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Greetings!
Much to Ameilia's chagrin, I again find myself needing to talk about bicycles. I am simply amazed at the stop-leak compound sold as "slime." It is phemenomal! Note the two small spots of slime oozing out onto the surface of the tire (left--actually I counted 22 places around the entire circumference) and the amount I found outside the tube, but inside the tire (right) and when I took it off the rim. The unbelievable part is that the tire was still holding air. Could this be the equivalent of a tubeless bicycle tire...? |
Just recently, I experienced another first. I had never seen a bicycle bearing wear out. I have seen spalling (when the bearing is tightened excessively), but never from wear--until now. My non-articulated mountain bike, that was old when I resurrected it from the junkpile in the back yard, had just over 2,500 miles showing on the odometer when the battery finally died a couple of weeks ago. The outer race that normally has a cross section shaped like the letter "J" was worn into the shape shown above left. This allowed the bearings to spread, transferring the weight to the edge of the inner race and causing it to deform, as above right. The spokes on the rear wheel kept breaking, and I just wrote it off to poor design, but maybe, I really am too fat for that bike... |
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The weekend of December 22nd, was the blessing of Bennett Dumont Herring. Barbara invited AJ and Brittney to accompany us, but at the last moment fell ill and wasn't able to go. With her not going, I saw no reason to take her car. AJ politely (okay, maybe not so politely) declined to ride in my "Ghetto-Mobile", and volunteered to drive Brittney's car instead. Thus, it was that I "got" to ride in their Ford Fusion (a cute vehicle at a cute price). I am temped to bad mouth it just to stir the pot, but the fact is, that (with the exception of frozen windshield washer jets) it preformed flawlessly. |
| The trip itself was, as they say in the medical field, unremarkable. We left circa 10:30 am and arrived a few hours later. |
Bennett |
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AJ has acquired a new (at least to him) hand gun, and while we were there, we went out and touched off a few rounds. |
| The gun has a lazar target indicator, and watching it jump around while aiming gives a good indication why hitting anything with a hand gun is so skill intensive. |
Bennett |
Rachael |
The cinder pit, where we went to shoot, was an interesting place. Much of it was "cinders" (volcanic rock about the size of a matchhead), but interspersed were some relatively large boulders. Being in that area while they were being "deposited" would have been exciting... |
| Even though we were down in a pit, the wind was blowing as if it were a flat prairie. I'm not sure it would be possible to don enough clothing to withstand that breeze for any length of time. |
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Piper, Brie & Kylie |
It snowed the night we were there. I'm glad people are different in their climate preferences, because if they weren't, my choice of habitat would be overrun. But, even this short visit reinforced my conclusion that I would not last a single Winter in that climate. |
| Visiting the Sanders Branch was very reminiscent of growing up in the Nogales Branch. Their building is of the type that is added on to in stages, and I would guess they are in about phase ii. |
Brie |
Piper |
While I attended the Nogales Branch, we went from meeting in a rented hall, through phase i (which the members built by themselves [with the help of a church contractor {think missionary couple}], and to phase ii. |
| I was amazed to see that almost the entire space of phase i became essentially a foyer upon completion of phase ii. |
Bennett |
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While we were in Sanders, they re-organized almost the entire Branch, replacing the Primary, Relief Society, & Young Women's Presidencies. Sabrina escaped from the Primary, but is now the Relief Society President. Out of the frying pan and into the fire... |
| It was fun to see Sabrina, Braxton, et. al. They have sure chosen the middle of no where for their residence. |
Brie, Piper, Rachael & Kylie |
Bennett |
Some of Braxton's family were there, and I had a short visit with them. |
| AJ stayed longer than he indicated he would, making our return trip later than anticipated. Actually, I have personally gone that route multiple times, and I wasn't surprised at that development. |
Kylie |
Wyatt |
It's that variety is important in life. It is fun to travel and visit relatives, but if I have to do that daily, it would quickly become a chore. It's kind of like the old cook on the round-up complaining about the food preferences of the crew he was cooking for: "I don't understand you guys. Monday, you like beans, Tuesday, you like beans, Wednesday, you like beans, Thursday, you like beans, and all of the sudden now on Friday, you don't like beans anymore..." |
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| Eleven Grandkids. What a nosie, motley, menagerie! |