When Will I Ever Learn?

Photos
Two views from the city of Hartford, CT, the old and the new.
Left: The old Capewell building. Long ago famous for manufacturing horseshoe nails and buggy whips. For the last 8 years the city has been trying to get someone, anyone, to take over the building and convert it into apartments. Every developer so far has failed to come up with the proper financing. And each year the building gets worse and worse. There is something in governmental bureaucracy that does not like beautiful history.

Right: Within walking distance of the Capewell Building, we have the new Science Center being built on the banks of the Connecticut River. As ugly (my opinion) as the Capewell building is beautiful. That "flying carpet" roof had to be re-engineered because of some error in load bearing calculations. The Science Center is so different looking from all the other buildings in downtown, it sticks out like a sore thumb (mayby a soaring thumb!).

If it's green, it's slime so pay attention!
Yesterday, Saturday, when I racked my bike for a morning ride, I noticed a small spot of green slime on the bracket that holds the kick stand. (For those of you not familiar with slime, it’s a product put into bike tubes to quick seal a puncture.)

I pinched the tires and they felt pretty good, but the rear tire not as hard as I would like. My first stop was at a gas station to put air in the rear tire and I was on my way. My plan was to ride 25 miles.

After 2 miles I was at the East Windsor Hill Post Office and decided to check if I had brought Balance bars and electrolyte solution with me (just in case). The back end of my bike was covered with slime, and, I could see a green spot on my rear tire. Darn! (or words to that effect)

I was able to ride back to my car. Thank goodness it was only 2 miles! I said some prayers, too, asking that I make it back to my car without having to walk the bike. My prayers were answered.

Since I’m taking my bike into REI tomorrow to complete the outfitting, I decided to wait on changing the tire. I’ll let them do it since I have decided on two new tires and tubes.

If it had dawned on me to begin with that any spot of slime is bad news (and I know that!) I would have saved myself a lot of angst.

And, of course, today was the most gorgeous of days. Comfortable temperature with low dew point. I could have ridden all day. What a waste! But, I guess everything has a reason. Maybe this reason is "Teaching a Lesson."

When will I ever learn? Hopefully I have.