Big Knife and a Beer

 When we bought this house like twentyish years ago I did a little landscaping in the yard. Nothing fancy, just mulch beds and some paver edging. Right now everything looks like that was the last time I touched it and this year I feel I want to clean it up a bit. It'll be kinda like putting lipstick on a pig because there are a lot of other things going on that need attention, but as you'll find out in future posts, I have a bigger plan.

 One task that needed tending to was edging the sidewalks and drive. I brought home a stick edger from work but what I really needed was a larger walk behind unit because of the depth of the sod hanging over the walks. In the end I just used a big ass knife and kept things lubed with a few cool ones. In the end I still had ten fingers and ten toes so everything turned out alright I guess.

 I'll need to get the pressure washer out and clean the walk and porch. I also need to bring the rig home from work and spray the lawn. Ya know, besides being the two stroke tech at work, I also run a crew that does this crap every day. My yard really should look better than it does.

I received a gift from a friend the other day. All it needs are a few squirts of oil and it'll be ready for service.

 Thanks Chris! I'll give it a good home.

Later.

Ride To Eat

 By early Sunday morning we could see the day was gonna shape up nicely into a good riding day. Where to go, where to go? That's always the question. The answer usually involves eating. If you're gonna go for any kind of long ride a meal usually lands somewhere in the time frame of that ride. With that in mind we just set a lunch destination and headed out. This time we chose LaCrosse which is a two hour ride on the interstate. Of course we didn't take the hiway and our route through scenic backroads took three hours. We arrived, ate and got back on the bike without even thinking about doing anything else. Besides the walk from where we were parked to the restaurant, no talk was made about doing anything else. We just needed an excuse to go for a long ride and this was as good as any.

 Yesterday after work it was quite warm. When I rolled up the drive and saw my wife sitting in a lawn chair I knew we were gonna go for a dinner ride. I swapped out the sportster for the Ultra and we headed out to Berlin to visit Brooke and Mike. The first order of business was to swipe some peaches from a tree in their back yard. After that we rode into town and enjoyed each others company and had a nice meal.

 Our ride home was decent. The temp had dropped into the upper seventies which actually felt kinda cool after the eighty something temps of the day.

 Locals will recognize this house and its location. My wife says it got in the way of a sunset pic she was after. Except for the fuzziness I think it turned out just fine.

Later.

Holiday Weekend Wrapup

  Some of you may have taken four or more days to enjoy the holiday weekend. I did not. I volunteered to work Saturday and Monday although I could have taken them off if I had made plans. The few plans I did have mostly fit in around business hours at work. Good thing we were open because a lot of people were at the store for rentals, repair work, landscape supplies, grilling pellets and lp tank refills.
 One guy was a dick otherwise the customers were all in a pretty good mood. I was the only person in the shop that was available to hook his chainsaw up to a computer to check for error codes and I was 15 minutes behind schedule for leaving to do some of those plans I just talked about. He didn't care and insisted he couldn't leave his saw behind because he makes a living with that saw and uses it all the time. All the pros I know that make a living cutting wood have backup saws. I didn't bother to tell him this or even argue. I just grabbed the saw and took it into the shop. When I hooked it up to the computer it revealed that it had 20 hours of run time in two years. If he makes a living with this saw he must have a really high hourly rate. I was kinda pissed after seeing this and asked Greg if he would take the saw back up front when I was done with it. I was afraid I'd say something smart and blow another sale they had worked out. Sometimes it's best to just separate yourself from these situations and that's what I chose to do. I mean the guy was such a dick that after he left the boss told me he was surprised I didn't tell him to piss off.
 After leaving work Saturday we went to a 50th wedding anniversary party.  We met some relatives that I hadn't seen since we were married 29 years ago. I'm quite the social butterfly and like to keep up with people every few decades or so.
 Sunday we rode through some heavy rain to visit a friend. It was one of those rides where you start and finish dry but somewhere in the middle of the ride you were wet. The outcome of that visit may be a used dishwasher purchase. I'll have to go back to pick it up because it wouldn't fit on the bike with my wife and she wasn't willing to hitch hike home. That ride also included a stop at the Harley dealer for some front brake pads. This will be the third set of fronts. I understand that most of my braking power comes from the front end and I exercise that every time I stop. Muscle memory will save you when you need to react.

 Monday after work I rode the sportster to meet my wife and some of her relatives. I took the sporty because I knew the driveway which is about a hundred yard long path through a field, was full of soft sand and ruts. Based on my performance with that smaller bike, I know I would have struggled or even dumped the Ultra. Seventeen years ago was the last time I was on that drive and I was on a Kawasaki Voyager. I almost got stuck and dumped that bike and didn't want to repeat history.
 When I left, there was an opportunity for me to stop for a minute and I was going to turn the bike off but the switch felt odd with a lot of resistance. This is the second or third ignition switch in this bike and I felt if I turned it off I would be stranded. I forgot about the switch and continued on my way. "My way" was the slow route home. Just chillin on lesser travel back roads. Lately I've really been taking it easy and driving around like a tourist. There was a time when I'd fly over this one lane bridge so fast that I'm sure those yellow and black signs were shaking. Today I actually slowed down enough to look at the creek flowing under it. Not sure whats going on here but I'm not holding anyone up or breaking any laws so for now I won't get too concerned.

  I can't decide if summer is going fast or slow this year. The calendar says we're into summer but the crap weather has made it feel earlier in the year. I think we may be in for some heat next week so my feelings may change on the matter.
 When I got home I parked the bike outside, opened the garage door and made a mental note of where the fire extinguisher was. I just had a bad feeling. When I tried to turn the ignition switch off it didn't want to move until I forced it a bit. The bike died and sparks started flying from behind the switch.

 There was no fire and I quickly unwired the switch from the power source. It's a good thing I was doing this at home because I'm sure my bacpac didn't have the necessary tools in it and there is no tool kit on the bike. Only recently did I remove the tool kit and I suppose I should get something back on there.
 Tuesday, Independence Day, was open. We wanted to ride and decided our destination should be the movie theater. Afterwards we stopped at Harbor Freight and picked up an air brush compressor. Stay tuned for more about that once I figure out how to use it. BTW, harbor freight and their stupid coupons are really pissing me off. I'm about ready to give them the FE.
 The rest of our Tuesday ride included a stop at a farmers market and a scenic joyride. Once home I fiddled around in the shop and then just sat down and relaxed. I'm looking forward to a short work week and another weekend.

Later.

Thanksgiving 2016

 I hope everyone had as nice a holiday with family and friends as I did. Like last year we had a gathering hosted by our friends Denny and Deena in their restaurant. I can't say enough good things about the effort they put into making a great gathering for us to enjoy. The detail in the food, table setting and decorations was second to none. Thank you.

 We had the responsibility of providing the mashed potatoes. I helped peel thirty pounds of spuds along with chopping onions. See, I can do things. You probably thought I sat in my lazy boy drinkin beer and scratchin my butt while others did the work.

 After the big meal we came back to the house to chill and catch up. The fact that I moved a couple of my bikes into the living room for winter storage didn't go unnoticed.

 A while back I told you we had a goal of finishing our bathroom remodel for this days activities. We met that goal and in celebration my wife challenged her facebook friends to post bathroom selfies. Nothin weird so don't even go there. It was a big hit and we had fun with it.

 The gentleman in the shower is not standing on a stool. Just sayin.
 I got a lot of positive feedback about the remodel. I needed it because I was feeling it could have been better. I guess that's just the way it is when you know where all the mistakes are. Anyway, I just installed whatever pieces my wife picked out. She should get the credit. I'm not sure which room will be next but we pretty much decided to just keep picking away, room by room, till we've been through the entire house. Except for a few coats of paint we really haven't done much here the whole time we were raising the kids. That's a lot of years of accidents, bangin stuff around, cracked plaster and artist endeavors that need to be addressed.

Later.

Am I a Writer?

 That question came up when Al and I were talking in the shop yesterday. He claimed he had no clue about my writing as he is just in it for the pictures. I'll post a couple of random pics today just for Al.
 Yes I have a blog and I make regular posts twice a week but I'm not a writer. I wish I could write but the fact is I suck at it. My blog posts are usually an explanation of a picture rather than an intellectual observation. My skill set stops at the end of a wrench and does not include the mental fortitude needed to capture your imagination with words. My high school edjumication limits me in this area and I accept that.

I ate 18 of these last week during our annual open house at work.
 My digestive system is finally back to normal. Thanks for asking.

 This doesn't mean I'm dumb. I happen to be good at figuring crap out...even if that crap is new to me. Maybe that's what I like about doing repair work. It's a little bit like detective work. A customer brings their broke ass equipment into the store and tries to explain the problem in the best way they know how. These sometimes aren't very mechanically inclined people or they'd fix the stuff themselves so their problems have to be decoded by our counter personnel. Now I grab the work order and try to decipher the customers and the counter persons interpretation of the problem. Sometimes the problem is obvious and other times what appears to be the problem is just the result of the problem. A broken pull cord is a good example. At first it may seem that replacing the broken rope is all that's needed but many a rope has been replaced only to discover the machine doesn't run. The broken rope was the result of the customer pulling on it a hundred times, trying to get it started.

If this pic of Als wife Vikki with her vette doesn't get him to
scroll back and read this entire blog then  nothing will.

 So what does this have to do with blogging? I dunno, for this blog some of that repair work is fuel for posts. Also, some of that desire to figure things out gets applied to the mechanics of creating this blog. This would include the layout, presentation and pics involved not only for this blog but the social media and web page I maintain at work. Its not hard but it does have to be figured out.
 When I asked google the question, "what is a blog", the answer I got said "a website containing a writers experiences...blah, blah, blah" So, I guess it must be true because I read it on the net. This chicken scratch bullshit I post twice a week qualifies me as a writer. Suck that Hemingway.

Later.

Timeline Saloon

 If you follow this blog then you know I had a goal of getting my '67 BSA ready for the upcoming Watson Street Bike Show. Sometimes I see bikes online that kinda inspire me in this slow build and here is one that I think comes close to what I may end up with. This is as close as I got.

 Well ya can't say I didn't try but I suppose you could say I didn't try hard. There's always next year. Anyway, here's the flyer for the show. I'll take the Rat Turd and maybe I'll see you there.

 In other news, last night my wife and I went to the Timeline Saloon next to Docs Harley Davidson and had a nice visit and meal with a friend.

Click on the "timeline saloon" link above if you want to see a video of this machine in action.

 Football season starts today and unfortunately its gonna start during prime riding weather. I think after the game we'll sneak in a ride. Go Pack Go!

Later.

Friday and Saturday

 What to write about. That's the question for myself this morning. I suppose I'll tell you about my weekend so far.
 Friday afternoon I left work early, came home and packed the bike for an over nighter. Leaving work early was a tough decision because we are so backed up right now but we've had these plans for months and it is our wedding anniversary. Packing was tough because you only have so much room and the weather forecast was up and down for the weekend. We left late afternoon and the temp was 90. Yes, 90. The forecast for the next morning was cool and maybe wet. Packing the right gear for all these situations for two people took up a lot of room but the ultra is a lot of bike.
 We rode down to Germantown to see a Kiss tribute band. Before the performance we met with our middle daughter and her boyfriend for dinner. Mike, Brooke and Terry showed up a bit later to join us. The reason for this adventure was because my wife went to school with the drummer. I met Jay for the first time last year and he's really a great guy and has a wonderful family. Unfortunately he has had some very serious health issues that have kept him away from performing. Well I'm here to tell you that Jay has overcome those issues because he kicked ass Friday night. I have a lot of respect for him and what he has been able to accomplish.

There are a lot of things I could blame the lousy photography on. I'm gonna go with "too much beer".

 Saturday morning was cool and very windy. We bundled up and headed toward Madison. I punched in REI (the sporting goods store) into the gps and took off. Right away we ran into a backup on the road and started a detour. Long story short, gps is great but you need to have some sense of direction or a small clue where you are and want to be. When I saw the exit for Racine, I knew we were being led to a store in Illinois. No problem, we weren't on a schedule.
 When we got to Madison we stopped at the Harley dealer because I was still in search of a battery for a heated vest. No luck on the battery but we did manage to find some head gear for my wife. Later we arrived at my oldest daughter house and enjoyed a cook out. I got some valuable grilling tips from her boy friend and look forward to trying them myself. A good time was had by all.
 I gotta wrap this thing up and take my wife to brunch. The rest of the ride home was pretty normal with flipped over cars, fire trucks, erratic drivers and main street festivals. You know, the usual stuff.

Later.

Zombies

  Let me just say I don't get it. What is the fascination with walking dead and zombies and such? All I know on the topic is the hype I see on tv and online. It seems like a waste of time and thats my official position on the topic.
 Next topic. The weather yesterday. Temps got up over 50 and I saw a lot of bikes on the road. I would have liked to get out and check out my GoPro helmet mount but I chose to do something else which brings me to the next topic.

 Yesterday was my birthday. As much as I hate the thought of getting older, my friends and family made it an enjoyable day despite the way it started. See, my truck dang near left me stranded at the bar friday night and I had to replace the starter before I could move on with other plans. As long as the truck was on the hoist I changed the oil and rotated the tires too. So, thanks to everyone that baked treats, bought beer, offered well wishes, gave me shit, took me out to eat and made me feel good. My brother Uncle Tommy slipped me a gift card for the tool store an I applied it to the purchase of this:

  I have a 10 ton porta power kit and this is the "auto body" kit that goes with it. It has the smaller rams and also the pull (rather than push) rams and hooks. Schwing!
 After the tool store my wife and I stopped at the Duluth Trading store where she offered to buy me some new pants if I promised to throw out an equal amount of worn out jeans once we got home. I agreed and still need to follow through with that. While we were there I wanted to sample the scents of their beard oil. I currently use Dirt. Lumberjack smells a lot like Dirt but not quite as good. Datenite is just too foofy. It stinks like perfume. The other one they offer is Leather but they didn't have one to sample so I'll just have to stick with Dirt which pretty much agrees with my personality anyway.
 Later.

HD For Sale

 Many years ago when my wife and I were married a lovely young gal named Christine stood up in our wedding. Life continued on and eventually she got married too. Unfortunately for Chris, last year her husband passed away. He left her with his pride and joy, a 2004 Harley Davidson FLTRI Road Glide. She has decided to sell the bike and this presents an opportunity for some lucky individual to get their hands on what appears to be a well taken care of machine. I'll be honest here, I have not seen the bike in person but from what I've heard it should be in great shape. It has 36,000 miles and a recently replaced battery and rear tire. Asking price is $9200. If this sounds like something you'd like to check out just get me your contact info and I'll pass it on. Thanks.

 In other news, temps got into the upper 40's on Saturday so when I got home from work I thumbed the starter button on the sporty to see if it would start. It didn't but thats not enough to pass on a February ride. After charging the battery for a bit I got the bike to fire up and headed out for a ride. I was dressed wrong but that didn't matter. I hadn't froze my ass on a bike in a while and it actually felt pretty good.
 Just by chance my wife was driving past this spot and caught me slackin off but did volunteer to take a few pics. Thanks Honey.

The ice didn't look safe enough for a ride so I kept my action on the streets. Bring on Spring! I'm ready!

Night Out

 The past weeks around here have been pretty quiet. My wife and I have been content to just relax at home and not really go out except to go to work or grocery shopping. Last Saturday was her work place annual employee appreciation party and we attended. Our daughter was home from college so we dragged her butt along.
 Woo Hoo, a night out! It wasn't so much about what we were doing but the fact that we were doing something. The food was good. For entertainment they had karaoke and some comedy act. That all sounded like squawking to me from the other side of the room. I was at the blackjack table.

  Ya that's me dealing. I don't work there but it turns out if you make snarky comments about the dealer he may "turn the tables" on you. I did alright and everybody won while I was dealing. Winnings could be cashed in for tickets that went into prize drawings. We won about the same amount as we did in the big powerball drawing...jack shit
 Of course my wife and daughter found the photo booth and dragged my ass into it.

This is my happy face. You don't want to see me when I'm grumpy.

 I guess we're pretty simple folk and don't care for a lot of drama. The highlight of the ride home was the full moon and I was alright with that.

Three Random Drawers

 After I posted about "the sickness" of collecting junk, I started thinking about the size of that problem. It really creeps deep into every corner of my little work space. I was digging through my home toolbox and realized there was a pattern developing. More crap than tools. It is true that a bulk of my tools are at work and the box here at home never was organized after I pulled a bunch of stuff out to take to my new job five years ago. You'd think five years would be long enough to get my crap in order but I guess not.
 Top drawer. For me this drawer has always been a special place for sensitive or personal items. If it were a fedex package it would be labeled "fragile, glass" or "do not bend'. As I look at this pic I realize that's just a fantasy in my head cuz this drawer is full of junk. Yes, there are a few good tools in here but for the most part it's just a staging area for the garbage can.

 Then, the more I look at the contents of this drawer I realize it's a trip down memory lane. I'm reminded of a visit with Brandon at the "Mama Tried" bike show in Milwaukee. I see an "anti-dragon" sticker that was designed as a joke for my buddy Scott that traveled 900 miles to the Tail of the Dragon only to sit at the store front bullshitting and watching bikes go by rather than ride the 318 curves in 11 miles. I now get it. I see the drill bits and notes used to rejet the Rat Turd. Some stickers from Crazy Bob's. Iron Butt rides, a ride to New Mexico and pins and patches from other rides. All stuff that isn't needed but does trigger memories. Maybe I'll save cleaning this drawer for later.
 The next random drawer has a couple GoPro items in it. There was more but those treasures are scattered on my desk right now. I like to keep a drawer available for whatever is the latest project I have going on. I'll empty this drawer and use it for nuts and bolts taken off Brookes Honda that I'm currently working on. More on that in another post.

 The last drawer I'll let you peek into is the remnants of the Rat Turd fuel tank project.

 This stuff needs to get put away. It was staged here in this drawer as I was collecting bits for the build. There are plumbing fittings, hoses and tubing and even parts that seemed like possibilities but were never used. Then again, if I spring a leak and need a matching fitting it would be nice to find those parts in a single box. I think I'll label it "Rat Shit". I wonder if a stranger would be more or less inclined to investigate the contents of such a box.

 That's a good spot for now. Tucked away between other things I'm done with for the season like my soft saddlebags and foam Packers cheesehead.

 In other news...I've been dinking around with the layout of this blog and have made a few additions. Some of you only follow on your phone and won't notice any difference. In the right side column I've added a list of some of the blogs I follow. There is some good reading to be found there and I encourage you to check them out.
 I've also added a few tabs under the front page picture. It's a work in progress and I plan to add more as time allows.

Later.

Giving Thanks

 As you know, Thursday was Thanksgiving Day. Traditionally our family and friends would gather at our house to enjoy each others company and a feast. This would be my first Thanksgiving without my mother and it just didn't feel right to celebrate the holiday the same way we had in the past.
 We received an offer to gather up the family and celebrate the day with friends Denny and Deena. D and D are owners of a local restaurant and we had the whole place to ourselves.

 Denny has never cooked anything I didn't like so I knew the food would be delicious. Even foods with fancy names and ingredients I don't recognize always satisfy.

  Now you may look at this pic with canned cranberries in it and wonder about how much fine dining went on here. What you're actually looking at is a gesture on their part to make a few of us feel comfortable with something we have traditionally enjoyed. Thank you.

 We didn't just show up and chow down. My daughter Mackenzie has her Grandmothers secret recipe for mashed potatoes and prepared thirty pounds of them. Thanks Kenzo and my wife who helped peel them.

 I was blown away by the attention to detail. Deena really went out of her way on this one. She painted all those leaves and pumpkins in this pic and the entire presentation was fabulous. That girl really knows how to plan a party. Thanks Deena.

  The day felt a bit empty without mom there but family and great friends helped ease that pain. I'm thankful for those people in my life and I hope everyone reading this is as fortunate as I felt that day.

 On a lighter note, it turns out parking the Rat Turd in the living room is more than just a practical storage solution. After a great meal we returned to the house where this young man had some fun with a photo shoot. Maybe next year I'll roll a few more bikes into the house.

Artsy Fartsy Stuff

  The riding season is winding down and I haven't done anything new with the bikes in a while so you will start seeing a few posts that don't contain anything motorcycle related. I'm not gonna apologize for that because it won't kill you to expose yourself to something less "gear head". Actually that last statement was aimed more at myself than anyone else so when I saw a post on facebook that my buddy Dan and his friend Aelwyn were having an opening reception for some art they created, I decided to attend.

 There were some pieces that caught my attention and it amazes me how much time and detail a person will commit to "art". I admit that I don't know when a piece is making a statement or if it needs interpretation to be understood. I just know what I like.

 Ya I've spent a lot of time on artsy fartsy crap in detailing the Rat Turd. You can find that on the pages of this blog. The difference is that my efforts don't come off as art. They're more of an expression of a cheesehead with extra time on his hands. Hey, when the snow flies and I can't ride but still want to do something bike related, I end up with something like the Rat.
 Dan and I talked about bikes and art and he revealed he had considered parking his Triumph in the front window of this downtown business. I would have approved...not sure about the rest of the visitors. I'm pretty sure that I was the one person there that could have been caught mistakenly admiring a piece of furniture thinking it was part of the art collection.
  Aelwyn had on display a collection of drawings she had recently scribbled out.

  Of course I kid when I say scribbled. The truth is she has talent and I'm jealous. I can't draw a picture of the human face to save my ass. My efforts look like a stickman with a bad hair day and I applaud anyone that can pull it off.

  I overheard an art professor from the local college critiquing one of the drawings and realized there is so much in this world I don't have a clue about. After a conversation with him about what I do for a living I wondered if he was thinking the same thing. We all have different interests and I guess that's what makes the world go 'round.
 If you want to check it out, their work will be on display for the next few weeks at Mugs Coffeehouse in Ripon.
 Oh, and to my daughter that teaches art at UW Madison, Ya I said artsy fartsy. It's all good.

Watson Street Classic Cycle Show

 I talked about this show in previous posts and yesterday was the event. My day started out with a wet twenty mile ride to where the show was to take place. I was way early but that was the plan. I had pre-registered a few days earlier and just dropped the bike on main street with the instructions to move it wherever needed. Our tent crew from work was setting up tables, chairs, stages and porta potties so I just bummed a ride back to the shop where I spent the morning fixing broke ass chain saws. At noon my wife showed up and we headed down town to the show. We met up with Al and Vicki and enjoyed a nice lunch together before checking out the cars and bikes.

 There were a lot of cool machines there and after walking around we decided to set up shop in front of our bikes. Als Buzz Lightyear bike is a big hit with the young crowd. A lot of kids had their pic taken in front of it.

 I planted myself just within ear shot of the Rat Turd. I like to hear the WTF comments people make when looking at the bike. 

 The weather really turned out nice and there was a pretty good turn out of spectators. It seems the new fuel tank and exhaust system really have changed the way people view the bike. A lot more people have less of a clue what the bike started out life as. Those two mods didn't go unnoticed by the judges either as the bike took first place in the "radical" class. Ya know this rat isn't a "show" bike. It's just unusual and shows off what a twisted mind is hiding behind these good looks. The goal was to have the tank and exhaust projects done by this date and I met that goal. If I didn't set some kind of due date then the thing would be a pile of parts in the corner like my BSA project.

 So whats next? Yesterday I got to thinking about the bikes I have sitting in the garage. I really want to get that BSA running soon so I can enjoy it while I might still be capable of kick starting the beast. I'm considering partially funding that project from the sale of my sportster. Ya I know. I do this all the time and I'll regret selling it just like when I sold the Aprilia and a whole list of other bikes. I have a few other thoughts on the subject of selling the sporty but I'll share those another time.
 Todays pics were all taken by my wife who has been enjoying clicking away trying to find that "just right" picture. She does all right. I have no complaints.