Today's Project: OMG!!! (Frustrating)

 

Song:  O Fortuna

Composer:  Carl Orff

After returning from my last trike ride in a canyon near Royal Gorge...

I realized my left front tire was flat.

I had seen some thorn bushes in the canyon...

but I hadn't thought they could penetrate my tires.

Although I had a tire repair kit on my trike...

as the leak was very small...

I hadn't noticed it until after getting home.

Realizing that a flat many miles up a trail

is not something I would want to experience...

as it could be a royal pain fixing one...

I ordered 2x Tannus Armour tire inserts and inner tube combos

for my front tires.

I will order another one for the rear tire at a later time...

as if need be...

I could walk it back easily by picking up the rear of the trike.

However...

should one of the front tires be flat...

it would be far more difficult to walk it back.

In the future...

I will be going on trails many tens of miles long...

but before I do that...

I will also install the armor tire insert on the rear tire as well.

Now...

 I haven't had to repair a bike tire since I was a young boy...

and these tires are specially made to lock on to the rim of the wheel...

as they must be able to travel on very low pressure for loose sand, mud or snow.

As such...

the tires are especially thick, tight, and stiff around the rim.

At first...

I could just break the tire seal on the rim with my fingers and bodyweight.

This allowed me to insert a tire removal tool to run around the rim...

taking the rim of the tire off the seal and over the top of the rim of the metal wheel

with relative ease.

I had ordered these as I need to ensure I never have a flat by a thorn again.

After popping off the tire over the rim of the wheel...

I pulled out the punctured inner tube

(note the valve stem...

it is of the type used on high pressure bike tires...

which is stupid because these are low pressure tires).

I tried finding the hole in the inner tube...

but as it was a tiny thorn...

I couldn't find it.

It didn't matter anyway.

The new inner tube was smaller as it had to fit inside the armor of this system.

It also had the standard car tire type valve stem...

which I am glad for...

but had proved to be slightly problematic...

as you will soon see.

The armor is made of a stiff high density foam that is 15 mm thick 

in the center...

and tapering off to 3 mm on the lower sides.

After checking the valve stem width of the new inner tube  

(I could see that it was thicker)...

I knew I had to grind out the valve stem hole to a wider dimension

to accommodate the wider width of the new valve stem type on the inner tube.

Now...

this is where the frustration began to build.

I had initially bought a small and inexpensive mini grinder...

never again.

The rims of my trike are made of fairly thick and specially hardened aluminum.

Not only was the mini grinder ineffective on this metal with every abrasive bit

of the kit...

it couldn't tighten down hard enough to keep the bit from spinning in the jaws

of the grinder.

And so...

I got my drill.

I threw away the mini grinder.

I simply cannot stand anything I cannot depend on.

I had thought that I could wear away the metal by essentially using 

a metal drill as a router.

No...

it just wasn't working well.

Time for the big guns.

This particular drill bit did the job in a few seconds.

I had to ensure that I drilled out the rim on both sides...

and that it wasn't sharp so that I wouldn't guillotine the valve stem.

Emplacing the first rim of the tire over the wheel was relatively easy

just using my hands.

I then had to lift the tire high enough to emplace the armor inside of the tire

without pulling off the first rim of the tire from the wheel.

Okay...

even though it was relatively stiff...

no problem.

I then had to stuff it over the wheel and then emplace the inner tube inside of the armor.

I aligned the valve stem and then began to stuff the inner tube over the wheel rim.

Then...

I had to stuff down the near side armor over the rim.

I just used my hands as I didn't wish to pinch the inner tube with a tool.

As I neared completion of this task...

it became very tough to get the final few inches inside as the armor

refused to stretch.

At this point...

instead of screaming like a toddler...

I elected to just step outside the garage and onto the first floor deck to cool off.

I sat on this railing for a few minutes just cooling off.

As the brisk mountain breeze cooled me down...

I felt much better.

I looked out over the forest and at one of the nearby mountains...

regathered myself...

and headed back into the garage.

After I realized that it wasn't going to be a few minute job...

I got my IPod and speakers from the exercise room...

and played some calming music while I worked.

After emplacing the armor into the rim...

then came the most difficult part of all...

placing the final rim of the tire over the lip of the wheel rim.

I had stupidly placed my faith on two gimmicky wheel tools.

While at first...

they had worked well...

just as the installation became difficult...

I could move them no farther.

I ended up breaking one of them.

As I hadn't bought proper tire levers...

I decided to improvise using a set of olympic weight clamps as tire levers.

After much time and effort expended

(I didn't have enough leverage with these)...

I finally got the tire securely in place.

I pumped up the tire and finally felt good...

until I went to pump up the right side tire using this air pump.

I had forgotten that I needed a special adapter to even fill the other tire with air

as it had the other type of valve stem...

for which I didn't have an adapter

(it was too low to ride until I change out the right tire as well).

I was going to emplace the armor on the other side tire...

but I realized I would need to wait for the proper tools...

and so...

frustration had, once again...

momentarily settled in.

I closed the garage...

went upstairs to the computer station in the loft...

ordered the tools I should have had from the beginning...

and then sat looking outside to...

once again...

cool down.  :)

--------------

These are the tire levers I should have gotten in the first place:

They are almost a foot long each for much needed leverage...

have padded sure grip handles...

and come with rim protectors.

I should have realized...

a man should never skimp on his tools.

In order to do the job correctly the first time...

you must have the correct tools in the first place.

They should arrive in a few days.

Besides my tools and inner tube repair kit...

I will also carry some cans of fix a flat for the trails in the future.

I will also be staying away from thorny places.

(I should have realized this earlier...

as the canyon was hot and dry...

a perfect breeding ground for thorny plants).

-------------

I am going to make a special meal for myself tonight

(I know...a man shouldn't feel proud of himself for not acting like a toddler...

but I am anyway  :)

Where I used to give a loud tiger roar when I got frustrated...

I calmly took a breather today...without blowing up.

I know...I know...

What...

it took you 65 years to figure this out?  :)

Some Of The Little Things In Life / Italian At Home

 

Music:  Romantic Piano Songs

Artist:  Ernesto Cortazar

Life is filled with so many of the little pleasures that just keep giving...

day in and day out.

These add up to a life filled with happiness...

if we but pay attention.

I had purchased these stone spoon rests...

and I get pleasure from seeing them...

and from using them.

And...

as I love avocados...

I bought a triple tier fruit basket.

This way I can put the ripest avocados on the topmost basket.

I love the way it presents the fruit.

It is not only practical...

but it goes so well in the kitchen.

---------

I have seen

(and I do mean what I say with the utmost disrespect it deserves)...

people who go through life trying to dull their emotional responses...

pretending to be stoic...

while having no understanding of it at all

(Stoicism is semi permeable...

it is the armor against the negative...

and the magnifier of the positive).

They stupidly think that to not observe and enjoy things in life...

to ignore them...

to be numb to them...

is somehow...

showing strength.

The grand beauty of life is all around us...

and it provides a never ending source of deep serenity and happiness.

Weak people...

run from life...

for fear of it.

Strong people embrace life in all of its grandeur.

They know that heaven lies on the other side of hell

(metaphorically speaking)...

and so...

gladly suffer walking through hell to reach the other side

(deferred gratification).

Only those of whom had sacrificed...

can know true pleasure.

It is within the fires of hell that a strong constitution is forged...

and that through the pain of the fires...

that creativity and a deep understanding of beauty is born.

In short...

if you cannot feel a deep happiness at the simplest of things...

you are living life in search of freedom from pain and stress

(running from the very fires of the forge which breed great happiness)...

and in doing so...

in search of immediate comfort...

you live a dull colorless life filled with boredom...

with only momentary distractions to fill the void.

The other evening...

I had gone food shopping at Safeway.

I saw some frozen pizzas I had never tried before...

and so...

I bought some.

As I was preheating the oven to try the new pizza...

I looked out my front windows at the effects the setting sun had on the clouds.

So beautiful...

OMG...

this was THE BEST PIZZA.

Not just the best frozen pizza...NO...

it was the best pizza I have ever had in my life.

And not only may I have the best pizza at home whenever I wish...

(425 F for 15 minutes)...

but it costs 1/3 of a pizzeria.

They are imported from Italy.

Bravo Safeway...

you had contracted with an excellent company...

and have made it your signature brand.

I had also bought a couple of other topping pizzas to try.

The crust is just crispy enough...

combined with a chewiness that is so satisfying.

The sauce is the best...

as the spices just burst through.

The cheese is in the right amount and of the right type.

And...

yes...

now that I have found the holy grail of pizzadom...

and I may stock up on them in the deep freeze

so I may have the soul satisfying taste and texture of a perfect pizza

in the convenience of my home...

I am deeply happy.

The simplest pleasures are frequently some of the best.

I woke up this morning to a beautiful day.

As I looked out one of my front windows...

I had a strong craving for an Italian style breakfast.

This is an excellent pasta base with which to add various other ingredients

to make a whole meal.

I added a pound of shrimp.

In about 15 minutes...

the food was ready.

Bandi always waits near the kitchen whenever I cook.

The shrimp covered the pasta...

and the whole meal was so good.

Of course...

as always...

I share my meals with Bandi.

I mixed in part of my meal into a bowl of kibble...

and Bandi ate it all in large satisfying gulps.

--------------

Italian food is one of the world's great cuisines.

I sometimes crave Mexican food for weeks...

and then...

I crave Italian...

or Japanese...

or other Mediterranean food.

----------

I am a man...

I LOVE FOOD.

But...

I also love so many of life's great simple pleasures.

If you cannot deeply feel all that you see, hear, or even think...

you are missing out on a major point of life.

When you take a stroll through hell

(hard work...exercise...discipline reaching your goals)...

knowing that heaven awaits you on the other side...

even hell becomes pleasurable.

All of life then becomes a win win scenario.

When you attempt to escape even momentary discomfort...

you condemn yourself to a lose lose scenario in life.

In your attempt to numb out anxiety, fear, and pain...

you have nothing in which to look forward...

except another momentary distraction.

In so doing...

you are living life on a flat line at best...

no highs...

just long term lows filled with a momentary and monotonous void 

of not feeling anything at all

(alcohol and other drug abuse and other forms of escapism).

This phenomena is not only psychological...

it is physiological.

A set pattern of stimuli soon results in a new norm.

And so...

a new threshold is established from which everything is measured...

from pain to pleasure.

Our bodies are always striving for a state homeostasis

(adapting to a new variable chemically to keep everything in balance...

and so...reestablishing a new threshold to overcome...

whether it be from a positive or negative stimuli). 

This is why it takes a larger and larger dose of drugs

to give drug addicts their sought after high.

But...

it is also why one must walk through hell in order to once again...

reach heaven

(exercise).

But this is the beauty of this system:

By walking but a relatively short period in hell...

one may spend a much longer time in heaven

(an hour of exercise gives days of euphoria 

and resets the pleasure threshold to much lower levels...

so one reaps deep pleasure from the simplest things in life).

  

And so...

the simplest of things become deeply meaningful...

 a sunset or sunrise becomes a grand symphony of colors...

the sublime taste and texture of food is felt throughout the body...

music becomes soul stirring...

love wrings the heart...

the crisp wind on one's face transports one's mind

as you become a soaring eagle amidst the clouds.

However...

with drugs...

it is but a short period in a semi heaven...

and a long period in hell

(the drug's effect is relatively short...

and the hell of knowing that one is on a perpetual cycle 

of needing something just to escape reality...

and so...wanting perpetually more...

and knowing that it all must eventually end in one's early death 

as the ever increasing need to dose higher and more frequently

destroys the organs).

---------

Anyway...

I am sure you get the picture.

One's choices in life

(even in not making a decision)...

greatly affects one's pleasure in it.

Never be the one who believes that it is mere thought that changes life.

No...

it is the positive action one takes that resets the mind 

through the realization that the positive actions lead to a positive state in life...

and so...

naturally leads to an optimistic state of mind.

We then know that we are the masters of our destiny...

that it is under our control...

that we can be as happy as we wish...

if we only strive to climb the mountain before us.

-------------

If you concentrate on the dollars in life...

the pennies become meaningless.

Concentrate on the big picture...

and the details work themselves out.

Simplify life...

and live it fully.

If you are walking the correct path...

all of life becomes beautiful

as it is filled with anticipation...

and so...

you may enjoy the scenery along the way.

This is how one may live in the moment.

Tunnel Drive Trail Trike Day

 

Piano Music

YouTube Channel:  Strings & Keys

(Amended from my other blog:

The Three Wheeled Philosopher)

Today...

I took Bandi to a hiking / biking trail near Royal Gorge.

The trail started at the ending of the gorge...

and only went two miles towards Royal Gorge...

but even at the end of the trail...

we were still five miles from the Royal Gorge public attraction area.

I hooked up the trike carrier...

emplaced my trike on it...

and strapped it down.

This was at the start of our journey...

just down the street from home.

We were about halfway to the trail head...

about half an hour into it.

The trial was only paved for about one tenth of a mile...

...it then gave way to this dirt trail.

The temperature was fairly mild.

It was 72 F (22.2 C) on the trail...

and it was just under 50 F (10 C) at home.

Still...

there was a nice wind blowing almost the whole time.

There were many benches for hikers to rest at scenic spots all along the trail.

This was the first of three tunnels.

These two were close together and very short...

but the third was much longer.

After a short while...

the third tunnel came into view.

A passenger train made its way through the gorge.

There was an open view car for sightseers.

I had only seen one lone kayaker the whole time.

This marked the end of the trail...

and so...

Bandi and I turned around and headed back.

However...

before we hit the trail again...

I gave Bandi her fill of water...

and let her rest.

I stopped so Bandi could rest about every quarter of a mile.

I also took advantage of all shaded spots for Bandi's rest stops.

Bandi rested extra long in the shade of the long tunnel.

We were just moments away from the parking lot here.

We were headed home here.

I bought a doggie seat pad so Bandi could rest comfortably during our drives.

She also has a bed to lie on...

but she most often loves to stick her head out of her favorite window for much

of our drives.

When we got home...

Bandi was so tired that she almost immediately went to sleep on my bed.

She only came out when she heard me cooking.

I felt like eating shrimp and somen.

Bandi enjoyed eating some as well.

Afterwards...

I fed her a regular meal...

which she had wolfed down.

Even though the trail wasn't so long (4 miles in total)...

we are both worn out from it.

I will soon be going to bed myself.

------------

The trail is not something I would want to do in the summer.

I think it would be way too hot and dry.

I am thinking of going on the Royal Gorge rim trail next time.

It is supposed to give grand views from the top of the gorge...

 near the Royal Gorge bridge.

-------------------

On the drive over to the trail...

even though it was only an hour each way...

I really enjoyed the drive itself. 

I always do.

I love the open road.

When I drive...

it is usually with the windows...

and my heart and eyes...

fully open.

It is just the magnificent feeling of fresh air swirling in the car...

buffeting my hair and face...

with my favorite music seemingly in beat with the wind...

in combination with the beauty of my ever changing surroundings 

that make everything just seem so right...

and so beautiful...

 as I drive.

Although I usually have a plan...

a direction...

just as in recent previous cases...

I am free to alter the plans...

sometimes in moments...

to adapt to situations...

or to my feelings at the time.

This is freedom.

To have a secure future because of earlier planning in life...

is to be able to enjoy everything in life because of it.

----------------

I have always loved reading...

especially as a child.

Books were a medium

through which people could communicate to others...

and through which they could conquer distance, time...

and even death itself.

In the books...

and through the authors' condensed experience in life...

a beautiful rhythm of knowledge was interwoven with precision and concision.

This is only possible when the author had made a much earlier decision...

or realization...

in life.

There are two basic intellectual types...

one who strives for increasing complexity...

or one who strives to simplify the complex.

It is so often in poets...

philosophers...

and writers of children's books...

specifically Fairy Tales...

that you will find precision and concision...

as they are the intellectual types of whom simplify.

My point...

there is so much condensed knowledge in a fairy tale.

They were usually the result of generations of wisdom

passed on to the youth by the elders verbally...

as this form of education and communication

predated the written form by millennia.

They had so often brought about understanding of universal social rules...

of universal laws of basic human and animal behavior...

and through which had later coalesced into morals.

The Fairy Tale that I see as THE most poignant...

has the most value in any society...

is THE most important to understand as early on as possible...

is the story of...

The Grasshoppers and the Ants.

There are but two basic types of people in life:

Those of whom live by deferred gratification

Those of whom live to satisfy immediate gratification.

Anyway...

during my drive to the bike trail yesterday...

as I was living in the moment...

feeling so fortunate to be able to enjoy life so much...

of realizing how my life could have easily ended up differently

had I been one of those of whom had chosen to satisfy his immediate wants...

instead of prioritizing his future needs...

knowing how the present choices greatly affect the future...

and, not only of how I had made the correct choice in life early on...

but of the so many I had known in life who had not...

and of how they had died early because of it...

or even worse...

of how so many wish to make the world live in their hedonistic bubble.

The parasites and their manipulative masters are the bane of the future.

They are all of the Marxist bent...

the robbers of individualism...

of the time, effort, and sacrifice expended and made by individuals for THEIR future.

Anyway...

back to my original thoughts of that day.

I had been in a profession which had provided us very good pay...

and an even better retirement.

Yet...

although they had the foresight to stay in our field...

so many had thrown it all away...

all because they had given in to hedonistic desires.

So many ended up dead before they even reached retirement...

instead of ending up living the dream life in retirement...

all because they had chosen their then present over their future.

And so...

they ended up being a mere footnote of stupidity in my mind...

of how one shouldn't live his life...

a mere brief thought...

a picture on the wall of idiots I had known in life...

ones of whom hadn't simplified into basic applicatory concepts...

lessons in life offered all around us.

I had spent no more than a few minutes thinking about them...

and then just as quickly...

I was back in my world of beauty and serenity.

What a waste of life...

our one and only shot at it.

I presently know of people

who are making some wrong decisions which will negatively affect their lives...

 for whom will experience great regret because of their decisions...

and they pretend that they...

or others cannot "predict the future"...

they pretend that "we are all different"...

and so...whatever they choose...

no one can refute...

that it is the right decision for them.

No...

first of all...

we are far more alike than we are different.

And so...

how we may have philosophy...

psychology...

morals...etc.

I must impress these two pillars of common sense:

Inherent Implication:

(basic inductive reasoning)

The ability to think things through.

The ability to see the logical paths of the present actions or inactions...

and their effects upon the future.

The ability to navigate a basic logic tree.

Inherent Contradiction:

(basic deductive reasoning)

Through simplification to basic concepts and meanings...

incorrect paths may then be delineated where contradictory statements must exist.

(they need not be expressed...but may exist as a naturally occurring implication)

This is life's BS detector...

especially where a deductive syllogism may be established.

---------

Yes...

people can see wrong paths way ahead of time.

Yes...

only the ones who care enough about you even care enough to pay attention in the first place.

Yes...

by calling you on your BS...

that is a form of caring.

Yes...

there is a limit to the amount of caring for a person 

who cares even less about him or herself.

Yes...

by continuing on an incorrect path until too late to make positive changes...

you will be relegated to a simple mental picture on the wall of idiots

in the minds of those of whom had previously cared.

No...

your miserable life will not negatively affect those of whom had previously cared

enough to attempt to correct your path...

at least in the long term.

And so...

Yes...

in the end...

only you will suffer your lack of common sense.

------------

As I triked on that day...

feeling the cool canyon breezes on my face...

experiencing the anticipation of seeing what would present itself around the next bend...

living in the moment as only one who had earned it through his previous sacrifices...

could...

I deeply appreciated my freedom and my life.

I have never been one who has ever thought that I would live forever...

not as a nebulous spirit...

not in any form or manifestation.

This is what makes one treasure the here and now...

of what keeps his ears and eyes open to life.

Life is what we each make of it.

We are the designers...

the engineers...

the masters of our own destiny...

and we shall reap the rewards from that which we make for ourselves...

or we shall suffer regret for having chosen wrong.

There is no one else to praise or blame...

but you.