Snow! (and something that thankfully came before it)

That's right, you read it correctly. This morning I woke up staring out the window, noticing that there was white stuff falling past the window. I guess maybe it's nothing to get real excited about (only a couple inches), but I just had to mention it because we've got it. Better put, we had it. I guess after the sun came up things got just warm enough to make the snow start to melt. That means today started out looking all white and sparkly and will end just as cold but wet and slightly muddy. I'm also sure that the roads will be slick or at least they'll be slushy. If I had to ride my bike back to the house I'm sure it would be interesting, but I'm thankful that I don't.

I'm sure you'll be wondering why I don't have to ride my bike back; it's because I've traded it in for something that will work, overall, as better winter weather transportation. That doesn't mean I've given up on the bike, it's just that riding in weather with the windchill quite a bit below freezing isn't all that fun, even though I get twice the exercise trying to keep from getting blown off the three bridges I have to cross on my way (the one over the canal is the worst). Now I get to go home in comfort and warmth. That's right, I bought a car.


Now, before I tell you what kind of car I got I want to be clear on one thing: most of you know that I like Volkswagens more than any other car, and I just want to reassure you that it still hasn't changed. So with that being said, my newest car (I couldn't truthfully put new) is... a 1970 model Fiat 128 A (which interestingly was in competition with the car I drive at home when they were both new). I guess I just like cars from the 70's (because I can work on them!). It's a small, four door car with a hum-dinger of an engine (1100cc and that's kind of what it sounds like). Actually, all the drive time I've had in it so far has been a pleasure, even when I had to have friends give me a push start (because the car came with a murdered battery, i.e. completely dry [!]). Now that I've got a new battery, everything works fine, even the windshield wipers go faster! Hey, old cars have their quirks (I should know) but they also have their perks. I got the car last Saturday in the late afternoon and even though everything seemed to be working as it should I knew to go over it just to make sure. I gave it a check up/over the other day which included jacking the car up and taking the wheels off so I could have a look at the brakes and all the suspension. See, that's the great part about old cars (at least it's great to me). I found out that I'll need to replace the rear break pads sometime in the future (especially if I want to use the E brake), that the funny little swerve the car sometimes does once you go over about fifty is not caused by some part of the suspension falling off, and that most definitely I need to look at getting new tyres (that's British spelling btw). I also now have the knowledge that, after looking everything over, I really will be able to fix probably anything if I can get the parts. All this adds up to knowing that sometimes a little money can go a long way when I know how to use a wrench and am willing to put up with the same comfort that people 36 years ago lived with. I'll be the first to admit that it's not a new car and that it can't really be compared to a new car, but on the other hand I know very few people who enjoy driving their new car so much; then again, maybe it's just me. All I know is that my new transportation has much better wind resistance than my bike (OK, so it keeps the wind out) and that the heater works much better, and on top of that I gave nearly the same amount for both of them. When simple is better...


Ok, that was a page full. I guess I could pretty much call it quits right here since I've done my daily duty (which you observe is not done daily). I guess it's a good thing I didn't add "daily" to the title of my blog.

I'm sorry if I've kept you waiting for news, but it's sometimes hard to remember what's news to who. I knew the car was news so that's why I went ahead and wrote about it, that and the fact that it'd get out anyway. After I put up the new blog for my new "project" I kind of forgot that I needed to still write here sometimes as well. I'm not writing there right now because the trail work is on hold because of the snow today. I guess if winter has really come to stay, meaning harsh weather, then we'll just have to look forward to what we can work on/build when spring comes around (or at least when the ground softens up). I am glad, but was a little surprised, to see four new boys at the trails on Monday. I'm sure they found out about what we were doing through the other boys who had been coming. The "visitors" mainly just looked over everything, asked questions, tried some of the jumps out and then disappeared as soon as they arrived. I'm not really expecting them to come back to help; they really didn't look the type to lend a hand. It still amazes me to think, though, that I've come in contact with six new boys that previously I as much as never knew anything about; now I know what we have in common. I know it will be some time maybe before I start to see any sort of fruit from what has been put into all this so far, but I'm sure that there will be some, of that I have no doubt.