My Last Week of Training...

In preparation for the big ride I am inside this tank near Hannibal MO. It is something called the Mother Liquor Tank. It is the reactor vessel for several of this chemical company's pesticide precursors. We are replacing a fluoropolymer lining installed by a competitor. The training goes on 12 hours a day. We have a break in the AM and and PM with an hour lunch in our cargo trailer. One of the boys bought a microwave at Wal Mart so we eat Ramen noodles or something akin to that each day. Last night for supper I went to Fazola's and had their lasagna and a Caesar salad. It was really good after too many days of burgers and other things. The boys do a great job and I am glad I can be here to help with the welding. I am getting arm and shoulder exercise climbing on scaffolding and getting in an out of the manway of this 11'Ø by 22' long tank.

We wear respirators because of particulates of grinding plastic and epoxy adhesive. The gasses given off during welding are largely hydrogen fluoride. This attacks the tissues of the throat and lungs as it turns into hydrofluoric acid on contact with an aqueous environment. It also attacks the central nervous system in a condition called polymer fume fever.

Sweet huh?

Branscomb Road Climb...

I road the tadpole one hour up Branscomb Road this afternoon. RA road on Highway 1 and went one mile east of Hardy Creek on her tadpole. It has been hard to find time to ride with so much to do here and so little time. We did get the siding up on the west wall of the pump house earlier and some other carpentry work under the roof and shingles. The siding is pretty good stuff. K&A were talking about putting it on their new house. It is called Hardy Board and is termite resistant and fireproof. I think we can get the rest of the siding up tomorrow, and the back side as well.

Two things I discovered riding an hour up Branscomb Road is the calorie counter on the GPS enabled computer does not accurately tally the energy expended going slow and hill climbing. After an hour of very serious riding I burned up only 650 calories. Likely, the algorithm in the computer is based on speed and not resistance. Secondly, when you need to stop or I would normally get off and walk, on something like this 10% grade, you just set the park brake and relax and take a breather. You do not have to get off and walk.

Coming down was fun, I stayed up with a small pick up truck going around the corners as the bike handles very well.