2 Stories For the Price of One

I have never considered myself a mechanical minded person. And neither has anybody else considered me that. But today, I did a mechanical feat and even have a sore back to prove it, or you might say “back” me up… pardon the pun.

I spent several hours yesterday visiting Free-Flite Bikes and Radio Shack. I visited each twice. Early yesterday on my bike my odometer did not register my distance or speed, or the other stuff, like average speed, time in motion, and all that. The face of my odometer just showed 0’s. I figured it had to be the battery – but if it was the battery, why did anything show at all. So, I went to where I bought my bike, Free-Flite Bikes for a new battery. They were out, so I went to Radio Shack, that the battery, installed it and it still didn’t work. Then I realized it had to be calibrated to my bikes wheel circumference and I had no idea how. I took the thing off the bike and went to Free-Flite again and one of the people there took the time to set it for me. He even printed me off a manual.

I thanked him and mentioned that I hope it worked now. He said it should unless it is on the wheel fork – the thing that counts the magnet transmits its count by a battery too, he said.

On the way home I decided that had to be it! The battery on the fork. Because the 0’s showed fine… well, at least I got a new battery for the face, it would soon conk out anyway.

I put the monitor on the bike and rode up the street. Sure enough, no signal. It had t be battery in the gizmo on the fork.

I looked at the newly printed manual the nice guy printed for me and saw that the fork gizmo took the same type of battery. So, back to Radio Shack and I bought the 2nd, CR2012 battery.

I went back home and had a hard time putting it on. The only way I could see I could reach it was from the other side of the wheel, reaching through the spokes… then, my thick fingers did not leave me enough torque and strength to unscrew the thing to take out the old battery and put in the new one.

Wait! I had an idea! Why not twist the thing around so it would be facing me on the same side of the wheel facing me, which I did, and everything worked perfectly… except I strained my back, reaching through the spokes, I would find out three or four hours later.

But then, I took it for another test drive and it worked great!

I am thinking of opening up a bicycle repair shop.

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After Anna came home from work we went to Roswell to eat at a new barbecue place she read about. The name of it is “Spice Right”, and it in the historical section of Roswell. Apparently it is ran by two young men, under 35, and they are trying to yuppie the place up. It looks like a dive. I don’t think an interior decorator came in and told them what would go good in this corner, and they needed a potted plant by this window, and what kind of music would go good. I have a feeling, if there is a spittoon on their floor, it would not be there for decoration.

Outside in the parking lot is a big smoker letting off smoke and that bbq smoky smell.

The blues music played loud like this type is supposed to be played.

And above all, the pulled pork was delicious and plentiful. The Brunswick stew was delicious and so were some kind of potato cakes they pushed. The cole slaw was so-so.

When we arrived at 5:30 there was a another couple there. They left. And when we left at about 6:00pm, right when the dinner hour starts and there were no customers. I think they just need to grow on people more.