I just got a phone call from my new mechanic. I am so going to keep this guy as my mechanic for all my vehicle mechanical needs!!! Well... at least it would appear that he is the answer to my prayers... I will soon know for sure.
He (Doug) said that the linkage
as it is on my trike is not working and never going to work (that is the polite version), so he has
to rip it all off and start from scratch. He will totally redesign it
for me and make my brakes work properly. He knows I want to ride it to
the Show & Shine this weekend, so he said if he doesn't get it done
today during business hours, he will stay late to do it for me!! AND,
unlike the previous guys who did it all wrong, he's not charging me an
arm and a leg for doing it!! Thank God I finally got it to the right
place!! I will be telling the world about how bad the other guys are....
and how great Doug is!!! Honest, good at his work, and reasonably
priced too!!! I have been most unhappy with past so called mechanics and
their shoddy work.... I am not happy to be paying yet another person to
do the work.... yet I AM happy that my trike will finally be working
right!!
I am going to go back to Dunbar Automotive and tell them I want my $28 back since the drums should not have been machined and they, being in that business, should know better!!! If they don't give me my $$ back I will report them to Better Business Bureau. I am also going back to Dean at ??? Custom Cruisers (forget the name and will get it right in next couple days) and tell him I want my $$ back for the messy job he did on the linkage. He charged me $450 and I think he should give it all back to me.... though if he gives me $300 I will not press for more, if he doesn't I will take him to Small Claims Court where he will have to pay the full amount back plus court costs and be in trouble for not charging me Harmonized Sales Tax since I paid cash. The last thing I want to do is take anyone to court for anything.... yet I also am tired of being 'ripped off' by incompetent people who over charge for their work.
Jun 22, 2012
My Phones.
Some people I know still have a land line (home phone), some have a cell, and some have both types of phones. I had both for a long time, 2 summers ago I let the land line go and went with just the cell phone. After 6 months, I was offered a very good deal on an internet, satellite TV and phone package, so I again had a land line. About 1 1/2 years later, just this spring, I decided that I would go back to just the cell phone. While some people use Koodoo, some use vonage world, some have Rogers, I have my cell through Telus Mobility and my TV/internet through Telus. I have a much better cell plan now than what I had with this same company 2 years ago so with that and being able to make phone calls over my computer/internet, I figure I don't really need the land line anymore, so that saves me around $25 per month. I like having at least one less thing I need to pay for each month. I also like the mobility of having a cell phone, and the protection of having a phone with me if I happen to break down along the road somewhere and need to call for help.
Jun 21, 2012
Trike Brakes
After 2 disappointing experiences, I wondered if "3rd time was the charm"
as I took my trike to yet another so called mechanic that said he could fix the back brakes for me. Well,
it wasn't!! I paid this guy, Dean, $450 just to drive away and find
that my back brakes don't work any better than they did before I took it
to Dean. There was no point in taking it back as he had said he'd done the best job he could do short of redoing the entire linkage system and that would cost me $1500.00!!!
Phil and I decided that the only other thing it could be was the brake shoes. We had been told by Rod (2nd disappointment) and by Dean that the shoes were okay, but at this point they were the only other thing it could be since we had gotten Dunbar Automotive to machine the drums ($28), I paid Ray last year to change the wheel cylinders, Dean had done this work to the linkage. So we ordered in shoes, cost me nearly $60, Phil put them in and still no back brakes.
So finally we took the trike to Myron's Automotive Repairs and it turns out my neighbor, Doug, is working there. Doug seems very knowledgeable so this is a good thing. He checked out several things and finally they decided that the brake drums are too big, they have been machined too many times and Dunbar should not have machined them for me, it was illegal for them to do so as they were past the point of that being right to do. So they ordered in a new set of brake drums for me and put them in this morning ($125). The trike stops better than it did, but still it is not stopping like it should!!! This is really crazy!! Doug is going to change the linkage that I paid Ray to do, Dean to redo, and now will be paying Doug to do the 3rd time!!
Phil and I decided that the only other thing it could be was the brake shoes. We had been told by Rod (2nd disappointment) and by Dean that the shoes were okay, but at this point they were the only other thing it could be since we had gotten Dunbar Automotive to machine the drums ($28), I paid Ray last year to change the wheel cylinders, Dean had done this work to the linkage. So we ordered in shoes, cost me nearly $60, Phil put them in and still no back brakes.
So finally we took the trike to Myron's Automotive Repairs and it turns out my neighbor, Doug, is working there. Doug seems very knowledgeable so this is a good thing. He checked out several things and finally they decided that the brake drums are too big, they have been machined too many times and Dunbar should not have machined them for me, it was illegal for them to do so as they were past the point of that being right to do. So they ordered in a new set of brake drums for me and put them in this morning ($125). The trike stops better than it did, but still it is not stopping like it should!!! This is really crazy!! Doug is going to change the linkage that I paid Ray to do, Dean to redo, and now will be paying Doug to do the 3rd time!!
Jun 17, 2012
Trike Talk
I've been so tied up with trying to get the trike on the road that I haven't even had time to get to the Food Bank to do my volunteer work all week. This is crazy!! The back brakes have got to be fixed before I can ride the trike and it is just an on going issue that so far no one has been able to fix, yet everyone wants to charge me for their incompetence. Frustration at it's best!! Phil has really gone above and beyond to help with this, yet he only knows so much and has thus far been unable to accomplish as much as needs doing. The paint job he did is great!!! The 'artsy' stuff is his strong point and he has done that very well, yet the mechanical part is not where he excels, nor is it where I excel, so I must find a good mechanic for the job.
Jun 12, 2012
Random List ...
Some things I've read on the internet today:
- World's Largest Pyramid Discovered, Lost Mayan City Of Mirador Guatemala CNN
- "The Church says the Earth is flat, but I know that it is round, for I have seen the shadow on the moon, and I have more faith in a shadow than in the church." ~ Ferdinand Magellan (148-1521)
- An interesting recipe for making your own First-Aid Antiseptic Ointment
- A web site where they have vestax mixers for sale. I think I should tell some of my musician friends so they can check this out if they have a need for this kind of equipment. Some of my friends get together on a regular basis and we sing and chant, drum and Chris plays his guitar, even play the didgeridoo! This is a really great group of spiritual people that I so love being a part of!
- The OFFICIAL website for the BC citizens' Initiative Petition to stop smart meters in British Columbia, Canada
- 80 Uses for Coconut Oil and on another web site, 160 Uses for Coconut Oil. This truly is a wonderful, health filled oil
- The Old Farmer's Almanac, giving Gardening tips
- The Happy Brain Chemicals: The neurotransmitters dopamine, serotonin, and norepinephrine, etc.
There were other things I read online too, but I think this gives you an idea that there are so many different and interesting things for us to read and learn from here on the internet.... in case you didn't already know, lol.
I am very grateful to have a good computer, internet connection in my home, and hydro to run these things.
- World's Largest Pyramid Discovered, Lost Mayan City Of Mirador Guatemala CNN
- "The Church says the Earth is flat, but I know that it is round, for I have seen the shadow on the moon, and I have more faith in a shadow than in the church." ~ Ferdinand Magellan (148-1521)
- An interesting recipe for making your own First-Aid Antiseptic Ointment
- A web site where they have vestax mixers for sale. I think I should tell some of my musician friends so they can check this out if they have a need for this kind of equipment. Some of my friends get together on a regular basis and we sing and chant, drum and Chris plays his guitar, even play the didgeridoo! This is a really great group of spiritual people that I so love being a part of!
- The OFFICIAL website for the BC citizens' Initiative Petition to stop smart meters in British Columbia, Canada
- 80 Uses for Coconut Oil and on another web site, 160 Uses for Coconut Oil. This truly is a wonderful, health filled oil
- The Old Farmer's Almanac, giving Gardening tips
- The Happy Brain Chemicals: The neurotransmitters dopamine, serotonin, and norepinephrine, etc.
There were other things I read online too, but I think this gives you an idea that there are so many different and interesting things for us to read and learn from here on the internet.... in case you didn't already know, lol.
I am very grateful to have a good computer, internet connection in my home, and hydro to run these things.
Trike Maintenance
There is so much I have been learning about how to take proper care of my trike, and there is still so much to learn yet. With Phil's help I've changed my own oil in it and he has me making sure I check bolts and nuts much more regularly than I have in the past. I must admit though that I forgot to check things on it today when I rode it to town to get the fork seals changed. Oh well, I will make sure I check around the trike before I ride it again.... or tomorrow just to have it done. I learned something today about my front tire, and about how to adjust my carburetors and I still have to learn about cable management, so how to oil the various cables so they don't brake on me. I am sure there are other things too that I need to learn about basic care and maintenance of my trike. All of this is taking a lot of time when I wish I could just be riding, lol.
Jun 11, 2012
Trike Brakes
After spending another $450 on my trike's back brakes (just over $500 now) I sill do not have proper, working brakes. This is really crazy and I am getting very fed up with this problem. Of course, when you have 'go' you must have 'whoa' to be safe and without sufficient 'whoa', I have not been able to ride as I wish to do.
I took it to Phil's last Friday for him to look at some more, after I paid another guy $450.00 to do practically nothing!! We ended up taking it to a mechanic he has used in the past, a guy named Myron. Phil went in his car and I followed on my trike. As I pull up in the yard of this guy's shop, I hear a woman say "Is that Alice?" It turns out my neighbors, Doug & Denise, are now working with Myron. That was cool!! Both Doug and Myron had a look. I have been told by 2 guys 'in the know' that I do not need new brake shoes and with everything else being done, Phil & I have been thinking that's the only thing left. Doug and Myron both think I need new brake shoes. So I went to the auto parts store and they don't carry them, so ad to order them for me and it will take about a week for them to get here. I am hoping for Thursday or Friday this week.
In the meantime, the trike sits in my carport and I drive my truck!
I took it to Phil's last Friday for him to look at some more, after I paid another guy $450.00 to do practically nothing!! We ended up taking it to a mechanic he has used in the past, a guy named Myron. Phil went in his car and I followed on my trike. As I pull up in the yard of this guy's shop, I hear a woman say "Is that Alice?" It turns out my neighbors, Doug & Denise, are now working with Myron. That was cool!! Both Doug and Myron had a look. I have been told by 2 guys 'in the know' that I do not need new brake shoes and with everything else being done, Phil & I have been thinking that's the only thing left. Doug and Myron both think I need new brake shoes. So I went to the auto parts store and they don't carry them, so ad to order them for me and it will take about a week for them to get here. I am hoping for Thursday or Friday this week.
In the meantime, the trike sits in my carport and I drive my truck!
Jun 10, 2012
"Old" Joke
An 86-year-old man went to his doctor for his quarterly check-up. The
doctor asked him how he was feeling, and the 86-year-old said, 'Things
are great and I've never felt better. I now have a 20 yr-old bride who
is pregnant with my child. So what do you think about that Doc?'
The doctor considered his question for a minute and then began to tell a story.
'I have an older friend, much like you, who is an avid hunter
and never misses a season. One day he was setting off
to go hunting. In a bit of a hurry, he accidentally picked up his walking cane instead of his gun. As he neared a lake, he came across a very large male beaver sitting at the water's edge.
'He realized he'd left his gun at home and so he couldn't shoot the magnificent creature. Out of habit he raised his cane, aimed it at the animal as if it were his favorite hunting rifle, and went 'bang, bang.'
'Miraculously, two shots rang out and the beaver fell over dead... Now, what do you think of that?' asked the doctor.
The 86-year-old said, 'Logic would strongly suggest that somebody else pumped a couple of rounds into that beaver.'
The doctor replied, 'My point exactly.'
The doctor considered his question for a minute and then began to tell a story.
'I have an older friend, much like you, who is an avid hunter
and never misses a season. One day he was setting off
to go hunting. In a bit of a hurry, he accidentally picked up his walking cane instead of his gun. As he neared a lake, he came across a very large male beaver sitting at the water's edge.
'He realized he'd left his gun at home and so he couldn't shoot the magnificent creature. Out of habit he raised his cane, aimed it at the animal as if it were his favorite hunting rifle, and went 'bang, bang.'
'Miraculously, two shots rang out and the beaver fell over dead... Now, what do you think of that?' asked the doctor.
The 86-year-old said, 'Logic would strongly suggest that somebody else pumped a couple of rounds into that beaver.'
The doctor replied, 'My point exactly.'
Jun 3, 2012
This day
It is a cool and dull day today, the weather forecast is "Increasing cloudiness early this morning. 60 percent chance of showers this afternoon. High 16." Not exactly a wonderful day for being outside trying to get a suntan, or riding a motorcycle. However, it still would be a good day to spend in the garden, or even relaxing on an indoor chaise at ChaiseLounges.com, reading a book or watching some good TV programs. As much as I'd like to have a day in my garden to plant a few more things, or laying around in the house with my cat and a good book, I am off to do other wonderful things. I will be moving my trike then going to the park to meet friends and do some drumming, then off to my Mom's for a much needed visit.
Trike Make-over
Here are some photos of the Trike Make-over.
This is the front of one of the fenders. I bought the fenders and Phil, a very good friend of mine, built the brackets to attach them to the trike box. This box needs to be replaced, but for now it is what it is. Phil straightened it up as much as possible and make it strong enough to last another year.
Here Phil is drilling a hole to bolt the bracket to the box frame, and holes to attach the bracket to the fender.
This is Phil cutting another piece of aluminum to make a bracket for the back of the fenders.
And this is the bracket he made and how it attaches to the fender and box frame.
We used acorn nuts to attach the brackets, front and back, but for the fun of it Phil put a 'spiky nut' on, just to see what it would look like. I love it and wish I could afford to buy a bunch of them and do it all in 'spiky nuts', but the acorns will do for now.
I am so very grateful to have Phil as a good friend, and I am grateful that he did all this incredible work for me. He really made my trike look beautiful!! More to come in future posts.
Spiritual Evening
On Thursday evening I went to a friend's place... affectionately called The Ashram, for a spiritual evening with friends... some I've known for years and some I met that evening. It was a truly awesome evening with singing, dancing, watching a Rev. Micheal Beckwith video, blessing water then drinking some of it, etc etc. Chris Madsen, one of the dear friends, is a very gifted musician and song writer. He makes the guitar sing!! He also has drums of various kinds so we tend to drum there too. Oh, he doesn't exactly have a Gibson Les Paul guitar center in his home, but he does have a good collection of guitars as they are the main tool of his trade. I used to go to a Spiritual Centre every Sunday and most weeks Chris was one of the entertainers, singing spiritual, uplifting songs that he had written himself. For some time I haven't been 'connected' with Chris, life took us in different directions for awhile, as with our dear friend Joan. I am so blessed to be reunited with them both now, sharing Thursday evenings at the Ashram... and this afternoon going to Polson Park to do drumming and chanting. It will be a great day!!
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