Wobbly wheel – Part duex: Head’s up, Shimpo

As I suspected, there’s definitely a problem with my brand-new Shimpo Aspire. It’s off center, but I can’t determine where. You can actually hear or feel the wobble as the wheelhead spins. It emits a gentle “whompa, whompa, whompa,” almost like a washing machine whose contents were unbalanced in the basin … except there’s almostContinue reading “Wobbly wheel – Part duex: Head’s up, Shimpo”

Wobbly wheel – Part un: Portability never hurt anyone*

Two words: Portable. Wheel. Walking into the house after work tonight, I was greeted by a box that contained my new Shimpo Aspire. She can go from zero to 230 rpms and weighs all of 25 lbs., the same as a bag of clay, which means I can chuck it in the trunk of myContinue reading “Wobbly wheel – Part un: Portability never hurt anyone*”

Getting away; going home

Dane and I are home from a relaxing and much-needed vacation up north, commonly referred to as “the U.P. (Upper Peninsula).” As the novel coronavirus has raged in our great state, we’ve sheltered in place and have mostly kept to ourselves. I say “mostly,” because I’d reported to my physical work place every day ofContinue reading “Getting away; going home”

F*ck COVID-19 and the Horse it Rode in On

Since COVID-19 arrived like a storm in Michigan, my day job has pretty much consumed my every waking moment, Monday through Friday. With the exception of very few Saturdays and Sundays, however, I have vehemently guarded my weekends as time for me, from sunup till sundown, to focus on activities that I love or needContinue reading “F*ck COVID-19 and the Horse it Rode in On”

Quarantine

Like much of the rest of the world, Michiganders have been under a governor-mandated stay-at-home quarantine. In Ingham County, the first two pre-emptive-positive cases of COVID-19 arrived March 10. Individuals were permitted to leave their residences for life-saving and life-protecting purposes, and critical infrastructure workers were permitted to work. As a public-transit professional whose reportingContinue reading “Quarantine”