Thems the breaks

January 21, 2022

I’m out in the alley early today, right at 8. The situation is still the same - my newest fan, the resident Gila woodpecker, is on the near side of her mesquite tree flirting with me again. I like this. It makes a really cheerful note to start off the day, especially on one that could use an extra bit of cheer.

I’m out early because the Raven’s been wounded and needs emergency servicing. We discovered this last night when we got in the car to drive to dinner and Rachael looked up to see a foot-long crack in the windshield.

Poor Raven! I should have put my shoe up on the hood for scale - the crack is about a foot long.

We haven’t been in the car since the drive back from Red Rock, so something must have happened in the meantime. Our first thought was vandalism or something dropped on it from the tree above, but more likely we got a chip during the drive and then thermal shock from the overnight lows did the rest.

We’re lucky we drove to dinner last night because otherwise we might not have spotted it until we were in the car driving out of town Monday morning. We wouldn’t want to start off the 1,500 mile drive back to Portland with a cracked windshield. Today’s Friday, so theoretically there’s time to have it repaired. After doing some research on cracked windshields (a much busier subject domain than I’d imagined) I see that they’re often repairable and that same day replacement might be possible if necessary. I’ve picked what looks like the best of the many auto glass shops in town and drive over there right when they open at 8.

I took this photo to remember where we got the windshield replaced, but I see it has educational value also. What is window camera recalibration? I had to look it up, and learned about advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) in the process.

One quick look at the windshield by the service rep is sufficient. It’s a goner and needs replacement. After some vehicle research, a phone call to their glass supplier and a chat with her boss I’m told that they can get a replacement for it and fit me in somewhere in the schedule today. Can I leave the car with them? I could, if I’d been smart enough to throw the bike in the back when I left home.

I drive back home to get the bike and promise to return before 10. When I’m nearing our neighborhood I’m surprised to see a Starr Glass van driving right in front of me. An omen. Obviously I took the Raven to the right place.

By 9:30 I’m back home. We scrap the original plan for the day, a last ride out to the National Park, and Rachael leaves for her 46 miler while I sit around waiting for the phone call that the car is ready for pick-up. Just as well - I apparently did something to my back yesterday and am on ibuprofen hoping it will resolve. Not a bad plan to take the day off anyway.

The phone call comes in early afternoon. I bike up the bike boulevard on Fourth Avenue, stopping for a few snaps on the way, and drive home a happy man. It’s really a relief to have been able to resolve this today. It reminds us both of last winter when we were just preparing to leave Tucson and learned that we needed a whole new car. Compared to that, a windshield replacement is small potatoes.

Another significant mural I haven’t seen before! Painted in 2006, the Phoenix Mars Mission mural was at one time the largest mural in Tucson. It was painted by a UA art class to commemorate the university’s contributions to the mission. Note the listing at the bottom of everyone who participated in the mural.

The Mansfield Park Community Garden was enclosed in 2018 by a fence mural built entirely of recycled materials.

Tree and tangerine wall, Mansfield Park.

Or maybe it’s cantaloupe or yam? The next time I’m unsure of a color I’ll remember to consult The Color Thesaurus.

Oh, and one more thing as long as we’re on the topic of broken objects. I broke my camera on the Park Link Drive ride. I dropped it on the road when it got stuck in my jersey pocket when I was pulling it out and I didn’t have it gripped firmly enough. It was a huge relief when I picked it up off the asphalt and found that it still appeared functional - no cracked lens, although the lens cover must have gotten some dust inside because it’s stickier.

For good measure though, exactly the same thing happened when we got back to the car. It’s apparently a problem with my new bike shirt I got in Bassano del Grappa. I love the shirt, but I should have gotten the extra large size. It’s a tight fit and the pockets are snug. I’ll either have to give up on the shirt or train myself better about withdrawing the camera from it.

The second drop did the trick, I realized when we got home and I couldn’t get the SD card or battery out. The chassis is bent, and the compartment door is broken. The camera still works but holding it together with a rubber band probably won’t hold up for long.

Well, I’ve had the camera for a couple of years now anyway and it’s been acting temperamental. I’ve been uncertain about whether it should be replaced before leaving on a nine month tour, so the decision is made. Fortunately the same two-generation old model is still available and we can get one shipped to the local Amazon drop box with two day delivery. It arrived yesterday afternoon, and the photos in today’s post are its first output.

Who’d imagine such a little deformity could be so disabling?

Ride stats today: Rachael, 46 miles, Scott 5

Today's ride: 5 miles (8 km)
Total: 1,862 miles (2,997 km)

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