So thinking about the race on Sunday, esp after a few comments by Closethedoor, I probably just went to fast and blew sky high. that was probably more of a factor than anything else. But it was pretty cool and re-assuring that I can drive that bike pretty damn well mostly because how annoying the people's lines were around me (sitting on chaboom's wheel his lines were fast and felt right to me). Must have found myself in the I have power and fitness but no driving skills part of the race, which is usually a bit in front of me and the rest of the 'we can drive but fitness/speed isn't great' gang.
Ah well.
So the day off turned into sleeping in, making a late breakfast and then taking the brake line off the rusty race wagon.
Vise-grips.
Got the line off just after my wife left with the van and the girls to run some errands so... two trips to the autoparts store in the span of 4 days on the bike wasn't just making me motivated. So I made another cup of coffee and kitted up for a recovery ride. Me, bike, fancy new team kit, riding slow and chill for 45 minutes. Oddly felt very 'pro' probably because I so rarely ride w/o backpack or trailer, and the 2012 team kit still is new and cool to me.
They returned and I procured some hard line but it was getting dark and dinner needed to be made, I don't need the car till Saturday anyway. What's another day or two on ramps.
Yes, I should replace it, some day I will. For now I can't, have to keep it working. A labor of love.
Sorely tested lately.
Got the Injector harness installed before G-ster, put some new phat injectors in and had nothing but problems. Eventually I sorted it out by luck or chance or pig headed repetition, I got injector #2 to seal. Took 10x long than it should have. Of course.
Then Thursday morning the starter doesn't shoot the bendix out, just spins. no start. Loaded up the trailer and rode the bike to the course set up. Got there late, had to leave early. Took starter out, no problem. Maybe 15 min. Simple. three or four plugs to disconnect (after the battery of course), then a few bolts.
No big deal. Drop by the parts store I bought it from when other one died and took everything with it, they ordered a new one - was there when they opened Friday. Rode the bike up to get that- spent the morning trying to get the two bolts back in.
Seems the alignment of the front motor mount was just tweaked enough that I couldn't get the bolts threaded. That again, should have been a 20 min job, maybe? and it took me 90 minutes to discover the combination.
hooked it all up, VROOM. no problem.
hit the brakes Sunday morning - pedal to the floor.
at least it had a good long run of not needing much. And since it was kind of overdue I changed all the filters (only to realize the fuel filter wasn't due to be changed for another 30-40k, oh well). Air and cabin and oil def needed to be swapped.
Probably need to do a brake flush anyway, overdue. Maybe. Had to put a caliper on one year for inspection, I think i did all 4 corners at that point.
Ah the rusty race wagon at least has a big Chewbaca to keep it working. On one side it is good, it is helping to transition from car=member of family like the Golf was to: who gives a shit, just a car. Still not to the point of super old man status of buying a craptastic 'yoda or 'yaris or something clown carish
Oh well - we'll get the Millennium Falcon ready for race day. No problem.
Soup. Some talk about it on the twitter last night... Myette offered this recipe with: PROTIP from my wife... put the stuff through a food processor and then push it through a strainer to remove as much of the chunks as possible. More work, worth the effort according to the boss.
It all reminded me of this soup... I want to make it:
I've had a couple requests for the recipe for the pumpkin sweet potato soup I inevitably churn out this time of year, so here goes. I'm sure I lifted the basic idea for this from somewhere at some point, but I've been making this from the recipe stored in my brain for so long that I don't remember it's origins.
You need:
oil for sauteing (I use coconut oil)
one mediumish onion, or a small onion and a leek
one small sugar pumpkin
a couple sweet potatoes
6 cups of chicken stock (or veggie stock)
some type of hot pepper (i use a combo of ground chipotle and cayanne)
one can of coconut milk
salt & pepper
Peel and chop the pumpkin and sweet potatoes. Half inch cubes or so is a good size.
Finely chop the onion/leek and saute in the oil until soft.
Add chicken stock, pumpkin, sweet potato, and a pinch or two of hot pepper. Bring this to a boil, and then simmer, covered, for about 20 minutes or so (until the pumpkin and sweet potatoes are soft.)
Using a potato masher, smash the soup until it is good and pulpy (but not completely smooth.)
Stir in the can of coconut milk, add salt and pepper to taste, and serve! This is a good starter for Thanksgiving dinner.
Will probably make it when i have a squash on the fridge needing to be cooked up. Might need to check pantry for coconut milk but the rest are pretty standard items in the house (need to make some more chicken stock some time too).
Granted then I read Steph's kimchi recipie and kind of want to make some of that too... I like her recipe writing style.
also - check out the RedBull Stratos. Mission to the Edge of Space. Actually pretty f'n cool, even to a skeptical jaded jackass like me:
there is also that video with the dude doing stunt riding on a road bike but if you're reading this you've probably seen this video linked a couple dozen places already.
That's all i got well, that's all i got to share at the moment.
at least I didn't get rained on for the ride to work.
heddwch
G
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