Buzz Bike

We ended the day with an easy dish of Turmeric Chicken. We followed the recipe except we used white rice instead of brown and dried parsley instead of fresh. We cut the chicken up in chunks. Quick, easy, and delicious.

A bonus is the healthy effects of Turmeric. It's an anti-inflammatory and an anti-oxidant. It improves brain function and reduces risk of brain diseases. It also lowers the risk of heart disease. It can prevent and help reduce certain cancers, especially colorectal cancer. It may play a role in preventing Alzheimer's because it can help prevent the build up of plaque, and it can help with arthritis because of its anti-inflammatory effects. It can help reduce depression, similar to the way Prozac works. And it helps to fight many age-related diseases. There's a reason why turmeric is called a miracle food.

We could use the help. We are both exhausted from worrying and lack of sleep. Dee Dee's been on a nightly pee schedule of midnight, 2:00 a.m., and 4:00 a.m. We usually just stay up after the 4:00 outing. Sometimes, she wants to walk, so we head down the block on a short leash looking out for coyotes. 

We finally made it to the doctor's office. He didn't call us knuckleheads for messing up the medicine schedule, which was a relief. He gave her an injection of the diuretic that worked so quickly last time and he added another heart medication. Now, she's on 3 meds, taken twice a day. She's still looking bloated, but she seems to feel much better and she's eating heartily and resting comfortably. The vet said to let her eat and drink all she wants. Paradoxically, the intake of water works as a pump to draw the water out. Go figure.

We will be up all night for bathroom breaks, but at least we will do it without the same sense of worry and anxiety.

 

My Buzz bike arrived today, earlier than scheduled. I had already watched the assembly video, so I had an idea how to go about it. Nevertheless, I loaded the YouTube video on my phone and played it and paused it until I had the bike all assembled. I used the box it came in as my workbench.

 

I unpacked everything and set up a fan to keep me comfortable. The rear fender was bent, but I was able to bend it back into shape with some effort. The first trial ride sounded awful until I wrangled the fender some more so that the tire wasn't rubbing. There was a missing washer for the stem bracket, but I might replace that anyway.

I only had time (and battery power) to ride it about 4 miles. My first impressions: With the motor off, it's a quiet, but heavy bike, not very responsive or nimble. Ho hum. With the motor on, even in the lowest setting, it's a very different experience. The motor is loud, but effective. It's smooth on take-offs, very gentle. But much appreciated on hills. When biking on flat roads, it's not worth having the motor on. One thing I noticed is how many hills there are, even here in Florida. On my old bike, it was so light, I could power up them, but on this new bike, I need some help. I expected this, and figured that I'd appreciate the bike much more on long trips, where my old bike is a literal pain in the neck and butt.

I have some adjustments to make: three of the gears aren't functioning properly, but it's just a matter of adjusting the derailleur. Lucky, there are instructions. I used to know how to do this, so I know I can learn it again. Funny that our old bikes never needed adjusting in the 11 years we've owned them. Their parts are of higher quality. That and they were assembled professionally at R.E.I.

I also need an adjustable stem to bring the handle bars up higher and closer, more like a cruiser bike. That way I can sit upright and spare myself neck pain (I hope).

The seat is going to take some getting used to. It's a gel seat and feels squishy and a bit unstable because it's so spongy. I don't know quite where to sit.

I also need a mirror.

So, it's a work in progress. Stay tuned for more reports.