The last ride of 2004 was a very civilized group ride on the levee. Lots of conversation and a double paceline nearly the whole way made it a great way to end the cycling year. After a couple of laps around Audubon Park, Gina and Kenny did some extra miles while I headed home, a little concerned about an increasingly scratchy throat and planning on taking a look at the flame trap in the Volvo's emission control system that I suspected was clogged up and causing oil to blow out through the filler cap and dipstick fitting.
After I got home I started in on exploratory surgery on the car, but had to close up without fixing anything when I discovered the rubber hoses leading to the flame trap had basically disintegrated. This one will have to be referred to the specialists at the dealer, since removal of the intake manifold will probably be required, and I'm just not up to that sort of thing any more. With my sore throat showing no sign of improvement, I needed something to distract myself and ended up trimming hedges and sweeping up leaves for a few hours, after which I decided to investigate why my rear wheel bearings were loose just one day after I had adjusted them. I quickly discovered that, as Kenny had suggested earlier in the day, that the plastic retainer was cracked. I think I can replace it with the aluminum one from a Campi Chorus or Record hub for about $30, but it looks like I'll be riding on my racing wheel for a week or two.
Kenny called around 4 and invited me over to meet Gina's sister Amy and boyfriend (for some reason I only remember the girls' names - go figure) before they headed out to dinner in the Quarter. After a couple glasses of wine and an equal number of zinc lozenges (thanks to Gina), they were ready to head out, so I took a group photo after loading three bottles of champagne into their trunk. I have a feeling they won't make the 9 a.m. ride tomorrow! I guarantee that if they end up in the New Year's Eve crowd in the French Quarter, where they were going to dinner, and one of the camera crews spots them, they will make it onto TV for sure.
I've now had about enough wine to forget, for the moment, about my sore throat, and I guess I'll probably watch the New Year come in, once again, on T.V. Rather sad, really, but I don't guess I'd be much fun tonight anyway, and I'm just hoping I'm not running a fever by morning.
"After all, tomorrow is another day . . ."
1 comment:
am relatively new to the area..live all the way out in LaPlace but work at Xavier. 40 yrs old female looking for some cyclists to hook up with..but your group seems too fast for me. Know anyone who rides 18-19 mph? am familar with the levee and Hwy 51. don't relish driving across the lake to ride, though.
will check back in a day or two. how might i send you my email?
Post a Comment