The Captain's Blog

Today has been a day of pointy things!

It started when I put my boots on this morning.  I walked over to the post office and back.  My right boot seemed to have something in it.  It was poking the right side of the bottom of my foot.  I sat on the yard swing and took the boot off.  At first, I didn’t see anything.  I shook the boot with it turned upside down.  A small black zip tie fell out.  I guess I was going to zip tie my boot to my foot to keep in on there? I don’t know.  I must have dropped them when I was getting stuff together to work on some project before my back went south last week.

I got on the bike (Maggie for those of you who haven’t figured that out yet) and headed for my usual Saturday lunch spot… Hogan’s Heroes in Hermitage.  They were having a birthday party for the owner’s 4 year old grandson.  That is the most people I have seen in that place since she moved.  It took a bit longer to get lunch than usual, but I was determined I would get my ride in anyway.

I haven’t ridden for almost three weeks due to my back being messed up again.  I felt good enough that I made up my mind to ride up to Presque Isle in Erie.  As I rode the first leg to Conneaut, PA, where I planned to get gas, I started getting this sharp pressure on the top of my head from my helmet.  The cheek pads also seemed to be unreasonably tight or in the wrong place.  It felt like the helmet just wasn’t sitting right on my big fat head.  The pain was bad enough that I flipped the front face open a couple times while riding to see if I could reposition the helmet without taking it off.  No such luck.

I got to Conneaut and pulled into Sheetz for gas.  Once Maggie was full, I pulled over to the side and quickly took my helmet off.  I looked around the inside for something sharp that might have got in there (like above zip tie).  Nothing was in there and nothing even felt sharp.  One other time I had an issue with it hurting my head.  The inside padding is removable in three pieces… Two cheek pads and a top skull pad.  That time the back of the skull pad had come unsnapped on one side.  I checked but nothing was wrong there.

I put the helmet on and continued my northward ride.  I got to Erie with a splitting headache and my face actually hurt from the cheek pads not sitting correctly.  I stopped at the Tom Ridge Nature Center to go to the top of the tower to take a couple pictures since the day was so beautiful.  I figured that would give my head time to rest.  At the top of the tower, I took two panorama pictures.  Here they are linked together.  If you could see 360 degrees in one glance, this might be what it would look like.

Two panorama shots edited together to create a 360 degree view from the top of the tower.

Third point of the day was the point at the end of Presque Isle.  I spent about 15 or 20 minutes up on the tower enjoying the sun and watching the roller coaster over at Waldameer Park make its rounds.  Its funny having grown up with an Aunt and Uncle (and cousin) living in Erie.  You notice the difference in traffic and the noise coming from the park.  Kids today probably think the roller coaster always crossed Peninsula Drive.  I walked around inside the center for a bit.  They had a few bird displays (stuffed) that I didn’t see before.  I also walked around the gift shop, just to see what knick knacks this season had to offer.  I don’t think I’ve ever bought anything in there, but I walk through every time I stop there.

I left the Ridge Center and headed down onto Presque Isle.  I had noticed a couple times as I got near Erie that there were these little dandelion like spores floating in the breeze.  It was like snow on the ground in places once you got on the peninsula.  These things were small enough and numerous enough that they got in through the vents in my helmet.  Every time I stopped I had to brush little cotton puffs off my face.  I pinged my friends on Facebook to see if anyone knew what these things were.  The final answer… and the correct one, confirmed by the Ridge Center’s Tree Guide… is that they come from the Cottonwood Tree (a sub variety of the Poplar Tree).

I stopped at different places this time around.  I passed Perry Monument and road out to Beach 11.  Question?  Have the beaches always had normal names too?  I only ever remember them being called Beach 1 – 11.  I saw several pylons with verbal names.  I don’t recall those from the times I rode up last year.  I may just not have noticed them though.  I walked out on a couple different beaches.  The loose sand is hard on my back.  Fortunately, my riding boots gave me some extra support.  As I continued around the peninsula, I passed the light house.  I turned around and went back.  I’ve never taken pictures of the light house from the beach before.  Here they are!

I stopped at Sarah’s for a cheeseburger and onion rings and then pointed Maggie towards home.  I hadn’t made it 15 miles out of Erie when my helmet again started digging into my head and face.  Something is definitely wrong… the helmet is messed up or its my head… or both.  I made what adjustments I could while riding but decided that Sheetz in Meadville would be a required stop to fix this irritating mess.  I got to Sheetz and pulled in to the side lot.  I took my helmet off and began systematically removing the liner pieces.  I would find the problem or there would be something in there to pad against the unknown spear sticking into my head.

The right cheek pad was partially unsnapped.  Ok… That might explain the cheeks feeling tight,  but what was sticking me in the skull. As I started to remove the skull pad, I noticed that the front part was half unsnapped.  I didn’t even know that’s how that part went in there.  I thought it just slipped under the lip of the outer shell.  I refastened the loose part, making sure it was tucked under where it was supposed to be.  I put the cheek pads back into their proper positions and snapped them fast.  The rest of the  ride home was fairly comfortable… save for the sore spot that I had worn into my thick skull, aching a bit.

I had passed on the Orange ice cream cone at Sarah’s.  By the time I pulled into West Middlesex, I was convinced I needed a snack.  I don’t think I really needed one, but it sounds good… right.  I stopped at Dairy Queen and got a Cherry dipped Vanilla ice cream cone.  It was good, even though it got me razzed a bit on the internet because I got caught sitting on the picnic table eating it.  Sometimes ya just gotta do what ya just gotta do… Yeah. That’s my story and I’m stickin’ to it.

I came home and sat on the yard swing a bit before putting Maggie back in the barn.  She deserved to sit in the driveway for a bit after being cooped up for three weeks.  It was a nice evening to enjoy the swing.  Tink was in the window when I pulled up.  When I sat down on the swing (which is out of her view) she must have thought I was coming inside.  She got down to see if I gave her anything to eat.. Which I did eventually.

I noticed on my cell bill this month, that Dad’s phone once again was getting data use.  I had blocked it before because his neighbor’s daughter got a hold of it and installed a couple monthly billed apps and things.  He had told me he got some weird texts a while ago but it didn’t click that he shouldn’t get anything like that because I had them blocked.  I logged onto my AT&T account and clicked the Chat Support button.  The agent came up quickly.  I lucked out and got a young lady with a sense of humor.  She said that the previous block had been applied as temporary and had expired.  She put a permanent data block on that only I can revoke.  She also gave me a $20 credit for the data he used.  W00T!  I asked if she had a setting for a million dollars.  She said no. Bummer… Oh well!  I got the block turned back on and $20 to boot.  It was a nice way to end the day.

Tomorrow is to be nice too.  Not sure what I’ll do yet, but something.  Have a good night!

~Cappy