A good friend just asked me a question:
"I just have one question all of us need to ponder before we vote next November. Why do we have 40% more national debt now than we had 3 years ago?"
Does anyone have an answer?
13 December 2011
03 December 2011
So I bought myself a motorcycle... or two..
So I bought myself a motorcycle. 19 May 2011
I have not had a motorcycle in about 30 years. Then my neighbor comes up with an old 1971 Harley Sportster Ironhead. It needed a little work (or so I thought) and the price was about right so I took the plunge. I immediately found myself way into deep water. Nothing there that I couldn't handle, but a lot more work than I anticipated. I bought the thing to ride not to make a career of, so I figured if I was going to be able to ride in 2011 I needed to find a motorcycle I could ride.
Enter Phyllis! Phyllis joined my life via a craigslist ad. She looked good in print, and even better in person. A couple conversations with the owner convinced me I needed to go down and look at this bike. A phone call to my good friend Mike (who amazingly enough is usually willing to participate in my wild schemes) got me a ride down to see this motorcycle. It was everything I wanted and more. A very well cared for 1987 Harley Sportster. The price was fair and the only negotiation or concern was as to getting the bike licensed. I paid the man, took the title and headed for a vehicle licensing office. Everything went without a hitch and I owned a motorcycle.
All of this is actual threat actually a prelude to the real story.
The next morning is a BEAUTIFUL MORNING! Another quick run down 405 and I am ready to take possession of my new toy. Now for a little bit of reviewing the story. Remember I said that I hadn't owned a motorcycle in 30 years? Well that means I also had ridden a motorcycle in 30 years. I suppose it wouldn't have been particularly difficult except that this motorcycle had "forward controls". I had never ridden a motorcycle went forward controls. True, riding a motorcycle is a lot like swimming; once you know how you never really forget. HOWEVER:... You do get out of practice. My lack of familiarity with this particular bike, lack of experience riding with forward controls and allowing my skill set to get extremely rusty over 30 years made for an exhausting ride home.
I LOVE THIS MOTORCYCLE!!!
I need to make that clear, because the ride home was more than exhausting, It Was Nerve-Racking! Three blocks away from where I picked motorcycle up, the shift linkage fell apart. Luckily there was a tire shop across the street, so I limped over to the tire shop and rented a crescent wrench from the guy and reassembled my motorcycle. The freeway was about the only option for riding home. It probably would have been a good idea to bring a trailer and haul it home. There were a lot of things about road conditions that had either change or I had forgotten. Add to that, the straight pipes on the motorcycle were actually real shiny flamethrowers. The man I purchased the motorcycle from was a mechanic, but he worked on diesel electric locomotives. Arriving home after filling the tank at the local Chevron station, I calculated a whopping 20 miles to the gallon. Not exactly why I purchased the motorcycle. But I was home and in one piece! Whew.
Next chapter, making it work.
I have not had a motorcycle in about 30 years. Then my neighbor comes up with an old 1971 Harley Sportster Ironhead. It needed a little work (or so I thought) and the price was about right so I took the plunge. I immediately found myself way into deep water. Nothing there that I couldn't handle, but a lot more work than I anticipated. I bought the thing to ride not to make a career of, so I figured if I was going to be able to ride in 2011 I needed to find a motorcycle I could ride.
Enter Phyllis! Phyllis joined my life via a craigslist ad. She looked good in print, and even better in person. A couple conversations with the owner convinced me I needed to go down and look at this bike. A phone call to my good friend Mike (who amazingly enough is usually willing to participate in my wild schemes) got me a ride down to see this motorcycle. It was everything I wanted and more. A very well cared for 1987 Harley Sportster. The price was fair and the only negotiation or concern was as to getting the bike licensed. I paid the man, took the title and headed for a vehicle licensing office. Everything went without a hitch and I owned a motorcycle.
All of this is actual threat actually a prelude to the real story.
The next morning is a BEAUTIFUL MORNING! Another quick run down 405 and I am ready to take possession of my new toy. Now for a little bit of reviewing the story. Remember I said that I hadn't owned a motorcycle in 30 years? Well that means I also had ridden a motorcycle in 30 years. I suppose it wouldn't have been particularly difficult except that this motorcycle had "forward controls". I had never ridden a motorcycle went forward controls. True, riding a motorcycle is a lot like swimming; once you know how you never really forget. HOWEVER:... You do get out of practice. My lack of familiarity with this particular bike, lack of experience riding with forward controls and allowing my skill set to get extremely rusty over 30 years made for an exhausting ride home.
I LOVE THIS MOTORCYCLE!!!
I need to make that clear, because the ride home was more than exhausting, It Was Nerve-Racking! Three blocks away from where I picked motorcycle up, the shift linkage fell apart. Luckily there was a tire shop across the street, so I limped over to the tire shop and rented a crescent wrench from the guy and reassembled my motorcycle. The freeway was about the only option for riding home. It probably would have been a good idea to bring a trailer and haul it home. There were a lot of things about road conditions that had either change or I had forgotten. Add to that, the straight pipes on the motorcycle were actually real shiny flamethrowers. The man I purchased the motorcycle from was a mechanic, but he worked on diesel electric locomotives. Arriving home after filling the tank at the local Chevron station, I calculated a whopping 20 miles to the gallon. Not exactly why I purchased the motorcycle. But I was home and in one piece! Whew.
Next chapter, making it work.
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