One year ago today: April 13, 2014, much useful info.
Five years ago today: April 13, 2010, posting doesn’t pay.
MORNING
Now, not so fast on the replacement Honda Goldwing. There is a lot to be said about keeping the old unit going, and I just had a diagnostic that might indicate the repair to be worthwhile. The persistent problem with the Honda is the electrical is bad. One of the previous owners connected a bunch of stereo equipment and sidecar lighting without knowing the factory electronics can’t deal with that.
Can you sense that one of those fateful decisions is approaching? What if I find out the only problem is that generator? To pull the motor is a $700 affair. That’s less than a third of the cost of replacing the Honda. There appears to be nothing wrong with the engine itself and I know, at least to see, what every bolt and wire on that motorcycle is supposed to look like when it’s working right.
Here’s a photo of Pete the Cactus in the yard this morning, thinking it over. I find I regularly consult Pete on matters of long-term planning. He is, locally, the most capable advisor I’ve ever met. He’s been able to deal with anything that’s come at him so far. And he prevents anyone from sneaking up behind my parked motorcycle.
NOON
“A FWIJ GID’LY NYYW RPAAZYE CI CVY XPRY JIRPW KIZ XASCG-WAWY GYPZX. CVPC AX REZLYQIDX, AC REXC NY LYZG AWYSUYWXALY” --TIVWWG OPZXIW
What? Didn’t I tell you the Morse was in code? So you get today’s in cipher, don’t worry, they are simple substitution codes. You gotta work for your supper around here, Sparky.
That was Agt. M at the door. He stripped the axle threads on the monster bike. All the tap and die and fancy tools are kept here. Under lock and key. He borrowed the ½” thread-cutter, I dunno if that’s the tap or the die but you know, I don’t care. The club rule for borrowing is simple. You break it, you stop what you are doing and replace it. No, not next payday. Now. If you don’t have the money to replace it, don’t borrow it.
You watch, he’ll be back. Why? Because the nut that fits onto a ½ bolt is 13 threads per inch. If you didn’t keep the old one, tough, because there is something funny about the new ones they make these days. I also checked in on the scooter and it will not be ready until late today or tomorrow. That makes me a shut-in. That’s unless I want to ride the bus. I don’t mind the bus except when you have to rely on it.
Did you get a load of the Broward advertising picture? Have you ever seen such diverse and equally-spaced lineup in Nature? Me neither. But for realism and fairness to the reality of Broward Transit, I think the following are missing from the photo. The punk rocker, the frumpy housewife, the gang members, the street hooker, the drug addicts, and the old men in Bermudas. And don’t forget all the broke people who just got out of the casinos. Losers need rides too.
NIGHT
There was nothing serious wrong with the Jamus, other than the fact it is getting old. The entire tune-up this year amounted to $16, which included one new brake cable. The rear sprockets, to which I point, were worn but not to any serious degree. The fancy front drive sprocket is not used much and is left for months at a time on the smallest diameter.
The mechanic at the bicycle shop is a good source of info. At this point, I am only looking at the concept again. And that’s largely because I know a tremendous lot more about welding and gears than the last time I looked.
The Jamus is showing a few age defects, but this does not significantly degrade the performance. One pedal is longer than the other, there is a wobble in the axle between the pedals. It is only noticeable when you look for it. The ride makes no difference at all.
Hence, the bike is a candidate for an electric drive conversion. The Schwinn from Agt. M is pedal assist only, speed is mainly controlled by switching gears. I didn’t much like that system, but it is cheap. I’m more inclined to one of the hub motors ($300 - $400) that I can snap off and take inside at night. Meanwhile, it is back to the 7 miles a day that saved my life. I tend to ride just over the threshold where I break out in cardio mode.
Yes, I see the spelling mistake. “varyatlantic”.
ADDENDUM
There’s a twist on a timeless assumption, Elliott writes last evening that the less obvious advantage of being born rich is the head space. He says you grow up seldom ever hearing “cannot do” or “no” when applied to challenges. He’s got a point. I’d overlooked the dynamic of how, from an early age, you get ingrained with the psyche that anything is possible. I’ve long since noticed that rich kids grow up with a talent for organizing resources that is denied to the schmeebs.
I called it a talent, not an ability. Abilities can be learned. I know that my lifestyle is the result of learning to husband extremely limited resources. Statistically, I live on half what the average person does. There is probably nobody reading this that makes less money than I do. Well, Elliott got me to thinking a lot more of it may be early environment rather that what is picked up along the way. I intend to muse over that concept, why it never crossed my mind before.
And no, it is not a given. I just never saw if from that vantage point before. It is not just a matter of hearing that something cannot be done. Hell, if that’s all there was to it, you could completely avoid ever hearing “cannot do” and “no” by the expedient my brothers use. Simply don’t ever do anything. Problem solved.
Last Laugh
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