Pocketcam, thy name is Yorick.

So I had this idea. It was a good idea.

The idea ran thusly:

Miz Fury and I would ride our bikes to the beach on a weekday, thereby avoiding weekend crowds and Wednesday responsibilities.

We met at the appointed time(ish) at my apt and hopped on our respective steeds, armed with a metric ton of sunscreen and considerably fewer snacks, and headed south.

Lalala, everybody's happy, the sun is shining....booom!

What was that? Did I run over an exceptionally loud plastic bottle? I stop and turn around and see a Very Large Screw protruding from my rear tire.

Me: No fucking way (or words to that effect).

Miz Fury: Wouldn't it be better to leave it in? Like a sword?

Me: (pinching tire) Nope, it's losing air already. I'll have to change it.

We pull over. I change the tube, pull out a dollar bill to make an emergency tire boot, and start pumping. Realize that my tiny hand pump will only get the tire to about 70lbs. (30lbs. less than I need). Pull out the CO2 inflator, realize that it's busted (blowing a $6 cartridge in the process). Try the hand pump again. Break off the end of the Presta valve.

Miz Fury suggests looking for a bike shop. I realize I already know of a bike shop nearby, and that one of my friends is a mechanic there. I call another friend to get the address, and we ride over.

The place is mobbed, but because I know the mechanic I get the royal treatment. Buy another tube, let the air out of the tire, change the tube (again), slip in the dollar bill (again), borrow a floor pump, buy a better-quality hand pump (just in case), and we get back on the road.

Ride the rest of the way to the beach. Pull out pocketcam to take some pics and discover that its little servo motor has developed an eccentricity and it first won't focus properly and then simply won't turn on. Alas Poor Pocketcam.

The ride home was fine, and my legs felt strong the next day. But no beach pics. And no screw pics, since I didn't think to save it for posterity. The Nikon is now interviewing for the job of pocketcam.