El día de los hombres de la basura

I hope that translates in an inoffensive sort of way.



So far, 21 miles this week in two days of commuting. No flats yet.

It's much darker when I leave in the morning this week than past, I guess that's what a week off will do for one.

I'm thinking I would like to mount a headlight UNDER the basket. Probably yet another idle pipe-dream.

Not coughing up any black gunk from smoke and/or particulates yet, does that mean I'm good?

Don't Ask

Dont' tell nobody, but against my better judgment I went for a bike ride to Spring Valley this Sunday morning.

Saw this broken medallion at the end of my street. Someone must be heartbroken!



Does not the cigarette butt make the picture?

Have been meaning to get an picture of the temporary library/office building going up in La Mesa. Finally did!



It was cool but warming up as I rode. Oh, I fogot the moon pic! I took this as I was leaving the house.



You are saying, so what? It's the moon.

Well, it IS the moon.

How can you tell me the sky is the limit, when there are footprints on the moon?

That's a paraphrase of a sort of quote in a Coben book titled "The Woods".

Spring Valley has very nice bike lanes on Sweetwater Road., but they need to be swept more. Lots of glass, trash, and brake shoes. But it is STILL way better than Mission Gorge Road in downtown Santee, which is a death trap!

I continued down to Sweetwater and Jamacha Blvd. (not to be confused with Jamacha Road, which was one block north.). I wanted to get a picture of San Miguel Mountain, but there was too much haze/particulates in the air. Probably a bad idea to be riding, even! Anyway, couldn't see anything of the burned area, so I turned west then east on Elkelton Blvd. A much nicer, residential, road than Sweetwater Blvd.

I heard, then saw parrots!



I must confess, I did a bad thing. I was riding along Elekelton when a rather large man starting jaywalking, I mean crossing, the road a ways ahead. He looked for cars, saw none and waked a leisurely pace. I could see our paths were converging, and I was a bit put out he wasn't moving it along. So I maintained my speed and we got closer and closer and ... he looked over, jumped a foot in the air, let out a yell and ran out of my way. I said, "Hey." So that was bad, he obviously DIDN'T see me, and I shouldn't have been such a jerk.

My keyboard tray is broken, it's half-sitting on my lap, and every keystroke makes a "bang".

The charming thing about Elekelton is the Foster's Freeze at the corner of Elekelton and Jamacha ROAD. I have fond memories of blackberry shakes, onion rings, and hot pastrami sandwiches from Foster's Freeze.

Continued home in a round-about manner, saw pile of bike parts, what's up with that?


Right-click and choose "View Image" to see the whole thing.

Free for the taking? I don't see any Merckx bikes in there, do you?

As I went under the 94 overpass someone yelled out "Hello" (or something), but I never saw who it was, or what it was. Another crazy cyclist out destroying his lungs?

I stopped over at the Heartland Youth For Decency Vietnam War Memorial, said to be the first in the United States, according the the American Legion La Mesa Post 282 Post history page.


I'm over there -----> Right-click and choose "View Image"

That's my new jersey on its premier ride, a gift from my wife for our anniversary. It's a De Marchi, size Large, made in Romania, 100% polyester. It has a gripper around the waist, and one of the pockets is zippered. I didn't even realize it was yellow till I went outside and rode for a while this morning!

Week Stats

Schwinn:     36.82 miles
Jamis:       11.11 miles

Week Total:  47.93 miles

Odometers

Schwinn   6,796 miles    YTD    750 miles  (YStart 6,046)
Jamis     3,710 miles    YTD  1,437 miles  (YStart 2,273)
TOTAL                    YTD  2,187 miles

Re-Tired

DROVE the cans to the recycling, took the money and bought some tires and a tube on sale at Performance. Also bought some drip pans and an element for the cooking stove, BTW.

Bought two Forte GT2/K 27 x 1 1/4 tires on sale for $9.99. Bought one Forte tube, 700 x 35-38 Schraeder stem for $2.99. Tube says on the box it's for 27 x 1 3/8, but the display is marked 27 x 1 1/4. I don't know, seems to fit ok!

Replaced the rear tire on the Schwinn as it was getting down there, the old Chang Shin lasted 3,000 miles.

Did I ever mention the dog my brothers had named Chang Shin?

Repaired the old tube. There was a little piece of glass in the tire in an appropriate spot, so that must have been the culprit.



Threw the repaired tube and the replaced tire on the spares pile, along with the second new tire.
There yah go!

Don't know how long the image link will last, but this nice pic of a 1971 Schwinn Paramount at what looks like Point Loma was posted on fark.com by Lee Harvey Osmond at 01:05:36 PM on 2007-10-26 in a possibly NSFW (Not Safe For Work) thread about Bicycle Lust.



Nice!

Fieday

No, it's ok, I just thought it was punny.

Rode the bike on the Dam Ride, without the Lake Loop, but including a detour to work. Everything was fine there. The guys were warshing the sidewalks down.

I choose the Schwinn for today's ride. Pumped up the tires, the rear tire seemed funny, but I couldn't put my finger on anything, so I took off. It was a little bit cool so I put on glove liners and wore the Yellow Jacket.

Around Fletcher and Amaya I smelled something burnt, looked up and noticed that the median plantings were quite fried. Now that I reflect on this, I believe I read in a fark.com thread that someone's grandmother was concerned that the BIG FIRE had gotten started here, but it was only an unrelated thing. Probably cigarettes. From a cager...

There wasn't much activity at Gillespie Field when I went by, but I spotted this helicopter off in the distance.



You might have to right-click and open the picture in another window to see the whole thing. Or not. I think it's one of those water-dropping Blackhawks from the National Guard. Or not.

A little farther down the rode at Cuyamaca and Weld you could see the horse park where they are stashing animals that have been evacuated.



The grass is growing nicely in the Forester Creek project. A bit father down Prospect I stopped to take a view to the northeast.



Aren't these big pictures annoying? Especially when they are blurry? But it's not totally smoky. So maybe I won't be coughing up soot tomorrow.

They are doing some work at the dam, clearing brush or something. Involves dump trucks and tractors. There is a flagman on the bike path. He looks bored. Only saw five people on the path today, and no dogs.

I was concerned about breathing ash and such climbing the Jackson Drive Hill, but whatcha gonna do? Put it in granny granny and took it easy.

Taking the long route home, I was coasting down, I mean pedaling down, Fletcher Parkway when I noticed the ride was getting a little bumpy. In a bad way. Stopped, felt the rear tire, sure enough, it's getting soft.

Tried to make it home.

Saw this "Stairway To Heaven" the other day, took a pic today.



It's up by Dixieline, sort of.

Tire getting softer and softer, I made it home, just barely.

Firestomr 2007--Thurday

This has been an anticlimactic fire for me, except for a bit of nervousness the other day when the Harris Fire got within, oh, ten miles or so. But we are in the middle of the no-smoke area, so, so far, so good.

The winds have changed direction a bit, so the diffused smoke is blowing back over us, I believe. It rather hazy, but I can see Cowles Mt. and Mt. Helix pretty clearly. It's warm out, but it doesn't feel HOT, Weather Underground says it was 90° F today in San Carlos, with a 20% humidity. I'm not sure what dew point is, but it's wavering around 30° F. The doors are a swollen up on the domicile, the usually happens when it's dry.

I saw a lady walking her dog this morning, wearing a filter. No, not ME, nor the dog. The LADY was wearing it! The was fending for himself.

I went out to the grocery store this afternoon. First time out since... I might have taken pictures, but there's nothing to see. Very blah. Hazy, as I've mentioned. But this is GOOD! But the point is, I may have ripped them off for a $1.99 green scouring pad package. It was hiding behind the soft drink cube that I left in the cart, as they request. Oh Noes!! I'm going to jail! I would feel guilty, but I figure they owe me another three bucks on stuff they charged ME for, that I didn't actually buy, untill we're even!

I might try to ride the bike a little tomorrow.

Speaking of, ran across this sad story on fark.com today. I'm not sure how I feel about the lawsuit the parents have filed, but I'm sorry to read about their little girl. Hope she continues to improve. The site seems to be on a mission to remind other kids that they should wear their helmets during bicycling and other activities, even it is "just a short ride". Can't argue with that!

Except when playing on playground equipment, though.

Finished reading Katerine Paterson's Bridge To Teribithia today. Enjoyed it very much. Finished Tanya Huff's The Heart Of Valor yesterday. Enjoyed THAT very much!

Wed.

We're not supposed to go outside, or use any electrical appliances.

I can't do BOTH!!

I'm staying inside, even though the sky is mostly blue here.

The mailman had a mask on, though, when he delivered the mail today.

I was watching the fire coverage this morning. They were showing some burned area up in North (San Diego) County. Del Dios, I think, I'm not really familiar with that area, and I forget, anyway.

ANYWAY, the helicopter camera show two mountain bikers riding what I believe is called a single-track trail. I couldn't tell if they had filter masks on, but I hope so! That trail was the only dirt-coloured area in a field of gray and black!

Big Smoke

As you no doubt have heard, we are having a little problem with fire in San Diego county.

I, of course, rode the bike to work today.

Actually, it wasn't bad, just a bit irritating to the eye and throat. A pleasant smell of burning wood. Except it wasn't a fireplace, it was the WHOLE EAST COUNTY!!! AGAIN!


('member to click to pics to visit my zooomr page and see larger images.)

That's not haze, that's smoke to the southeast.



A little later in the morning looking to the north-ish at Cowles Mountain. Which is not on fire. Yet. I don't know how much has been burned, but I heard 200,000 acres, but I can't verify that. LATER: Yes, I can verify that!



Shows the clear blue sky over San Carlos (San Diego). You wouldn't think that 250,000 people have been asked/told to evacuate their homes!



Looking to the east this afternoon, looks ominous!! The Governator is sending 1,200 National Guard troops to help out.



Looking towards the south over the hump at Baltimore and El Cajon Blvd. Smoke is quite a ways to the south, but note the blue sky above! So different from the last fire. That was a yellow haze, like a yellow fog, with ash falling on everything.

The mayor is asking people to stay off their cell phones, and stay off the freeways. Time to fire up the two-meter HT!

Oh, yeah, bike stuff. Two rude people today, one apparently could not see my BIG LIGHT and BIG STROBE in the DARK this morning, tried to BACK out of a driveway into me, just after pulling INTO said driveway. Moran. The other rude-o drifted into the bike lane a bit much on a curve this afternoon.

Work is canceled tomorrow, so no bike ride.

Hope the wind doesn't change for us, hope it changes to the fire fighter's advantage.

I had something hysterically funny I thought of while talking to my daughter this afternoon, but I forget what it was. Alas.

It's Been Two Week?

I had a bug in the computer, so have not been "on the air", as it were., for two weeks or so. Did you miss me?

I HAVE been cycling forth and back to work. Last week I got 50 miles in four days. I was going to ride Friday, but decided not to since I was carpooling to a memorial service down to the beach. It was a very nice service, but also very sad, of course. Especially poignant as the person being memorialized got to decide on the details of the service before she died. There was Mexican food, sushi, brownies and cupcakes. I had some Mexican food, and it was very good.

Dave Moulton has some interesting thoughts on bicycling, check out his blog . I especially liked his entry for October 15, 2007 titled Cyclists and POBs. POBs being People On Bikes. I called them bicycle riders, as opposed to cyclists or bicyclists. Saw this linked to on Bicycle Diaries.

I carried home a pipe clamp the other day on the bike which surely terrified the cagers. Thursday I carried home my 1/2 inch drill in its plastic case. I carried it in the bike basket, which made the front steering rather heavy. But I survived.

I want to thank everyone of you (And that number IS very close to one!) that leaves comments!
Another 110,000 hits per month and I'll be right up there with, well, never mind...

Next week should prove to be very warm, and the wildfires should just add that special touch to the air quality!

Super Friday

Oh, I remember now.

Sometimes I eat my lunch apple while I'm riding home. I usually drop it in the trash can at the bus stop at Navajo and Lake Murray. Today (yesterday, that is.) I followed a different path home. So I'm riding along with the core in my hand, gingerly held, as it's juicy. And kinda slippery.

I'm looking for a hand garbage can. Nothing on the street but "greens" receptacles. I SUPPOSE, technically, an apple core is a green. But it doesn't feel right to toss it in there.

So, I'm carrying it along. Until I get to an intersection where several automobiles are waiting for the light to change. That would be where the apple core slips away and SPLATS, in a minor way, onto the road surface.

I looked back, briefly, and rode on.

Did I ever mention the tirade I went on back in the 70s, when my beloved tossed a pear core out the car window?

TODAY'S ride was quite uneventful, although I DID see someone who might have been The Mad Russian riding, unlit, on the sidewalk in front of Costco; and I ALMOST caught a blinking red LED on Fletcher Parkway.

And I didn't litter.

Thursday Riding

I was gonna post something, but I forget what...

It wasn't about racing an old man (well, older than me!) on an electric scoot-chair up a hill, and ALMOST catching him.

It wasn't about observing a possible traffic-calming strategy on Lake Murry Blvd., consisting of putting the traffic lights at Baltimore on BLINK.

Oh, yeah, it was getting to a traffic light this morning and seeing TWO other bicyclists, with lights (and helmets).

Good ride this morning!

Tol' Ya!

Steve the Swede said yesterday he rode his fixie to work. One with no brakes.

I said, "Don't you live at the bottom of a REALLLY BIG HILL?"

Today he had an entertaining story about going down said hill.

I think he is going to put a brake on it...

-----------------------------------------

I rode to work today, and home again, but nothing even REMOTELY interesting happened.

Hot n' Cold

This post was originally incorrectly posted to My Leftist Commie-Liberal Rantings, and was moved over here where it BELONGS, and backdated, on October 11, 2007!

Even though I am WRACKED by a cold, I rode the bike (Jamis) to work today, to spread disease and pestilence among the peasants.

I arrived at work, hooked up the battery charger, then heard a little "clang". What the heck is that, says I? I looked on the floor, it was a shiny piece of metal that "Trek" stamped in it.



What the is THAT, says I, redundantly, but with emphasis? (How do you punctuate that?)

I thought and thought, and looked and looked.

Not a Trek bike, not Trek panniers, not a Trek seat, no even Trek pedals. If there even are such a thing.

Then I had a thought, boy, that looks a lot like part of the toolbag bracket. Oh, yes, I have a Trek toolbag. And that's what it was. The screws came loose, and part of the bracket fell out. And one of said screws disappeared. Probably is in Santee. All that was holding the bag on was the seatpost strap.



I lost a toolbag once with all the tools, having placed my faith in Velcro. I was inconsolable for years.

I got out some appropriate tools, and a screw that I found in a cottage cheeeeese container, and some Locktite, and went to work.




It went together with a minimum of pain, for once. And the screw is so shiny. And any thieves will have to carry TWO tools to steal it!



All is well.

Did I mention it was a little chilly this morning, so I wore the helmet liiner?
I thought not.

It was 60° F (16° C), for goodness sake!

Super Dooper Sunday

I overcame TREMENDOUS obstacles, namely a vaguely scratchy throat, odd pains in my head, and draining sinuses, to go on a Dam Ride, modified.

I didn't INTEND (Don't you hate people who capitalize words like THAT?) to go that far, namely, 20-odd miles, but I did. But at a VERY slow pace, mind you.

I decided to pick up cans along the way, what the heck.

Saw a nice rainbow in Santee.


(Clicky the pics to visit zooomr.com for an array of sizes.)

Look closely, it's in there somewhere!

Instead of going through Mission Trails Park on the Father J. Serra Trail, I opted to go UP the hill on Mission Gorge Road, then DOWN the hill to the intersection of Jackson and M.G.Rd., then UP the Jackson Drive hill. In granny gear, of course.

I was waiting for the green at Jackson and Navajo when a bicycle person came up the hill behind me and blew through the red light. Perfectly safe, there were NO cars and it was opposing-turn-green, so there was no way anyone was coming, but I still think it was FREAKING STUPID. I almost caught El Stupido when they stopped a block past the light to un-jacket. Could they not have done that waiting for the light?

I collected at least twenty cans, how many do you see?



I also collected some ouchies along the way.



Grease IS a good antiseptic, right?

It looks like we get around 30.91 miles for the week. Two-thirds of them today.

The Jamis odometer is at 3,594 miles. I believe the vehicle's odometer is very near 3,600 miles. This is significant because:

1. They were purchased with a couple months of each other.
2. It shows how much I'm not driving. (Vehicle had 500 miles on it, ""new".)
   
3. It shows how much oil I'm not using.
4. It shows what an ecological stud-muffing I am. Ha! Not...

Flat Tire, Again and Again

Rode the Jamis to work. Had a flat tire on the way to work. Pushed the bike to a comfortable grassy spot with something to sit. Replaced the LONG STEM Presta tube with and old SHORT STEM Presta tube, one that had several patches already. Oh, and of course it was the REAR wheel.



At work I located the holes, TWO of them! Snake bite!

Of course, as I was pushing the bike out the door after work, I realized it was FLAT AGAIN!!

Instead of fixing right there, I pushed it over to Mr. M.'s domain. I started to pump it up with the fabulous Topeak pump. Mr. M. was NOT impressed, and whipped out his Zefal HPx to top off the tube.

I had to stop and pump FIVE times coming home, and even suffered the indignity of crossing a busy intersection in the crosswalk, pushing the bike, to avoid having the tube go flat while in traffic.

But, I perservered, and made it home ok.

Now I need to go out to the garage and FIX IT CORRECTLY!!

Re-Routing

Rode the Jamis to work again.

Since I forgotted to put the odometer back on, I have no idea how far it was. Probably the same as usual. Or possibly a little less. Possibly. NOTE TO SELF: Put odometer back on Jamis...

---

I don't know if I mentioned this, but I took the rack stay off that seem to interfere with the rear brakes. It seems steady enough, but I do carry a lot of weight, what with the BIG gel cell and the panniers.

Mr. M. put forth the suggestion to turn the left rear rack stay upside-down to clear the brake noodle. I said, and I quote, "pshaw".

And yet I tried it, and with a bit of judicious re-bending, it seems to look good.



We shall see if I have stressed the bracket in the re-bending process so as to cause it to fracture.

A THOUGHT: How come blue Loctite smells like mold? Does red Loctite smell different? Green?

Speaking of brakes, take a look at these brakes pads:



The ones on the left are the original pads.

The ones on the right are the Aztec pads I just replaced.

They don't LOOK too worn, do they?

Maybe with the rack stay not touching the noodle the pads will last longer and allow more wear. I don't know, I don't have a firm grasp on the principles involved.

Squeaky Clean

I discovered last night, just before retiring, that I had an appointment at the dentists to have my teeth cleaned today. So I drove. Because of time constraints. Yeh, that's the reason.

After the dentist I stopped by the library to see if my water bottle was there. You know, the one I walked ALL THE WAY TO Performance for on Saturday. The free one.

No, it was not there. And the circ. desk attendant looked at me funny.

I've been looking at Hetchin bicycles lately. Again. Geez, they sure are pretty!

And, just for the record, if someone calls and says you have won 250,000 odd bucks in a sweepstakes, and you only need to give them a money order for 1,000 dollars, and they will pick it up tomorow, it might be, just MIGHT BE, a scam.

Just sayin'...

(pet peeve)
And also, Mr. Television News, it is spelled "sergeant", not "sargent". Geez.
(/pet peeve)

Reline

Rode the Jamis to work today. The rear brake is totally not working, and yet the pads are not worn down. Those V-brakes just don't let the pads wear all the, not like the trusty cantilevers on the Schwinn. I'm sure it's not MY adjusting that's at fault. They DO stop good, though. The Aztec brake pads seem to last longer than the stock pads as, according to my imprecise records, the last time I put on pads was last November.

And so, I replaced the rear pads this evening, at mile 3,563, according the less-than-trusty odometer.

I also slightly loosened the axle nuts on the rear wheel, as Mr. M. was less than pleased with the feel the other day when he tightened the freewheel nut thingie.

I also earled the chain, thinking I had gone 80 miles, when in fact I had gone only 40ish, as I discovered afterwards.

I may have mentioned that I walked up to Performance Saturday and picked up my free water bottle. Living in a Fool's Paradise, as I am, I seem to have lost it somewhere along the way. Perhaps I left it on a shelf at the library. I don't know...