| Author | Message | ||
     Crusty |
So, Anyhow… Sometimes, it’s tough for me to see the positives in my life and not just the negatives. I’m in one of those places right now. There’s a quote by Charles Swindoll that says, in part, “Life is 10% what happens to me and 90% how I deal with it”. It’s all in my attitude. So, with that in mind, I’m going to look at the events of the past couple of days. It started with an e-mail from the Realtor that David’s using in Cincinnati. There was a house that seemed to be a great deal, and we put an offer in to buy it at the listed price. It turns out that it’s a foreclosure, and the lender was letting the offers accumulate before picking which offer it would accept. In other words, it’s like an eBay auction with the added aspect that nobody knows just how high the other offers might be. Since the asking price was above my stated upper limit to begin with, we let it pass. Then, I went to the shop on Wednesday. I was going to change my fork springs and fork oil and also my engine and tranny oil. As soon as I wheeled the Roadster into the shop, Little Guy commented on my broken lower triple clamp. He immediately spotted a bit of crash damage that I hadn’t noticed. Fortunately, they had a triple clamp in stock. So, on Wednesday, I just did an oil change, and put the repaired saddlebag bracket back on the bike. It was too late in the day to start on changing out the triple tree. So yesterday, I went back to the shop. it took me most of the day to change out the triple clamp and replace the fork springs and the fork oil. (back in the ‘70s when I worked at Don’s Honda, the other mechanics called fork oil fish oil, because it smelled so nasty. I don’t know if it is fish oil, but the stock fork oil sure reeks.) It was the first time I did something like changing out the Triple clamp in a very long while (decades!), so it took me about four times as long to do it as it should have. At any rate, I got the job done. I’ve become very soft. Working all day, then riding home in 40º temperatures (5º C) kicked my ass. I took a long hot shower to chase out the cold and to ease aching parts of my body and I was in bed before 9:00. So, the negatives are that I didn’t get the house, my bike was broken much worse than I realized and I had to run up my tab at the shop again, which really doesn’t sit well with me. Plus, I’m stiff and sore all over. The positives are that my bike has a new triple clamp,new steering head bearings and races, fork springs and fresh Type E fork oil (that doesn’t stink), and I got to do the work in a shop that has all the tools necessary to do the job. I was taking grief and insults all day long and I got to give back my share, as well. Plus, I’m stiff and sore all over. Oh, and the bike rides so much better with the new springs and oil and I can use my saddlebags again. Life is good. (Message edited by Crusty on March 10, 2017) | ||
| Glitch |
Life is good. Yep Even when we see it least. Best to ya Crusty. | ||
| Ourdee |
Crusty, Thanks for the "Charles Swindoll". That was like a prescription. I needed it. Also explains why some people that seem to have it made are never happy. I was able to get a small ride in yesterday. So, cruising around Indianapolis there is a car trying to keep up beside me. I look over and there is a young hottie eyeballin' Lil Red and waving like she wants a ride. The first thought I always have when anything like that happens is that my wife has put her up to it. I wave back, bump it up a notch while chuckling about the old man hiding inside the batman suit. It was time to find another street anyway. Always pleasant to be waved at. | ||
| Crusty |
At Snowbreak I don’t know if Snowbreak is a real word or not, but the snow has started. It’s light right now, but Harvey Leonard (Chief Meteorologist for the Storm Team 5 Weather Center) says that it’s going to ramp up until it’s coming down at a rate of 3 or 4 inches per hour by early afternoon. Here in Hudson, we’re on the edge of the 12-18 and 18-24 inch line. So that means that it will be a good amount of work tomorrow morning. If things had gone differently, I’d be in Daytona right now. I’d really like to see the TT. I think it’s going to be a memorable race. I’ll just have to sit in front of my laptop and watch it on Fans Choice TV. It’s not like being there, but at least I can see the race as it happens. I’m juggling my finances in the hopes I’ll be able to go to the Atlanta Short Track on the 25th. To be honest, I shouldn’t; I really need to pay down the balance on the credit card. They’re whacking me for big money in interest charges each month, and the sooner I get the balance paid off, the better I’ll be. I guess the ideal scenario is for me to sit tight, keep a low profile for the season and concentrate on giving the vultures as much as I can. The problem is that I seldom do that. I’m a Tramp at heart, and sitting still goes against my nature; so I’m trying to find a reasonable compromise. The bike has really cost me a bunch in the past couple of weeks. New triple clamps, fork springs, bearings & races, new turn signal stalk and new rear caliper. That money would have paid my way to both Daytona and the Short Track. Well; Life is what happens while you’re busy making other plans. (It’s snowing pretty heavy, right now. I can just imagine what it’s going to be like in a few hours.) You know; When I sat down to write, I had planned to hack out a Feel Good kind of Snippet. It’s tough for me to do when I’m in this kind of mood. Once I get this disappointment out of my system, I’ll be back to my usual self. I’m not a Pollyanna, by any stretch of the imagination, but I do prefer to look for the positive side of things. Robert A. Heinlein wrote that it’s better to be an Optimist than a Pessimist. While a Pessimist is more often right, the Optimist gets more enjoyment out of life. When I first read that, it had a profound effect on me. I adopted that as a Great Philosophy for Living and I try to live my life that way. For the most part, I’m successful, but I occasionally have my negative spells. I guess that means I’m not perfect. (This will come as a complete surprise to my Ex, who thinks I’m a perfect A-hole) Anyhow, it’s snowing like hell, I’m trapped in the house and I can’t go to Daytona. On the other hand, I’m warm and dry and have lots of good food to eat (including a quart of Brigham’s Chocolate Covered Strawberries Ice Cream) and I can watch the race live on my laptop in these comfortable conditions. And the Roadster has a good rear brake and a upgraded front suspension. Life really ain’t that bad, now; is it? (Message edited by Crusty on March 14, 2017) | ||
| Two_seasons |
Crusty said..."Life really ain’t that bad, now; is it?" Nope...  | ||
| 86129squids |
... he has a few good words to say about biscuits at the beginning... | ||
| Crusty |
Stiff, Sore And Thinkin’ Well, I went out and shoveled snow for 2 1/2 hours this morning. The snow turned to rain yesterday after about a foot was on the ground. Then the temperatures dropped into the teens so the water froze into a thick hard crust. To shovel it, we had to first use the shovels to break up the crust, then we could move things. As I said, it took 2 1/2 hours of work to get things cleared. Even though the temps never got above the mid 20s, the street, which was covered with snow this morning, is now clear and dry. The March sun was strong enough to heat up the pavement and melt the snow and dry up the water. I was just finishing up when I lost my footing on some ice and fell flat on my ass. That sucked; and now I’m stiff and sore all over. However, I’m pretty sure I’ll be able to take the Roadster out tomorrow. I need to run a few errands and I hope to get them all done in the morning. I want to be planted in front of my computer for the Daytona TT in the afternoon for practice, then in the evening for the races. I really think it will be pretty exciting to see the 750s running the TT. I like the changes that were made in Flat Track Racing for this year. I like the idea of using the same bikes for all the different events. I think it’ll make for better racing. I’m not sure if I like the new format of elimination races, but I’ll have an opinion based on witnessing the races after tomorrow. I like the Harley vs Indian subplot, but there are also some fast Kumensukmis and Yamahahas in the field, as well (is my prejudice showing?) So we’re looking at new bikes on a new track with a new racing format. It will be interesting. I want to see how the new Harleys run. Last year, I talked to one of the Vance & Hines people, and they were having trouble getting enough horsepower out of the engine. However, the riders are saying that they’re competitive. We’ll see. The Indian made its debut at the Santa Rosa Mile last fall, and Joe Kopp came out of retirement and put it on the pole for the main; so we know it’s fast enough. I’m also interested to see how the riders adapt to their new machines. Smith, Mees and Baker are on FTR 750 Indians while Coolbeth, Johnson and Robinson are on the XG 750 R Harleys. Brian Smith was a terror on last year’s Kaw 740; will he be able to beat Jared Mees when they’re both on the same bikes? Indian has three National Champions on their team while Harley has two (Kenny Coolbeth and Jake Johnson) and a very fast third member (Brandon Robinson). And just for the record, I hope Henry Wiles wins it. He's a TT specialist and has won the Peoria TT something like 12 times. He's also pretty fast on all the other types of tracks. And he’s a pretty nice guy to talk to. I talked with him at the Troy Bayliss Classic in Australia when I was there, last year. He left me with a very positive impression. When the green light flashes on for the Main, tomorrow night, we’ll see just how things shake out. I can hardly wait. | ||
| Ourdee |
John, Take care of that sore bum. http://www.fanschoice.tv/ @2:00PM EST on the 16th. | ||
| Crusty |
I didn't make it to Daytona this year and it's really bothering me. I'll be there next year. | ||
| Chauly |
I was just talking about you. Ears burning? I met you at a Bike Week thing (I think) back in '06. I cooked barbecue for the gang, and it was at a Bad Webber's house. He was recovering from a bad wreck. Do you remember? | ||
| Crusty |
I remember that year. The injured rider was Nick and he was in a body cast. (I can't recall his wife's name right now) When I first saw him on Monday of Speed Week, he was really looking pretty rough, but by Sunday, he was showing an incredible amount of improvement. That was the year the XBRR made its debut, and all four bikes entered in the 200 died during the race. I was sitting with Lafayette in the stands during the race and after the last XB broke, he left. Erik and his wife came to the party at Nick's house on Saturday night, which really impressed me. The place was packed and I really enjoyed myself. It was a memorable Badweb experience. (Message edited by Crusty on March 16, 2017) | ||
| Chauly |
That's right, Nick! is he still 'round? | ||
| Crusty |
Missed Opportunities I was reading a thread on BadWeB about the Super Bloom that’s going on in the desert right now, and it started me thinking. Last June, I camped at the Navajo National Monument, which has a beautiful free campground. At the entrance to the campsite I picked was a cactus that had an amazingly beautiful flower. I wanted to take a picture of it, but decided to wait until morning when the sun would be behind me so the flower would really stand out. The next morning, the flower was a misshapen brown wad on the top of the cactus. it had gone from being a magnificent display of beauty to a brown, withered corpse in less than 12 hours. That was a disappointment. In 2015, I was crossing Missouri on I 70, and I ran into a major thunderstorm. It was raining so hard that traffic was stopped in Saint Louis. when it moved, it was in first gear, slip the clutch speeds. I was soaked through all of my gear, and I saw a half a dozen wrecks, many of them cars that slid off the road into the Jersey Barrier. Once I got through the city and the storm, I was pretty much focused on heading toward my destination, where I could dry out and also wash and dry all my soggy laundry. I saw a number of signs for the World’s largest Wind Chimes and the World’s biggest Golf Tee. Since I had made a point to see such things, I was sorely tempted to stop. But I was wet and chilled and all I could focus on was my destination; so I gave them a miss. That still bothers me. Not a lot, but it was a missed opportunity to see something new and different. One of these days, I’ll be back that way and I will stop. When I started Tramping in 2015, I had quite a few people offer me places to stay and/or meals, and I passed many of them by. Mostly because I wasn’t going to be that close, or the timing was bad; but some because I was in a place mentally where I just wasn’t able to handle being with people. I’ve always been a bit of a loner and sometimes I just don’t have the skills or strength to be around people. I know that some of the folks who I passed by were hurt of offended, but I didn’t do it intentionally. Still it bothers me. Last Summer, I was visiting Mike Kirkpatrick and he offered me a chance to take his 1190 SX out for a ride, and I passed. Mike has one of the most sorted EBRs I’ve ever seen. However, I have this voice in the back of my head that says, “Trouble is attracted to Borrowed Bikes”. It was a chance to ride an SX that had the kinks worked out, and I let it slip away. (I don’t know if the stock suspension should be considered a “Kink”, but I bet the Ohlins make it even better). I once passed on the chance to ride a Brough Superior SS100. I also passed on a chance to ride a Vincent Rapide. Fortunately, I got second chances at both, but I never have gotten a second chance to ride a Royal Enfield 750 Mk 2 Interceptor or an Ariel Square Four. Life is full of missed opportunities. Some aren’t important, but some haunt me. These are just the ones that came to mind this morning. | ||
| Ourdee |
We all have the what if that haunts us. I know that when I have a migraine there will come a point when I can't form words, I'm looking through a pin point, and I have to wait for the meds to kick in. At work I carry the meds in a baggy that says migraine on it. I sit down and hold the bag so that it is visible. I never regret not trying to talk to people at those times. It is good to know your limitations. When I lived in England it took more than one try to ride to Stonehenge. One of the attempts was in a storm that turned the day into night. Only time I was soaked to the bone in my leathers. I hit a chicken on that ride. No regrets. It does aggravate me that I lived so close to the Isle Of Man and didn't know what it was. My regret lately is that I keep sleeping in, that the Crusty isn't Tramping, and I heard that Anna Nicole married for love. | ||
| Crusty |
I think I'm going nuts. I just thought I'd share that with you all. | ||
| Pwnzor |
I think I'm going nuts. Welcome to the party. | ||
| Court |
>>>I think I'm going nuts. When you arrive . . . you'll be in good company. We're here waiting. We have BBQ. | ||
| 86129squids |
"I think I'm going nuts."  Been there and back, know the way well! And, what Court said! | ||
| Etennuly |
I've GONE nuts, they gave me the key to the city!  They said the qualifications that got me over the top of the other candidates was my 48 years of walking around open thinner barrels and my trust in Moonshine makers! Common down, we'll save you a seat! | ||
| Tootal |
Got the T-shirt and video! | ||
| Ourdee |
I never made the big city, but I'm good friends with the mayor of Nutsville. BBQ doesn't have as much flavor here. I'm waiting on the post describing the hint that has directed John's potential lucidity about the journey we have all embarked upon. | ||
| 86129squids |
What Vern said! I'm all about the Almond Joy, not Mounds. (OK, if the mounds are female...)  | ||
| Crusty |
Question Everything I got the idea for this while I was suffering from a Migraine yesterday; so I’m wondering, “Should I write it?” It this just a product of my brain under the influence of miserable pain? What if nobody likes it? What if they do like it and want more? It’s below freezing outside; should I take the bike out? Or should I wait until tomorrow when the winds die down and the temperatures come up? How much cash should I get from the ATM? Should I get enough for lunch on Saturday now? Would it be better if I wait? Do I have enough tread on my tires to make it to Georgia and back? Will riding to Toymakers Cafe use up too much of my remaining tread? Who will show up at Toymakers? Should I use the electric jacket liner? Will Court be there? If I remind him, will he tell me about it? Although I’ve been sedentary all winter, do I really need to go to Glitch Badness? How nice will the weather be in Suches? Is it a good idea to be spending money to take a trip to Georgia? Wouldn’t it be smarter to stay home and use that money to pay down the Plastic? Do I ever do the Smart Thing? Will I get lunch at Jim’s Smoking’ Que? Do I really like good BBQ that much? If I ask nicely, would Froggy let me take his SX out for a short ride? Will I get over my reluctance to ask? Will either of the offers on houses in Cincinnati be accepted? Will I be living in West Price Hill, Cheviot or Pleasant Ridge? Or maybe someplace else? Will I ever get a house there? Do I really want to put up with the heat and humidity in Summer just to escape the absolutely miserable cold and snow of the New England Winter? What size truck will I need to rent to move all my sh*t? How much will it cost me? Will I have to sleep on my Thermarest pad for a while, or will I be able to afford a bed when I move? How long will it take me to make new friends? How hard will it be to find new Doctors? Should I even bother getting cable TV? Once I move, how many Flat Track races will I be able to attend? Will the Indians spank the Harleys all year long, or will Vance & Hines get more power out of the engine? What about the Kawasakis and Yamahas? Will I get tired of going to Races when I can get to so many? Who do I want to see win? Will I still be willing to ride to the Arctic Ocean next year? Will the road to Tuktoyaktuk be open? Should I jog over to Alaska afterwards? Will I get my own SX? If I do, will I be able to turn it into my vision of a Red Lightning? Would it be better to ride the Roadster or the Red Lightning? Will I ever get over my distrust about the reliability of the engine? Will I ever find a good welder who is willing to take on small jobs? Will I be able to get the bag mounts modified like I want? Why are the local welding courses so expensive? Can I ever have too many tools? How many is too many? When am I going to return to Australia? Would I still go if I don’t have enough money to buy a bike there? Will Melia have a bike by the time I get back? Should I get a Sportster? Would I be happy with a used 883? Will I ever see Ayers Rock? Can I actually ride to Alice Springs and survive? I wonder what it’s like to cross the Nullarbor? What’s Perth like? Will there be any Koalas on the farm when I return? Will Kangaroos graze right beside the house while I'm there? Will I see the Troy Bayliss Classic again? Why does the NSW government love speed cameras so much? Do they make the roads any safer, or are they just Income Generators? Will Melia sell the ’79? How long will I be there before I go get a Steak sandwich in Ferndale? Or a cup of Flat White at the Cafe 33? If I’m in Gatton at Christmastime, will I still buy tickets for the meat raffle? Will Melia ever get her oven fixed so that it gets up to temperature? How long will it take me to go swimming in the South Pacific? Should I bring a bunch of B&M Baked Beans and Marshmallow Fluff with me? What about Butterfingers? Will I settle down, once I make the move? Am I tired of Tramping? Once I get to the Beaufort Sea and visit Alaska, where will I want to go? Do I still want to see a Sunrise at the Lighthouse on Cape Spear in Newfoundland? Do I still get the itch to visit Key West again? When am I ever going to get back to Albuquerque to get some Mexican Food? Will I ever return to the diner in Marysvale, Utah for another Cheeseburger? Will it be as good as the last one? What BBQ flavored Potato Chips haven’t I tasted? Will I find a brand that I like better than my current favorites? This Snippet is longer than I had planned; should I stop now? (Message edited by Crusty on March 22, 2017) | ||
| Tootal |
I don't know if it's the drugs or the symptoms of cabin fever but that's a lot of thinking right there! | ||
| 86129squids |
OK. I understand that migraines are hellish, I hope to never have one. But, if you can produce any good, lucid thought during one... John, have you ever seen the movie Pi? Not the one with the tiger, the earlier one. A favorite of mine. | ||
| Ourdee |
When I have a migraine I loose my sense of humor. I read a book of jokes during one. I would get to the end of a page and there just didn't seem to be anything funny about what I read. I read the book later and it was hilarious. My vision will shut down during one too. It's like I turn into a shell. I don't wish them on anyone. John, Hopefully you have some energy back by now. | ||
| Buellish |
John,I hate that you had to get a migraine to generate those thoughts,but I thoroughly enjoyed reading them and hope I get to hear some of the answers! | ||
| Etennuly |
That group of thoughts will just continue to spin around in your head as quickly as it can, day after day(you likely can think all of that in seconds, over and over), until the sun shines and you can get out and ride! Then you can reach back in and fix the issues one at a time until you have control of your life again. There is a song for this.....'Don't Worry - Be Happy! There are beverages for this! There are doctors for this! There are councilors for this! There are medications for this! There are friends for this! There are motorcycles sitting there with gas in the tank just waiting for you that can eliminate the need for more than one of the above listed remedies. This is why a headache can go away if you hang in there for spring! I hope I can be feeling good enough to ride my Uly to N. Georgia next week. I need a dose of riding away from here for a couple of days, standing around a fire, sharing stories with friends, consuming a poison of choice and avoiding two or three of the above remedial methods. | ||
| 86129squids |
  Wow... the weather today is GAWGISSS. I gotta get things ready for a yard sale tomorrow, plus deal with a good buddy building a new cabinet in the kitchen, et cetera, before work this evening. Fingers/toes/eyes/tongue and stuff crossed that it will be this nice a week from today! | ||
| Crusty |
I’m Out Of Shape! I’m getting ready to head out this week for Glitch Badness and Cincinnati, and I’m running around like a chicken with its legs cut off! I’m acting like I haven’t done any traveling in years. I’ll only be on the road for a couple of weeks, but the way I’m acting, you’d think I’ll be on the road all summer. I decided that I’m going to put a new rear tire on before I set out. I called the shop and they’ve got a Commander 2 in stock for the Roadster, so I’ll go over there on Tuesday morning and put it on. Not only will I have a fresh tire, but I’ll be able to stock up on insults and digs. I’ll also be able to give out a few of my own. Boy, am I going to miss the shop when I finally move to Cincy. I’m in a bit of a dither about how to pack. I’ll be using the 30 Liter bags for the first time on the road, and I’m wondering if I can do that and still have enough room for all my sh*t. I’ll just have to bring the bags into the house and do a dry run. If it turns out that they’re not big enough, I have the 40 liter bags sitting in the closet and I can just throw them on. I’m not going to bring all my camping gear with me. I won’t need it for this trip. I’d like to reduce the amount of tools I carry, but sure as hell, the tools I leave out will be the ones I’d need. I’m a little worried about how I’m going to pack the laptop. I don’t think it’ll fit in the 30s like it does in the 40s. Just another reason to bring the bags inside and do a dry run. If I ever get a few bucks ahead (HA!), I think I’ll get a laptop that’s a little smaller. (I’m sitting here listening to Mark Knopfler and Emmy Lou Harris; she has such an incredible voice; and it just works with Knopfler’s style of guitar playing. The more I listen to this album, the more I like it. One song that I really like is Red Staggerwing, It mentions both a Vincent Red Rapide and an Indian Short Track racer.) OK, I guess I’ve got some of the anticipation out of my system. I’ve got a bunch of errands to do this morning, and this afternoon and evening, there’s the Atlanta Short Track to watch. It’s going to be a busy day. But Wednesday morning, it’ll be worth all the effort! |
