"Keep a Journal: How else are you going to get a good look at who you were?"

Tuesday, October 11, 2005

Laurie's been telling me for some time that all the sick days I'm taking will catch up on me...

So I called my sweetie today and said; "Hon, do you remember how you said that I would get in trouble for all those days off I have taken?" "uh-huh" says Laurie, sounding mildly un-impressed.

"Well,"I continued; "today, they GAVE ME AN AWARD!".

She chuckled.

I got a gen-eww-wine HBC Logistics nalgene water bottle and a certificate congratulating me for 3 months perfect attendance...apparently I have had no absences for July, August and September of this year.

How the heck did THAT happen???

It certainly wasn't intentional...I mean, the recognition is nice, but I wasn't actually looking for any.

I am still riding my bike, and keeping it in good repair is becoming an increasing chore. The bike was "old" to begin with, now it is becoming truly decrepit. If it weren't for the supply of fresh corpses I get from neighbors, family and fortuitous circumstance; I would not be able to keep the clapped-out hunk 'o junk rolling. Currently, it needs a new chain, which I have; and also a new freewheel, which is currently soaking in lamp oil down in the shop.

Lamp oil?

An accidental discovery...lamp oil is a heavy oil, so it makes a good lube for freewheels; but it's also volatile, which means it contains light fractions that give it good penetration in metal and the ability to dissolve tar and residue inside the freewheel. I've resurrected two or three freewheels which were "shot", and got months more service out of them from this treatment. You get a small plastic bowl, with a bottom diameter smaller than the large cog on the cassette; this will leave a 1/2" or so space between the bottom of the bowl and the bottom of the freewheel. Pour in enough lamp oil to completely cover the cassette, and leave it overnight. Next morning, you will find a well-lubed cassette, and a small layer of dark sludge on the bottom of the bowl.

My Harem:

I have a harem of bicycles. I need to decide which of my lovlies I must part with...mainly 'cause it's getting REAL crowded under the deck out back and I don't even have enough room for the KIDS bikes!!!
Ouch...

ouchouchouchouch...

Spent two days this past week on the couch wallowing in self-pity...

...which was a bad move.

I should have selected a more supportive surface. Me lower back is all stiffed up again and was quite painful for a day or two. Icy Hot and Tylenol are keeping me going.

I'm going to ride the bike tomorrow, as L needs the car and I need to get my ass in gear before I start to blimp out again.

Bob managed to nick a couple of bikes for me that the city confiscated and held for a couple of homeless transients who were camped out at False Creek last spring. I feel so proud to own these bikes...

...first of all, they were owned by poor people who got (and are still getting) bumped from pillar to post. Add in the fact that they were probably stolen from someone else before their time among the great unwashed...

One is an original condition Schwinn World Sport - circa 1974. If I were to restore this to "mint and rideable" condition, I could probably get someone to drop a few dollar$ on it. It still has its original tires, for pity's sake! The only thing wrong with it is that it's previous owner-of-no-fixed -address didn't take care of it...and the city left it out in the rain for six months.

The second one is a mid-price ATB from a LBS (too nice to be a Dept. Store machine) with much the same issues: neglect, then more neglect as it was left to the elements by the city of Vancouver. I'm kinda glad Bob "rescued" these for me. I think I shall restore the Schwinn, then see if I can Ebay it. The ATB I will also make roadworthy, and then probably give it away to someone who needs it.

I am in a bit of a quandry about what to do with the 25$ the church group commitee paid me for fixing lionel's bike. It may well be time to start my own "mad money" account at the Royal. I have no complaint about Laurie's managing of our money (we may yet get our Visa card paid down...), but it would be nice to have a little "walkin' around money" of my own that I...well, don't have to ask permission to spend. I will have plenty of ca$h coming in if and when I decide to get serious about being a bike-mechanic-to-the-masses (I work cheap); and this venture with KWY could yet pay off if only I got a little more serious about it. I see...I see...lots o' money, if I can just balance earning a living long enough to go out and MAKE some money.

Quotes by Brianarc:

"Philosophy is the Opiate of the Intelligentsia"

"A car officially achieves Junker status when you have to attach pieces of other cars to it in order to hold it together and/or make it run"

"Buckley's Mixture will not cure your cold, merely throttle it into submission"

"Ralph Nader jokes are unsafe at any screed"

"Conceit is baseless, Arrogance is when you can back it up"