Parts Runaround

Today's Halfway Tracking

After a few days of sub-optimal weather the sun actually came out today.  It came and went behind haze and clouds, but I had an excuse for a short ride.
Our emergency generator broke a carriage wheel during our recent move.  With the local electric service going blink-blink occasionally during storms, and even dropped out several hours about a week ago, we need that backup generator.  Our household furnace is gas fired but has to have electricity to run the fan to force the heat through the ducts.  Our water heater is electric, as is our cooking range.  We could run a long extension cord from our RV if ever needed, but having standby full 240 VAC is nice, even if it is a heart-attack rope-pull start.
My 60 gallon Craftsman air compressor is hooked up and running but it needs lubrication.  I hadn't injected any compressor lube in it for months prior nor since being stored for a year and the long move across country to Missouri.  So, I had 2 items I needed to pick up at a local hardware store.
The closest most favorite hardware joint is less than half a mile away, north across the tracks and a block to the left.  I made it there on the Catrike in only a few minutes, but after a total tour of the store and finding they had none of either, I had to move elsewhere.  I was advised to try Hawkins Home & Garden - another mile or so north - so away I went.  I made the mistake of riding the main road (Highway 95) all the way through the town center instead of taking a slightly longer route via side streets.
I didn't have any real problems.  However, traffic backed up behind me several times.  Many drivers are either too timid or polite:  Even with plenty of lane room, they'd refuse to pass me even after several blocks, backing up traffic behind them.  I resorted to turning into side streets ever so often so the line of autos could zoom onward.  I admit this is better than trying to crowd me to the curb at high speed, as some drivers like, but in the future I'll do my best to take side streets when possible.
And, on the return leg homeward, that's just what I did.  My tracking radio stopped bleeping positions for some reason, so that leg of the ride doesn't show up on the map.
Several hundred yards of slight uphill grade coming back kinda wore me out, but not overly so.
Feet soaking in the water bubbler massage bath...... Life is Good.

Ride Started:  12:50 PM    Ride Ended:  2.18 PM

Beginning Battery Voltage:   13.0 Ending Voltage: 12.8  Lowest:  12.8
Beginning Blood Glucose:  218     Ending BG:  50
Lowest Temp  44 F     Highest Temp: 50 F   
Stats from the GPS:    Total Miles:  3.41
Distance Walked: .3 mile
Overall average speed            Moving Avg               Max Speed  
2.52 MPH                                   5.8 MPH                    21.8 MPH 

Total Trip time                       Moving Time             Stopped Time 
1 hour 25 mins                        35  minutes               49  minutes

To Market, To Market

Today's Town Square Tracking

Jacque found a refrigerator she liked in the classifieds today.  We needed a few hundred cash to make the purchase, so I rode my trike the huge quarter-mile distance to the Post Office to ship out a package, thence around the corner to the nearest bank to withdraw some money.
It was a sunny but very windy ride.  My torso got so overheated I had to remove my warmest layer, and my feet got so cold I was in agony standing in the post office and bank waiting on the tellers to handle my business.
As usual recently, I had hoped to ride a few miles before turning toward home, but my tender feet convinced me to give up early. 
Which was just as well.  Jacque was back from her errand to Ava and ready to roll to get the fridge.
This turned into an agonizing trip since my feet were still complaining all the way out  and back.
But we picked up a very nice stainless steel fridge and got back before dark.
Then we struggled to unload it from the trailer and muscle it into the house.  It was too large to get through our largest door, of course, so we had to remove hardware from the storm door and the main entry door entirely to scrunch it inside.
We huffed and puffed and finally got the monster safely inside, and the front  doors have been reinstalled and we're again sealed safely from the elements.
My feet are bubbling nicely in the coolness of the water foot massager, so life is good.

Ride Started:  1203 PM    Ride Ended:  12.34 PM

Beginning Battery Voltage:   13.0 Ending Voltage: 12.8  Lowest:  12.8
Beginning Blood Glucose:  185     Ending BG: 106
Lowest Temp  50 F     Highest Temp: 57 F   
Stats from the GPS:    Total Miles:  1.05
Distance Walked: .5 mile
Overall average speed            Moving Avg               Max Speed  
2.02 MPH                                   5.0 MPH                    13.2 MPH 

Total Trip time                       Moving Time             Stopped Time 
32 minutes                             12  minutes               18  minutes

40 Degrees is Still Cold

Today's Two-Mile Tracking

Between the wintry weather and my ailing feet, I haven't done a lot of cruising under feet-power lately.  Even though my trike rides generally end in much less distance than hoped-for, I'm hoping that forcing myself to go ahead and ride when possible will help me build up my strength again in legs and feet.  I turn 72 in a couple more months and would like to replicate my mile-per-year-of-age stunt again.  If I don't make more rehabilitation progress, I'll either have to wimp out on the mondo
birthday ride or take 3 days to accomplish it.
Today was again a cold Missouri day BUT the sun came out and burned off the fog and warmed things up a bit.  To diffuse my Stir Crazies, I decided to do the usual (of late) and at least ride a little bit.
I planned to ride about 4 miles to a friend's house on the edge of town, but the chilly temperatures really pained my already tender feet.  Again, as usual, I got started late and was running out of sunshine.  With the cold permeating my feet I turned around and came back, ignoring the squawks of my GPS telling me to "Make a U-Turn!"
Though tiring, my legs and feet feel more energized after getting thawed out at home.  I can't bring myself to ride in slop when moisture is falling, but I'm determined to get off my butt more often.
WAIT - I sit on my butt riding the trike.  WHATEVER.

Ride Started:  4.08 PM    Ride Ended:  4:31 PM

Beginning Battery Voltage:   13.2 Ending Voltage: 12.9  Lowest:  12.9
Beginning Blood Glucose:  185     Ending BG: 106
Lowest Temp  42 F     Highest Temp: 46 F   
Stats from the GPS:    Total Miles:  2.01
Distance Walked: .1 mile
Overall average speed            Moving Avg               Max Speed  
6.7 MPH                                   7.2 MPH                    11.0 MPH 
Total Trip time                       Moving Time             Stopped Time 
22 minutes                              20 minutes               1 minute