Gettin’ lubricated!
Married couples start to act alike and even think alike if they’ve been together long enough. For instance, on Saturday, Mary wanted to go to the grocery store. I got in the car to take her there, and as we pulled away from the house she said, “Oh! I need to go to the Pet Cemetery too!” The weird thing is that I knew exactly where she wanted to go, and it wasn’t a pet cemetery. It was PetSmart. We were out of dog food. I live with blondes so I’m beginning to understand their thought processes. Pray for my sanity.
I made fun of her all the way there, and the people in the store were treated to the sight of a middle-aged woman punching her husband several times while he laughed. It could be worse. We could be those people who wear matching outfits, but I’d probably shoot myself first. Somehow, I suspect she’d want me to match her outfit, rather than match mine. After all, I’m one of those guys wearing a loud Hawaiian shirt with plaid Bermuda shorts. I look like a beach bum from hell.
I wrote about riding in the rain on Friday, but I didn’t mention that Mary had warned me about it when she saw the weather report Thursday evening. She wanted me to drive and avoid the rain. I was actually looking forward to it, but then again, I’m more than a little twisted. Regardless, when I arrived at home sopping wet, she had one of those glorious I-told-you-so moments that wives seem to relish. I give her ample opportunities.
Yesterday as I was tinkering with the car, my neighbors stopped to talk. Kim saw me coming home drenched on Friday. Chuck laughed and said he’s done the same thing. They ride a motorcycle, and they know that it’s impossible to stay dry but with enough layers you can stay warm. They’ve been married a long time too. They complete each other’s sentences.
After they left, I cleaned and lubricated both commuter bikes. The Bianchi had a flat, so I fixed it. Since I’m cheap, I try to get the most from those expensive drive train parts, and keeping them clean and lubed is key. My rule-of-thumb is to do this every 200 miles or after riding in the rain. I use WD-40 to clean the chain, spraying it onto the chain as I rotate the pedals. Then I scrub a few links at a time with a rag and let it sit for a few minutes so the propellant can evaporate. WD-40 is a good cleaner but not a good choice as a chain lube. It doesn’t stand up to the pressure generated in the links. After it’s evaporated, I use Amzoil’s MPHD. It’s a wax-based lubricant. Again, I’m cheap, so I don’t mind this leaving a brownish waxy build-up on the components, though I do try to wipe off the excess. I’ve tried the ‘boutique’ lubricants, but I’ve returned to the industrial stuff on the commuters. WD-40 is good at cleaning the crud from clipless pedals too. Just use an old toothbrush to scrub them.
This morning the Centurion was practically silent under me. The only sounds I heard were the birds, the wind, and an occasional creaking noise coming from either a shoe or my old knees. I rode the fixed gear with its fenders mainly because the weather report calls for more rain later today. Sure enough, the radar is showing a line forming off to the west and moving this way. I may get to do another quick clean and lube tonight.
Also, it’s Monday again, the night when bible-toting Baptist commandos try to infiltrate our neighborhood. I just may wear the beach bum clothes and sit on the front porch while reeking of solvents, drinking right from a bottle of whiskey. I have a bottle that’s almost empty. I’ll just fill it with decaffeinated iced tea. That way it won’t keep me up all night. I haven’t found any spray cans of Baptist-Be-Gone, so the whiskey bottle will have to do.
I made fun of her all the way there, and the people in the store were treated to the sight of a middle-aged woman punching her husband several times while he laughed. It could be worse. We could be those people who wear matching outfits, but I’d probably shoot myself first. Somehow, I suspect she’d want me to match her outfit, rather than match mine. After all, I’m one of those guys wearing a loud Hawaiian shirt with plaid Bermuda shorts. I look like a beach bum from hell.
I wrote about riding in the rain on Friday, but I didn’t mention that Mary had warned me about it when she saw the weather report Thursday evening. She wanted me to drive and avoid the rain. I was actually looking forward to it, but then again, I’m more than a little twisted. Regardless, when I arrived at home sopping wet, she had one of those glorious I-told-you-so moments that wives seem to relish. I give her ample opportunities.
Yesterday as I was tinkering with the car, my neighbors stopped to talk. Kim saw me coming home drenched on Friday. Chuck laughed and said he’s done the same thing. They ride a motorcycle, and they know that it’s impossible to stay dry but with enough layers you can stay warm. They’ve been married a long time too. They complete each other’s sentences.
After they left, I cleaned and lubricated both commuter bikes. The Bianchi had a flat, so I fixed it. Since I’m cheap, I try to get the most from those expensive drive train parts, and keeping them clean and lubed is key. My rule-of-thumb is to do this every 200 miles or after riding in the rain. I use WD-40 to clean the chain, spraying it onto the chain as I rotate the pedals. Then I scrub a few links at a time with a rag and let it sit for a few minutes so the propellant can evaporate. WD-40 is a good cleaner but not a good choice as a chain lube. It doesn’t stand up to the pressure generated in the links. After it’s evaporated, I use Amzoil’s MPHD. It’s a wax-based lubricant. Again, I’m cheap, so I don’t mind this leaving a brownish waxy build-up on the components, though I do try to wipe off the excess. I’ve tried the ‘boutique’ lubricants, but I’ve returned to the industrial stuff on the commuters. WD-40 is good at cleaning the crud from clipless pedals too. Just use an old toothbrush to scrub them.
This morning the Centurion was practically silent under me. The only sounds I heard were the birds, the wind, and an occasional creaking noise coming from either a shoe or my old knees. I rode the fixed gear with its fenders mainly because the weather report calls for more rain later today. Sure enough, the radar is showing a line forming off to the west and moving this way. I may get to do another quick clean and lube tonight.
Also, it’s Monday again, the night when bible-toting Baptist commandos try to infiltrate our neighborhood. I just may wear the beach bum clothes and sit on the front porch while reeking of solvents, drinking right from a bottle of whiskey. I have a bottle that’s almost empty. I’ll just fill it with decaffeinated iced tea. That way it won’t keep me up all night. I haven’t found any spray cans of Baptist-Be-Gone, so the whiskey bottle will have to do.
posted by Ed W at 8:28 PM
1 Comments:
You are *BAD*
I really like the whiskey bottle idea. I don't drink hard liquor very much, so I'll have to get one from one of my friends.
My wife and I have been married 23 years and we are total opposites, not sure if that's the reason why we get along or what, but it's worked so far:-)
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