My Bad

I announced the other day that Nathan and Kim had gifted me with a car. I've been enjoying the freedom of being able to hop in it and drive. Thank you again!

Yesterday evening while Howard was at church, I realized that my drive band on the Louet S-10 had gone bad. It was not allowing the Woolie Winder to feed evenly. You can see the problem here. So I cut the drive band -- after trying to figure out how to get it off the wheel (as far as I can tell it is there to stay!) and went to the local farmers supply store. You know, one of those that has almost everything? A fun place to explore. I had called first to make sure they had O-rings. I got there, asked where they were, and a perky young thing told me she'd take me, as she knew where they were. We got there, and she showed me -- the largest was 3 inches across. My face must have shown something, because she asked, "How big of one do you want?"

"I just happen to have brought my old one" I said and pulled it out. Her expression was startled.
"I've not seen one that size before!" she said. So we went up to the front where she showed someone else the band and asked him where one would be. His face was startled as well.

"I don't think we have anything, but let's ask ..."

So we proceeded into the depths of the store to find ..." While we headed that way, I heard announced on the loudspeaker "Will the owner of the red Tempo please come to the front desk!"

I hurried up front, wondering what was going on. "Your car started rolling across the parking lot!" I'm sure my face went white! I raced out the door, afraid of what I'd see. There the car was, away from other cars, just as I'd parked it, just forward a bit. A wonderful woman who had been shopping with her children told me "I saw a man beside the car and it was moving. I asked if it was his and he said no. So I opened the door, got in and put it in gear. Your emergency brake didn't hold." I thanked her profusely!

Went back in, and was met by the 2 clerks who had continued to check on my drive band situation. The store didn't have anything that would help, but they had done a fantastic job trying to find something.

Howard says that I'd told him earlier that the emergency brake doesn't hold well, and the car must be left in gear. I don't remember that. I will remember from now on to put the brake on and also leave it in gear! Thank God that I had decided to park away from other cars and walk. If it hadn't been stopped, it would eventually have rolled into the embankment at the edge of the parking lot and stopped, as that is too steep for the car to roll up. But still... If I had parked somewhere else, I could have hit another car!

I got home, and ordered new drive band material. Enough for 2 drive bands, on the theory that if I have 2, the new one won't go out. If I only have 1, it will. Since I needed to finish up what I was spinning, I cut about 4 inches out of the old drive band and burned it together again. About 120 yards of a bulky weight Cormo. Looks good. I forgot to take a picture before it was popped in the mail.