Wow, almost a year later before I got back to this thing...

Been a busy year, NAHBS last Feb. that was way cool!

Bought a house last March/April and all the moving, I hate moving but this was a good one...

Dave and Dan really helped big time, even if was just a few hours for them it was major for me. Thanks Guys!

Works been keeping me busy in some form or other, on the clock or off.

Trying to get my 'lil garage shop in order has been a focus the last few weeks to make room for a surface plate and possibly an old lathe from work.

We'll see how the lathe thing goes in the next few days as it's due for auction on the 26th

and there's only two bidders so far, a company exec and myself.

Sometimes you have to go up against the big guys if you really want to get something accomplished, just have to choose your battles and know when to back off as well.

"the art of war" I suppose.

 

Well I'm new to this blog thing and I just hit next "next blog".

Not for those under 18 or of humbler personalities! 

"koochie on the quick" is all I can say. Sorry if it conflicts w/ your senses.

 I'm trying to get it changed.

Anyway back to bicycles and stuff.

I'm gonna try out the TIG again tomorrow.

Still got some tubing to burn up that's too big to use for the length or too thick or too long or whatever. It's all bike sized but not the right size in one way or other, so that makes for perfect "test welds".

On another note, 

This Morning was SOOO clear a' skys!!!

I got to see Mars, off to the side of the morning moon!

I think it's towards the end of this month that it's gonna be the closest to Earth in another 20 or so years.

It was really bright, here in Houston, if my stuff is correct. 

Maybe it was Jupiter, or Venus, but whatever it was, was REALLY bright!

And I think it was Mars, 'cause that's what I heard.

Wanna fight about it?

Just kidding!(mars and all...)

I wish my neighbor would get back in town. I could stand to get her bike out-the-door and get my expenses for it and the cold 6er of shiner too!

Oh, well guess she's on vacation.

My Christmas present re-dux

Well that sucks! It ate my post!

I guess I'll just retype it!

I stayed late the other day(Friday before Christmas) off-the-clock, well I forgot to clock out but corrected it on the "time edit"(advantage to being a supervisor I guess).

I was working on a little tool for holding bike lugs so I can whittle the shapes and stuff I want or exaggerate what's already there. A 5C expanding collet.(my latest tool purchase). I had to spin-jig it down to the right diameter to fit the lugs.(yeah my bench is messy, what's new?)

As I was spinning it down, I started to think about stuff. For some reason I really like precision grinding things now that I don't "have" to. It becomes real meditative, almost "zen-like" sometimes.

Anyway I was thinking, "Man, I'm gonna be by myself this Christmas, no family, Mom's going up to Arkansas, no friends, most of them have families or are going to visit families. For most folks this is a big downer, not me.

Just me and Scout and the bikes to fool with, Woo-Hoo!

Almost a welcome reprieve. I likes my alone time, sometimes...

No Holiday crowds to fight, no presents to give.

I got my Christmas present right here(I'm still grinding away, 1/4" off the OD, over 1.5" long, woo that's a lot of spin-jiggin'!)"

I told this to Linda in QA(she was stayin' late too), after I got done.

I was real proud, well more excited really, about my work and my new toy, I wanted to share.

"My Christmas present is right here!"

My Christmas present wasn't really the thing, it wasn't the knowing how to make it, or the skill to make it.

My Christmas present was just the simple fact of God leading me to a place where I would be provided the time to learn how to, the people in place to teach me, the tools at hand that I needed to get it done, and the blessing of the capacity to take all that, and  pursue something that captivates my mind/passions so; for so many years of my life.

I hope everyone-else's Christmas presents were as nice!

why the blog?

Well, I started this up to give myself a place to write about bicycles, politics, good food, crazy machines I'v seen, what my crazy dog is up to,ect without bugging folks w/ crazy long, often rambling emails, and so that I could put in some pictures, which I can't do on the bicycle email list, nor do I have a photo site like flicker to reference to when I do want to put up a shot, and also my non-bicycling friends can look it up and see what I been doing whenever they want, again w/out the bother of email.

For example, here's a shot of my neighbors bike. oops, it's not exactly where I wanted it, but I'm learning still...

Anyway, I fixed it for her. No not fixed-gear, I guess I should say repaired it.

She had a blown-out freehub, and the shop she took it told her it wasn't worth fixing , just buy a new bike.

WTF! If it wasn't worth fixing why did they sell it to her in the first place?

She saw my repair stand, and all the bike junk in my garage and asked did I know anything about bikes and would I take a look at it?

You bet! That's what neighbors are for, helpin' each other out!

It was pretty clean and hardly any miles on it, how can that be "not worth fixing"?

I popped it into the stand and started working the gears(thats what she said was wrong). OOO, bad freewheel, then I found it was a cheapo freehub.

A trip down to the LBS and  and a cheap freewheel and wheel, a strip of good rim tape, and a tune-up(if you call turning the barrel adjusters once and r-setting the rr der set screws a tune-up?). A wipe down to get the dust off, snug up the BB a quarter turn, and tighten 2 spokes on the ft wheel by a turn or two. BAM!

She's ready to roll again. Way less than a hundred bucks on a $300 bike that's probably 10 years old? Not bad if you ask me. It's not some high zoot, ultra-light work of modern technology or anything, but it has two wheels and pedals and I like doing little stuff like that for folks. Besides I'll probably get a sixer of Shiner Bock out of it, if not a few bucks for my effort(probably way less than hour, I just spread it out over a few days).

Anyway, that's the kinda stuff I figure this blog thing is great for.

Well, here it is , almost a New Year, and I'v yet to create a finished bicycle as I promised myself I would. However I'v learned that it takes a ton more than I thought and come across several good e-friends to help me with this and tons of resources more than I ever suspected I would so, I can't complain at all. If fact I revel at the stuff I'v learned, folks I'v e-chatted with, and learned from and embrace this New Year w/ the opportunities to get done what needs to be, what ever that is.

Heck, I even learned how to start up a blog! Woo-F'n-Hoo!(that's a compliment not a criticism!).