| Author | Message | ||
     Crusty |
Short, But Bitter I’m sitting in a very dysfunctional McDonald’s in Berea, Kentucky. It took me 45 minutes to get a McDouble burger and a small coffee. Traffic has also been totally hosed. It took me over an hour to go 15 miles in Tennessee, and I never saw any reason why the traffic was so backed up. There were a couple of other traffic jams after that one, but none were as bad. And the drivers here in Kentucky use the passing lane as the travel lane. I’ve only made it up to the speed limit a couple of times, and that’s because I was passing the brain dead zombies on the right. It’s trips like this that really make me hate the Interstates. According to Google, I’m 125 miles from David’s house. Normally, I’d figure it would take a couple of hours. However, today, I won’t tempt fate by throwing any numbers out. I just hope I get there before sunset. Still, the weekend was worth a little aggravation in the form of heavy moronic traffic. Going to TWoS was pure psychotherapy for me, and I feel better and more positive than I have in months. The old joke keeps running through my head:It’s a Beautiful Day; now watch some bastard screw it up. Well; time to get back out into the Maddening Crowd. | ||
| Etennuly |
Hey Crusty!!! Chill out! At least it is not snowing!!!  | ||
| Fj1200 |
I met Crusty and didn't even know it.  Good times, good times. | ||
| Crusty |
Opening Day Today is Opening Day for the Cincinnati Reds. Baseball lovers were thronging to the stadium for the game as David and I went past in his car.It’s been an Interesting day for me. I got to sit around and catch up with my brother for a few hours this morning, then we went out and did a few drive by’s on potential houses and also some that got away. Doing that helped me to actually see what the houses look like and to check out the surrounding neighborhoods. After finally settling on two possibilities, David sent the realtor a message, and we’re meeting with her tomorrow to look at one house and possibly one other, that will need a good bit of work, yet it’s in a neighborhood that I’m strangely drawn to. I don’t know why I’m drawn to that neighborhood, but the house has an appeal, even though it needs quite a bit of work and it doesn’t have a garage. If the first house looks as good on the inside as the pictures on Realtor.com make it look, it will be my first choice. It has a garage. That trumps neighborhoods that attract me. We’ll see how things shake out. In any event, tomorrow will be interesting. It’s looking like Mother Nature might just be nice to me when I head out of here on Wednesday. The forecast is calling for thunderstorms, but not until mid afternoon.By then, I should be a good ways north and east of here. It would be nice if it would also be warm, but I don’t think that’s in the cards. That’s OK; I don’t want Ma Nature to get pissed off at me because I came across as ungrateful. I’ll be happy if I have a dry ride back to Massachusetts. This Saturday is the Meet&Eat at Toymaker’s Cafe in Connecticut. I’ll just have enough time to change my oil on Friday before I head out on Saturday morning. Oh boy! It’s Spring and time to Ride! I’m loving it! | ||
| Pwnzor |
Good luck with house lookin'! | ||
| 1313 |
Oh boy! It’s Spring and time to Ride! I’m loving it! Crusty's back!!!  | ||
| 04buell |
John, it was great seeing your smiling face! Keep it that way. Carol (Message edited by 04buell on April 03, 2017) | ||
| Crusty |
Briefly I’m just a bit east of Akron, Ohio taking a break to warm up. I just looked at the forecast, then at Google maps, and I think I’m going to try something dumb. Tomorrow’s supposed to be cold and rainy and I really don’t want to ride in cold rain, so I think I’m going to try and push through to home tonight. I don’t know if this is a smart decision or a monumental mistake, but I can always stop if I decide I’m too tired. Plus, up until a couple of years ago, it was my MO for traveling. Well; I’d better get back out there. Time’s a wasting. | ||
| Crusty |
Am I Getting Too Old… Am I Getting Too Old for this sh*t? This morning, it feels like it. I feel like I could be one of the zombies in Night Of The Living Dead. I left TWoS Sunday morning with a large amount of reluctance. There just wasn’t enough time to do everything I wanted to do. I couldn’t be at the fire roasting hot dogs and be inside watching the Charlotte 1/2 Mile at the same time. Or make a run into town to pick up forgotten items and going for a ride with Matthew and Froggy. I definitely didn’t have enough time to talk with everybody, like I wanted. But that’s the way it is with a lot of really good times. Still, I thoroughly enjoyed myself and my mental and emotional batteries got recharged. So, I made my way to Cincinnati. Traffic was brutally heavy, and at one point, it took me something like an hour and a half to go 15 miles. There were other stop-and-go slowdowns, but they only lasted for a mile or two. I did manage to get to my brother David’s house before sunset, so I guess that was a Mission Accomplished task. On Monday and Tuesday, David and I rode around the city looking at potential properties. Monday was just Drive Byes, but Tuesday, we met with the realtor, Amy. We were scheduled to meet and look at two different houses, and possibly a third, but Amy called David from the first place scheduled to tell us that it had just gone Pending. So we went to the second house, and it was a money pit. It would need so much money thrown at it, it wasn’t feasible. New Furnace, Hot Water Heater, roofing, new windows, rehab the bathroom, get the squirrels out of the attic, cut down the tree that gave them access, etc, etc. While we were busy looking at that place, the possible third place changed status to Pending, so the house hunt came up dry. I’m not going to let that stop me; the right house will appear at the right time. I believe that. David, among many other things is an avid music and movie collector. We watched Sausage Party on Monday night and Doctor Strange on Tuesday night. I hadn’t seen Sausage Party before, and it’s a very strange movie. It’s deservedly R rated, but I got quite a few laughs out of it. Doctor Strange I’d seen at the theater when it came out, but it was still very enjoyable. So I left Cincinnati yesterday morning in a window of good weather The weather was supposed to go down hill today and tomorrow, so I figured I should take advantage of the nice temperatures. I’d been watching the forecasts and I knew that rain was coming in today, but along about early afternoon, I decided to try to do an Iron Butt ride and not stop until I got home. The idea of riding in colder temperatures in heavy rain for hundreds of miles just didn’t appeal. So I bought a little bottle of 5 Hour Energy and pushed on. Boy, does that crap taste like dung. Unfortunately, I pushed a little too fast. Did you know that 5 MPH over the posted Speed Limit costs $101.50 in Pennsylvania? The nice State Trooper who awarded me my Certificate of Accomplishment pointed that out. Actually, the fine is $42.50, but there are other add ons; EMS, J.C.P./A.T.J., and Costs which brings the total up. It’s nice to know that the State of Pennsylvania is helping to lead the way in Revenue Generation. Anyway, I pushed on through progressively colder temperatures and made it home by 2:00 AM. I immediately took a Very Hot shower, started a load of laundry and went to bed. Today, It’s pouring cold rain and I’m inside both warm and dry. I washed my Darien pants and they’re in the drier on a Delicate setting Tomorrow should be dry, and I’ll head over to the shop and change the oil in the Roadster. I guess I’m not really too old for this sh*t. I just feel like it sometimes. | ||
| Natexlh1000 |
Yep. The last ticket I "won" was from PA too. Route 6 is great but it alternates between 60 and 40. Cops just sit there next to the 40 signs. | ||
| Buellish |
Glad you made it home safe John. | ||
| Ourdee |
Glad to hear you are safe and dry. Good ride and friends can be the best medicine. Did he cut some slack or really pop you at just 5 over? | ||
| Court |
Crusty: You chose wisely making the IB run. I was in Albany today, not far from the Dinosaur in Troy, and it rained like a cow pissing on a flat rock all day. Get charged up . . . take a deep breath . . . and prepare for your next adventure. | ||
| Zac4mac |
Yeah, according to RD, Homecoming's in a couple of months... | ||
| Crusty |
Meet & Eat It was a cold ride. The forecast was for temperatures up into the 50s; and maybe it was that warm here yesterday afternoon, but in western Connecticut and western Massachusetts, I don’t think it got much above the mid 40s. Even so, it was a great ride. Google gave me a route that was on mostly secondary roads, and rural Connecticut is really pretty. I was cold, but not so cold that I couldn’t appreciate the area I was riding through. I arrived at Toymaker’s Cafe about a half hour early and wasted no time going inside and getting a cup of hot coffee. I was on my third cup when the rest of the crew arrived. We all ordered, and the discussion began. We talked about all kinds of things. Motorcycles, of course, but various diverse topics, like unusual names and other such things. It really didn’t matter what the subject was, we were just enjoying each others company and the food. Being a late brunch, I opted for a cheddar burger with just ketchup on a toasted roll. They know how to cook a good burger. Froggy got a waffle dish that looked interesting. I think it was a big waffle with mashed potatoes, meat and gravy on it, but I could be wrong. I was pretty attentive to my own meal, and just barely noticed what he had. I didn’t even look at what Jaime or George was eating. Froggy inhaled his meal, so I assume it was as good as my burger was. I take that back. I noticed that Jaime had a grilled tomato with his breakfast. I haven't seen that since I was in Kenya. It sounds weird until you have it as a breakfast item. It becomes addictive really quickly, and I've missed it ever since I left Nairobi. I think that the next time I go back to Toymaker's, I'll get that for breakfast. We sat around until about 1:00then rode off in different directions. I decided to go north on Route 7 which took me up into Massachusetts. Well, Kinda; I missed a turn somewhere, and I went west on Rt.44 for a while. Then I spotted Rt 41 north which I thought would take me where I wanted, so I turned onto it. When I did, I was greeted by a sign that said, Pittsfield, Mass - 40 Miles. So I knew I was headed in the right direction. Eventually, it joined up with Rt 7 in Great Barrington. I stayed on Rt 7 until I got to Williamstown, then I got on the Mohawk Trail which is Mass. Rt 2, and took that east. Unfortunately, I got stuck behind a string of cars, and couldn’t really appreciate the beautiful road that runs beside the Cold River, but that was probably for the best. The road was cold as were the temperatures and traction was not what it would be if it was warmer. There was quite a bit of snow still on the sides of the road, so I’ll save strafing for warmer days. I had stopped in North Adams and gotten a cup of coffee to warm up, but it was still cold out, and the temperatures took their toll. I was cold until I got home and took a hot shower. I’ve found that a hot shower or bath is the best way to warm up when the cold penetrates like it will on a long winter ride. After that, I just kicked back. Toymaker’s Cafe is a really interesting place and worth a trip, if you’ve never been there (if you have been there, you already know it’s worth the ride). It’s a pretty neat destination. Lots of interesting stuff to look at, and it’s set up more like a rambling dining room than a restaurant. There’s even a couch to sit on, off to one side. There are three choices for coffee. I had four mugs of the House Blend and really enjoyed it. Their mugs are big, so you get a decent sized cup of coffee. The staff are very friendly and the place is motorcycle oriented. I *think* the owner is into classic British bikes. There was a Triumph Boulevard sign out in the parking lot, and they had assorted Triumph coffee mugs for sale. I will return in the future. All in all, it was a very enjoyable day, in spite of the colder temperatures. A good three hundred mile day. I had fun. (Message edited by Crusty on April 09, 2017) | ||
| Pwnzor |
Awesome. Thanks for the update. | ||
| Court |
I was watching Froggy's progress and resisting the urge yesterday . . . and you are right. Even though it was gorgeous out . . there was a definite chill lingering in the air and I put the work aside and did a bit of yard work. My sense is that by this time next week memories of the piles of snow will yield to deciding if it's time to fire up the air conditioning. With each passing day I find more interesting roads and it's nice to live in an area that ihas many dirt roads. The area of CT where Toymaekers is located is offer some spectacular scenery. There is no "right or best" way. I periodically have to go from here over to an office in CT and relish at the chance to take a different road each time. One each trip I am convinced I have found the best. Last week, while exploring backroads, I wandered upon Tim. He's another who fled the hustle and bustle and now spends his days as a "picker" doing estates and cleaning out old barns. I wandered into his Rocky Top Gardens and found the most amazing thing. He and his buddy Russ built the most amazing barn specifically as a place for local musicians to just hang out. It has a stage, a balcony and a house sound system . . .there is a very large fireplace at one end that was burning brightly. The barn is now full of antiques and interesting things but it's amazing. I'm hoping they start, as the weather moderates, doing some more night music. The floor of the barn, consistent with local mindset, is made of the discarded scaffold planking from the Freedom Tower at the World Trade Center. I'm going to have to make a run to Toymakers someday . . . between the Cheddar Burger and Frogster's waffle surprise (which has to be great as Frank has very discerning tastes) sound amazing. The piles of stuff in the barn remain unsorted and I'm welcoming the arrival of good weather to start going through and cataloging cases of stuff and arranging the many posters on the walls. We'll have to be on the lookout for a good weekend and gather the troops for some riding, great food and Buell sorting! Thanks for the report . . . . you guys rock. | ||
| 86129squids |
"Grilled tomatoes", eh? Crusticle, do tell- other than the obvious, how are they done? Details, phhleeze... seasonings, Kenya style? Once my garden gets going and I get some of my beuuutiful fruits, I'll be doing "Matergeddon" products of all kinds!  | ||
| Zac4mac |
I'm with you Court. That waffle creation looked interesting and now sounds like the Ultimate Eggs Benedict. Always been one of my favorite breakfasts. Too bad it's so far from Colorado. Z | ||
| Crusty |
Jury Duty I got that little card in the mail a few months ago that informed me I’d been picked for Jury Duty. It’s the third time it’s happened to me. The first time, I sat around for a few hours, then they let us all go around lunch time. The second time, I wasn’t picked. I kind of wanted to; the Defendant was a coked out slimeball who picked up some high school chickie and wanted to give her drugs and to have sex with him in his car. Today, I went up to the Superior Court, and I hit the jackpot. I got picked. Actually, nine of us got picked out of 47 possibles. Tomorrow morning, they’ll pick the rest. The trial is expected to last about a week before the jury begins deliberations. The Judge (who I think is pretty hot looking for a lady close to my age) gave us strict instructions about not discussing anything about the trial. That’s fine with me; it the defendant is guilty, I don’t want to do anything that might cause a mistrial and let him skate. After everything is over, I’ll be happy to share my opinion. I think it’s both an honor and a Duty to show up for Jury Duty. I’m kind of excited about being picked, but I’m also very mindful of the responsibility that I’ve taken on, as well. It’s an opportunity to serve my community, but I don’t want to ruin somebody’s life by making a bad decision. Everybody hates Jury Duty; me included. However, I won’t try to skate on it. It’s part of the price I have to pay for the privilege of living in this Country. And it’s not an onerous price. And it’s a Learning Experience. I’m going to see with my own eyes just how the Justice System works. It’s a heavy responsibility, but I’m taking it seriously and I’ll do my absolute best to do it right. So; for the rest of this week, and possibly into next week, I’ll be riding up to the Superior Court in Lowell each morning. During the trial, we get out promptly at 1:00, but once the Deliberations begin, we’ll probably be there until 4:30 or so. It’s going to be interesting. | ||
| Tootal |
Well at least you'll get paid a little, help with that STUPID 5 over ticket you got!! | ||
| Ourdee |
It should be like winning the lottery. All outstanding tickets should be zeroed out when selected for jury duty. Small token of appreciation for doing what I consider ones civic duty. | ||
| Zac4mac |
Not that I'm ever "trying to ditch" jury duty, I just tell them my mind with no filters. They ALWAYS say "thank you for coming down but we won't need you"... | ||
| Ourdee |
I disagree with the jury selection process. No process needed. Just count to 12. | ||
| Crusty |
OK; so you're attacked, robbed and seriously injured by a black drug addict. The twelve jurors are all from his 'hood and are all BLM members. Do you really believe that "Just count to 12" is the way the jury should be selected? | ||
| Pwnzor |
No more than I would think they should be blue haired caucasians from the local retirement community. It is supposed to be a jury of peers. | ||
| 1313 |
 From when I was called in - which could've interfered with me making Glitch Badness 3. Turns out the rain gear that I got for Christmas was actually what kept me from making it to Suches... | ||
| Ourdee |
They would be trying me. Not the dead guy. | ||
| Court |
>>>The twelve jurors are all from his 'hood and are all BLM members. The last thing I want is 12 BLM folks . . ..I do not trust the government . . especially the Bureau of Land Management! | ||
| Crusty |
A Flash Update I’m under strict orders from the Judge to not discuss the case I’m in the jury for. Nor am I supposed to watch the news on TV or read the Newspaper. That’s fine with me. It’s OK to discuss what it’s like to be a juror, so long as I don’t talk about the case. This won’t be a long Snippet; I’m exhausted. I’m trying to be the kind of juror I’d want if I was on trial. I’m trying to be objective and to set aside my own opinions. Also, I’m listening intently to the Prosecution and the Defense and to the Witnesses. It’s amazing how tired I get from just doing that. This trial is going to last longer than expected. On Monday, the Judge told us that she expected the trial to be done on Friday. Now, it’s looking like Tuesday (Monday’s a holiday, the Court’s not in session). The jury begins deliberations after the trial ends. How long we deliberate is unknown. We’ll know once we reach a verdict, I guess. It’s interesting seeing how the Justice System works. One thing’s for sure, it’s not like TV or the movies. I’ll be glad once the case is over and I can talk about it. In the meantime, mum’s the word. I hope everybody has a very Joyous Easter. I think I’ll do a nice Delmonico Steak with mashed potatoes and gravy and flaky biscuits. And a bowl of Brigham’s Strawberry Ice Cream for dessert. |
