#3, 4, 5, & 6: Bike Maintenance

The goal - 27 instances of Learning Something New From - OR - Trying Something New With - Someone Else. 

During the month of March I spent my Thursday evenings (well 2 hours of them anyway) at Cycle Sport of Media learning how to take care of my bike.

Week 1: How to change a flat tire. Sounds easy enough and truly it was but I've never had to actually change a tire before and I was nervous at the thought of having to do it on the road. I've watched many how to videos but it's not quite the same as actually doing it. I felt much better after this class. I need practice still but I least now I feel confident to try it at home.

Week 2: Gear shifting. We learned how and why gears worked and replaced our own cables. I only did the rear ones on my bike. I was so intimidated by it that I decided not to try the front during class. I had trouble getting the cable tight enough on the rear. My fingers would not cooperate. :(

Week 3: Brakes. I did mange to replace both front and rear brake cables this week. I also think I understand better how they are supposed to work. I learned that it's more than just brake pad on wheel.

Week 4: Drive train cleaning. Part of our tuition for class included a bike maintenance book. Mike Allen, our instructor, highlighted the parts we would need to know for each class. And yes, I did read the appropriate sections before each class. I was more than a little intimidated by the drive train sections. However, after reading it, listening to Mike explain things and removing, cleaning, replacing and lubricating my own chain I feel rather impressed with myself! (Even if my chain does have the easy link piece. We all watched while Mike took the sprocket set off one wheel.

Of course the trick is remembering all of what I learned.

I really enjoyed the class. It was fascinating to learn all these things but also to see the different bikes that each of us had. Mike explained and sometimes demonstrated the differences. Mike is obviously very knowledgeable about bikes. I'm sure he could have done a lot of what he showed us in his sleep. He has a ton of patience and then some.

I'm counting my 4 weeks at Cycle Sport as 4 of my 27 things. Because well, it WAS 4 different things. And also because I really do need to pick up the pace!

Horseshoe Trail Hike: Opperman's Corner to French Creek Elementary School

A 9+ mile hike in early March on snow packed hills when one has done almost zero miles since the second weekend in January probably was not the brightest idea I've ever had. It's probably not the worst either. And now that I'm home, showered, fed and comfortably ensconced under an afghan on my couch I can say that all in all it was a great day! Toward the end of the hike, though, it was difficult to keep smiling, keep moving and not whine. 

The date was originally chosen after checking in with Mike K. We had done the first two sections together (with others on each section). Unfortunately, Mike was not feeling well today and had to skip. And for various reasons from illness to child care issues our group went from 10 to 3 before it began. 

Maggi, Russ and I met at French Creek Elementary School at 9 am then carpooled to a parking spot lot on 113 just west of 401. The first 4.5-5 miles were mostly on the aptly named Horseshoe Trail Road. Not all that exciting from a hiking perspective but there were some nice views and ridiculously large houses. And if I had known what awaited us when the trail would go off road later I might have been a tad less anxious to get off the road. 

At Green Lane we went off road for good. After a short more or less flat section the trail began climbing and descending. The snow made for some slow going. Where others had gone before us their tracks were slippery. In new snow it was tough to get a good rhythm going. If your feet sunk it was ok until the one step when your foot didn't sink and then you were thrown off balance. At some points the snow was mid-calf deep on me. My hip flexors - which have always been a weak spot for me - were not happy. Climbing over the many downed tree branches became a real chore for me. 

Despite all that it was a real adventure and I'm glad we did it. An argument could be made that I was wearing the wrong shoes. I opted for sneakers over hiking boots. I don't like the boots they are too heavy and I end up with shin splints. Yes my feet were numb by the time we were done but Russ said his were too and he had hiking boots on. Given all the high stepping we ended up doing I think I made the right choice for me. 

We crossed a few creeks which were swollen from run off. All were manageable until the last one. Russ jumped and Maggi one hopped it. My shorter legs were so tired and by that point I knew if i tried to jump I wouldn't make it. My feet were getting pretty numb by now too so trying to balance across the narrow branch was not going to happen either. I couldn't feel enough to balance well. so I crawled over and under brush to a narrower point. Russ found a tree branch and three it across the width. Maggi stood on the end to hold it relatively still and I was able to get across.

Trying to cross the creek and struggling through the last two miles or so of the hike made me feel really old. But I made it - there wasn't much choice, LOL. I'd like to think that the long period of inactivity and the snow were more significant factors than my age though. At least that's my story and I'm sticking to it. 

Looking forward to part 4. Maybe in May. 

Spring Teaser

Most people know that I like living where there are 4 seasons and I really don't mind any of them. Winter and Summer have their schizophrenic tendencies yes but I am content to deal with them. Even Fall and Spring - although less moody than the other two - can have their days as well. What is confusing to me is having more than one season in the same season. For the most part the Winter of 2013-2014 has been cold and snowy. If more winters would get with the program maybe people wouldn't hate this one so much. Today and tomorrow though we have a taste of Spring (high 50s and Sunny) but still a lot of snow on the ground. Silly winter.

However, I decided to take advantage of the Spring Tease to remove some of the ice from our carport/back driveway this morning. It was a spur of the moment decision. I was going to go for a walk. Then it occurred to me that if I removed as much ice from the back as I could then the warm temps and sun could work on evaporating more water instead of wasting all its energy on the ice first.

It took me the better part of 2.5 hours and although tiring this was an extremely satisfying way to spend the morning. First, I broke up the ice that was under the water and the thin layer that had reformed on top. I was able then to use a shovel to drag the chunks to higher ground. The water receded and the solids stayed put so I could chuck them by the shovel full up on top of the snow mound created from Dave's shoveling of the drive. Then I started attacking sheets of ice on the drive.

It's more impressive in person but the photo above gives you some idea of the ice I removed. The best parts where the pieces that came off in big slabs I could pick and hurl up on the snow. And even better was when the big slabs would shatter across the snow. Craaaassssshhhhh. You had to be there but trust me it was very exciting! If there is ever and Olympic ice chucking event ............. I'm so gonna sit back and watch! :)

I got to a point where I figured a break was in order. I turned to see what I had accomplished and here is what I saw ...

If you look closely you can see the reflection of the tree in my shadow. And sharing the photo is what prompted me to write this post. It's the simple things.

Cruise by the Numbers (and other random memories)

Half-hearted apologies for vagueness. You had to be there for most of this to make sense but you will not get any more explanation than what's already here. Sister cruises are kinda like Las Vegas. 

1/31 to 2/8 2014 - the dates for the vacation (cruise was 2/2 to 2/7; 5 nights)
4 - the number of sisters
2 - it's the second cruise we've done together
9 - our seat row on both flights. Significant as birthday girl's birthdate is 9-9-63. We flew SW so seats are not pre-assigned. 
110 - % humidity upon arrival in Orlando. At least it felt that way compared to single digit humidity in Philly 
59 - pennies needed to purchase coffee at Wawa in Kissimmee! Woohoo! 
7 cruise ships arriving and leaving again and 20,000 runners (makes for LOTS of traffic)
48-3; score of the awful Super Bowl we got to watch on gigantic screen on the pool deck. No commercials.
16 - different state license plates between Kissimmee and Miami. Some car games are ingrained.
1000+ cast members only 52 from United States
3- the number of people who wanted my "no whining" shirt as we walked deck 4
3 hours and 20 minutes - time it took to replace the engine during the 10 day dry-dock prior to our cruise. The rest of the time was spent drilling the hole in the hull and welding it back together!! 
5 - number of engines on the ship

Watching Adam Joseph do the weather on GMA.
BS found the black skirt
Blue skies but it's not 20 degrees 
Coppertone
Navigators should really wear their glasses
Walt Disney Suite
Boat stopped; turned around - was it a medical emergency?; a stowaway?; or because that man really wanted his bud light?
Watching the sun shine across the ocean and hearing that back home there was 4-6 inches of snow
Lying about the bathrooms
Captain Thord backs the ship in to the parking space AND he admits he calls it a boat too! :)
One hour extra in Cozumel
Wine tasting - proof that I am not grown up enough to drink. 
Walter
and Glenn, Dwight, Omar, Julia, Tekla, JD (the dj), Vlada, Sascha
and Linda :(
Yoga on the beach is hard; harder even when there is a slope to the beach
Harpoon gun to toss the ropes to the dock - this was way too cool! (I amuse easily)
Butter and cheese boy
Tim, the piano player, did not know "On the way to Cape May"!
Umbrellas in her drinks

"My butt finally stopped itching"
"They always forget the youngest"
"I finally learned how to vacation"
"It's not rain, it's fairy dust"
"Yes I know it's only 7:30 a.m. I'm on vacation and I'm not driving the boat so it's ok to drink spiked coffee"
"The ship moved" - excuse for everything from drawing crooked lines to losing your balance in the hallway. 

#2: Learn How to Draw Donald Duck

The goal - 27 instances of Learning Something New From - OR - Trying Something New With - Someone Else. 

I just returned from the Sister Cruise to celebrate sister #3's 50th birthday. We had a wonderful time and the details that are appropriate to share I'll share in another post. While on the cruise, though, I accomplished thing #2. Here is how that happened.

On days at sea there are a variety of activities on the ship to keep everyone busy and happy. They range from wine, beer and spirit tasting, to seminars, classes and bingo to name a few. A couple of half hour sessions were devoted to learning how to draw various Disney animated characters. There was one for Mickey, Mike Wozkowski (you know Billy Crystal from Monsters, Inc.) and Donald Duck. The timing of the Donald Duck class fit in with other things we wanted to do. I said that if someone would join me it could count as one of my 27 things in the category of "trying something new with someone else". So off we went.

You begin with a blank piece of paper and a pencil
with out an eraser

Justine, our Disney cast member leader was specific of the 'no eraser' rule. This is about having fun was the jist of her message. Everyone's Donald will look different and none of them will be perfect, she informed us with a huge smile on her all of 12-year old face! :)

Next, she had us draw a circle. For the circle she gave us table numbers. The class took place in Animators Palette one of the three rotational restaurants on the  cruise. The base of the table number was a circle.

Next, she instructed us to draw to straight lines. One bisecting the circle form top to bottom more or less evenly and one bisecting it at about 3/4 of the way down from the top of the circle. For this we had not guide as we did the circle so most of the folks in the class had less than straight lines. We collectively blamed it on "The ship moved." :)

Justine then took us through drawing a series of lines and curves to produce Donald Duck. It was fascinating to see him take shape as we went one line at a time.

Here is my Donald almost finished. 

Justine and her finished Donald. 

Christine, Katie and I and the finished products. 

My final Donald with the shading added. 

This was a lot of fun. I'm not sure I could reproduce it without Justine's guidance but I think I'll try sometime just for fun.

So 2 done, 25 to go. Don't forget to message me with your ideas!