In early July 2021, in anticipation of an afternoon ride, I backed my apparently possessed 2001 BMW R1100RT motorcycle from the garage, propped it up on the center stand, turned it on to warm it up, and walked back to the garage for the helmet and protective clothing. When I turned around, I noted that the headlight was not on and a plume of smoke was coming from the dashboard! I knew I had a smokin’ hot BMW but not…
With luck, this will be the start of a new adventure. I was fortunate to meet Richmonder Tracy Schwartzchild, a fellow Wahoo (class of ’70, my brother’s class — I was ’72) and former lawn resident (36 East Lawn, I was 48 East Lawn). Tracy bought a 2001 Beneteau 411 (41 ft.) sailboat and was looking for crew. We have plans for some extended trips that I will chronicle here if they happen. So just a short post with a…
You would think that anyone accepted to a reputable college would have good English skills. No so! Here is a short collection of actual chief complaints written by students on their intake form in Student Health. You decide!
In the ’50s my parents gave me one-speed Schwinn. Which I still own! In the early ’70s, at the age of 23, I rode a three-speed Dunelt from Midlothian to Williamsburg (about 65 miles) and back over a three day weekend. Since then I have ridden probably 20,000 miles on club rides, day rides, commutes, a bike camping tour around Europe for a month in 1976, thirteen Bike Virginias, several century (100 mile) rides, two one-week bike camping tours around…
I haven’t been canoeing in many years. In late July 2020, my cousin, David Brown, asked me to his cabin in Romney WV for a few days. Sure! What better way to enjoy the outdoors and still be socially distanced. Of course, age plays a role. Can my 70-year-old shoulders hold up? Can I lift a canoe over my head and onto a car rack? Photo credit above: Common Merganser Ducks photographed by Dave Romney, West Virginia’s Oldest Town, is…
You know you are spending too much time at home when you find small projects interesting. Most mornings I get an email from Family Handyman magazine loaded with articles that have plenty of “I never would have thought of that” in them. One showed how to extend an electrical box outward. I didn’t know you could do that. Why would you want to do this? A tiled kitchen or bathroom comes to mind. In my case, my workbench has a…
There are so many things in life that I have overlooked, never understood, and am completely ignorant about. Capacitors are one of those topics. In the “It’s always something” theme, my son Morgan pointed out that, despite the 90+ temperatures, the attic exhaust fan was not turning on. He said loose plastic had gotten sucked into the fan, a casualty of a disorganized, cluttered attic. Ok, stifle my “it’s broken and I don’t know how to fix it” canned life…
Old things break, especially old plastic things. I came back from a 50-mile ride on my 2001 BMW R1100RT and set about cleaning the windshield, headlights, rearview mirrors, and taillights but the latter wobbled around when I wiped it. The rear brake light assembly was loose. Roseanne Roseannadanna was right, “It’s always something”. Hoping for simple and quick, I looked under the light but no attachment bolts. Phooey. Here is where your life philosophy comes in. My immediate response to…
On my trip out West this winter, after visiting the Petrified Forest (photo above), I decided to visit a few Route 66 locations. As you know Route 66 gained legend as the “Mother Road”, the “Main Street of America”. Part of the original US Highway System from Chicago to LA, it was featured in John Steinbeck’s novel The Grapes of Wrath, rhythm and blues song Get Your Kicks on Route 66 (first recorded by Nat King Cole and one of…
If you own a house, things keep breaking. No wonder most Europeans own condos or rent apartments. Let someone who knows (we hope) what they are doing maintain the property. Why keep learning new skills when someone else has already tackled the problem multiple times. Anyway, after finishing the patio block walkway I looked at the deck steps and saw this. The stringer is the zig-zag diagonal board that supports the steps. Note the crack where the wood has rotted….