Bikes and Aluminum Foil

Today was beautiful.  We've had so many beautiful days in a row that I'm getting suspicious.  This is Illinois, after all.  Winter, ice storm, cold, winter, cold, winter, cold.  A nice spring day or two.  Then the blazing heat and suffocating humidity of summer.  Until the nice autumn day or two.  Then winter, cold, winter, cold and the cycle repeats.  Last spring was pretty unpleasant and I didn't get my bedding plants in the ground until the end of June. It was freezing cold, wet and a tornado blew through town.  Then it was hot.

So a beautiful day Should Not Be Wasted.  I wanted to ride my bike, Trusty Steed. (Yes, my bike has a name. Doesn't yours?)  But Trusty had a flat tire, so Spencer and I decided today would be Clean and Repair Your Bike Day.  Spencer actually had a grander thought: it should be National-Fix-Up-Your-Bike Day.  His reasoning was spot on: "If we can have a National Talk-Like-A-Pirate Day, we should definitely have a National-Fix-Up-Your-Bike Day."

So, unbeknownst to millions of Americans, N-F-U-Y-B Day was today.We'll try to get the word out sooner next time. (photo is not my bike, but same brand, frame, etc.  looks similar)

Bicycles, to me, are the perfect form of transportation.  Riding them is fun.  They are inexpensive. They are good for you and your heart.  They don't hurt the earth.  They look good.  Some people really like the clothes.  But, take it from me, bike clothes are NOT flattering.

If there weren't so many fast cars on the road (interstate) between my house and my job, I would definitely ride a bike. I love my bike and we have shared some of my life's happiest memories. But that will be another blog.

For now, one of the great things about bikes is they are easy to repair. So I changed the tire and while I was doing that, I was giving the rear wheel a bit of a sprucing up.

Which brings me to an important tip:  Aluminum Foil, Vinegar and Chrome.

If you dip wadded up aluminum foil in vinegar and rub it over your chrome, it'll take the rust spots off and bring back that beautiful chrome shine.  This is almost as good as my tip to buy a rice cooker.

Frank and I discovered this amazing, wonderful, cool little science-project/home-repair tip when trying to clean up a 1950's dinette set we bought in Jacksonville. A little labor intensive, but very satisfying. (photo is not mine...same table; our chairs are orangy-red.)

Today, I gave Trusty the aluminum foil and vinegar touch up she's been needing! I changed her tire and went for a quick spin to the neighbors to visit Spencer (who had gotten as far as removing the front and back brake cables from his bike when he decided National Fix-Up-Your-Bike Day was officially over.)  While at the neighbors, Ron boosted my tire pressure while Sharon dug up her neighbor's irises.  Spencer and Madi played Wii.  I admired the new trees Ron and Sharon planted ($35 for 10 trees from the Sangamon County Soil and Water Conservation District Tree Sale.  This year's sale is over, but watch for next year's!)

On this beautiful day, life in the neighborhood was good.  Even the chrome on my bike was gleaming.