Sadly Triking All Alone

Today's Almost 8-mile GPS / Ham Radio Tracking

The Enthusiastic Grandson left for his New Mexico home early Monday and it likely will be a while before he gets another ride with Grandpa.  Snif...
The day after Christmas, Sunday 26 Dec turned out to be another spring-like almost balmy End-of-December day. 
On Monday, Possible weather forecasts had called for ugly, but it also was rather nice.  We had a serving dish left behind by one of our Christmas Dinner guests so I used that for an excuse to take a ride.  She only lives a few blocks away, but it's uphill to that house, thus a "breathtaking" ride even if that's the  only destination.
But I was still feeling energized after that short delivery, so I roamed around again.
While the ride was enjoyable, as usual, I noticed again that my rear derailleur control lever was sagging in spots,  It rarely would shift into the highest gear without messing around with it.  Usually I could fiddle and wiggle the lever and back-crank the pedals a bit and get it to lunge into high gear, but I made a note to myself to look it over, hopefully only needing adjustment or lube or both, after I got home.
I went to my usual northern destination, the local Big Box Store, and found most of the list I had on my dumb/smartphone.  I needed another item they didn't have. so after that I rode up another 1/8 mile or so to the local Ace Hardware (Non Big Box, so I list its actual name) and sure enough, after some wandering around, I found the necessary $4.00 item.
The homeward bound trip was a shorter route  than I usually take, but it was getting late and I'd been gone longer than usual, plus the icky shifter situation.
Jump forward to Today Tuesday and it was raining when we got up and started to pour rather serious and then cleared up and the sun  came out.  So I wanted to ride again, but decided I'd better follow up on my "good intention" of getting the consarned shifter to work more better.
Of course THAT turned into a major project involving vise, Vise-GRIPS, and busted knuckles.
The shifter cable itself turned out to be worn and frayed, and taking it apart for replacement was a MESS.  I promptly ran out of daylight, patience, and parts.  More later

Ride Started: 1:32 PM           Ride Ended:  3:37 PM
Beginning Battery Voltage: 13.6   Ending Battery Voltage:  12.9
Lowest Temp: 57 F Highest Temp: 57 F (!!)
Beginning Blood Glucose:  188   Ending BG: 98
Stats from the GPS: Total Miles:  7.9
Overall Average Speed      Moving Avg          Max Speed
  3.8 MPH                              6.9 MPH            26.3  MPH
Total Trip(s) Time              Moving Time        Stopped Time
 2 hours 3 minutes             1 hour 8  mins        55  minutes