She's back - better than ever
So poor Swifty has been laid up for a few days while I figured out how to change a tire. It was a little more complicated than I thought. But I did it and today was her first day back on the road! I had to get the back wheel off, with the drive belt complications. I followed the instructions painstakingly, though, and after a lot of fumbling around, got the tube out, finally found out that the valve stem was cracked, replaced the tube and tire - much heavier than an average ten-speed's tire - and wrangled the wheel back on and the belt back around the pulley. There were moments - I blush to relate - when I thought I wasn't going to be able to do it, that it was all over between Swifty and me. But I carried on.
And I discovered that the rear brakes had been misadjusted. They were too tight to the rims, causing rubbing and perhaps contributing to the flat. So I adjusted them right and found that Swifty was swifter and free-er than ever! She runs almost noiselessly and, I could swear, faster. Piu velocemente, I should say.
I had thought the flat happened because I went too fast over too many bumps, so I took it real easy coming home. And me and my bike are more in tune than ever. Not that I don't like my 1994 Mazda pickup. Without that, Swifty would never have got home from my workplace. But let's face it, with gas the way it is - over 3.70/gallon in Tallahassee - I'm going to be doing a lot of commuting on good old Swifty! And by the time I retire my truck should still be in good shape. Life goes on and so does my electric scooter.
Monday, May 12, 2008
Swifty lets me down - or does she?
So I come out of work and Swifty has a flat tire. Oh, heck. I've been riding her pretty hard, I guess, and she's picked up a nail or some glass or something. So I walked home (I needed the exercise) and got Ned to help me pick her up with my truck. And on the weekend I took the back wheel off - not an easy task. Getting the tire off was even harder - the heck with those new plastic tire irons, I wound up using good old reliable screwdrivers. And there was no hole in the tube! Did someone take the air out of my tire? And why? Well, jealousy no doubt. Who would not envy me my sweet little bike? But now I'm going to be paranoid all the time I'm in work. No matter. Must get Swifty going again. Need a pump and repair kit. I'm expecting her to be back on the road Tuesday. And it will be 53 that morning! Lovely.
So I come out of work and Swifty has a flat tire. Oh, heck. I've been riding her pretty hard, I guess, and she's picked up a nail or some glass or something. So I walked home (I needed the exercise) and got Ned to help me pick her up with my truck. And on the weekend I took the back wheel off - not an easy task. Getting the tire off was even harder - the heck with those new plastic tire irons, I wound up using good old reliable screwdrivers. And there was no hole in the tube! Did someone take the air out of my tire? And why? Well, jealousy no doubt. Who would not envy me my sweet little bike? But now I'm going to be paranoid all the time I'm in work. No matter. Must get Swifty going again. Need a pump and repair kit. I'm expecting her to be back on the road Tuesday. And it will be 53 that morning! Lovely.
Thursday, May 08, 2008
One week of Supermemo Italian
I've been using Supermemo's "English-Italian phrase book" online system for one week now. And, sure I'm prone to enthusiasms, but I could not hope for a better result. I've studied lots of languages in my day, from German in Germany at the age of three and Spanish in Florida at six to Russian in college and French, Latin, Czech, Bulgarian and Turkish at various times and by various methods. I even took a few lessons in Dari from an Afghan exchange student one summer a few decades back. But I have never seen a language learning system that works as well as, or anything close to the way Supermemo works. The final verdict will come in a few months, when I go to Italy and see how much I've remembered. But for comprehension, vocabulary and pronunciation, this is "l'ultimo"!
I have been putting in at least an hour a day, in fifteen- to twenty-minute segments, stopping when I feel overwhelmed or other matters demand my attention. But the system picks right up where you left off and won't let you forget things forever. And it's even fun.
I've been using Supermemo's "English-Italian phrase book" online system for one week now. And, sure I'm prone to enthusiasms, but I could not hope for a better result. I've studied lots of languages in my day, from German in Germany at the age of three and Spanish in Florida at six to Russian in college and French, Latin, Czech, Bulgarian and Turkish at various times and by various methods. I even took a few lessons in Dari from an Afghan exchange student one summer a few decades back. But I have never seen a language learning system that works as well as, or anything close to the way Supermemo works. The final verdict will come in a few months, when I go to Italy and see how much I've remembered. But for comprehension, vocabulary and pronunciation, this is "l'ultimo"!
I have been putting in at least an hour a day, in fifteen- to twenty-minute segments, stopping when I feel overwhelmed or other matters demand my attention. But the system picks right up where you left off and won't let you forget things forever. And it's even fun.
Tuesday, May 06, 2008
Supermemo(ry)!
I have found a great tool called "Supermemo", a system that lets one learn in a rational way extremely complex or voluminous material. I'm studying Italian using the system. In the first week, I've learned hundreds of tourist-type phrases but, more important, have derived a real appreciation for the structure of the language. It's the little words that count: fra, da, tra, gia, qui, che, and so on. The online course program is easy to use and fits my computer-dominated life perfectly. All you need is a connection to the Internet. I have no doubt that I'll be able to speak decent Italian within a month. Then it's on to German, maybe or refresh my Russian or Czech or Bulgarian or, what the heck, all three!
I would love to use the system to learn chess openings, too. I have an old (1972) copy of Modern Chess Openings that I consulted while watching Fischer beat Spassky. Maybe in a couple of years I'll be going up against the Russians, thanks to Supermemo!
I have found a great tool called "Supermemo", a system that lets one learn in a rational way extremely complex or voluminous material. I'm studying Italian using the system. In the first week, I've learned hundreds of tourist-type phrases but, more important, have derived a real appreciation for the structure of the language. It's the little words that count: fra, da, tra, gia, qui, che, and so on. The online course program is easy to use and fits my computer-dominated life perfectly. All you need is a connection to the Internet. I have no doubt that I'll be able to speak decent Italian within a month. Then it's on to German, maybe or refresh my Russian or Czech or Bulgarian or, what the heck, all three!
I would love to use the system to learn chess openings, too. I have an old (1972) copy of Modern Chess Openings that I consulted while watching Fischer beat Spassky. Maybe in a couple of years I'll be going up against the Russians, thanks to Supermemo!
Wednesday, April 30, 2008
Still cold
Here it is April 30 in Tallahassee and it was in the forties this morning. And tomorrow may be 51, not exactly freezing but needing my Blogger hoodie on Swiftcurrent at 7:30 AM. I can wait for summer.
I'm having a bit of trouble mastering the fine art of cornering. Perhaps it's because I have done so much cycling in my life. And Swifty is not balanced like a bicycle. She's much more bottom-heavy - sorry old gal, but that's the truth. The batteries and the motor are under my feet. When I lean to go around a corner, I expect to go over because a bicycle at that angle would just fall. It's been three weeks now and I still can't get myself to trust that Swifty won't fall if I lean a lot more in the corners than I would on a bike. Of course just when I get the technique down I'll go for a ride on my bicycle and fall on my nose in the first corner.
Here it is April 30 in Tallahassee and it was in the forties this morning. And tomorrow may be 51, not exactly freezing but needing my Blogger hoodie on Swiftcurrent at 7:30 AM. I can wait for summer.
I'm having a bit of trouble mastering the fine art of cornering. Perhaps it's because I have done so much cycling in my life. And Swifty is not balanced like a bicycle. She's much more bottom-heavy - sorry old gal, but that's the truth. The batteries and the motor are under my feet. When I lean to go around a corner, I expect to go over because a bicycle at that angle would just fall. It's been three weeks now and I still can't get myself to trust that Swifty won't fall if I lean a lot more in the corners than I would on a bike. Of course just when I get the technique down I'll go for a ride on my bicycle and fall on my nose in the first corner.
Monday, April 28, 2008
Rainy Monday
Left the house this morning, sky was gray - hey, that sounds like the beginning of a song. But it's merely the truth. And I hopped unthinkingly on Swiftcurrent, barely feeling the first few scattered pinpoints of rain. And, you guessed it, by the time I got out on Apalachee Parkway the rain was driving down. Now I had thought I would take the truck when it rained. I gassed it up yesterday - almost fifty dollars' worth! - for such an eventuality. But I didn't turn Swifty around and put her back in the garage where she'd been sleeping or in a trance or something all weekend, absorbing electrons and dreaming about flying through a lightning storm. That would have been cruel. The little scooter handled the rain just fine. I got wet, but so what? I was dry by the time I had my first cup of coffee made. Now I just have to remember to bring a paper towel out when I go home, to make sure the seat's dry. I should get her a cover. And myself should get me a rain slicker. The all-weather electric motor scooterman! But I also don't want too much paraphernalia. Especially when I recall that the word "paraphernalia" means the gear and gadgets that a bride brought to her new home, which, as I remember, were to be hers alone and separate from her other property, which automatically became her husband's. Ah, the good old days! Of course the sneaky new brides, no doubt at their mothers' promptings, tried to get as much as possible included in paraphernalia. The unwary new husband had to be careful. In those days, love had better not be blind or you'd miss a few valuable objects that could be reposing in your strongbox instead of being concealed beneath piles of underclothes and hats.
Now here's something Swifty could use. I wish I could bring her inside and charge her up. And what I wouldn't give for a lithium-ion battery pack! Not that I really need it, but in a few years when the present set of lead-acids is clapped out, it would be cool to double the range and, perhaps, speed up the recharge process. Until then, I'll just keep it for commuting. And flying through lightning storms.
Left the house this morning, sky was gray - hey, that sounds like the beginning of a song. But it's merely the truth. And I hopped unthinkingly on Swiftcurrent, barely feeling the first few scattered pinpoints of rain. And, you guessed it, by the time I got out on Apalachee Parkway the rain was driving down. Now I had thought I would take the truck when it rained. I gassed it up yesterday - almost fifty dollars' worth! - for such an eventuality. But I didn't turn Swifty around and put her back in the garage where she'd been sleeping or in a trance or something all weekend, absorbing electrons and dreaming about flying through a lightning storm. That would have been cruel. The little scooter handled the rain just fine. I got wet, but so what? I was dry by the time I had my first cup of coffee made. Now I just have to remember to bring a paper towel out when I go home, to make sure the seat's dry. I should get her a cover. And myself should get me a rain slicker. The all-weather electric motor scooterman! But I also don't want too much paraphernalia. Especially when I recall that the word "paraphernalia" means the gear and gadgets that a bride brought to her new home, which, as I remember, were to be hers alone and separate from her other property, which automatically became her husband's. Ah, the good old days! Of course the sneaky new brides, no doubt at their mothers' promptings, tried to get as much as possible included in paraphernalia. The unwary new husband had to be careful. In those days, love had better not be blind or you'd miss a few valuable objects that could be reposing in your strongbox instead of being concealed beneath piles of underclothes and hats.
Now here's something Swifty could use. I wish I could bring her inside and charge her up. And what I wouldn't give for a lithium-ion battery pack! Not that I really need it, but in a few years when the present set of lead-acids is clapped out, it would be cool to double the range and, perhaps, speed up the recharge process. Until then, I'll just keep it for commuting. And flying through lightning storms.
Sunday, April 20, 2008
Go far, go fast
Swiftcurrent has two modes: "go far" and "go fast". I had to do a little shopping at WalMart, so afterwards, I decided to head out Apalachee Parkway and see what the little gremlin could do. I streaked out four miles or so, in "far" mode, until I started to get nervous about whether I could get back or not. I got to the Capital City Baptist Church, about a half-mile before the dump. Then I turned around and investigated a little side road, looking for likely residential properties. Back on Apalachee, where cars were whizzing along at 65+, I decided, what the heck, I'd try "fast" mode. The worst that could happen was that I'd have to walk the bike a few miles home. Boy, what a difference! I felt like I was flying, but I could feel the juice draining out of the batteries. I made it fine back to Capital Circle, though, in record time. It must have been seventy degrees, but I was chilled by the breeze. Beautiful day.
Free Baja!
So I bought some Skyy vodka to make vodka gimlets with. This was after, and related to the fact that I read the story of the silly ad for Absolut vodka that implied that the Southwest should still be part of Mexico. I went on and read the Wikipedia article about the Gadsden purchase. I did not know that the Mexicans had signed over much larger portions of what is now Mexico to the US but their cession was refused - not ratified - by the US Senate because they were afraid that the territory would come into the Union as slave states. So, if history had worked out differently, the US would have had Baja California! And Sonora and Coahuila and Nuevo Leon and who knows what all!! So all that area is US territory illegally occupied by Mexico. In commemoration of the expropriation of US territory by Mexico, I propose we set aside December 30, the day in 1853 when General Santa Ana of Mexico and James Gadsden signed the cession of enormous areas of what is now Northern Mexico to the US. We all need to move to northern Mexico and work for the liberation. Free Baja!
Swiftcurrent has two modes: "go far" and "go fast". I had to do a little shopping at WalMart, so afterwards, I decided to head out Apalachee Parkway and see what the little gremlin could do. I streaked out four miles or so, in "far" mode, until I started to get nervous about whether I could get back or not. I got to the Capital City Baptist Church, about a half-mile before the dump. Then I turned around and investigated a little side road, looking for likely residential properties. Back on Apalachee, where cars were whizzing along at 65+, I decided, what the heck, I'd try "fast" mode. The worst that could happen was that I'd have to walk the bike a few miles home. Boy, what a difference! I felt like I was flying, but I could feel the juice draining out of the batteries. I made it fine back to Capital Circle, though, in record time. It must have been seventy degrees, but I was chilled by the breeze. Beautiful day.
Free Baja!
So I bought some Skyy vodka to make vodka gimlets with. This was after, and related to the fact that I read the story of the silly ad for Absolut vodka that implied that the Southwest should still be part of Mexico. I went on and read the Wikipedia article about the Gadsden purchase. I did not know that the Mexicans had signed over much larger portions of what is now Mexico to the US but their cession was refused - not ratified - by the US Senate because they were afraid that the territory would come into the Union as slave states. So, if history had worked out differently, the US would have had Baja California! And Sonora and Coahuila and Nuevo Leon and who knows what all!! So all that area is US territory illegally occupied by Mexico. In commemoration of the expropriation of US territory by Mexico, I propose we set aside December 30, the day in 1853 when General Santa Ana of Mexico and James Gadsden signed the cession of enormous areas of what is now Northern Mexico to the US. We all need to move to northern Mexico and work for the liberation. Free Baja!
Trunk
Silvercurrent got a nice little trunk today at the scooter dealership. Now I can stow my helmet when I go in a shop or to work. And I can put a modest amount of groceries away. So I don't have to wear a knapsack to go shopping any more. Swifty just became more capable and convenient. I love it that the gas needle on my truck hasn't budged for two weeks. That's real savings. And the truck will last longer and always be there when I need it. I am looking into the situation with the battery, since the scooter guy told me the battery had a memory, so I should always drain it as far as possible before I recharge it. Yet in the Users' Manual it says there is no memory and you can recharge it as often as you like. It would indeed be less convenient if you had to drain it down completely, because there's no sure way to tell just when it's going to run out, like those old VW bugs. My commute probably doesn't even take half of the charge it gets overnight, but I have never yet run completely out of charge (and I don't particularly want to) so I don't really know. It's not like you can roll it into a gas station and refill, unless you have the charger cord with you and can convince the gas station guys to let you charge up enough to get home. If this thing takes off, will there be a market for padlocks for outdoor electric plugs?
Silvercurrent got a nice little trunk today at the scooter dealership. Now I can stow my helmet when I go in a shop or to work. And I can put a modest amount of groceries away. So I don't have to wear a knapsack to go shopping any more. Swifty just became more capable and convenient. I love it that the gas needle on my truck hasn't budged for two weeks. That's real savings. And the truck will last longer and always be there when I need it. I am looking into the situation with the battery, since the scooter guy told me the battery had a memory, so I should always drain it as far as possible before I recharge it. Yet in the Users' Manual it says there is no memory and you can recharge it as often as you like. It would indeed be less convenient if you had to drain it down completely, because there's no sure way to tell just when it's going to run out, like those old VW bugs. My commute probably doesn't even take half of the charge it gets overnight, but I have never yet run completely out of charge (and I don't particularly want to) so I don't really know. It's not like you can roll it into a gas station and refill, unless you have the charger cord with you and can convince the gas station guys to let you charge up enough to get home. If this thing takes off, will there be a market for padlocks for outdoor electric plugs?
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