Procrastination Dragon Slayed

 Yesterday, I woke up and discovered a flat tire on the back of my bike. It was only 1:30 p.m.

I got right to work, removing the tube that had been inflated with its stem at an angle, which told me that this day was coming, and put in a new one, which had the little ring that you could screw down to keep the stem in place, and pushed the bike to the gas station, after having found some change to go with about 13 bucks that I had on me.

I got to the gas station and bought a Guiness Stout, and gained the last 2 quarters that I needed for the machine.

The little ring that goes over the valve stem and screws down to keep the stem perpendicular to the rim is a marvelous invention. I rode off towards the Office Supply store, hoping to get a new lock, to replace the one that I had to bust with a hammer at the bike rack in front of Whole Foods about a week ago.

At Office Supply, I learned from a helpful worker that they had more locks than were displayed where I had gotten the cheap "speedy" one that relied not on a key or a combination, but on moving a nub a combination of left, right, up or down.

This can be done quickly, and even with one hand.

But the lock could jam in the middle of this operation, and you might have to carry 40 pounds of groceries a mile, after leaving your bike locked somewhere, as you hope there will be more than just a bike frame locked to the rack the next morning.

Then, you might have to go back to Whole Foods with a large hammer and smash the lock off, while every customer in the parking lot wonders whether or not it is your lock or your bike, while you perform this surprisingly loud activity (makes me think that it would be a good busking spot the way the hammer against the metal rack resonated).

They had more locks, and the most expensive one was around 12 bucks and had the thickest hasp of all of them, which was labeled "hardened steel." But, due to the purchase of the Guiness Stout, I was just about 60 cents short of the cash for it, so it was back to the house to grab the next 100 dollar bill to be broken, and to return to get the lock.

Today, it is off to Webb's Bywater Music, about a 4 mile ride, with my guitar in bag on shoulder and to see if Paul Webb can fix the problem that started when Bobby replaced the existing nut on it with one made of bone.

He had sent off for some genuine bone nuts for acoustic guitars and had ordered an extra one, for me as it turned out, and had followed instructions off a Youtube video entitled something like: "How to replace the nut on an acoustic guitar."

Although I did achieve that distinctive bone tone in my music, the nut was a bit too high, and I wound up compensating by putting a capo on the first fret and tuning the instrument down a step. This worked and, since I was busking just about every night, I never seemed to find a time when I would have, say, 48 hours to let some glue dry, after filing the thing down.

Well, it's off to Webb's I had better go, he closes is 2 hours and 45 minutes or so...