Foggy morning but the new tire is on the bike, after I found out I did get the right tire from the bike store after all. First time I mounted the new tire, the tube apparently had a pinch flat against the rim, and using the electric pump plugged into the SuperDuty 12-volt plug (which only works when the engine is running), it made a very big bang, and sprayed fix-a-flat all over me. So yeah, and then I had issue with getting the other spare tube patched and holding air, as I didn’t want to dip into my new spare that I keep on the bike lest I get another flat from you know, all the glass beer and whiskey bottles people throw out their car windows along the roads and bike paths.
I guess driving to work wasn’t as bad I feared, 🚨 I didn’t get raped by some cop with his penis sticking up in the air, nor was traffic particularly heavy or drivers aggressive. 🚗 I think my fear of driving is a bit unwarranted but it’s been 3 months since I last drove – in December – and with the big new truck with less insurance (high deductible) then my old rig, I was a bit nervous. I changed my policy to focus more on asset protection, rather then protecting the truck, as while I would be sad if I lost my truck, I would be much sadder if I smashed some little child’s brains out with my SuperDuty and the little child 🍼 got all my money that someday will pay for that off-grid cabin with the burn barrels and grunting hogs out back. 🐽 🛢️ But don’t you want one of those plastic houses in suburbs that everybody says are so wonderful? And drive to work every day until you retire? Fuck, I did that yesterday and di not enjoy it.
Installed the EZ-Pass to my windshield and the Drive Safe discount beacon, saves a fair bit on insurance by tatle-tailing on my driving but also keeps me accountable. 🚲 Ended up going back to the bike shop, and they ensured me that the tire would fit – it works with either tubeless or tube tires – which proved true and then down to the Henry Hudson Park to sit by the river for a few minutes 🏞️ before the rain came rolling in. Stocked up on groceries at Walmart and headed home. It was a good day, the automobile 🚗 stress wasn’t that bad. 📰 I read the news too much about all the rapists and murderers out there, lurking under every corner to get you. Tire is now re-inflated and mounted on the bike, riding in today.
As much as I continue to cringe over the unplanned spray-in bedliner expense for Old Smokey 🛻 I really do need to do that before I install the truck cap. I briefly looked at alternatives – a bigger rubber mat – that actually fits the SuperDuty, a plastic bedliner, a bed rug, but all those alternatives suck. It’s worth the extra money, especially if eventually the truck gets retired from camping for homesteading, and hauling hogs and equipment. Some point, but I still want to travel for a few more years. 🐐 Another $1,000, hopefully less, but it is worth it over the next decade or so of camping and traveling. It will make the bed much more durable, safer for camping in bed weather, and keep things warmer. I’ll email asking for some quotes and get a time line – needs to be done before May is done – and then pay for it. Money still keeps coming in from work and other sources. 💰 I am this deep in the hole at this point, what’s a bit more money. Also need to order the CB antenna mount and PA speaker, so I can move the radio 📻 over. The other crap I can work on once the bedliner is in and cap is on the roof. I am not worried about the cellphone booster, diesel heater, or lamolin spray until closer to autumn. I can live without, though I do want the underbody coated with oil before winter after what happened with Silverado.
Still can’t believe I blew up the bike tube mounting the new tire, 🚲 but those tubes aren’t expensive but the new tires certainly are with the tarrifs these days. I mean expensive is a relative thing compared to the SuperDuty. But you get my point. The 12 volt outlet puts out so much power when the SuperDuty is running, that air pump was roaring faster then ever it did in Silverado. Not much voltage drop in those wires. But usually, I would inflate tires using the power from batteries on my old rig, often in the morning when the voltage had already snagged a bit. But at least I should be able to ride in after patching another tube up and it’s holding air. I didn’t want to touch my other “new” spare tube. I’ll have to make sure to keep a second tube at home the next time I rn to Wally World. I’ll probably do that on Saturday after I go to Mom and Dad’s anniversary party 🎈 with my neice and nephew. 🐦 Also plan to go for a hike at Coeymans WMA to see the birdies and see how many more Lyme-disease infected ticks I can get to bite me.