Welcome to Tuna Can Org!
Tuna's (aka Tom Slider) personal web site.
Last weekend I heard about this movement gaining popularity, particularly in the US, called "Meatless Mondays". 
The proponents of Meatless Monday are asking people to commit one day a week, in this case Monday, to eat nothing but healthy meatless meals for that day. That Monday on my way to work, NPR had an interview with the man who started Meatless Mondays, so it was very much at the front of my mind the whole day.
As you know, I've been trying to eat healthier, and I do appreciate a good vegetarian meal, so I thought this could be something I could try myself. With that decision, I've under gone the journey to try to make every Monday meatless.
Breakfat and lunch meals aren't that difficult for me to go meatless, but dinner is going to be the challenge. That night for dinner I decided to make a grilled portobello mushroom sandwich and a tossed green salad.
I also posted a request to my Facebook friends asking for
good vegetarian dishes. I wasn't disappointed with the responses, as I got some ideas for future meals. It's going to be a challenge, but I'm up for it and I'm ready. :) -- TS
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Well, today is the last day of my vacation. 
Well, legally it is. I've been working some extra hours at work, as our campus is absorbing the district's ninth grade campus. YHS will now be the home for the ninth grade students in Yucaipa and Calimesa. As a result of this decision, we are now taking the students, teachers and their technology resources, and merging them into our campus.
I've been working with Mike and Scott to get those new computers integrated into our LAN and to have everything running before the first day of school. The three of us came back on July 21 and have been working week days to get everything figured out, setup, and ready to use by staff and students.
One new change for me is that I will now be managing two computer labs, M205 and M204. With the influx of new students, it was decided that we were going to need another drop-in computer lab, so we moved some stuff around and I will now managing both my current lab (M205) and Betty Gill's former lab (M204). The nice thing about taking over her lab is that the labs are side-by-side and the common wall is a collapsible wall, so if I need to monitor both rooms, it will be managable.
I'm so excited about the new school year! :) -- TS
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Today I spent the day hanging out with a friend and former
student of mine, David. 
David attended Ridgeview when I worked there and
then at YHS, which he graduated from in '09.
One hobby that David and I have in common is Dungeon and Dragons. Now, I haven't played D&D since maybe junior high back in the mid '80s, using the original version (v1.0) rules. David is an active player and prefers the newer v3.5 rules (in spite of v4.0 being out). So we spent part of the day with him stepping me through the creation of a character.
My new character (which is currently without a name) is an half-elf ranger. When I played, we tended to use human paladins a lot, so this time I decided to do something different. It took a long time compared to the process we used in the original rule book.
We didn't get to start a solo campaign, but I'm sure we'll
get around to it and it will be a learning experience for me. :) -- TS
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Today a judge found that California Proposition 8 was
unconstituional.
Prop
8 was a ballot initiative that defined a marriage as a
union only between a man and a woman.
I know that many people, including friends, family, and co-workers disagree with me, but I think that every citizen should have the opportunity to marry the person that they want to spend the rest of their life with and be given the same rights and opportunities as a heterosexual couple. I have family and friends that this affects and I hope that this ruling gives them the opportunity to wed their soulmate, regardless of gender.
It seems that the proponents of Prop 8 oppose gay marriage because of their moral beliefs. The core moral belief is that a homosexual union is "unnatural" and their religion tells them that it's wrong. I believe that marriage is for two people who truly love each other. If a church doesn't want to marry a gay couple, that's fine, there are plenty of churches and chapels that will.
Check out the Wikipedia
entry for the suit for the details! :) -- TS
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Ah, the fun of trying to drive 40+ year old cars daily. Last week, as I was driving home, my Bug started making some horrible sounds from the rear. It sounds like to me that I may have a wheel bearing that is dying. Lucky for me this is summer and the Imp is drivable, so I've been driving it.
Well, that changed yesterday. On my way home from work, I was going to my Dad and step-mom's house for my Dad's birthday dinner. Just down the street from work, as I started to apply the brakes for the upcoming intersection, I discovered that I had a brake failure! The brake pedal went all the way to the floor. I was able to drive it to their house (~5 miles), downshifting, catching the lights green, and doing a "California" stop at stop signs. Dad met me out in front of the house to help me to get it stopped and parked on his driveway.
That evening I took his truck home. This morning I grabbed my VW tow bar, and after work today I went by their house to pick up the Imp and tow it home. So now Imp is home and I've now got two cars to work on.
That's the beauty of owning old cars. :) -- TS
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Last night I went to a surprise party for my cousin Denise who is visiting from Pennsylvania. Her brother Jeff and this wife hosted the party at their home in Beaumont. It was a lot of fun to see Denise, as the last time we had seen each other was when our grandmother passed away in December 2005.
Unfortunately Jeff was unable to make it. He is a prison guard and he had to escort a team of inmates to attend to some wildfires in the high desert area. I got a chance to talk to him, so it was the next best thing.
After the party, I also had the opportunity to hang out
with my uncle Don and his partner Dennis. It was a perfect end to a perfect
day. :) -- TS
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Bad news, 
no
triathlon! I just got a message from Karen saying that we're not going
to be able to do the triathlon after all. It seems that the TriRock Series
does not allow participants under the age of 17 and Karen's son isn't old
enough, we don't have someone to do the running.
We discussed it and we've agreed that we will do another relay team triathlon with another runner, or a triathlon that allows young participants. It seems so weird to me that they don't allow young athletes to join in the fun of the event. I remember participating in numerous adult athletic events as a teenager, including the Fontana Bike Race, the Fontana Triathlon, the Grape Nuts Bike Festival, and numerous bike races in the Inland Empire.
I really wonder why they don't allow younger athletes. It seems to me that if you require the necessary paperwork from parents/guardians, it would be a good way of fostering the sport and getting more kids involved.
As for me, I'm going to be continuning the riding and when
we find a triathlon that works for us, you'll be sure that Karen and I
will be there. Stay tuned! :) -- TS
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Today marks the 5th anniversary of my mom's passing. Mom
lost her struggle with breast cancer on this day five years ago. There
isn't a day that I don't think of her and miss her, and today is among
the toughest. Mom, I'm thinking of you. :) -- TS
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Ok, this last weekend I tried to go for bike rides with the new shorts and shoes. Well, apparently the new shorts have less padding, so my Bontrager saddle is now too narrow and after the two rides has left my sit bones raw from rubbing. Ouch!
That means I'm going to have to stop by the bike shop and see about getting a more anatomical seat that fits me and allows me to ride effiecently and comfortably. In the end I want a seat that allows me to ride without thinking off my rear.
Good news is that the shoes and shorts are very comfortable.
This was the first time I've ever used a Shimano SPD clipless pedal, and
I must say that I'm very impressed. The cleat is very easy to clip into
and out of. The shorts fit great too and I'm looking forward to using them. :) -- TS
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This week has been a good week! Let's start with the bicycling news. The shorts arrived in the mail on Wednesday (though they screwed up with the shorts and sent me ones without padding), Thursday the shoes arrived, and today I stopped by Don's Bikes to get the SPD cleats and a couple of pair of socks (with the Don's logo even!). I'm going to hold off on getting a pair of cycling gloves and a cyclocomputer for next month, when the bank account has been replenished.
That means that tomorrow morning I'm going to put on my new apparel and go for a bike ride. I think I'm going to ride the PET bike trail from Maple to Almeria, along with some other side trips, I'm hoping to make tomorrow a 10 mile ride.
Right now I need to get the cleats onto the shoes, adjust
the cleat placement, and contact Aero Tech Designs about getting the right
pair of shorts. I'll sure to fill you guys in on my ride tomorrow. :) -- TS
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One of the difficulties of being a "clydesdale" (weighing over 200 lbs) bicyclist is that bicycling apparel is generally targetted to cyclist who wear no larger than an XL size. Shorts and jerseys in my size is something I'd never seen advertised in the major bicycling magazines and in the major mail order catalogs, like Nashbar and Performance. I was lost and didn't know what to do.
That all changed when I started visiting an clydesdales/athenas forum. I read that many cyclists there had purchased larger size cycling apparel from a company called Aero Tech Designs. I visited their web site and discovered that they did indeed have cycling apparel to the 5X size and that the pricing was actually very affordable.
Of course now the problem was what to order: shorts or bib-shorts. I'd long heard great things about bib shorts for cycling, so should I spend the extra money to try bibs or just stick with the regular shorts. After a lot of thought last night I ordered one pair of shorts and one pair of bib-shorts. Both are black (I really don't think any other color is flattering to big guy) and I'm really excited to get them and go for a ride.
I've also been on the prowl for a pair of cycling shoes that I could afford and that accomodate the Shimano SPD cleat. New shoes are just too rich for my blood, so on a suggestion from a friend, I've been tracking eBay for an appropriate shoe in my budget. After looking at the what eBay sellers had, it seemed that my best option was something from Shimano. Years ago I purchased Shimano shoes for my Quantum, so I knew that I liked their fit and quality.
Today
I purchased on eBay a pair of Shimano touring/mountain bike shoes. They
are from the 2009 line, and are the SH-MTL31 model. I ended up winning
the auction at $36, so I really feel like I got a good deal for a nice
pair of shoes. I'm eager to get my hands on them! So hopefully by the end
of this week I should have the shorts and and the shoes. That means this
coming weekend will include a few rides with the new apparel. :) -- TS
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A friend of mine, who is a masters swimmer, is looking into getting her feet wet with a triathlon. Karen wants to do the TriRock
San Diego Triathlon, "sprint" distance. Her problem is that she doesn't like bicycling. That's where I come in.
Karen asked me if I would be interested in being part of a relay team for the triathlon. In a triathlon relay, one person does the swim, another does the bike, and a third individual does the run. Karen is going to do the swim and her teenage son (who's a pretty good athlete, just like mom) is going to do the run. I thought it over, looked at the course map and the distance involved (20km, which they list as about ~11.5 miles), and I agreed to give it a try. Karen does realize I'm not the athlete I once was, but she assures me it is for fun.
I'd like to share a little bit about our friendship. Karen and I lifeguarded together at the Fontana YMCA when I was in high school, where we discovered one day that our moms taught together in Colton. I also found out that she had also swam with my friend Tim Miller in the Rialto Swim Club. It's a small world!
So September 12th of this year,
make sure you're rooting me on, and hope I survive it. :) -- TS
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I got a invitation to have dinner last night with my friends Catrina and her husband Baber. Catrina and I have known each other since she was born; her mom and my mom taught together for many years and even shared a kindergarten classroom for many years. Catrina and Baber recently had their second child, Nathaniel, so this was my first time to meet him. Catrina, being a vegetarian, made a tasty (but easy to make) vegetarian chili with corn bread. It was very delicious!
As I was heating up my leftover vegetarian chili tonight
(Catrina gave me a bowl to take home), I got a call from a friend from
my school days, Tim Miller. Tim had just returned from Afghanistan and
was in the area visiting his dad. Tim contacted me and Wilt, so the three
of us met up at the Starbucks in the Victoria Gardens parking lot. Tim
and I swam and played water polo together in high school, and the three
of rode road bikes throughout high school. I had a blast last night and
look forward to seeing Tim again. :) -- TS
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Another VW update. Last night after dinner, Tim came over
and we worked on his Mexi-Bug, trying to get it running. 
We
spent a few hours diagnosing and trying things that we think we've narrowed
it down to the problem: a faulty fuel pump. We tried to eliminate as many
problems as we could. Unfortunately I did not have a working "alternator" fuel
pump in my inventory, so Tim's going to have purchase one to fix it.
Today I focused my attention to my Bug. This afternoon I tried to get rid of water spot stains that have been accumulating for many years of being parked on the street. The sprinklers at my previous residences would get the passenger side of the car wet, and after a while the "hard" water spots started to form.
An inquiry among my friends suggested a few things to try, with the first one being a white vinegar/water mix. I had this mixture already in a spray bottle, as it works well to clean up cat urine. This mixture seemed to get rid of about 60% of the stains, but there are still quite a few stains left on the glass. The next, albeit probably the most potent, is to use muriatic acid on the glass. A friend said that was what his friend uses who is a professional automotive detailer. That's next on my list to try and I'll post the results as soon as I do.
The next task was to finally install the rear seat cover. Many moons ago, when I took out the Dee Sport Seats that I put in my Bug back in high school, I got from Tim a set of '68-'69 Bug seats that someone had cut down to make it look exactly like a late '67 Bug lowback seat. I got a vinyl seat cover set for a '67 and used the front covers to make the front seats usable in my Bug. I just never got around to putting the cover on the rear seat.
This afternoon I decided to finally finish it. After a
bit of struggling, I was able to get the rear cover installed. It's not
great, but it works and now the upholstery of the front seats matches
the rear. It looks so much better now. :) -- TS
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For my American friends, happy Independence Day! 
This
year I spent the day working on the VWs. Today's goal was to get Tim's
'68 Mexi-Bug running. This afternoon I was able to get it started, but
it was obvious that the carb still has problems.
Once I had it running, I decided to pull all out of them out and take this photo. It was great to see my '69 Bug and '70 Imp, along with Tim's Mexi-Bug all lined up in a row.
With that accomplishment behind me, I brought out the barbeque
and grilled up a steak in the spirit of the holiday. The food is getting
cold, so I should eat. Happy Fourth! :) -- TS
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I just had to mention that today is the first day of the 2010 Tour de France (TdF). Yes, it's the premier bicycle racing event of the year. I'm rooting for Lance Armstrong and Team Radio Shack, but the fact this is another "comeback" year for Lance, so he may not be able to do it this year.
The TdF has always amazed me. Look at the number of days they race, the distances they ride, and the amount of climbing they do (sometimes ieven in the Alps!) and you see that to just finish the TdF is quite a feat. It's even more impressive to finish first like Lance has done so many times in the past. Unfortunately this year the TdF is only being broadcast on the Versus TV network, so I'll be unable to watch it. I wish that they air it on USN or ESPN, or one of the major channels (ABC, CBS, NBC, etc.)
I guess I'll just read about from the usual cycling news
sources. :) -- TS
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After my mother's passing in 2005, I decided that I needed a change. The change I ended up with was growing a goatee. 
Until then, the only time I had facial hair was back in my teen years. I grew a mustache in junior high (because I could) and in my senior year of high school (my water polo coach suggested it to intimidate my opponents).
About three years ago or so, I decided that for once in my life I was going to let my hair grow out. I had always wanted to have it long enough to be able to pull my hair back into a pony tail, but never did it. This time I let it grow and for about a year I had my hair long enough to sport a ponytail. Mission accomplished.
Whims are just that: whims. I had had enough of the extra work of the pony tail, and with the hot weather coming up, I decided to finally cut it off and go back to my shorter hair. Last night I shaved off the goatee, after almost five years. This morning my Dad introduced me to his barber, and the picture you see here is the one I took after the hair cut. Dad said it took Anthony (the barber) about 45 minutes to do my hair.
So this means that now my bicycle helmet and my hats are
going to need adjustment. :) -- TS
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A report on the Bug's progress: I got the Bug started and running, but it appears that the generator is dead. 
I did some testing that seems to confirm it, so a 12 volt Bug generator is on the list of things I needed to get.
I gave Car Craft in Riverside a call and they said that they did indeed have a brand new 12 volt generator in stock. Today I headed down there to go purchase it.
I got there and the lone parts guy was busy with another customer, so I patiently waited my turn. It turned out that this customer was working on two VWs, and one was a Type 3 Karmann Ghia! I ended up joining in on their conversation and shared with them my knowledge of the this very unique VW. It was great.
When it came to be my turn, the parts guy mentions that
they have a good used Bosch generator (unlike the Chinese made new ones)
that he'd for for a 1/3 of the price with the same warrantee. As any VW
hobbyist will tell you, if you can get Bosch, it's always better to go
that way. Bosch was the OE manufacturer of electrical components for VW,
so they tend to work the best. Of course I snatched it up and now have
to figure out how to swap the engine cooling fans without an air compressor
at home. :) -- TS
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Sunburns hurt. That is a fact, but the reason for the sun burn is a great event. My friends Beau and Amber were married today in San Diego. The wedding took place at this beautiful private school that overlooked a portion of San Diego.
One of the best parts of this wedding was the degree that the included their children. Beau and Amber each have a son from a previous marriage, so they included them in the vows. It was done from the perspective that the combining of Beau and Amber into wedlock impacted more than them, it also included their sons.
I had a great time. My friends Tim and Chelle were there,
along with my Dad and step-mom, along with my step-sister Geoffie, her
boyfriend Dan, and their daughter Maddison. :) -- TS
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Back in high school I was going to take my mom to Old Spaghetti
Factory for Mother's Day. 
It was a way of showing her how much I appreciated
everything she did. I was sharing this with a friend's step-dad and he
highly recommend that I try their "Creamy Pesto" salad dressing. It was
his favorite.
Of course I tried it and he was right. It was tasty! From then on whenever I went to the Old Spaghetti Factory, I always make sure to order a salad and get this dressing on it.
Unfortunately they do not offer it for retail sale, so recently I decided to look for a recipe of creamy pesto salad dressing on the Internet. There are few ones out there, but I tried the at Recipzaar.com and I have to say it was pretty simple and very tasty! If you are a fan like me of this dressing or are looking to try a very tasty cream salad dressing, give this one a try.
On another subject, on the way home from my weekly dinner
with my Dad, I took this cool photo from behind the wheel of my EMPI
Imp.
Yes, I was stopped completely when I took it, but I thought it look pretty
cool. :) -- TS
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Lately I've been frequenting an Internet forum web site that's dedicated to the bicycling sport. They have two areas that I'm particularly interested in: a forum dedicated to "Vintage and Classic" bicycles and another for "Cyldesdales and Athenas". The former is for people like me who like the older bikes, as I like the bicycles made from the '80s and early '90s. The latter forum is dedicated to bicyclists who weight over 200lbs or are over 6 foot tall.
There was a discussion the Cyldesdale/Athena forum about iced tea and I posted that ever since I was a kid, I've enjoyed sun brewed tea. It's one of my favorite drinks, in a large cup with a lot of ice. Well, one of the members there shared with me a Snopes.com article on bacteria risk in sun brewed tea. I never thought about this aspect but it makes total sense.
I already do most of the precautions they say, so I think
I will continue to brew my sun tea, but at least it's good to know the
all of the facts. :) -- TS
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What is my idea of a great day? 
A day like today. Today
my long time friend Wilt picked me up and we went to a criterium bike race
in nearby Ontario. It seems that the bike racing team that Wilt rides with
had some racers that were competing at this event, but Wilt wasn't going
to compete. He asked if I wanted to go and check out the race. Of course
I said "Yea!".
. A criterium bike is a race that the racers complete multiple laps of a short course, usually with a lot of turns. It can be very fast and very technical. It was the type of racing that I loved to do and watch when I was in high school. In fact my Klein Quantum was considered a great bike for this type of racing: it was stiff (for sprinting) and it's handling was fast and precise (to maneuver the tight turns and avoid crashes).
After I got home and Wilt left for his evening committment,
I decided to do some work on my Klein. Two things I've done is finally
replace the old tires (that were on the bike when I bought it many moons
ago) and replaced the seat that I got from another friend. The new seat
is a firmer and narrower model, so it should be more comfortable. I also
got a small hand tire pump for those road-side (or trail-side) tube fixes.
The Pulse Pro is looking great now! :) -- TS
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Ok, now that I've got the Imp running reliably 
and looking
semi-respectable, it's now time to work on my '69
Bug. This
car is going to need more work than the Imp, as it has charging issues
and when I last drove it, it was having problems idling. I don't know what
the problem was, but I'm going to have to figure it out.
The first step was to give it and the Imp a bath and cleaning. Working on a dirty car is just not right. This photo (once again, crappy cell phone photo) is of the Bug and Imp after they were both washed.
The first step is to get the car started. This means a
new battery and oil change. After these are done, I'll try to start her
and I'll go from there. Cross your fingers that I don't have to replace
the carb, as it can get expensive! :) -- TS
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Ok, I've been busy and I finally was able to get enough time set aside to get photos of YHS class of 2010 graduation ceremony posted. Mrs. Gill, our graphic design teacher, was kind enough to share the photos that she took of the ceremony and a seperator collection of photos of the graduate's very creative modficiation to the caps.
I wish the class of 2010 a great adieu! I'll miss you guys
but make sure to stay in touch and stop by Facebook and add me. :) -- TS
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This morning was the Redlands Optimist car show, annual charity car show put on by the Optimist Club of Redlands. It's really close to my Dad's house, so I try to go whenever I can, as it's great to see the cool cars in attendance.
This year my Dad and went together. A particular treat was seeing my friend Linda deBaun with her custom '66 Type 1 Karmann Ghia convertible. This KG vert is a really crazy custom, so I made sure to take some pictures of it with my dad's camera. I'll make sure to post a photo of her car when I get the images from Dad.
I spent the rest of the day with my Dad and step-mom, hanging
out and talking. It was a very enjoyable day! :) -- TS
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Well, I got the alternator back on the Imp's engine and
the car is now running with a functioning electrical charging system! 
Yes,
I am now able to drive it where I want and not worry about draining the
battery. It feels so good! In this photo, the Imp is getting a fresh tank
of gasoline from the local 7-11. This is the first time I've gotten gas
in it in years.
Of course this isn't the end of the work this car needs. I still have a lot of other things to do on this car. If you look closely at the picture, you will notice that the Imp is missing the driver side headlight. So that's on my Imp to-do list.
I've really forgotten how much fun it is to drive this
car. The simplicity of it, being close to world around us. There isn't
glass or steel that isolates you. It's just wind in your hair and the roar
of the exhaust in your ears. Oh so fun! :) -- TS
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Today was the last day of the school year for me. 
Yes,
I am now officially on vacation! I'm going to go back tomorrow to hang
out with my buddies up in the "M-Hall" (my computer lab is located
upstairs in the "M" building), and because we have a tradition of going
out to lunch on that day, after everything is done. It should be a lot
of fun!
Excuse the poor photo (crappy cell phone camera), but you see from the photo that I've got the engine out of the Imp. It seems that once I got the starter fixed and the battery replaced, I was able to start the Imp, but apparently the alternator died somewhere along the way.
I was able to get a replacement alternator, but I don't
have the tools (which includes an air compressor) to remove the engine
cooling fan from the alternator. My friend Mark Christensen, who lives
near my work, was generous enough to provide we with the means to replace
the fan at his garage. So I've got the fans swapped and now I need to put
it all together to get it running again. Stay tuned for updates! :) -- TS
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Today I wasn't feeling great, but I went on a bike ride
anyways. 
I
figured some miles are better than none. As you can see from this photo,
I hit the Pacific ELectric Trail with my Klein Pulse Pro and made a stop
at the Fontana Rose Garden. The Rose Garden has benches on the trail, so
it makes a nice spot to stop, stretch, and rehydrate.
The best part of the ride today was that I made it to the end of the PET! Well, as least the end of the trail that goes through downtown Fontana. I rode the trail from Maple Ave. to where the trail currently ends at Almeria Ave. It felt great to have made it all the way. I didn't think I'd make it to Sierra Ave., but once I got there I was feeling great, so I kept going, and going, and going. I felt like I had accomplished a major step in my comeback on the bike.
As for the bike, you can't see the new goodies in this photo, but I finally bought a couple of water bottle cages and a "Don's Bikes" under-seat bag. With the summer upon us, I was going to need to have plenty of water to stay hydrated. The new seat bag replaced my old one that had rips in it. The old bag was one I bought for my Peugeot PH10LE back in high school. Time to retire it!
I still need a few items to complete my bike riding equipment. For the bike, I'd like to get a modest bike computer that will help me to keep track of my mileage and speed of these trips. There are simple ones that do current speed, maximum speed, odometer, tripometer, etc., but thanks to computer technology, there are models that are wireless, have GPS technology, and will log your bike rides so you can analyze/share them on Google Earth. I'd love the latter bike computers, but at the moment my needs (and budget) are modest.
The rest of the things I need are clothing items. The items I need are related to the points that my body meets the bike. I really need some kind of bicycling specific shorts to make sitting on the bike comfortable. I've found a couple of vendors that sell cycling shorts in sizes up to a 5x, so I'm looking to purchase from them.
A good pair of
padded cycling gloves can help with the fatigue of riding. I also need
to get some mountain bike shoes that can utilize my Shimano SPD pedals.
Trying to ride with tennis shoes is just miserable. Bicycling shoes can
be very expensive, so I'm watching a few pairs on eBay in my size. Hopefully
I get them soon! :) -- TS
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One of my goals this summer is to get my VWs running. 
The
first step is getting my EMPI Imp running.
I know that the starter is fried, as I accidentally did that about three
years ago. The Imp has a 1192cc (1.2L) 40hp engine from a '62 Bug. The
flywheel for this engine has 109 teeth for the starter ring. The later
engines used a starter ring that had 130 teeth.
This fact dictates that I have to use a starter motor for the earlier ring, generally called a 6V starter, as it's the same stater used in all VWs that had a 6 volt electrical system. The later 12 volt VWs used a starter that meshed with the 130 teeth. Of course this means that the starters are not interchangable; a 6V starter has to mesh with a 109 tooth flywheel, and a 12V starter has to mesh with a 130 tooth flywheel.
As I mentioned earlier, the Imp's engine has a flywheel with 109 teeth. This means that I have to use a 6V starter, but the rest of the car is 12V. Normally this combination can work fine, but you can only briefly activate the starter; you can't sit there and crank the engine over. It will fry the starter. That was my mistake.
So the first step is to replace the starter. In an open vehicle like the Imp, it's a pretty simple process. I'm also going to have to head to the local Autozone for a new "Group 42" 12V battery, as I'm sure it'll be dead from sitting out.
With the Imp running, the next step will be to clean up
the Imp. Unfortunately the cats have been using it for a sleeping area,
but I've got a few ideas to keep them away from my VWs. :) -- TS
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On a six year cycle, every high school in California has renew their accrediatation. This accreditation tells colleges and other schools around the state that this accredited school meets the standards laid out by the State Of California. So on a six year cycle, every California high school has to show to the start that we are truly teaching what the state wants and that we are providing the best education. It's a long and arduous process.
Today we, *ALL* of the YHS staff started planning for our accreditation process that will occur next school year. The accreditation people like to see involvement from all persons involved with the school, like support folks (like me), teachers, administration, district office folks, parents, and even students themselves.
Our group is going to utilize a resource that wasn't available
at the last accreditation: the staff groups on the SchoolFusion software.
The staff groups will allow us to share and disseminate information much
easier and quicker and hopefully provide more involvement without having
to have a lot of before- or after-school meetings. The fun has begun! :) -- TS
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This morning I made a trip over to my old place of employment: Don's Bicycles in Rialto, California. Yes, I spent the summer before my senior year of high school employed as a bicycle mechanic and assembler. :) I'ved been meaning to go back there, but it just never seemed to happen.
It's amazing how much things have changed in 20+ years. The showroom is huge, and the work area is actually a part of the showroom now. That's right, you can stand there and watch as the mechanic works on your bicycle. After selling Trek Bicycles for many years, I bought my 1987 Trek 560 from there when it was new, they are no longer a Trek dealer. Apparently Trek (and Specialized) I'm told have gotten too large and they are making unreasonable demands on their dealers. It's too bad, but Don's replaced both the Trek line and the Specialized line with some very lines.
Some the lines they are selling now include Cannondale, Mase, Colnago, Cervelo, and Scott, and all of these are top notch names in the business. Any cyclist would be proud to own a bike from any of these manufacturers.
So after the stroll down memory lane, I tried on a few
shoes. My main purpose for going (along with nostalgia) was to find out
what size shoe I wear (still a 47) and pick up a few items I needed for
my Pulse. I ended getting a Don's branded under the seat bag, a couple
of tubes, and a pair of black powdercoated water bottle cages. My Pulse
only came with one cage, so I've been unable to carry a second bottle.
This was going to be a bigger issue this summer, when the temperature really
starts to rise. Now I have a place for both of my Don's Bikes water bottles
that I bought years ago. :) -- TS
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Today my best friend Tim and I took our bike ride on the
Santa Ana River Trail. 
We
left Tim's house in Riverside, got on the trail at the Martha
McLean - Anza Narrows park, and headed northeast on the trail. A few
hills on the path really made me work, but we ended up at our planned destination: Butch's
Grinders. We both grew up in Fontana and we both grew up going to the
Butch's in Fontana.
We ate our lunch at a table on the grass in front of the restaurant. We got lucky during the lunch by having two gentlemen who parked their beautiful Porsche 356 coupe right in front of us. As always, our grinders were great!
After lunch, we headed back on the trail back to the park.
We spent some time cruising around the park and even got caught in sprinkler
to cool us off. It was fun and we're looking forward to getting a few other
friends to join us next time. -- TS
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What a fun weekend! I started the weekend on Friday evening. 
My
dad and step-mom invited me to join them at the pizza place right across
the street from my work. The place is "AJ Barile's Chicago Pizza" is
a very friendly place with good pizza. We sat around after we had eaten
and chatted. It's always good hearing what's going on in their life.
On the way home from dinner, I stopped into the Barnes & Noble in Redlands. One of my favorite activities to browse at book stores, checking out the newest magazines and looking for books that interest me. This time I found the latest issue of Linux Journal magazine and Ultra VW magazine. I was particularly pleased with the Ultra VW issue, as it was their Cal-Look issue and featured a lot very nice Cal-Look VWs that I'd love to build myself someday.
The fun kept on going yesterday. I got up early, hooked up my boss's Slacker Radio G1 player to my home stereo, cooked some scrambled eggs, and spent sometime playing a favorite video game of mine: Star Wars Galactic Battlegrounds.
I then put on the bike helmet and tennis shoes and headed out on the Klein for a bike ride. This time I didn't head to the PET, I decided to spend the time doing some adjustments. As I rode, I speculated that the seat was too low, so I wasn't getting the proper leg extension and was actually riding bowel legged. Not an effiecent or healthy way to ride. At the end, I ended up riding 5.72 miles according to MyMyRide.
Yesterday afternoon I hung out with the Bolins again. This time Tim and I went to Harbor Freight to look for a floor jack for me. I currently don't own one and with this committment to getting my VWs running, I was going to need to have a floor jack to get underneath them.
I also spent some time with their son Ian playing with
the train setup that Tim designed in Ian's bedroom. He's so fascinated
with trains! I also brought back my bike work stand, so I can now do some
tuning on the Klein and work out those gremlins I occasionally encounter.
-- TS
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Last CAHSEE test of the year! Every year, as part of my job responsibilities, I end up proctoring the California High School Exit Exam here. If you aren't familiar with the CAHSEE test, it's an exam that every California high school student is required to pass before they can graduate. I've looked at the practice questions they offer the students and it's really not very difficult. It's just a quantifiable way of measuring how well our schools are doing.
For me it means that I have to take time from my regular classes to give this test. This last test is a make-up test; it was for 10th graders who were absent for the test eariler in the spring or for 11th graders who still haven't passed. The next two days I'm going to be proctoring for a former teacher at YHS: Steve Cady. Steve and I get along great, as he is very easy to talk to.
I really hope these students take this test very seriously.
Too many times I've seen that students don't take the test seriously and
they just bubble in whatever they want. They are annoyed that they can't
hang out with their friends, but of course by blowing the test, they are
going to be back to take the test again. Some don't take it seriously until
their senior year and realize that this test will keep them from graduating.
-- TS
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Three years ago today my nephew (ok, he's my "adopted" nephew) was born. My friend Tim and his wife Chelle had an informal party at their house today to celebrate Ian's 3rd birthday. It amazes me how much he's grown up in these three years.
It was a relaxing day with hot dogs and shredded pork
tacos, the obligatory cake and ice cream, and a very excited ripping open
wrapping paper all over the place. I had a good time hanging out with everyone
and sharing this special day with Ian and his family and friends. -- TS
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Yesterday was the 2010
VW Bug-In at the Auto Club Speedway drag strip right here in Fontana. 
My
friend and co-worker Linde deBaun stopped by my house on her way to the
show. I rode with her in her 1964 VW Type 3 Karmann Ghia (VW also called
it a Type 34) into the show! It was so cool to be able to ride around
in a Type 3 KG, as any knowledgable VW fan will tell you they are a pretty
rare vehicle, especially here in the USA.
We drove the Type 34 in the show and ended parking next to another '64 T34! It was the same year, same model (neither were the even rarer sunroof model), and even the same color. Linda's T34 lacks the white roof that the other had, but she's now thinking about having it painted that way again when she repaints in the future. The other T34 had a thin-pinstripe whitewall tires, but Linda prefers the wide whitewalls.
People were stopping by the car the whole day, asking us "What is that?", "What year is it?", or "I've only ever seen these on the web or in magazines!". They were even more impressed that she's owned it since 1976 and bought it in Gallatin, Tennessee. The KG isn't perfect, but it's in remarkable shape.
Linda and I had a good time there and it's motivated me
to get my VWs running. They may not look like much, but this major VW show
is in my city. I think the first one to get running will be the '70
Imp. The next VW show at the Fontana drag strip in October 17, so I've
got a target date! -- TS
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What a way to start the month! 
Today
I rode 7.45 mile on the Pacific Electric Trail (PET) from
Maple Ave. to Tokay Ave. in Fontana. According to MapMyRide's calculations,
I eclipsed my longest ride by over two miles! I'm definitely starting to
feel more comfortable in the saddle again, but I still have a ways to go
until I get to where I want to be.
As for the trail, it's still a work in progress. I start at Maple Ave., as that's the farthest east the trail has been built. Actually it's only partially completed from Palmetto Ave. to Maple Ave. The actual trail has been poured, but the approaches from the trail to the streets are still being built and there isn't any trailside decoration. The trail from Palmetto Ave. to Tokay Ave. is pretty much done, though there are portions that still need some decorations like grass on either side of the trail. I really hope that the City of Rialto steps it up and finishes the final stretch of the trail from Maple Ave. on east.
The Klein is holding up well so far. Today I had some difficulty
with the rear derailluer shifting past the largest cog and lodging the
chain between the spokes and cog. As I was pulling the chain out, I noticed
that it also doesn't shift all the way into the smallest cog, though since
I'm not in the greatest of shape, it's not a high priority. The cable tension
probably needs to be looked at and the derailleur stops adjusted. It sounds
like I need to get the old Park Tool PCS-1 bike stand back from Tim. I
can also use the stand to give the bike a long overdue clean and detail
session. -- TS
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One of the things that we in public education have to do is administer the state's standardized test (called the CST or STAR test) every spring. This week is our week for testing. Every year I am a proctor for the test, so I assist a teacher in giving the test. I don't know which is more boring: giving the test or taking the test.
This year I'm teamed up with one of our math teachers, Amber Von Kaenal. Along with teaching math, Amber is also a volleyball coach at Yucaipa High. We get along great and it should make this week go much more enjoyable.
I did get a great surprise this year in our box of testing
supplies. My friend Lora, who's the person in charge of getting everyone
all of our supplies, found this
cartoon in yesterday's Sunday comics. She said that as soon as she
saw she knew she had to get it to me. Very cool and a big thanks to Lora
for thinking of me!! Now, should I hang it up at work or at home.... :)
-- TS
Opera/9.80
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Today I hopped on my '97 Klein Pulse Pro and headed up
to a bicycle/walking trail just up from my house. 
The
trail is the Pacific
Electric Trail(the site seems to be down right now) and is a project
from the Rails
To Trails Conservancy. The trail isn't quite finished yet, so some
of the portions I rode were still rough. I rode the trail from Locust Ave.
to Sierra Ave. in Fontana. You can see the exact path on MapMyRide.
My route, according to MapMyRide, was 4.67 miles long. I rode this trail because I knew it was pretty flat, and according to the site, I climbed a whooping 69 feet. At this point, I don't need a bunch of hills to make my riding unsufferable.
This picture, that I took with my cell phone as I took
a break, is of a trail marker. As indicated, it's located at Palmetto Ave.
in Fontana. It gives trail users directions to various destinations in
the area, including my destination of the day, the Lewis
Library and Technology Center (public library on this marker) on Sierra
Ave. -- TS
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Wow, what a ride! This morning I met with my long time friend Wilt for a bicycle ride. This morning we met at an organized ride put on by a group from Redlands called Ride Yourself Fit. Ride Yourself Fit is a bicycling club sponsored by a Redlands doctor and his wife. Starting in 2010, RYF is looking to hosting every two weeks an organized ride for riders of all ages and skill levels.
As of yesterday it looked like I wasn't going to be able to make this ride. One of the requirements for the ride was a helmet. Money has been tight lately, so the helmet was on the bike shopping list, but I didn't have a helmet. I shared this with Wilt, and unbeknownst to me, he proceeded to buy me a brand new Giro bike helmet. It's nothing fancy, but it's a nice Giro that works well for my needs. It's great to have friends who help where they can. Thanks Wilt!
This ride was quite a challenge to me. Only a small part of the ride is on flat ground, and most of the uphill riding was done the first half of the ride. We didn't stick to the route of the other riders, as they were doing either a 10 or 20 mile ride. At this point I'm not ready to go 10 miles; I'd probably die before getting there. So we improvised and made our own route. In the end, we rode a total of 4.83 miles with 167 feet of climbing. You can see the route we took at MapMyRide.
After the ride, Wilt treated me to breakfast at Carl's
Jr. We hung out for a while after eating, talking about bikes, work, etc.,
enjoying ourselves. Wilt had to leave after about 45 minutes, as he had
to go to work. (The work of a college soccer coach is never done...) -- TS
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Junkyard scavenging! I haven't done this in forever, so Tim invited me to join him as he wanted to go to the Ecology Auto Wrecking yard in Rialto. Tim was looking for Buicks about the same year as his Regal, in an effort to fix a turn signal issue he was experiencing.
While we were there, we ran into a friend that I haven't seen in a long time. Tom Parham, who I met through my VW buddies in Redlands, was wrenching on a Triumph with a Nissan six cylinder. (Weird conversion, but Tom informed us the engine was a model only available in Japan and not here in the USA, strange!) The three of us chatted awhile, catching up on cars, bicycles, and life in general. I had forgotten that Tom was a fellow Klein owner and of course asked if I was interested in selling my Quantum, of course my answer was "No way!!"
All in all, it was a great weekend. I had a lot of fun!
-- TS
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Today was a blast! I was planning on taking a bike ride
around my neighborhood, you know put some saddle time in, and get some
desperately needed exercise. I mentioned this to my friend Tim and he said
that he'd be willing to come up and join me. 
It's
definitely more fun to ride with a buddy, so we set up a time. On the way
to my house, Tim calls me and suggests that we meet up with our friend
Alex (all three of us went to high school together). It sounded like a
good idea, just three guys hanging out and riding.
With the three bikes loaded into Tim's truck, we discussed where we were going to go riding. Tim and Alex mentioned the bike path in south Fontana, in Southridge. We ended up in the Fontana Bird Park. I had never been to this park, so I was up for some exploring. We headed for the dirt trails that are part of the park. According to Tim's bike computer, we did over a mile in the dirt. I fell once, trying to navigate a block wall by an entrance to the trail, but got nothing but a few scrapes on the arm.
After the dirt trail, we proceeded to leave the park on Live Oak Ave. and rode northeast to where the bike path intersects the street. There we took the trail west until it dead ends across the street from Chapparral Park. We took a moment to relax, drink some water, and stretch our muscles before returning back to the Bird Park. In all, we did 4.9 miles today. You can find our on-road route on MapMyRide.
We ended our day with a late afternoon meal at the Rosa
Maria's Mexican Food in Fontana. With a hearty Mexican meal and the
sun setting, it was the end of a very enjoyable day. We even talked about
doing a guys ride regularly, maybe once a month? That sounds like a plan!
-- TS
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I'm slowly working my way through my collection of bicycle
catalogs. As you know from my previous post here, I discovered a stash
of bicycle catalogs from when I was in high school and college. 
These
included Trek catalogs going as far back as 1985 and Klein catalogs as
new as 1992.
So now it's my mission to get each one of these catalogs scanned. I'm going to make each one a PDF file and I will share them with my fellow bike-riding TCO readers in the Bicycles section here at TCO.
I'm also on the look out for a few catalogs that aren't in my collection. I'd like to get a copy (real or digital) of the Trek catalog from 1987, the Peugeot catalog from 1985, and the Klein catalog from 1989.
If you are a fellow bike rider and enthusiast, I'd like
to hear from you. I'm going to start posting regularly on an Internet forum
for large cyclists like myself. The bikeforums.net web
site has a forum specifically for "Clydesdales
and Athenas", which is a man or woman over 200lbs. I've been reading
there frequently for the last couple of weeks and it seems like a really
friendly and supportive group of people. I'm working on my introduction
post and collecting a few photos for them. These people love to see pictures
of bikes. -- TS
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Last night my Dad and I had a great time at Yucaipa High baseball game. The game was against Carter High (from Rialto, CA) and was played at the Arrowhead Credit Union Park in San Bernardino.
Andy Calbreath, one of the YHS coaches, gave me two tickets so that my Dad and I could attend. We were situated in the dug-out, on the far end, directly across from first base. My wife and I have attended this game for the last two years, but this year I invited my Dad, as he's a big baseball fan and an avid amateur photographer.
I was also able to borrow a nice piece of Nikon machinery:
a Nikkor 70-200/f2.8 lens. The lens belongs to the publications class,
and since I would be using the lens at a school event and giving copies
to the team, I was able to secure the lens for the weekend. That lens is
quite a hefty piece, but I was getting photos that I couldn't have otherwise.
You can see the photos on my Facebook photo albums. -- TS
Opera/9.80
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Ok, it's official now. This afternoon I signed the intent to vacate paperwork with the storage company and am now officially free and clear of the storage unit. That's more money to help to pay the other bills. :|
I could not have done this without the help of my Dad and my best friend Tim. These guys really helped out and I do appreciate the help.
Of course now the work in going through it here and getting
rid of stuff I no longer need, and organizing the stuff that I'm keeping.
At least I'm not paying that bill anymore! -- TS
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Storage is cleared out!! Well, almost... Tim and my Dad helped me to get the large items back to the house. The largest of which was a complete 2.0 Type 4 engine, including the complete cooling system and exhaust. That thing was a beast to get into and out of of the truck!
The reason that storage isn't done is that I forgot to include a broom in the truck in order to sweep out the unit. So, I'm going to throw my shop broom into the bed of the truck on Monday, and then after work I'm going to stop by there finish it up. That means some extra cash every month, and that's something that is sorely needed right now!
Of course the next phase is going through all of the stuff
here, getting rid of stuff that I no longer need, and organizing the rest.
Well, I guess my weekends are going to tied up for a while. -- TS
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It's week two of my vacation and my only goal, clearing out storage, is almost done. I'm now done to one more trip: the really heavy stuff. For those items, I'm calling in some extra help: my best friend Tim for his assistance. We've got to move a complete VW Type 4 engine, a complete VW Type 1 engine, two VW Type 2 IRS transaxles, one VW Type 1 transaxle, two VW ball joint front suspensions, and a few other odds and ends. We should have it all cleared out this Friday.
The reason I've pushed back the final trip of storage is that last week wiped me out, including my back. All this week I've been working on the storage here, going through stuff, and making room for those big items.
I'm looking forward to having storage all moved out. And
I'm especially looking forward to when I can get the storage here cleaned
and organized. It is then I will be able to go out into my storage/shop
and work on my hobbies. I hear a few VWs calling my name. :) -- TS
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It's been a two and a half months since I've posted here. It's been quite busy around the Slider house. I spent most of January and February doing some extra work for the school, doing both the shot clock and security for the basketball teams. It makes for a long day but I have a good time and enjoy the bigger paycheck!
Last week I spent the week at home from work, as I apparently came down with gastroenteritis, also known as the stomach flu. It was miserable, being home the whole week and not able to do anything. After fives day into it, I made a trip to the hospital and got an anti-biotic. I'm happy to report that I'm doing quite well and seem to have gotten over it. Phew!
This week starts my first week of the spring break vacation. Yep, I have this week AND next off from work. This week I am using the time to clear out my storage in Redlands and move it into our storage at the house. It's a long process, but I'm about ¾ done with the clearing out.
The enjoyable part of clearing out is finding things that I haven't seen in many years. One type of item that I've stumbled upon is my old collection of bicycle catalogs. I've found a few 1985 Trek catalogs, a 1986 Peugeot catalog, and a 1991 Klein catalog. Rest assured I'll be scanning these catalogs and posting PDF versions of them for those of you that are into bicycles of that era.
I also found a book from the Italian Bicycle Industry showcasing
the best that Italy had to offer. This book was being handed out to the
conventioneers at the 1989 Interbike Expo in Anaheim. It has entries from
big brands like Cinelli, Modolo, Basso, Selle
Italia, and 3T.
I spent the summer of '89 working at a local
bike shop as a mechanic and bicycle assembler. I'll probably scan a
few of the pages to share here, as it's got some of those parts that I
longed for when I was in high school. -- TS
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A new year is upon us and I can only hope that 2010 is better to us than 2009 was. We are now closer to getting our finances in line. The move to Fontana was a major step to that goal.
Kristina and I spent a quiet New Year's Eve this year at home. We ended up watching three episodes of the original Miami Vice TV series. Using Hulu, we connect her Apple MacBook Pro to our television and use it to enjoy the show.
So let's hope that 2010 is a prosperous year for everyone!
-- TS
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Read the older stuff!
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