'm scooterless but, by golly, when I ride fast, I should be able to stop fast..again. In the meantime,
y'all stay safe and be good to one another. I'll seeya when I seeya!
1/17/12
I figured I'd better jump in now, or this might NEVER get updated...a slight exaggeration, but only slight. We had the
annual planning meeting for biker events on Sunday and I am beginning the long process of updating the "What's Happening" page for
the year.. This year's schedule is 2 more pages than last year's, and that's just raw data. Once I flesh it out on the
webpage, it's gonna be massive.
I got the scoot back on Thursday and discovered that I had forgotten how good the brakes were
when they were working properly when, on the way home, a car pulled out in front of me (surprise, surprise) and I locked it up, rear
and front. Okay, a little modulation from there on, and THAT'S part of why This hasn't been updated...I've been riding!
Of course, the other reason is that I've started going to an aerobics/fitness class and I've been downright pooped!
It's called
the Silver Sneakers program (go ahead and snicker)but it's designed for those of us who have been fortunate enough to live long enough
to collect Medicare. It's part of the Medicare Advantage plan I switched to the first of the year to get my drug coverage.
I didn't realize it at the time but it also gave me this Silver Sneaker healh club benefit and no cost. Otherwise it would havew
been another $16/month for the drug coverage and $40/month for the health club. Couple that with the money saved from quitting
smoking over a year now and I'm getting rich! By the way, I've got this bridge for sale at a real bargain in New York!
Well,
that's it for now. I'm gonna get back to my data inputting, do a little Facebooking and BONing and, hopefully, go sleep with
the sound of rain on the roof. Maybe the roads willl be dry tomorrow by the time I finish sweating through my class and I'll
see you out there. Ride safe and look out for one another!
1/27/12
It's funny how time slips away. Between the process of inputting the year's events on the Happening page and my exercise
classes, I've gone 10 days without even thinking of updating. Although the class is only an hour, three times a week, between
getting ready, getting there, getting home and getting un-ready, that's about 2+ hours. Since I try to get off the mean streets
by 3 in the afternoon, it only leaves Tuesday and Thursday for mid-day riding, so I haven't been wandering much. I
did manage to give the scoot a sponge bath the other day though, so she's not quite so cruddy.
I must be adjusting to the exercise
because the pain is becoming background again. Somehow, thought, the instructor always seems to find a new muscle group
to irritate each session. I'm even starting to look forward to each session....sorta. At least, my recovery
time is getting shorter. Beyond that, there's not much to yack about right now. The "What's Happpening" page is done and
published, and corrections and amplifications are coming in already....which is the norm.
It's Gallery Night tonight, so maybe
I'll see you downtown. If not, look for me on the road and I'll keep an eye out for you. Take care, ride safe, and be
good to one another!
2/3/12
Thanks for the reminder last night at Helen Back's bike night, otherwise I'd probably forget this for a while longer.
We did have a small turnout...probably because there was rain within 50 miles. We didn't ee a drop in Pensacola, though.
On the way home, I went via Main street and got to see the test of the Wahoo stadium lights. Damn, it actually looks like a
ballfield!
Tuesday evening, I statrted coming down with the first real cold symptoms I've had since I quit smoking (almost 13
months!) and just went to bed for Wednesday and most of Thursday. Since I slept a good bit of that time, I presume my body needed
the rest to fight the krud. Of course, a sip or 2 of Evan Williams from time to time probably contributed to rest, if not the
recovery. I went tback to my cardio class today and didn't seem any the worse for missing a day. I AM still sneezing,
though.
Been fitting in riding whenever I can between Mom, chores, rain and other interuptions. In fact, the odometer turned
60,000 miles on Tuesday and, weather permitting, it's gonna go a few more this weekend. Of course, since the Super Bowl doesn't
start 'til 5, that leaves a whole day of riding too. Since thi is a Friday eveing, I'm getting ready to ride...probably stopping by
Fat-R-Boys and Custom Kitty's before I head for the house where I'll probably be getting ready for bed about the time I can remember
leaving the house to go out. Times sure have changed with age but, at least I'm still in the saddle. In a couple of months,
I'll be riding into my 70th year and I sure a hell never thought I'd make it this far.
'Til next time, folks, take it easy, ride
safe and be good to one another. I'll seeya on the road!
