Abandoned Stuff by Saskboy

I got my bike wheel replaced (the original was stolen a couple weeks ago) at Dutch Cycle. They sold me a $20 used wheel, with a $2 magnet for my computer/speedometer. That’s better than the $35 estimate I got on Saturday. Except I’ll have to find a pump that can work with a Presta valve.

I got some free potting soil, so I refreshed some of my indoor plants, and put some pots on the balcony to get them ready for some tiny veggies or herbs. I tried planning a couple radishes, and a couple yellow peppers, so hopefully they sprout. There is plenty of rain forecast for this week. I still need to get out to my garden and plant some things. They didn’t turn the water on a few days ago, because of freezing nights.

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On Saturday I dropped my crippled bike off at Dutch Cycle. Even though I got there at about 2 minutes past closing time at 4PM, they were nice and let me in the door. The missing wheel can apparently be repaired for about $35 (used), and I’m hoping they throw in a speedometer magnet with that too. I can possibly get it on Tuesday, but I bet it will turn into Saturday or Wednesday if I’m lucky.

Saturday evening I dragged two friends out, to Bushwakker’s, and I had potato skins. I cut off a bite, and when it touched my lip, it burned it. Then I was in that awkward situation I hate, where you know if you finish putting the food into your mouth you’re going to burn it, but if you spit it out, you’re going to look rude. I went with the pull the food out of my mouth with my fingers technique.

Sometime shortly before or after that I was bugged for swirling my water glass around the top of the table whilst making a “wooo” sound. So I proceeded to prove that I was still sober by stacking a salt shaker on top of two glasses, then a pepper shaker on top of the salt, then a menu, and then tenting two coasters on top of it all. I threatened to balance a full water glass on top of the menu, to cries of objection. I wouldn’t have really done it (because I couldn’t have).

My friend Robert finished his thesis defense on Monday, so a group of us went out to celebrate. We started out at an empty Habanos for pool, and played for an hour. Next we hit Dairy Queen, and I cashed in my “free small Blizzard” card on an Oreo fudge earthquake sundae. It wasn’t too sweet which surprised me in a good way; Blizzards sometimes give me a sugar headache. Then we drove up to Galaxy cinema to see the new movie “Iron Man” [8/10]. As I turned into the cursed parking lot, my power steering started to groan. Oh oh. I pulled into the closest parking stall available, right beside a CIBC (which I was going to head to later that night anyway — more good fortune) and popped the hood. There was a fluid leak all over the passenger side. In the growing darkness I couldn’t tell the colour, but it looked like orange coolant had sprayed onto the accessory belt, and I reasoned that it was due to the coolant work done last week at RMP. So we walked across the parking lot to the theatre, and enjoyed the very good movie.

Returning to the car a couple hours later though, there was a bit of a puddle under the car, and the power steering was not working. Getting a better look at the fluid, I saw that it was more like oil, and realized it wasn’t coolant, and a power steering fluid leak had started (finishing my car off). So I phoned CAA and the tow truck arrived within half an hour as promised. It was now after midnight though, and we thought we’d call a cab from Brewsters but they were locking up, and so were all of the other places within sight.

We saw a city bus, one that would go right by my place as luck would have it! Except it was the last bus of the night, and wasn’t going the other direction! Darn, eh?

Walking across the street to a pay phone to get a number of a cab company turned out to be in vain as well. The Yellow Pages where “Taxi” was, had half of the page ripped out! The only number completely intact was for “Premiere” which sounded expensive, and besides they were the company with the driver that tried to intimidate friends of mine in the UofR strike in November. I then remembered I had a number for Capital Cabs in my wallet (from a job last year with the Gov’t that used them) and gave them a call. The cab took almost 30 minutes to arrive, and we killed time talking at a bus stop beside a different Dairy Queen. As model citizens, we didn’t pee in the bushes of the Dairy Queen. I just thought I’d mention that.

So to recap:
Bike front wheel: stolen
Car coolant: repaired at $1150 + damage to power steering???
Car steering: disabled + $untold cost EDIT: fixed for $147 power steering line with hole from belt rubbing + $16 cab ride

Vehicles suck.

UPDATE: RMP refunded me both the repair that Capital did, and my $16 cab ride. Thank goodness finally something went right.

I now have a partial bike, after some jerk took my front wheel some time in the last few days. The other two thirds of my bike (my quick-release seat I’d taken indoors thankfully) were U-locked to a bike stand, and remain (last time I checked). So now after riding just twice this year, I shall ride no more (until I buy a replacement wheel).

If I find this partial-bike thief, I’d like to make him a partial bike-thief. This whole incident reminds me of this, because of Derek’s story, and also I see it’s when I first bought this bike, just over 2 years ago.

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On Friday I went to “Vantage Point” [8/10] with a couple friends, and then we went to see Linger at the UofR Multipurpose room. I got an invite from Jeremy who’s in the band. We also took in the two acts prior to Linger taking the stage. The one with “death” as the lead singer was very good; I liked the guitar playing especially. Jeremy had the crowd going while playing bass guitar from laying on his back during one song. It looked like over 50 people turned out for the CD launch party. I didn’t win the door prize.

Chris has some disappointing news, presented in an amusing way.

“That was really close,” one councilor said. “Just imagine. If we’d created those bike lanes, cyclists might have gotten used to them! Heck, some people might have even tried biking to work in safety for the first time and enjoyed it. It could have been habit forming.” When asked if he was trying to equate cyclists to drug users, the councilor replied, “what do you think?”

Another councilor agreed. “Drivers can rest assured that this council will not do anything to jeopardize their unquestioned supremacy on the roads,” she said.

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Comment moderation gets turned on at Rawlco radio news site/blogs. For the time being, my comments sections will remain open, and I hope they always will be able to be, since that’s really the standard of blogs on the Internet (at least the blogs that the most people enjoy the most).

One problem that not moderating eliminates, is being accused frequently of deleting comments. I was beginning to wonder where my comments on John Himpe’s ridiculous rant about cyclists, had gone. Then I figured out that the same terrible blog post was on both 980 and 650 news sites, and the comments don’t transfer from one to the other. I was looking on 650, but commented on 980. Fortunately, Michelle who also works at a Rawlco station, had much better thoughts on the subject.

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UPDATE:

Commuter Cycling Workshop

Learn How to Ride Your Bike to Work : safety tips, road skills, and much more.

Workshop 1 - “Bike Commuting 101″

Thursday May 8 @ 5:30 pm

City Hall Forum

Light Supper provided

Workshop 2 - “Cycling On” (Practical)

Saturday May 10 @ 9:00 am

SIAST Wascana Campus

Bikes and Helmets Required

(Pre-requisite: Workshop 1)

To register, email greenribbon@regina.ca with “Commuter Cycling” in the subject line. Registration is free.

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Answers to Questions about Cycling

Canadian Cycling Association: ABC Bicycle Check

City of Regina: Multi-Use Pathway System

A zinger for all you “Reality TV” fans out there:

The most ridiculous television show on the tube right now is The Bachelor. I’m forced to watch it on Monday nights because it’s Cindy’s favourite (along with The Apprentice).

So a guy sucks face with 30 different women and goes on private dates and meets the parents of four of them and at the end chooses the winner?

I’ve seen it before. It’s called T-R-E-V-I-S S-M-I-T-H ! It doesn’t end well.

How can women watch this and think it’s so romantic when he’s groping and fondling all these different females, and then at the end punts them 40 yards downfield?

Mystifying.

Reality TV, to me, is sports.

Life, imitating art, imitating sports. Trevis Smith is the former Rider convicted of having sex without notifying partners of his HIV positive status.

When is former Roughrider Kenton Keith going to grow up? I somehow find it hard to understand that a man with more fame and contacts than I will probably ever have, could act in such an irresponsible way on a routine basis. I was also surprised to learn that I’m older than he is. Will the Colts toss him out on his butt? Nope, the NFL needs more role model players.

It’s going to be a rocky Summer Games for the Chinese. I hope no one is going to die due to the protests, but given China’s low tolerance for demonstrations, it seems likely that a lot of political prisoners will be the result of the 2008 Olympic games. As the games have shifted from the Olympic spirit to the corporate spirit, I have to wonder if the shimmering shine is coming off of the Olympic “brand”. Are the Chinese games going to be a tipping point that changes how the world perceives China, or how it views the International Olympic Committee?