Tires and Stuff

I went to work on removing my trailer tire with a nail in it to take it in for repair, and decided it was time to replace 2 of my truck tires. I could complain about the money for the new tires, but I got 72,000 miles out of these, which were original equipment. They were on the front, I had replaced the rears quite a while ago.

Usually projects like these turn into a hassle, but today everything was on my side. First, I had all the right equipment and tools to remove and replace a tire on my trailer. I've been collecting stuff that looked right, but never had a chance to try it all out. It was a breeze. Then, I got a look at my brake pads while my truck was on the lift and lo and behold I've got plenty of brake pad left. The fronts look like they weren't even used, the rears are closer to replacement, but nothing to worry about now.

I was shocked. When I think about the hills I've I've gone down pulling my house, and the number of times I've had to stop quickly, it doesn't seem possible. My transmission, Allison, is certainly to be credited. It also indicates I've got the trailer brakes balanced with the truck quite well. And, the technician in the shop said that I apparently go easy on the brakes routinely.

They're picking lemons outside my back window today. Ever had a lemon off the tree? They're sweet, not sour. You can eat them like an orange. Fabulous. Apparently the sugars turn to carbs very quickly, which leaves the sourness in what you get from the grocery. And, lemon trees are a challenge to harvest, as the stems have thorn-like things on them. It's no like picking apples at all.

The nearby Latino town, Sumerton, is having a tamale festival this Saturday. I'll be there. The Indio festival was good, but I recalled how it was when it was a small-town thing before it got to be real popular. Sumerton is tiny and I'm sure there won't be the crowds like Indio. A good tamale is a lot of work and time-consuming, and involves a huge amount of technique and methods.

New tires, good brakes, fresh lemons, tamales, 75 degrees. Fine with me.