More Stuff

In an effort to single-handedly stimulate the economy of the nation, my Paypal exploits have taken on Herculean proportions. I am only three hundred and thirty one transactions away from a new star.
eBay is evil.
The brakes on the Beach Bike were howling like a castle full of drunken banshees so I decided to change out the calipers. Unfortunately, the Shimano XT brakes I got did not fit so I turned them around on Craigslist and got these:

So far so good. Some squeal, but for the most part quiet. I think I just need to wear them in a bit.
I also switched chain lubes from Prolink to Boeshield T9. Though the T9 is a bit tacky, it does not appear to attract as much grit and sand. It is also cleaner; meaning it doesn't turn the chain into a greasy mess. So far I like it.
I decided to go all OCD on the chain so I bought this:

Hopefully using Park Tool's Cyclone Chain Cleaner every hundred miles or so with the Boeshield should make my drivetrain last a bit longer.
Park also came out with a new spoke tool. Instead of having to get all the different sizes, they now make this:

No, I only bought one; I photoshopped a front and back shot into a side by side. Oh, and for some reason, I took the picture in black and white.
I was trying to capture the true essence of the object. Evil Hoku should get a laugh out of that.
I also changed the handle bars on the Beach Bike. I went with twenty-seven degree sweeps so it moved my hand position further back. To offset the change, I got a new stem:

At one hundred and twenty millimeters, it's long; I mean long. It had to be that long in order to set the grips back to their original position.
I'll put up pics of the Beach Bike after I'm done adjusting some(more) stuff on it.
And just to prove to myself that not all my purchases are frivolous, I had to order me this:

I hope this is not the start of a new trend(see below). Actually, I'm not a real Dr. Seuss fan; I am more of a Babar groupie:

I am helping a student get through first year French, so perhaps I can write it off.
I'll just include all this stuff in The Flat Tire Stimulus Package.
You can thank me later.

Just Grow Up

I have been faced with making a difficult decision this last few weeks.
What to get my one year old nephew for his first birthday.
While this might seem easy at first, if you think about it hard enough it has the potential to drive one quite daffy.
First I though I would get something educational. Then I decided to get something artistic or creative. Then I thought about something that would be entertaining or amusing. Then I gave up.
I came up with alot of neat things. Until I began to think about what exactly a one year old kid does.
Well, I don't exactly know what a one year old kid does. Sleep alot, would be my guess; that's what I would be doing if I didn't have a job or have to go to school.
In my epic search, one thing became a common theme: Beware of small parts.
Not having any children, I looked around at my living room and realized that I live in a potential death trap.
I like small parts.
I like things with small parts.
I like things with small parts and big parts.
I like to have small things to fix the stuff with the small and big parts.
And, I like to have more than one small thing to fix the stuff with the small and big parts (see below).
You can see where it became a problem finding a suitable gift.
The other difficulty, I came to realize, is that I think like a small child.
While not immature (okay, maybe), I tend to see things like I'm seeing them for the first time. Or at least I try to. That means to me, everything is amusing and entertaining.
I still enjoy the toy department. As I shopped for my nephew, it all looked good. It became a one for me, one for him, kind of ordeal.
In the end, I regressed.
Yes, I dug down deep and searched out a side of me reserved for when I have to deal with grown up people. I got something practical.
I know the kid can't read yet, but I thought books would be safe so I got him these:







Those are books I grew up with and enjoyed. My sister can always read to him until he learns to read them on his own. Maybe they'll even be passed on to another kid someday.
Oh, and as I was perusing the childrens book section, I just couln't help it.
I had to get me this:

Maybe one day I'll just grow up.
I hope not.