Landed in Narita no problem yesterday, but there was a traffic jam on the ramp, probably due to various complications from Taifuu 13-ban. We were parked a while until our parking spot became available. The kokunai connection boarded smoothly on time, but again, we were beset with ground delays in actually getting from the gate to the runway. The typhoon seems to have turned East out to sea after drenching central Honshuu, so it is unlikely that it will have any ill effects in store for me in Hakodate today.
I fly out tomorrow to Sapporo. Hopefully all goes well. It will be a short trip, this time busing and training around Southwest Hokkaido (Hakodate and Matsumae) over the long weekend. I’m not really sure if I’ll have web access to post while on the road, but I’ll try whenever possible.
Altbiers are old-style beers that use top-fermenting yeasts like ales, but the yeasts are active at warmer temperatures. This altbier from Onuma Brewery in Southwest Hokkaido has a light malt flavor, and a bitter note, typical of the variety. There is not much of a sweet/fruity/flowery flavor from the hops – only the bitter. The color and flavor is rather similar to a pale ale, like Niseko Beer’s Canadian Ale. The initial flavor is dry and bright, with the bitter in the middle, and the maltiness in the finish. The carbonation is low. Continue reading ‘Beer Is Good – Onuma Brewery Alt’
Just when I thought the sweltering dog-days of Summer were at an end, the winds all but went away, bringing with it early afternoon convective downpours and an influx of Big Island vog. The Trades have returned overnight, so the haze has broken up. Hopefully the nighttime temperatures will drop too. It’s aggravating having been rained out on a bunch of weekday and weekend rides, but the shortening days and approaching wet season will force a taper in biking soon anyway.
Saturday the 6th. was ride day, so we met for a Wailuna ride. Jeff, Sara, and Root were early. Root had the bonnet up on his car, apparently messing with something mechanical. Ckucke showed up as we were getting prepped to ride. The park was full with soccer families. A couple of kids got abandoned in the upper field to play baseball by their parental authority figures who drove off to parts unknown. All geared up, Ckucke pulled his bike off the rack to discover a front flat. Sara had already taken off to get a head start up the road climb, so Jeff took off to catch up to her. Ckucke found a Schrader valve tube in his pack instead of a Presta one, so he borrowed my spare. Continue reading ‘Shoe Breaker’
Dropped by after the Monday night bike ride last week. I tried the signature Kotteri ramen this time around. The chicken (and pork?) based broth was thick and flavorful, almost gravy-like in consistency. The noodles were cooked a little firmer this time around, which was to my liking. The basic toppings were the same, with menma, finely sliced green onion, and a slice of charsiu. This time, the charsiu piece was a bit more substantial than last time, being around twice the size as I remember it being previously. Root tried ordering the spicy menma last time, but they were out, so I asked if they had it. They did, so I got it as a side. The spicy menma was julienned instead of sliced into slabs as is more common for a ramen topping, and is marinated in a sesame-based chili oil. There are some whole black sesame seeds also. The spicy menma is very good. All in all, I give them a better rating than last time at a B+. Value is still an issue, as my ramen was around $8 USD, and the menma $1.50 USD, for a total of around $11.50 after tax and tip.
Ckucke and I got what seemed to be “the MSG-wheeze” afterwards when we went to watch Root break his car. Scat was phlegmy, but whether that was from his recent surgery or the food is undetermined. We all got a touch of cottonmouth from the post-ramen elevated sodium levels, so we had to stop and get some drinks on the way back to town.
Recommended.
Three grinning monkeys out of four
Scat was still in recovery, and Root went home to break his FX, so Ckucke and I went up to do a ronery St. Louis descent. We got to the top a little late because there was something up with the front hub of Ckucke’s new white Azonic wheelset. The axle end caps were dragging against the cartridge bearing covers at the labyrinth seals, galling the unanodized aluminum – shades of my Cane Creek headset! I tried cleaning it up and filing one cap down, but tightening the axle to the correct preload bound the hub. We quickly swapped out to his old front wheel in order to make it up the hill at a reasonable time. We scored the choice parking spot, and we geared up and headed into the park. There was a tall woman getting her white Santa Cruz ready to ride, and some dude in a white pickup who was shadowing us as we rode through the trees off the park entrance, then turned around and went back out of the park. Continue reading ‘Quick Drop’
Toyota had the one gasket I needed. Didn’t have just about all other things I asked for including some hoses. Does not bode well, will I have to resort to cutting own paper gaskets in the future? I love the Toyota coated metal gaskets so much more. Ah well, anyway after some struggling got the gasket replaced and everything back together. Scat, CKucke and El Santo cruised by after their dinner to bug me. Did an oil change too. Belt sounds a bit squeaky, tried retightening belt. We’ll see how it is, it’s late now, good night.
Ugh. So I ran down to Redline Automotive to pick up a waterpump for the FX. Spun by AM Sears to also buy one of those Diehard Platinum AGM batteries for the AE86 since they finally got them back in stock and I’ll need to move it. Get home, install battery, AE86 starts right up. Move cars, pull FX in. Start on removing the old water pump. In the process I get a chest full of radiator fluid from when the pump finally pops apart and dumps it’s contents out on me, yum. Aside from that it goes relatively painlessly.
Once I get things out, I look at the old pump and start to get a sneaking suspicion. The water stains on the outside don’t look right for a failing waterpump, which usually starts leaking out the weep hole(s). There’s some more waterstains on the block that don’t look quite right. In any case, I have a new pump. This AC Delco replacement has a plastic impeller, interesting. It makes it lighter, and I imagine won’t rust like the original iron impellers
. I also discover the pulley’s got a bunch of ugly holes drilled in it. I can’t figure out why, only thing I can think of it’s an ugly and feeble attempt at lightening the pulley. I can’t imagine this being balanced. Anyway, I don’t have another one handy at the moment, so it goes back on. With everything finally back together, I fill up the radiator. Just about ready for the moment of truth when I check everything over and see a new puddle under the car. Curses! My earlier suspicions were correct, the leak was coming from the water outlet fitting above the water pump. The knocking about & prying to install the pump and alternator must have opened up the leak more because now it was obvious where the leak was coming from. Damn, it’s late, I don’t have gaskets, time to call it a night. I’ll have to go to Toyota tomorrow and pray they have the parts.