Variety...

 

I took Joan's scoot for a ride yesterday.   I've mentioned this here before, but the Vespa (mine) and the Xmax (hers) are very different interpretations of the 300cc category scooter.   What I notice first off getting on her bike is the size: the Xmax feels bigger, because it is (54.3" on the Vespa, 60.6" on the Xmax.  The hump between my ankles on the Xmax gives it a feel of more bulk.  It's a long reach to the windshield on the Xmax, where I occasionally bump my helmet face shield on the Vespa's windshield.  The riding position on the Xmax feels sportier, but the Vespa feels more comfortable to me (could be what I'm used to).  I can flatfoot my Vespa (with the Corbin seat), more balls of the feet on the Xmax.  The Xmax accelerates faster... I looked down going over the causeway (55mph speed limit), and I was pulling through 65mph.

As I've said, the Vespa is a better fit for me, but it is fun to take the Xmax for a spin now and then.

After the shot...

 

It has been 8 days now since we received our second vaccine shot.  We had no issues with the first shot.  With the second shot, we were both fine the day after, then felt a bit out of sorts for the next day or two.  Nothing major; muscle and joint aches, and a temperature a bit higher than normal, but nothing I'd call a fever.  No "covid arm" (discoloration and/or swelling at the injection site).

We are looking forward.

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The annual meeting for our village is today.  The "opening up" that Governor Abbot announced doesn't start until next Wednesday, so there won't be the typical in-person meeting.  Yep, Zoom.  Previous board of directors meetings haven't been particularly successful with Zoom, with most people not able to hear what's going in in the meeting.

This is a significant annual meeting, with 4 director positions open and the vote for allowing the board to proceed with an $10M (yes, that's: million) loan to start a major infrastructure project, involving running the power, water, sewer, and phone/internet lines to the road.  It will mean tearing up all roads in the resort, as well as trenching at each lot.  This becomes an involved process above and beyond the roads because so many people here have expanded pavement and brickwork/pavers on their property.  Our homeowners association has been budgeting for this for several years, but the work will be far more expensive than what that fund has amassed.  I expect this project will take years to complete, and there will be some significant out-of-pocket costs for the owners, due to running utilities from the road to each site.  Needless to say, many owners here are wary of the scope and cost of this project.

We'll see how this plays out today.

TGIF...

 

Nah, Friday isn't that big of a deal when you're retired.  I like to hear from my kid, though, to know she made it through her work week OK.  I like Thursday, but only because of the initials for So Happy It's Thursday.

It started off a bit drizzly this morning, but not cold.  I still got a bike ride in.  By afternoon, it cleared up and was lovely.  Rufus got a nice walk in this afternoon; got nose to nose with a couple neighbor dogs.

It has been a while - today was a mostly about music day for me: I played for a while to entertain Joan and Rufus, then late this afternoon went to work on a music video project I've been putting off since our nasty cold spell.  I shot some video and started the editing.  I need to get a shot list sent to Mark for his parts, so this isn't going to be done anytime soon.  Fortunately, no deadline.

Speaking of music, did you see that Dolly Parton got her vaccine shot - they showed a clip on the Today Show... she sang the tune from Jolene with the word "vaccine"... seems that I've seen that somewhere before...

 

Yeah, this is from last September, well before anyone was sure if or when we'd have a vaccine.

Speaking of the vaccine: one week ago today for us for our second shot.  You may have heard that our Governor is dropping the mask mandate and "opening up Texas 100%".  The President labeled this "Neanderthal thinking"... so, politics as usual.

Like Christmas...

 

Except you don't have to be good to get stuff.  Some scoot stuff I ordered came in last night: a small air compressor, a heavy-duty tire pressure gauge to use with that compressor, a lock for attaching my helmet to the bike when my top case is full, and a set of ROK Straps for strapping stuff down on the bike.

After getting two flat tires in six months (and none in the previous couple decades) on my bikes, we both decided a tire repair kit and an air compressor on each bike would be a good safety item to have.  Joan decided on a compressor that has a built-in battery and a pressure gauge; it also has USB outlets that can charge up your phone.

I opted for the "more power" option, with a compressor that runs off the SAE outlet from my bike's battery.  The tire gauge attaches in-line with the compressor, so you can see what your pressure is as it is pumping.  In testing them this morning, both get the job done; the heavier unit I opted for gets it done in about half the time.

I spent quite a bit of time researching small compressors, concentrating on those designed to be used on a motorcycle.  The research was "infotainment" - informative and entertaining.  I can see how people get information overload and aren't able to make a decision.  We are both happy with our choice.  Joan's looks like a substantial flashlight; this is mine...

And, and the gauge...

 

Hers...

To make sure they each got a good test, I let some air out of the tires before pumping them back up; that's faith in the product.  ;-)

I bought my stuff from a business called Vamoose Gear (www.vamoosegear.com), a company that bills themselves as "a small business in a small town."  They had everything I wanted in stock, and got it all shipped out right away.  A good buying experience.

And, since I had the bike out, I went for a ride.  Another beautiful day in the Tropical Tip.

What about Joan's door reconstruction project?  Thanks for asking.  She finished it this afternoon.  She dug out where the wood was rotted, filled with expandable foam, smoothed, sanded, another application, then sealed it all with an outdoor silicone, and painted the door jam and the door.  Whew - I need to take a nap just writing about that.  Yes, she gets things done.

Rufus gets things done, too.  Especially naps.  He and I were out walking this morning when some folks from the neighborhood came by... "Hi Rufus - how are you this morning?"  More people that know Rufus's name, but just know me as Rufus's Dad.  At one point, his leash got caught on a brick and he pulled out of his leash.  The lady said, "Oh, do you have to get him before he runs off?"

"He is not a flight risk - he'll be waiting for me at the door or in the grass closest to the door."  (We were literally in front of our house when this happened.)  Yep, there he was - right in the grass closest to the door.  In case I haven't mentioned this in a while: he's a good boy.

It appears to be running on air...

 

The generator; that lovely generator that kept us warm and kept the fridge running when winter came to deep south Texas.  This will probably bring more crap weather, but today was determined to be "the day"... Joan is working on the door jam to our storage area under the house, and I am getting the generator ready for a long rest.  Hopefully, a long rest.  Between the two of us, I think I have the better job.  Well, I thought so until it was time to get all the fuel out of the generator.

The process is generally straightforward: pump the gas out of the internal tank, run the generator to clear out the fuel lines, drain the carburetor and float bowl, put a little bit of oil in the cylinder, wipe it off... done.  The generator has been running with the Eco-mode off for about 45 minutes.  I can see down inside the fuel tank, and it is empty.  It's still happily running.  I got a plastic cup to drain the float bowl and... the cup must have had a pin-hole leak that the gas turned into a steady flow.  Joan was standing nearby and gave me one of her rubber gloves to put around the bottom of the cut to help with the leak.

It's still running.  Yeah, it's a Honda.

 

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Apparently, I am chopped liver...

While walking Rufus this morning, our neighbors slowed down, rolled down the window, and said, "Good morning, Rufus."  ;-)

It's a beautiful day in the neighborhood... 55º when I got up this morning, and up to 63º at noon.  Yes, that is still a bit below our average, but the sun is shining and the wind isn't light.  If the generator ever runs out of fuel, I'll be heading out for a while on the Vespa.

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It was a bit of a conundrum: I was needing to get out on the scoot, but SpaceX is about to have another launch (that we can see from our deck).  The process was started on the launch, but I really needed to go for a ride.  I figured I could see the launch from most anywhere I'd be riding (not as close as from our house).  Time to ride!

Leaving Long Island Village...

There are people at the fence on the way outside the village, where they have a direct view of the SpaceX facility...

Off our island, through a bit of Port Isabel, and onto the causeway, heading east...

A lovely day, as you can see from the blue sky and wispy clouds.  Onto SPI...

I'm seeing more Minnesota license plates these days; people escaping the frozen northland.  Rode around on the island a bit.  Heading south, I saw some people carrying beach chairs, looking forlorn... my guess: the launch has been postphoned.  Back across the causeway, over the Laguna Madre...

One more bridge to go, and I'm back home...

Checking in with Joan when I got back, she told me there was some issue and the launch was on hold - may still get off today.  We'll see how that plays out.

Something different today: I put on a helmet cam instead of attaching one to the bike.  That's how the images above were taken.  It gives me some options, since I can control the view somewhat by how I turn my head.

Now sitting out on the deck, enjoying a snack, and listening to SpaceX Live on Joan's iPad.  The launch may be on once again.  They are going through another pre-launch sequence...

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SN-10 launched!  It climbed to the predetermined altitude.  Started its freefall.  Engines ignited and it rotated to a reasonably soft landing...

 

Not on its landing gear, but... upright!  You can see water being poured on it, as there was a fire in the lower portion.  And then...

And the fire in the aftermath...

SpaceX is already calling this a successful test.  We held our breath as it touched down.  It leaned just a bit, but remained upright.  Then, that explosion and fire you see above.

While the rocket was climbing after liftoff, I was holding onto the railing on our deck - it was vibrating that railing.  You could feel the roar in your chest.  OK, I could feel my heart pounding in my chest, too.  It moved up into my throat as it approached touchdown.  Quite emotional when it landed "soft" and stayed upright.  Then, heart-wrenching when it exploded.  I heard one commenter on the NASA feed call that: a rapid burn-off of excess fuel.  Call it what you want... I think everyone watching just wanted to see it stay standing.  Almost completed that.

This was SN-10 of their Raptor Series; SN-11 is probably a month or so from completion.

This was SN-10 of their Raptor Series; SN-11 is probably a month or so from completion.

This was SN-10 of their Raptor Series; SN-11 is probably a month or so from completion.

Quite a day.

Spring Break...

 

Wooohooo!  Spring Break - party on!  Well, maybe not this year.

March in this area means Spring Break on South Padre Island.  In the hey-day, it was Party Central, with MTV broadcasting from different beach venues.  When MTV got out of the music (that's the "M" in their name), there was less national exposure for Spring Break on SPI.  That didn't stop the college age youths from looking for a place to escape the frozen northland where they could "party on the beach."  And, South Padre Island has a great beach.

Spring Break isn't a one-week event - most consider it to be all of March.  Colleges across the land are out at different times for spring break, making for a bell curve of party people being drawn to the island: lighter crowds at the beginning and end of the month, peaking somewhere around mid-March when the majority of Texas schools are off for spring break.  As it is known locally: Texas Week.  Over time, that has stretched into more of a two-week onslaught.  Nightly concerts at the bigger venues, all the bars in town hopping.  The cheaper motels packed with a bunch of people in each room to some condos that don't rent to spring breakers.  Over the month of March, it has generally meant 100,000+ kids coming to the island to party... where their parents can't see what all goes on.

In 2008, I worked for the Coastal Current (local paper listing all the goings-on on the island), part time.  I wound up working on the spring break tab: the middle 8 pages devoted to all things Spring Break.  I won't embarrass myself by listing the names of DJs and rappers, of which I had no clue, that I was assigned to write about prior to their performance dates... "Who is this Florida guy, and why does he hyphenate his name?"  (Flo-rida)  I was the oldest one in the office back in 2008.  That was also the last time we were here during Spring Break.

This year, in the age of Covid, things are going to be different.  The SPI Chamber of Commerce would have you believe that the island is going for a more "family friendly" Spring Break.  People over 65 have been going after the vaccinations, so some may stay here longer, and others who had stayed up north may be willing to get some beach time, just a bit later than usual (January through early March is the prime Winter Texan season).  I don't know... I think college age (not necessarily just those in college) people are still going to want to come to the beach and party 'till they puke.  The City of South Padre Island is not allowing any large concert gatherings - they let things slide until after Spring Break last year, and the local numbers of Covid-19 rates skyrocketed.

It isn't just college age kids from up north - every high school in the Rio Grande Valley has spring break, and those kids can come to the island as day trippers with fake IDs to try to get in on the party.  Again, no idea how that is going to play out.  I guess we are going to find out, since we have no plans for getting away this month.

We have seen the lines of traffic backed up for several miles to get on the causeway.  A steady line of beer trucks delivering to stores and bars in the area.  Going to the grocery store and seeing 4 guys with pasty skin with a shopping cart full of beer and a large bag of Cheetos.  Packs of young people walking... they seem to walk in a group, most dressed with some group protocol (one group all in tank tops, another group in freshly bought Spring Break T-shirts, another in the same college logo hoodies, etc).  The streets empty out around 5:00 to 6:00 pm as people go from the beach, bars, and restaurants, back to their rooms so they can clean up and get ready to head out for another night of partying.

With some personal insight on this: some do meet their special someone during Spring Break... that's where Steph and Dan met.  Pretty sure that is the exception, not the rule.

Party on, Wayne.  Party on, Garth.  Keep in mind how the Covid cases expanded after last year's spring break before you head to that foam party.

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In a somewhat related vein: our Governor had a press conference today where he said he is removing the mask mandate in the state and eliminating any occupancy restrictions on all businesses.  Of course, he said he still recommends that people follow CDC suggestions, but further said that "No County Judge can issue fines or jail time for anyone not wearing a mask."  So, if you own a business, you can put up a sign that says "Mask required" but you will have no way to enforce that.

Personal opinion here: that is a step in the wrong direction.  Unfortunately, a sizeable portion of our population refuses to wear a mask unless they are "forced" to.  County Judges (consider them more like a County Commissioner, not a court related position) have been able to decide mask-wearing and occupancy allowances in their county - the Governor proclamation eliminates that authority.  In the past year, our county has had on/off mask mandates and occupancy rates... and we were seeing a small decline in Covid cases.  It doesn't take a rocket surgeon to figure out what will happen here now.  Right before spring break gatherings.

We'll continue to avoid restaurants and any gatherings; we'll wear masks in public.  Glad we have had both of our vaccine shots.

Droning on...

 

I haven't used the Mavic Mini drone since we left the Black Hills.  Other things going on, I guess.  While out for my bicycle ride this morning, it was a bit foggy, with almost no breeze.  Almost no breeze has been hard to come by here, so I decided to get the drone out when I got home... better to fly for a beginner in no wind... and since I haven't used it in months, I am definitely a beginner again.

By the time I got the drone out and fired up, the fog was gone, but still not sunny.  The camera in the Mavic Mini is a 2.5K, but does a decent job...

 And, a short video clip...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=chgfcx3ixh0

 

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Our weather is going to change; another front coming in, but not supposed to be anything like that last cold system that impacted the entire state.  Maybe some precip and a high tomorrow of only 60º - only seemed right that I get some time on the Vespa.

Some fog had moved back in, solid overcast, but not much wind.  The further north I rode on the island, the foggier it got.  The weasels are calling for dropping temperatures and an increasing chance of rain after 2:00.  I got back home just before 1:00.  It was 75º.  I took this shot of the front of the scoot before putting it away...

Shot with my iPhone and the camera set on Portrait/Stage Lighting.

My timing was good.  By 1:30 the wind had changed directions and was building (NNE @ 17) and the temp had dropped to 66º.  Yep, it's coming.

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My heart is heavy.  I think it is resting on my stomach.  I have been trying to get to Burger Fi for a while.  They were closed when the power was out on South Padre Island.  Once power was restored, we tried to order on-line and got the message that "this outlet is not able to do on-line orders at this time."  We drove over there and found out that something happened that left the east side of SPI without power, and they were closed.  Whataburger was closed for the same reason, so we settled on our 12th choice of Mickey D's.

Today, we tried on-line ordering and got the same message.  "Not gonna fool me again - let's give them a call before we go there."  We got a Verizon message that "all circuits are busy."  No, I don't know what that means.  We drove to Burger Fi and saw this on the door: "Closed until further notice."

That is not a good sign.  The pandemic has been tough on almost all businesses.  We have tried to get to Burger Fi at least once a week, ordering our meals on-line and dining in our car.  They are my favorite burger place in this area.  I definitely missed some weeks with the last surgery.  Then, the cold spell that hit Texas.  Power outages.  No water.  There is a limit to how much a business can withstand.  I hope this is just a temporary closure.