Costa Rica II: I Like Monkeys

Costa Rica I: Early Premonitions

Scrapings

 Big spiders show up in late summer, and hang out on huge webs that, to me, seem like bird bait.

The leaves have been changing.

 A cactus buds....

And then flowers....

The ChevOldsmoBuiac's paint gets more exciting when wet.

Surprisingly sturdy.

 Business ends do business.

 Feigned hatred of transit.

Nap?

 Back of a call box. No phone.

America in stark relief.

Typical Sunday in a Herndon Park

 Fingers in the water.

 Forgotten leaf.

 Late spring ferns.

Feel warm.

 Forgotten note to self.

 Good idea in theory. Hard to execute in practice.

 Palm fingers.

Swing break.

Nap

Oh Snap!

 I was trying hard to grab bigger gears so I could grind up to the top of the overpass, looking forward to the long fast cruise before the next mini-hills. But that's not what happened. Instead, something gave, and the shifter went practically limp. I was stuck in a tiny gear.

I instantly knew the shifter cable had broke, and so I made it home using the front chain rings and grit.

This proves my theory that my bicycle has too many gears: Clearly, I can accomplish my daily grind on three speeds. Heck, I could do it on one if I wasn't in any form of hurry.

After two trips to the bike shop (without and with the shifter), i was able to procure a replacement cable for a mere seven scruples.

With the new cable, the shifter works better than it ever did before, making me wonder how long the old cable had been fraying in the tube. With the new cable, shifts are fast and crisp, and the drag feels springy and positive, not lazy and mushy. The shifter doesn't feel like it hunts for gears anymore.

Now if I could just convince the front shifter to work when it's cold. I've decided to celebrate winter by not using it.

11111

Look at the calendar.

Today is November first, 2011.

Wake up. Put on a little makeup. Why don't you put the kids up on the table?

11/1/2011

11/1/11

111111

Back to what you were doing.