The Great Ethan Allen.... Brake Master!

Cheryl runs

Master might be a little over the top.    How about "successful brake repair".  When things go well for me  (Which is rare.) I tend to think that I'm awesome instead of simply "lucky".   I can't help it that I have to keep my Tremendous Ego in Check.

Into the Trees!

Down the path

Into the sun.

Today, I had a rather successful day.  It started out in the usual fashion, with Cheryl running a short 3 miles and us hitting the usual haunts.  But, with no scoring project going on today, I found myself with some free time that I could spend doing my very own projects.  And so I decided to tackle them head on with no help from outsiders.   Because I'm a Do-er!   And Do-er's get things Done!  ( Or at least attempt them until something goes wrong)

Little Help From Mr. Screwdriver

Subie Needs Brakes

I weighed my options and used a coin flip to choose the very best project to take on first.  The Subaru Rear Brake Shoes!

Hmm   Brake shoes a little worn.

New Shoes Installed.  BAMM!

I was prepared for a serious battle.    Last year, the front Brakes on Subie took three weeks to pull off!   I had to wait for parts, deal with obstacles, Wait for parts again! And ultimately do an "over the top" job on something rather simple.  But the knowledge gained was valuable.... somehow.

Passenger side Now.  

More help from Trusty Screwdriver

I discovered that my Anti-seize that I applied last year had done its job and the bolts were a snap to remove.  (meaning easy,  Not "snap" oops! it broke...)  I focused on the brake shoes for this round, because I knew I would not have time for new rotors or slide pins.   As it turned out,   even the slide pins came out easy.

New Shoes Installed.  BAM!  I'm on fire!

With the driver side finished, I focused on the passenger side.   I had not "attempted" this side last year, so I thought the bolts might give me a problem, but no such issue arose!   I had both sets of brakes removed, and replaced within an hour.   Most of that time was spent getting the wheels off and setting up!  My confidence was soaring!

Old Brake Shoes need replacing

With an AMAZING job completed ( amazing because no disaster happened under my leadership!)  I chose to take on the next job.   My Bicycle!



These brakes are a little different.  And it ended up throwing a wrench into the well oiled machine I thought I was operating.

New Shoe Installation. Repeat behind.

Instead of things working normally,  I had to do a little "Modification" to the cable to adjust the performance. ( A fancy way of saying I had to destroy everything and bandage it back together.)  In the end, it worked out and I now have new brakes (shoes)  on the Bike.   Mission:   Successful!

Now I "simply" have to adjust the cable.  Not so simple. 

Not wanting to press my luck. (Because,despite all the bravado, I know most of my success is due to luck)   I chose to hold off on the Oxygen Sensor.
  That, And the fact that I spent about three hours talking to the neighbor about cars.   The O2 sensor needs to be attacked from under the car.  At least that is what the YouTube videos say. To do this, I will need to jack it up higher than usual. I was going to ask for some Car Jacks, but the neighbor was using them on the three cars he is currently working on.   Yadda Yadda Yadda and now it is too late in the day to attempt it.   Maybe tomorrow.

Wisconsin Beer!  

In the mean time,  Cheryl and I celebrated her Unofficial unofficial Race results with some Wisconsin Brewing Beer!  Spotted Cow and Capitol Amber.   Both are excellent!

Monday will bring the end of my Pearson Project.  I'll have to see what other options I can go for.   Until then,  I still have a few projects to occupy my time.  Hope everyone else is having a wonderful Sunday.  Thanks for stopping in.

Cheryl's "Unofficial" 20K Lake Run! That REALLY HAPPENED!..... Just Unofficially.

Green Afro!

We just returned from the Lake Monona 20 K race.  A pleasant day with a wonderful After Race Wisconsin Beer.    Cheryl even turned in a decent time.   With only one small catch....  It was not recorded!

Cheryl checks out the Line...

People waiting for the Port-a-jons

Seems really, really long.

Ah well,  I saw the time.   1 hour 36 minutes.   But Cheryl removed her shirt...and thus her BIB so the mat did not record her crossing the finish line.    By the time we noticed, we were deep in the beer zone and could do nothing about it.  Ah well,  What are you going to do?

I should note that the day started just fine.   It was a cool 48 degrees and sunny.   A cool breeze made the air feel even cooler, so Cheryl decided she was going to dress slightly warmer than usual.

Note the Long Sleeves!

in the gate.

I should note here that she did NOT want to wear her Boston Marathon Jacket.    ( She did not want to "brag")  Until two things happened.   One:   She noted it was much colder than she had thought.   And Two:   There were five other people wearing THEIR Boston Marathon Jackets!    We could have talked to them, but Cheryl was out of uniform.    So,  Back to the car,  dig out the jacket, and wear it proudly until the race officially starts.

Out of the gate.

Waving with Mittens.

I like small races...   ( Races with less than 20,000 people in them!)   because I can clearly see Cheryl as she passes by.   The race was around the lake and back, so there was no opportunity to catch her mid way.   I had to wait by the finish line to see her again.

Note: Baby Stroller faster than Cheryl.

The Kid even Jumped out!

I was looking for her around the 1:40 mark...but she surprised me when she rounded the corner ahead of schedule!   I noted, luckily, that she had removed her long sleeve shirt and was fumbling with it around her waist.   It never occurred to me that the bib might not register the time,   I was just happy the bib was attached to her shirt so she did not throw her shirt away

Note:  She is fussing with her shirt and bib.

With all the commotion,  we headed out to gather the two free beers we were offered.   Nothing is better than Wisconsin Beer after a race.  ( unless it is Illinois Beer... Illinois makes good beer too!)

Celebration!

Time for Beer!

Sexy Beer Pose!

The sectioned off area soon became crowded and we tried to leave, but the race officials said you could not leave the area with any beer.   This was not a problem for me,  because I was thirsty and guzzled mine down like a man crossing a desert!   Cheryl, on the other hand,   having Chocolate milk, water and beer, found herself imprisoned behind the "Beer Cage!"   She was forced to sip faster.

Nothing sexier than WIsconsin Beer...

Beer Brig

Sippers Purgatory....

Finally,  with the beer officially gone,  she was able to relax in the open sun and green grass.

Beer Finished. Race Finished. Cheryl Finished!

So that is all!   Cheryl now has no official record of her first and only 20 K run.   It's ok though.  They always warn people about their bibs and transponders registering on the mats.   We now know what we can not get away with and how that effects her results.   Better that it happened on this "random Race" than something more official.  ( like BOSTON!)  Plus it shows her that you will get hot during the race and should prepare for that heat and not the cold of the start line.

New Beer and Sandwich Combo. 

So we are currently home and resting after the long trip.  Tomorrow I may take a stab at fixing the rear brakes on the car and maybe...if I'm really lucky,   The O2 Sensors.   We shall see how things work out.   In the mean time,   We shall be sampling the new beers we scored from Wisconsin.   We already tried the  Hypothesis.   A crisp beer with a fizzy feel on the tongue.   The hops are not as distinct, but still have a presence.   Overall,   Very interesting!

Well the cat is bothering me so I should log off.   Hope everyone else is having a wonderful Saturday.  Even if it is not Technically  "official",  doesn't mean you can't still enjoy it.

UPDATE!    Cheryl Just checked the web site and found that they DID INDEED Capture her Results!

(Un-un)  Official!  Time:  1:36:46
Pace: 7:48 ( faster than Lincoln Half Marathon!)
Place:  206 out of 1252 total runners.
Div Place: 8th out of 171 Females age 40-49

After all those puns,  Cheryl's meddling threatens to ruin my clever post.   I guess it can't be helped.

Thursday Catch up!

Rain Gear Required!

Cool weather

I thought I would have an entire week without scoring...  I was wrong.

Sunny weather

Overcast Weather

I guess that is ultimately a good thing since we need the money.  But springing hours during random parts of the day really can be annoying.   Then again,  I told them I would be "available"  whenever.

More Rain,  Time to Gear up again!

The good news is it is only one project currently.  Switching between projects is not too difficult mentally  ( Highschoolers SHOULD write better than 4th graders)  But the stress of always working builds up over time.   On top of that,  the 4th Grade Project is easier to process ( now that I have been doing it for three weeks) and is slightly more forgiving on when I show up and work. In other words, if I only want to work 4 hours, I can.   But that does not make me much money...

Running hills

Cheryl also continues to work as many hours as she can.  She is working 50 hours with bonuses!   So she finds herself trying to harvest as much $$ as the sun will allow.  Even then, it is beginning to wear on her.

Running Fields

But enough about scoring!   I'm not sure how we do it, but Cheryl has been running every morning this week and we even had the opportunity to run in Davenport!   To bad it was shorter than we had hoped.   But still!  Squeezing in a long (-ish) run on a Tuesday when we have scoring projects demanding our time is amazing!

Running Forest!

I should probably note that Cheryl has a run coming up this weekend.   After Boston, she has been itching to "Run Better".    So we are heading to Wisconsin for a 20 K run at Lake Monona.  We leave tomorrow.   I'm hoping to have some EXPO pics and stories to share, But there is a possibility that it will be short and sweet.   We shall see.

Running Puddles!

Splash!

In the mean time,  the Weather has taken a turn for the hot.   It was so wonderful yesterday, and then the sun came out.   I'm not sure how it is in your part of the globe, but in Iowa, the sun makes a 20 degree difference!  So it can go from "cool-ish" to "Uncomfortably Hot" in a single 12 hour period!

Running the River!  With Wind and Cold!

And even more puddles!

At least the birds like it!

Finally some sun!

With a little luck, the temps and rain and wind and all things negative will hold off and Cheryl will be able to gain a little confidence again.   With summer approaching and Collegeboard Projects on the horizon,  it may be one of the few opportunities she will have before the fall marathon running season. But we shall bridge that gap when we get there.   Thanks for stopping in!