Paul's 300k Audax on Feb 2 was a great success. 20 signed up, 18 showed up, 18 finished. We had one straggler that Scott and Susan nurtured back into the fold. Finishing at 17 hours, give or take, we were right on schedule; that's how Audax rides are done.
20 minutes at each stop other than the breakfast buffet (50 minutes) and the lunch stop at Pine Island (Gulf Coast; 90 minutes), it was as leisurely as a brevet can get. With a tailwind going west and negligible wind going east, riding doesn't get much better. At one point we had a wall of water ahead of us; you could see the rain hitting the road about 100 yards ahead .... and we turned right. Unbelievable. A few raindrops later, very few, and we left that behind. A little later it threatened again but we skirted the edge of that storm. Driving home after the ride, it rained.
This ride doesn't count. It's not a notch on my ACP belt. I will get a UAF medal but can't count this one as a qualifier for PBP. That's ok. It was fun.
I've been tinkering with the M5. I think that I mentioned that I've replaced the center AT&T TDMA phone tray with a blank. $12 online, what a deal. YouTube to the rescue. Love it. Next I wanted to do something about my inside rear view mirror. Split in the middle, self darkening on the bottom and clear on the top, I checked to see if I could get a replacement for a reasonable price. My M5Board supplier directed me to someone in TX who fixes these things. I found a YouTube video that showed me how to remove the plastic trim and then remove the mirror, housing and bracket included. Exchanging emails with Scott at RadarMirror.com (guess what he also does ...) he said to send it just like that. For $99 and shipping, he fixes them. I looked online and it's a DIY but not for me. Separating the two panes of glass and replacing the caustic liquid without damaging anything wasn't worth it for $99. Messing it up would cost me $600 for a new mirror. Done and in the mail.
Next up ... fix a drip. After the last oil change it's been dripping from the plug. Argghh. I need to replace the washer. A new o-ring for the filter comes with a washer but it's the wrong size. Years ago threads in the aluminum oil pan were stripped by yours truly and new threads drilled in and a new plug inserted, larger than the original. I'll have to drain the oil and take the plug to the auto parts store and hopefully find a copper washer to remedy the drip. What a PITA. I'm going to do that this a.m.
Cassie got a trip to the sandbar yesterday, even though it was cold. That didn't stop her from having a blast; it did stop me from getting out of the boat.
Onward ...
Tuesday, February 5, 2019
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