Running And Dodging Disasters In The Snow.

More Snow,  Less Running.

 Another wave of snow hit us yesterday.  Not as damaging as the blizzard a few days ago, but a few inches of powder and slush.  Enough to be irritating.   Cheryl continues her battle with her knee,  the snow,  the world and the universe.  All while I calmly ride alongside on my bike.

Cheryl Will Not BE STOPPED!

With the blowing and drifting snow as it is,  we have become stranded back on the limited sections where they plow the sidewalks.   Cheryl has been trying to get her knee back in shape by limiting her distance and walking and stretching when it becomes a problem.

A few places that are clear.

 We are up to 2 miles currently.   As it turns out,  the plowed sidewalk is not much longer than that,   so it is a Win/Win for a rather bleak situation. 

Hills.  Again!  

Stretching out the Knee.

Today!   More Snow,  Less Sidewalk. 

Of course the knee pain, potential blizzard threat, and the Subie scare all conspired to force us to rethink our racing plans.  You see,   Cheryl had scheduled a Valentine's Day run this weekend in Kansas.   Even though it is south of here,  the blizzard path was uncertain.   And even if the storm was a miss,   her leg and the car still might cause us more anxiety than fun....  So we cancelled the Hotel room.   Nothing could be done about the race fee... She has been pretty bummed about that.  I keep telling her that it was the correct decision,  but she never listens to me..

Blowing and Drifting Snow.

But then,  I was able to bend the universe to my will.   I'll be the first to admit that it is a hit or miss affair.  I rarely know when I can control it,  But control it I can!  I shall explain.

The race,  with no prior warning,  announced at 11 A.M. this morning that they were going to push the race back to next weekend.   The snow storm has the city on alert and the Police that are supposed to help are going to be too busy to chaperone the race route.  So,  in essence,  Cheryl has been given a second chance at the race after all!  And it is all thanks to ME!

I seem to be getting better at this. 

More importantly,  Cheryl notes that we were supposed to leave this Morning! And by the time that message was sent, we should have been half way there.   If we had to brave the white out and slippery conditions only to find out the race had been pushed back.... We would have done all of that for nothing!   ( and been very mad!) So essentially,  we dodged a bullet.

If only I looked this Cool in Black. 

But really,  this is perhaps the best outcome that could have happened.   Sure, there is still the possibility that she might not be able to attend the race even a week later, ( knee problems,  Subie problems, Freak asteroid hitting the earth problems,  etc.) BUT  she has the potential to salvage a lost opportunity from the bad luck streak that is our current life  story.  There are only a couple other times where I was responsible for tweaking the MATRIX to bend to my will.

  I don't have the same control that Neo does... But maybe I will eventually get the hang of things.  I should probably practice more.  Currently, I have trouble dodging responsibilities...  But I think I'm getting better!

Touch Of The Crazies!

Too much energy.

Running in the cold

Cheryl has officially gone crazy.    I guess the magic spell that the Mechanic cast on us was only temporary.   Add in the cold weather, deep snow, lack of running, lack of biking, and sedentary scoring gig and you can possibly see why she feels she needs to run outside in the cold with no jacket on.

And ice

And snow

The really bad thing about her going insane... is that she ends up driving me and the cat insane as well.   And whenever I'm inconvenienced...  well that is when I have to blog.    Rant, rave, and complain all come from me being unsettled.  And ,  this is important!  It is All Cheryl's Fault!

She drives me and the cat crazy

There,  I feel better somehow.   If only Cheryl could discover the therapeutic activity that is blogging. (And sometimes Video gaming...  and origami.)   I should probably thank her since I had no ideas for a blog post today.   But then she drags me out into the cold...   in the dark.  Nah,  I'll keep my gratitude secret for the time being.

Tesla in Space!

The concept.

So other than Cheryl's cliff jump,  I learned that they blasted a Tesla Vehicle into outer space this morning.   I have to admit,  I was totally blown away by this little stunt.   I have been following the SpaceX story  for a while now and I remember taking time out of our grade school day to watch the Discovery and Challenger lift off. Back in the NASA days.
   

What used to be Sci-Fiction

Now things are in the private sector and these guys not only launch privately funded rockets into space....BUT then RECOVER THEM!  It is truly mind blowing watching the rockets come back down and land again.   This could usher in a new space race that only the comics could have imagined.

Is becoming reality.

And,  just to add a gimmick..because the guy also is part owner of the Tesla ( an awesome future car as well)   They decided to put the car into space.   You can watch a live feed as I'm writing this.    Very cool indeed.

Insanity in the space and marketing firms.  Don't Panic!

In case it is not clear,  I'm all for free markets being unleashed my entrepreneurs. Governments are unfortunately wasteful and narrow minded.  Entrepreneurs figure how to balance cost, benefits, publicity, and applications of science much better.  Watch the video and see if it does not stir up that excitement of the past... when putting a man on the moon literally stopped the earth for one moment.

Seems like an odd way to travel in space.

And the space aliens who recover this thing are going to wonder how or why it is floating around in space.   Sounds like a really cool story.
Thanks for stopping in.

When You Can't Afford Therapy, Try A Mechanic!

I patched up the Subaru today.  Two seconds, one fuse, and without any snow, Subie was alive again.      Enough to actually get to the certified car care professional that was required.   Not so much for Subie's sake...  But more so for Cheryl's.

"Routine" Checkup...  

Cheryl commented today,  and I think this is very insightful...  That she either requires Therapy from a clinical psychologist  or a Mechanic... to gain peace of mind.    Having no money for a therapist,  we decided to visit a mechanic and  take the car in for a semi-routine check up.   Similar to a physical...  Only without us having to get naked.

How is this related to the Car?

And here is where I begin to rant.  Why does the Government require us to get mandatory Healthcare insurance when it does not require us to get mandatory auto insurance?  Oh wait!  It DOES!   And somehow we still had to pay for this little check up for the Subaru.   What is the insurance even for?   Why is maintenance and trips to the mechanic not part of the car insurance plan? 

Well,  I'm not for the Government screwing with anything I own.  Namely:  My car or my body. (Or Cheryl's body for that matter... but that is really her department.)  So I end up trying to do it all myself.   When I can.  I try to bike a little,  control my food,  avoid vices,   and change Subie's oil and top off his fluids when they need it.  I even check the air in the tires.   All so I DON'T have to go to the mechanic.

A Master doing magic!  Bad things be gone!

But Cheryl's anxiety gets the better of me, and I cave.   I also did not mind having  a master check my work,  in the event I screwed something else up and had not yet discovered it.   The Mechanic checked things out and ran the magic diagnostic check, Giving Subie a relatively clean bill of health.   He noted that we burned out a headlight. ( Possibly from my little firework show yesterday.) and offered to change it out for us.  We accepted.

Now Subie is made whole again!

No Bargain Fortune teller required.

He also performed a placebo treatment where they pull out the battery to "reset" the computer...  so Subie's 'heart and mind are one again.'   We  thanked him for his knowledge and healing ability and handed over $109.00 bucks.   Cheryl feels better.   Subie runs fine.   And I feel safer knowing I did not break anything else.  All that for $109 bucks!  Only a Psychic would have been cheaper.

Even if nothing actually happened. , I feel better.

So next time you think about a Shrink,   consider going to a Mechanic.  Not only do their fix your wife's fear of becoming stranded in Wellman Iowa;   They also sometimes fix your car.  And best of all,  they are way cheaper than an actual Doctor.

When Leaving Working Items Alone is Not Embarrassing Enough.

It did not start this way. 

Cheryl shows how I feel. 

It snowed today in Iowa.   I should say, "Snow-ing in Iowa."  It has not let up since 9 A.M.!   We had planned on running/biking....  But it was very cold... and began to snow. 

Running in the cold... without snow. 

Cheryl's still injuried.

It has been getting colder as the days in February progressed.   And Cheryl has not fully recovered from her little "Runner's Knee" issue.  So we have tried to bike a little.   Of the three times,   every single time, something has gone wrong.  Bumpy Trails for sore saddles.   A FLAT TIRE on Saturday!

And angry!

Flat tire third time out!  Are you Kidding?

   Cheryl's Bike!   A flat tire the third day out!  ( I was able to repair it...but com' on!)  Yesterday was simply blisteringly cold with a wicked wind chill.   I'm beginning to give up on the possibility that Cheryl will ever view bike riding favorably. 

Cheryl finally wants to go bike. 

Light snow,  but extremely cold. 

But then came today.    ( Pause for dramatic effect)

Cheryl said she was actually looking forward to biking a little today.  Something was about to go wrong. I was not disappointed in my prediction.

But today the snow is deep!

At 10 degrees above zero,   Subie refused to start.  This frightened Cheryl.   She is always afraid that Subie will strand us in the middle of Nowhere.. Or in this case:  Wellman Iowa.  (Where we live) I tugged on the throttle cables a bit and that was enough to get him going.. but the confidence and reliability persona that is Silver Bullet Subaru was already shattered. Cheryl nixed the Bike Ride. 

Fixing the car in a blizzard. Easy!  Right?

It was ok.   Riding in the extreme cold is never really much fun for me.   And it began to snow lightly on our way to Iowa City.   I figured  I would take a look at Subie when we got home and make sure there was nothing "unusual".   The extreme cold also makes the power steering whine and I thought I could adjust some things.  Simple!   What could go wrong?

Opps!  

Well,  Just  enough to mess up my day,  Ruin my reputation as a "fixer",  and Confirm Cheryl's already strained relationship with Subie.  I shall explain. Mostly because I have had very little to blog about in the month of February. 

Broken bolt?   I hardly touched it. 

As the snow began intensify,  I decide to take a look under the hood to see what caused that "little" problem this morning.   In my zeal,  I try to tighten, loose, and adjust a few things and discover that the alternator bolt was wobbly again.   You can probably guess what happens next.  ( Breakage!)  I snap the bolt off... again!

No prob!  I can go down the road and get one from the  local mechanic... again.  Sure it's snowing,  I can ride my bike there!  I end up purchasing it from NAPA...  Just as good.  The snow is really getting deep now.   Perhaps riding a bike in snow this deep was not the wisest of ideas.  But since when have I ever said I was wise? 

And where did these sparks come from?

One little thing I forgot to do...  was disconnect the battery terminal when working on the alternator.   Opps! A few sparks,   A whiff of Ozone.   A gentle reminder that I forgot something kinda important.  I disconnect.  All is well... Right?

Cheryl tries to help. 

With Cheryl's help,   We embark on the task of reassembly.   The snow is falling like crazy now, and Cheryl's job is to hold an umbrella as I patch up the car. Snow is blowing and collecting all over the engine.    Everything goes together easily and like clockwork...  until. 

The snow continues to pile in. 

Was that wrong?   I KILLED SUBIE!

We attempt to start the car... Nothing!  No lights, no dials,  only the beeping of the door alarm.   Did I blow a fuse?  A wire?  A Harness?   THE COMPUTER!   My mind quickly spirals out of control!  (Because the worst case scenario is the most likely outcome in all of my thought paths!)  I have fried the entire car!

We head inside,  dry off,  apply tranquilizers to Ethan.    We look up fuse locations on the car.   I find them;  but the snow is falling so hard,  that I only have 2 seconds to look at anything before it disappears behind a sheet of white.  I dig out the fuse for the alternator.   Still good!   I look around for any other fuses that might be blown.  Everything is as it should be, and is now covered in snow. 

Time to give up and call the pros.

Could this be the problem? 

Disconnect battery and attempt recharge,  check my connections, everything in the chain of command I can think of.  I'm totally out of my league now.   Time to call the Mechanic?   It is 4:45 and they close at 5.   As well as NAPA and every other establishment that could possibly help us.   With defeat in the air,  I make the call.  They will be able to look at it on Thursday.  And We will need it to be towed there.   I accept the terms.

Looks fine from this angle. 

 And then Cheryl finds that the main fuse might be the problem.   I looked it over,   It seemed fine before.  But I actually go in and discover that under that yellowing windshield,  the fuse is actually blown.   A Break!  In the fuse AND the entire CASE!  I now have an idea what the real problem is.  We discover this AFTER 5.   And the snow continues to fall. 

Ah HA!   I SEE IT NOW!  Only after all of the shops close. 

So now Subie is under 12 inches of Snow,  missing a fuse and his battery.   I will have to wait until tomorrow morning to see if they have a part at NAPA that will get Subie back in the action.   Looking back there are many life lessons to be learned here.   And I'm sure I will forget every single one of them the next time something happens.   Perhaps that is why I catalog all of my "screw-ups"  on this blog.   To help me not repeat history.... again and again and again.   Also because I have not had anything to blog about in the month of February.    Ah! the things I will do for the blog.