March 2014 January 14 Tuesday

39 degrees this morning.  Looking to be a beautiful day.  In about a month and 1/2, the first signs of Spring should be appearing!

Bicycle in for maintenance/repairs.  Not a lot needs done, another chain, routine maintenance etc.  All I do to my bicycle is ride it and change the batteries (or charge them up) for the lights.  I have tried to learn to change tires etc. My skills simply don't run that way.  I wish they did, but I finally quit butting my head against a wall and admit I am simply a mechanical nincompoop.  (I haven't used that word for a long time!  However I tried to look it up and apparently I misdeeds it.  It says-it actually is in the dictionary-a "stupid or foolish person".  That isn't what I was trying to say, I was just saying I lack basic mechanical skills or abilities.  Anyway:)

However, my lack of skills in fixing the bike limits my bike riding, including my "ride with the sun".  I thought this might be the right year for my "ride with the sun", but I think I need to wait.  We are hoping to go on a trip to China to attend an International City Managers Association  (ICMAI) meeting, probably my one chance to visit China relatively inexpensively and partly tax deductible also!  

I hope to buy another bike soon.  My last bike was a "mountain bike" and I prefer the seating posture of the mountain bike to my present bike.  Not that I don't really like my current bike (a Trek 7500), I really like it.  It has been very reliable and is fun to ride.  I have been riding more lately (other than my daily early morning commute to the gym) and am really enjoying it. 

Too bad the City of Lakeland turned down a $1,200,000 grant for bike paths.  It was  a very poor, shortsighted decision in my opinion.  In addition to eliminating a major danger area for both walkers and bikers, it would have opened up employment and shopping opportunities for all of the residents of that area (about 3,000 people).  Most cities are making this a priority, but....

I have been busy writing and preparing responses.  It takes a lot of time, since I always feel like I can word something just a little better etc.  Even now, after numerous revisions and reviews, I still see an obvious misspelled word!  Part of the problem actually is spell check, which does make some obviously bad interpretations.