It was the best of bikes...
Maybe not the best, but it would do
My Aunt Gloria has been wonderful in helping me move to Indiana. Most of my mother's family lives out here. Aunt Gloria checked out the apartment before I signed the lease, found some free and cheap furniture (and made it a point to match them - a theme of blue), let me ship all my stuff to her before moving out there, and had practically everything set up for me before I even arrived. Other family members helped out by donating some of the furniture, dishes and bathroom supplies. I was spoiled to have her help and I am grateful for my family and friends making the transition from home to here so easy.
Since I live just a mile from campus, the nearest grocery store, and my job as a "Lab Angel" (student worker in the Information Technology department - which is on campus) I can get around on a bicycle. Aunt Gloria and Uncle Jim pulled down a bike which they had hanging in their barn for a while and fixed it up so it was ride-worthy again. It was still pretty little wobbly and rusty; sometimes I feared going too fast, thinking it might just disintegrate or crumble underneath me, but it sure beat walking around.
I got comfortable with riding the old bike around and overestimated what it could handle one day. Thinking I'd take a short cut - because of all the construction on 40 - I took on a steep dirt hill and on the very first peddal up the hill I thought I felt the back tire sink into the dirt. However, that shift in weight was the back tire torquing against the frame. I didn't realize the back tire would no longer spin until I stepped off and continued to walk / drag the bike up the rest of the small hill.
Now that I know how long it takes to get to campus, I leave with little cushion time. But when my bike broke down I had plenty of time to figure out what to do.
I assessed the damage and figure the back wheel just needed to be realigned. Fortunately for me, I broke down across the street from a car mechanic. Figuring they would be nice enough to let me borrow a couple of wrenches I picked up my bike and walked it over to the mechanic's. Instead, the two mechanics stopped what they were doing and before I finished explaining what went wrong, they were fixing my bike.
Steve, one of the mechanics, exclaimed "This is a Tyler bike! Do you want to sell it?" I hadn't thought about it, but knew there were a couple of reasons not to sell my bike. 1) I don't know what is so special about a "Tyler" bike 2) This bike is my only means of transportation. I gave Steve the latter of my reasons. "Well I have a newer bike at home - do you want to trade? My son's name is Tyler and he has made a hobby out of fixing up old bikes." I asked for a day to think about it and Steve said he would bring his bike for me to check out before I agreed to his proposal.
When I came back, Steve had a much nicer bike to give up for the Tyler - a Schwinn with more gears, and probably have the age. He gave me the bike and another few days to think about it. I had already checked on Google and with a couple of bike-savvy friends to make sure I wasn't getting hustled out of a treasure on two wheels. So I made the deal the next day. My new bike needed a different saddle, and better grips; other than minor adjustment, I have been quite pleased with the exchange. I see Steve now and then - he said his son made a special trip up from Kentucky or Tennessee just to pick up the bike. They were both happy to make the trade too.
Stay tuned to see what inspired me to start cliffhanging.
Sunday, October 17, 2010
Thursday, September 2, 2010
Five Things To Do on Your Vacation in Richmond, IN
The locals are astonished.
Why would anyone move two thousand miles from year round 65 degree weather, palm trees, and a place where people commute by surfing. It seems like a pretty ridiculous concept that anyone would choose to move from San Diego to anywhere other than Hawaii.
Nine and a half times out of ten, the response is "What are you moving all the way out there/here for?"
Even as I sat down on my plane, pocketing my one way ticket, I was mocked by the magazine I pulled from the seat in front of mine. I thumb through the table of contents of "Sky Delta" to find an article called Five Different Ways to Spend a Vacation in San Diego. A vacation for the night owl, one for the adventure-seeker, the classic family and so on... I read it... Then I console myself with the reminder that I wasn't much of a "beach person" anyway.
The truth is
I know I'll miss home, especially in the winter. Sure the the weather is perfect in "America's Finest City" but many family members and friend are still in Southern California too.
Humor is a great remedy for additional consolation. Therefore, I share my rendition of the "Sky Delta" article.
Partly tongue and cheek, alongside truly interesting events and places ...I'll let you decide which is which.
***
5ways to spend a things to do on your vacation in Richmond, Indiana :
#1. Fine Art: If you are a fan of Da Vinci, Dali, or Van Gogh you're in luck, because Richmond has the next best thing. The Fifth Annual Senior Art Exhibit is right around the corner. This unique collection of amateur and semi-professional art ranges from pottery to painting, woodwork to tatting, and stamp collections to photography. The admission is free to this family friendly event. A must see!
#2. Get An Indiana Tan: If you take a vacation in Southern California or Florida you would have to get your tan at the beach. Why do such a thing when you can shade your skin in a fraction of the time, without the bother of sand and burden of other people? The salon is your solution! If you miss your appointment due to the construction on the main roads or you're running late because you were captivated by the senior art exhibit, just keep driving; you'll find another salon before you get to the next Starbucks.
[I'm not recommending this - I have no experience tanning.
Im just bringing your attention to the abundance of tanning salons here]
#3. Architecture and Building Murals: take a walk in in Olde Richmond, enjoy the late 19th C. [1800s] architecture and modern murals. there are a couple dozen murals on these and Uptown Richmond buildings. Richmond was the sight of the first jazz recordings ever. Gennett Records was owned by Starr Piano Company around 1917. Many Jazz artists like Louis Armstrong, Duke Ellington, and Jelly Roll Morton as well as some blues and country artists such as Charley Patton, and Fiddlin' Doc Roberts recorded some music with Gennett Records. This part of Richmond history is often reflected in the building murals.
#4. The Great Outdoors:
A few possible highlights of Richmond outdoor life are
Throwing rocks in the gorge: watch out for the splash, though - the water is polluted.
But we are on it (hence the construction reference in #2.)
Hoosier Point: Just north of Richmond, Hoosier Point stands as the highest elevation in Indiana.
[1257ft is a really tall when the typical landscape is flat corn fields]
Glen Miller Park: Playground, Pond, Rose Garden... a serene and beautiful way to spend the afternoon.
Disclaimer - When outside, please do not mind the smell of Dog Food; the Science Diet factory may be on the wrong side of the wind occasionally, but has been a sturdy establishment regardless of the recession.
Instead, take pleasure on the moments when the smell of Cinnamon rolls coming from the Richmond Bakery dominate the air .
#5. The Darke County Fair: (over now)
Enjoy the plentiful selection of food vendors: corn on the cob, elephant ears [puts the fun in funnel cake], giant turkey legs, inauthentic Mexican food, and two-fer-one snow-cones.Take a spin on the Tilt-a-whirl or relax on the Ferris wheel. There are plenty of traditional carnival games including the local favorite cornhole. The locals are proud to tell anyone who asks - this is the biggest county fair (some say in the U.S., some say in the state, some say in the county ...but it was pretty big).
***
It may not be the most sought after tourist destination
But Richmond is cozy
The people are warmer than the humidity here
although it may smell like dog food from time to time
I embrace the sent of cinnamon when the wind is right
!!!Stay tuned to find out what happened to me when the back tire of my bicycle decided to stop spinning...
Why would anyone move two thousand miles from year round 65 degree weather, palm trees, and a place where people commute by surfing. It seems like a pretty ridiculous concept that anyone would choose to move from San Diego to anywhere other than Hawaii.
Nine and a half times out of ten, the response is "What are you moving all the way out there/here for?"
Even as I sat down on my plane, pocketing my one way ticket, I was mocked by the magazine I pulled from the seat in front of mine. I thumb through the table of contents of "Sky Delta" to find an article called Five Different Ways to Spend a Vacation in San Diego. A vacation for the night owl, one for the adventure-seeker, the classic family and so on... I read it... Then I console myself with the reminder that I wasn't much of a "beach person" anyway.
The truth is
I know I'll miss home, especially in the winter. Sure the the weather is perfect in "America's Finest City" but many family members and friend are still in Southern California too.
Humor is a great remedy for additional consolation. Therefore, I share my rendition of the "Sky Delta" article.
Partly tongue and cheek, alongside truly interesting events and places ...I'll let you decide which is which.
***
5
#1. Fine Art: If you are a fan of Da Vinci, Dali, or Van Gogh you're in luck, because Richmond has the next best thing. The Fifth Annual Senior Art Exhibit is right around the corner. This unique collection of amateur and semi-professional art ranges from pottery to painting, woodwork to tatting, and stamp collections to photography. The admission is free to this family friendly event. A must see!
#2. Get An Indiana Tan: If you take a vacation in Southern California or Florida you would have to get your tan at the beach. Why do such a thing when you can shade your skin in a fraction of the time, without the bother of sand and burden of other people? The salon is your solution! If you miss your appointment due to the construction on the main roads or you're running late because you were captivated by the senior art exhibit, just keep driving; you'll find another salon before you get to the next Starbucks.
[I'm not recommending this - I have no experience tanning.
Im just bringing your attention to the abundance of tanning salons here]
#3. Architecture and Building Murals: take a walk in in Olde Richmond, enjoy the late 19th C. [1800s] architecture and modern murals. there are a couple dozen murals on these and Uptown Richmond buildings. Richmond was the sight of the first jazz recordings ever. Gennett Records was owned by Starr Piano Company around 1917. Many Jazz artists like Louis Armstrong, Duke Ellington, and Jelly Roll Morton as well as some blues and country artists such as Charley Patton, and Fiddlin' Doc Roberts recorded some music with Gennett Records. This part of Richmond history is often reflected in the building murals.
#4. The Great Outdoors:
A few possible highlights of Richmond outdoor life are
Throwing rocks in the gorge: watch out for the splash, though - the water is polluted.
But we are on it (hence the construction reference in #2.)
Hoosier Point: Just north of Richmond, Hoosier Point stands as the highest elevation in Indiana.
[1257ft is a really tall when the typical landscape is flat corn fields]
Glen Miller Park: Playground, Pond, Rose Garden... a serene and beautiful way to spend the afternoon.
Disclaimer - When outside, please do not mind the smell of Dog Food; the Science Diet factory may be on the wrong side of the wind occasionally, but has been a sturdy establishment regardless of the recession.
Instead, take pleasure on the moments when the smell of Cinnamon rolls coming from the Richmond Bakery dominate the air .
#5. The Darke County Fair: (over now)
Enjoy the plentiful selection of food vendors: corn on the cob, elephant ears [puts the fun in funnel cake], giant turkey legs, inauthentic Mexican food, and two-fer-one snow-cones.Take a spin on the Tilt-a-whirl or relax on the Ferris wheel. There are plenty of traditional carnival games including the local favorite cornhole. The locals are proud to tell anyone who asks - this is the biggest county fair (some say in the U.S., some say in the state, some say in the county ...but it was pretty big).
***
It may not be the most sought after tourist destination
But Richmond is cozy
The people are warmer than the humidity here
although it may smell like dog food from time to time
I embrace the sent of cinnamon when the wind is right
!!!Stay tuned to find out what happened to me when the back tire of my bicycle decided to stop spinning...
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