I don't know if it is just Kern County or if it is all of California or what but I saw on the news today that the city is banning watering of the lawn except for Mondays and Thursdays before 5am and after 4pm. You cannot water your lawn except on those 2 days or you will get a $300 fine.
Well if that's the way it's going to be then our lawns are going to die because I'm never going to remember that. I'm probably going to remember to water the lawn on a Wednesday at noon then start watering. Then I will probably hear the doorbell ringing and have it be Bakersfield Police with a ticket for watering my lawn. Bogus!
What about back yards? They can't monitor peoples back yards. I just think the whole idea stinks. I can understand the drought problem and I respect that they are trying to save water but $300 fine for forgetting that I can only water 2 days a week only before 5am and after 4pm? That's stupid to do that. They don't realize that in Bakersfield it gets so hot and so dry that the lawn dies if it's not watered everyday. Twice a week isn't going to keep my lawn alive.
Well, maybe that's a good thing then because then I won't have to mow it as much.
Tuesday, June 02, 2009
Monday, June 01, 2009
Wheel Fixed
Well I had to bring my back wheel to Snider's today to have them tighten the freewheel (the thing that holds the chain and has different gears) but it wasn't that it needed to be tightened, the tech guy said that they all wobble like that. So I told him about the cracking sounds and so he looked at it and said that the problem is that the metal in the screw that holds the ball bearings in place is worn down and so they had to replace the rod and ball bearings altogether. That was only $18.
I'm so glad it wasn't that much money. I would rather just have them fix the issue than have to spend $25 or $30 on all the tools needed to screw the freewheel tighter just to have it still have the same old problem lol.
That's why I shouldn't try to diagnose my own problems because I don't know jack about that dren.
Chips cousins girlfriend Venda drove me there and ended up buying me a rear rack and a pair of gloves for my birthday which I so didn't want her to do because the gloves themselves were $40 and the rack was $25. After I got my wheel on I tried to install the rack and they didn't supply any screws darnit. Plus there are no holes in the frame for the top bars to go into so I have to return the rack and get a different one.
--Edit: I got the rear rack on. I had some old brakes that I kept for some strange reason. I just couldn't throw them away lol. Can you say pack rat? Anyway, those fit on the bottom so I don't need those screws now. But the top still didn't fit so I went into the tool shed and there was a roll of this metal with holes in it so I cut a piece the size I needed, wrapped it around the seat post and took some bolts and washers and nuts and screwed them to the top of the rack. Then I took another bolt with washer and nut and screwed the piece of metal together tight so it doesn't go anywhere. See? I am handy once in awhile lol. It is secure enough now that I don't have to worry. End Edit--
The gloves on the other hand are really good. I didn't realize that I needed these gloves instead of just any regular glove because these are specifically meant for people with Carpel Tunnel Syndrome which I have. This is what it says on the cardboard that the gloves were attached to:
I'm so glad it wasn't that much money. I would rather just have them fix the issue than have to spend $25 or $30 on all the tools needed to screw the freewheel tighter just to have it still have the same old problem lol.
That's why I shouldn't try to diagnose my own problems because I don't know jack about that dren.
Chips cousins girlfriend Venda drove me there and ended up buying me a rear rack and a pair of gloves for my birthday which I so didn't want her to do because the gloves themselves were $40 and the rack was $25. After I got my wheel on I tried to install the rack and they didn't supply any screws darnit. Plus there are no holes in the frame for the top bars to go into so I have to return the rack and get a different one.
--Edit: I got the rear rack on. I had some old brakes that I kept for some strange reason. I just couldn't throw them away lol. Can you say pack rat? Anyway, those fit on the bottom so I don't need those screws now. But the top still didn't fit so I went into the tool shed and there was a roll of this metal with holes in it so I cut a piece the size I needed, wrapped it around the seat post and took some bolts and washers and nuts and screwed them to the top of the rack. Then I took another bolt with washer and nut and screwed the piece of metal together tight so it doesn't go anywhere. See? I am handy once in awhile lol. It is secure enough now that I don't have to worry. End Edit--
The gloves on the other hand are really good. I didn't realize that I needed these gloves instead of just any regular glove because these are specifically meant for people with Carpel Tunnel Syndrome which I have. This is what it says on the cardboard that the gloves were attached to:
Patented Technology
With technology designed by Dr. A Robert Spitzer, a neurologist, Spenco® cycling gloves feature a unique, patented groove over the carpel tunnel nerve that channels away pressure and road shock to reduce hand numbness and fatigue.
So that's what I needed all along. Every time I ride my hands get numb with the gloves I wear now and even without the gloves and I have to shake both my hands (not at the same time of course lol) to shake the numbness out. So thank you Vedra and Venda for the new gloves.
Saturday, May 30, 2009
Bike Repair
My bicycle has been having real issues with making noises, cracking, clicking noises. It really makes me nervous when I ride, even if it's just to the store. And I can especially hear it when I don't have my earbuds in. At least when I'm listening to music I can ignore it.
I've been reading this website @ Mountain Bike World, they have an article all about the 6 most common problems and my problem is right in there. Yes there is a problem with the back tire not being true and it does make these clicking sounds but the cracking or creaking sound is coming from the crank, not the wheel.
I have edited 4 paragraphs to update this post. I have figured out what my bike problem is. I don't believe it is the crank at all. I think that the crank needed some lube really bad so I sprayed a lot of WD-40 in it and held a towel to the bottom of it because it was getting all this black stuff all over the cement floor in my back patio. I did that on both sides and it seems to be ok.
While I was holding the rag to the bottom of it on the side that has the chain and I was turning the crank I was looking at the cassette on the back wheel and noticed that it was moving up and down so I guess that just needs to be tightened and that should probably fix it. So all I need are the tools to tighten the cassette which shouldn't be a problem. So on Wednesday morning when I get my check I'll take the bus to the bike store and ask them for the tools to tighten it. It's good to have all the tools I need to do any/all maintenance on the bike to keep it in good working order at all times.
At least I don't have to pay hundreds of dollars to get it fixed now.
I've been reading this website @ Mountain Bike World, they have an article all about the 6 most common problems and my problem is right in there. Yes there is a problem with the back tire not being true and it does make these clicking sounds but the cracking or creaking sound is coming from the crank, not the wheel.
I have edited 4 paragraphs to update this post. I have figured out what my bike problem is. I don't believe it is the crank at all. I think that the crank needed some lube really bad so I sprayed a lot of WD-40 in it and held a towel to the bottom of it because it was getting all this black stuff all over the cement floor in my back patio. I did that on both sides and it seems to be ok.
While I was holding the rag to the bottom of it on the side that has the chain and I was turning the crank I was looking at the cassette on the back wheel and noticed that it was moving up and down so I guess that just needs to be tightened and that should probably fix it. So all I need are the tools to tighten the cassette which shouldn't be a problem. So on Wednesday morning when I get my check I'll take the bus to the bike store and ask them for the tools to tighten it. It's good to have all the tools I need to do any/all maintenance on the bike to keep it in good working order at all times.
At least I don't have to pay hundreds of dollars to get it fixed now.
Friday, May 29, 2009
Bicycle Tire PSI
I don't know what's wrong with me. I've had bicycles since I was a kid and I've always had to fill them with air when they get low and I've never had an issue with following directions when it comes to how much PSI to put in them. I've only been putting 20 PSI in my tires. It clearly says on there 40 MINIMUM! LOL I don't know why I've only been putting 20 in.
I think it goes back to when I first got this bike, I bought a pump but the tire gauge that I have meant for a car wasn't worth didley because it was saying that it was too low then I would pump too much air in the tire and pop it. So when I first started riding again last year I bought a new pump with a gauge on it and for some strange reason was only putting in 20. Well, I think 2 weeks ago I started putting in 30 but it still wasn't enough. And during my ride it goes down from 30 back to 20! UGH!
Ok so I've put 40 in both and so in the morning hopefully they are still at 40 lol. The night I started putting 30 in I woke up the next day to ride and it was completely flat.
Oh and my back tire isn't true either, it's wobbly. I don't think it's bent though but I am going to have to buy the tools to tighten the cassette because I think it's loose. I've been hearing/feeling this clicking that is concerning me. So I need the tools to tighten the cassette and a spokes tool to tighten those too because I think they might be the reason it's not true.
I hate having to spend so much money on such a cheap Walmart bike hehe. If it were an expensive bike then fine, no problem, bring on the expense of tools but it's not. With all the money I've spent on tools just to maintain this stupid bike I could've bought another one. Then again I wouldn't be able to maintain that one either lol.
I think it goes back to when I first got this bike, I bought a pump but the tire gauge that I have meant for a car wasn't worth didley because it was saying that it was too low then I would pump too much air in the tire and pop it. So when I first started riding again last year I bought a new pump with a gauge on it and for some strange reason was only putting in 20. Well, I think 2 weeks ago I started putting in 30 but it still wasn't enough. And during my ride it goes down from 30 back to 20! UGH!
Ok so I've put 40 in both and so in the morning hopefully they are still at 40 lol. The night I started putting 30 in I woke up the next day to ride and it was completely flat.
Oh and my back tire isn't true either, it's wobbly. I don't think it's bent though but I am going to have to buy the tools to tighten the cassette because I think it's loose. I've been hearing/feeling this clicking that is concerning me. So I need the tools to tighten the cassette and a spokes tool to tighten those too because I think they might be the reason it's not true.
I hate having to spend so much money on such a cheap Walmart bike hehe. If it were an expensive bike then fine, no problem, bring on the expense of tools but it's not. With all the money I've spent on tools just to maintain this stupid bike I could've bought another one. Then again I wouldn't be able to maintain that one either lol.
Wednesday, May 27, 2009
Kitty Grave Stone (wood)
Well I finished making it and I wanted to share it. It was actually a lot easier than I thought it would be. See my previous post with the template. I had this piece of wood so all I did was traced the cat, words, numbers and the paw print then started doing it. This was one of the easiest things I have made to date. I thought that making a Ouija Board would be so difficult but now I know different and as soon as I have that made then perhaps I can use it to talk to my Shanaynay.
Well here it is. It needs to be stained and have the stuff to protect it from the rain and the elements and from rotting on top of the ground. Although I may put a stake in the ground and then screw this to the stake to make it look like a cross.
Well here it is. It needs to be stained and have the stuff to protect it from the rain and the elements and from rotting on top of the ground. Although I may put a stake in the ground and then screw this to the stake to make it look like a cross.
Click to see it full size
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