27 April 1999: Got My Bike Fixed

Tuesday, 27 April 1999:

Got My Bike Fixed

You can probably guess from the fact that this is my fifth entry in as many days that I've had a little more free time lately. I have. It's nice. I no longer feel quite so behind on stuff around my home, nor that I've been completely neglecting my cats.

On my way home today I also realized that one way that things have gotten easier is that I'm settling into some basic routines: I've found acceptable grocery stores, I know which pet store I'm going to, which drug store I go to, and so forth. That makes many things much easier. (That said, I have yet to find a grocery store I like as much as my regular store back in Madison.)

Yesterday I took my bike in to get fixed. I decided that even if I wanted to spend $600+ on a new bike - and I wasn't so sure that I did - I obviously wasn't going to have time to really look for one anytime soon. So instead I had them replace my pedals and give the bike a tune-up, which cost a mere $80.

I took it for a ride last night, and it worked fine. Not even some of the creaks I've gotten used to. I do need to tighten the screws holding my brake controls in place, but otherwise, no complaints.

In easy biking distance from home is the Los Gatos Creek Trail, which runs towards San Jose a little ways, and some considerable distance south to Los Gatos. I discovered on a ride tonight that distance really is considerable, as the path continues well south beyond where I'd ridden before; turns out there's a bridge I hadn't noticed before which crosses to the other side where the path continues, and which heads down past a nature preserve and some other rather nice scenery (well, nice considering it's still a very urban area). I will have to ride all the way to the end sometime soon. Meanwhile, I'll probably try to bike into work as a trial run this weekend.

I love paved bike trails. They're great to ride on, and sometimes you can really fly, which is one of the things I love about biking: Getting up to a good speed. There aren't many exercises that give you that sort of thrill (especially with a tailwind).

Work is picking up. We're starting our systematic testing of the new release, and I'm being encouraged to move in a direction to refine and improve some of our formal processes - or at least some of the mechanisms we use to record those processes. That's pretty neat, and also a little scary. I think, "What if I screw it up? What if I lay out some ideas, and/or draw up some test plans, and people look at me and say, 'Are you out of your mind?'"

I was thinking about this in the car yesterday, and realized that my typical reaction to such a fear is to try and find a way that they won't possibly be able to give me a funny look like that. But it occurred to me that a saner attitude is probably just to do the best job I can and figure if I'm good enough, then it will be good enough. I need to stop trying to be perfect every time.

Not a lot else to report. I've got an appointment to register my car later this week. Nope, still haven't received my replacement title from Wisconsin (I should call the WI DMV this week to ask if the request is being processed), but the CA documents I have say that I don't actually need it to submit the application. So here's hoping. I plan to make another appointment for next week to get my driver's license.

Michael Rawdon (Contact)