Another Helmet Cam Test

 Actually every time I use the helmet cam its gonna be a test because I never know what I'm gonna get. I could know if I mounted my spare phone on the handlebar but I just haven't gotten around to it yet. The bike has been pretty neglected with all the DIY going on around here and if I ever get caught up there are a few things I'd like to do to the big Ultra. We'll get into those in a future post. 

 I decided the best way to test the audio was to tell a short story. I'm hoping it turned out because I'm typing this while the footage is still downloading to my puter and I still don't know if its usable yet. If the video turns out to be about a toolbox or garage project then you know the bike footage was crap.

 

Later.

It Was Nineteen Years Ago Yesterday...

 ...when I hit a deer with my motorcycle. That little incident earned me a week in the hospital. You can read all about it here.
 I spent a good part of yesterdays work day thinking about if I wanted to go for a ride that evening. When I got home the sun was shining and the temperature was in the mid sixties so I was leaning towards going. After dinner the amount of time the sun would still be up was diminishing fast so I was leaning towards just saying to hell with a ride and chill in my lazyboy. What happened next was that my phone chimed at me. The special tone it made told me it was an automower in distress. I looked at the app and sure enough one of the units in Berlin was down. Now I had an excuse to go for a ride and set aside the fear of hitting another forest rat. I really feel that if I hadn't gone, that the deer would be the winners and forever scare me from riding at night. I don't want to say that I faced my fears because I don't fear deer but the idea of hitting one again does make me a bit nervous. Obviously I worked myself up thinking about it all day and any other day I'd just throw a leg and ride.

 As it turns out I didn't see anything with four legs during this fifty mile ride. Birds, bugs and bats were all that were on the menu last night. I've hit all of those and don't fear hitting another although scraping bat remains off a bike is kinda disgusting.

Later.

I Scream

 Friday night and I had a few hours to kill. My wife was working from home so I figured I might as well go for a bike ride. I've been going on evening rides a lot lately and wanted to choose a new direction with new scenery. I don't plan out much more than a starting direction and just fill in the rest as I go. Thats the best way to go for a ride, don't you think?
 As I wandered closer to Fox Lake I decided it would be ok to stop at the drive in for an ice cream cone.

 The sign out front says they've been around 85 years. Dang.

 I kinda walked around the sporty while slurpin down that cone. I really like this bike right now. Its running pretty good and the looks appeal to me. Its just the right bike for an evening cool down ride after a hot day. The down side is eating bugs but thats all part of the experience I guess. I got less than half way through the treat before it became an unmanageable sticky mess and got tossed it in the garbage can. Thats ok, I think the idea of stopping for a cone was stronger than the desire to eat one.

 I was about 20ish miles from home and wasn't ready to head right back so I continued on to Waupun, Brandon, Fairwater and then to the inlet at Green Lake. Sometimes you can get some nice sunset pics here and a few clouds reduced the suns glare enough for some decent shots.

 I didn't really notice much in the background and kept clicking away.

 Hey look at that. Isn't that just ducky! I don't know why this one was just standing on one leg. Kinda looks like hes gonna crank out a fart and doesn't care who notices. Thats the way I do it anyway.  I was there fifteen minutes and he never put that leg down. In fact I'm not even sure he has a full leg on that side. Could it be a nasty crayfish accident? Maybe he was caught kicking sand on other ducks and they fixed him good, or possibly he was behind on a minnow payment and a loan shark took an oar to his leg. I wonder if he now just spins in circles when he tries to swim. Oh well, I got bored with the wild life and headed home. In the end I put on seventy two miles. Not bad for an impromptu ice cream run.

Later.

Dodging Rain Clouds

 Yesterday I woke up to 83 degrees and dark overcast skies. At first you might think that going for a ride may be questionable due to threatening rain but for me this is the perfect riding conditions. Temps were warm but at hiway speed are perfect. The sun hiding behind clouds means no shadows and very consistent visibility. That also means there are no hidden dangers in dark corners as I sweep through the country back road twisties that I've plotted out in my head over the last forty years. To a lesser extent, wet roads also mean less dust, pollen and for some reason less bugs.

 A quick look at the radar revealed a big red blob of nastiness encompassing the entire lower half of Minnesota and heading my way. I decided that there was a three hour window if I didn't want to get wet. I chose the Ultra for this ride just in case. It already has all my wet weather gear in it and offers decent protection from the elements. The sporty doesn't offer me much more than the middle finger in terms of rain protection.

 I don't seek out the rain and I try to avoid it when riding but if its gonna rain then so be it. I once started an Iron Butt ride in the rain. That ride was over 1100 miles in 19 hours and half of it was in the rain. One time while on vacation I led a group ride where it started to rain. It was coming down pretty hard even by my standards and I never stopped. I know a few people weren't too happy with me at the time and they bailed out but as I think about the people that followed me, it turns out they are the ones I still vacation with every year. Birds of a feather ride together or however that saying goes.

 That three hour window was just about what I needed to run down to the casino in Wisconsin Dells and try my luck. As it turns out I found a machine that wasn't very hungry and actually paid me back more than I put in to it. Not a lot but enough to pay for fuel and dinner. I may have stayed longer to "re-invest" but I got a glance out the window and noticed it was pretty dark outside. Once out to the bike I scanned the sky and determined it would be wise to don the rain gear.

 I like this kind of riding. The weather is questionable with gusts of wind bending the trees and fast moving clouds continually changing my perspective on what may come next. The roads were wet and I could tell from leaves and sticks on the road that a wicked front must have just passed through. The road was still steaming and my bike was kicking up its own spray from the wetness. My one hour route would be mostly back roads with only two small towns to pass through. Out in the open I scan the skies for signs of a storm and try to adjust my route and timing to avoid getting wet. I guess its a game because as I said, I already had the gear on and don't mind the rain.
 I could feel the temps dropping the further north I rode. It was now fifteen degrees cooler than when I left the house and I could tell I was creeping up on the back side of the storm. There wasn't a road to turn off onto to scooch around the rain so I decided the thing to do was stop and smell the roses. When I saw a small boat landing in the marsh I decided to check it out and waste some time. I thought I could take some of those nature shots my wife is always posting on facebook but I don't see things through the lens the same way she does.

  I'm not sure who's using this boat landing cuz its a bit rough.

 I wouldn't think the water level would be low because we've had a wet spring/early summer until the last week.

 This is the bottom of the landing. Your basic f150 isn't launching shit in this muck. There was a time when I would have gone out and bought a boat just to have an excuse to launch it and monster truck through this mess. That time has passed. Not sure why.

 Back on the bike I pretty much followed the back side of that storm right to my house. It was a great ride and it turns out I didn't need the rain gear but somehow I suspect if I hadn't put it on things would have been different.

Later.

Hydrosackosis

 Monday turned out to be a beautiful day when afternoon temps rose to the lower seventies. When I walked out of work I was thinking how nice it would be to go for a bike ride. I had the bike out once already so I knew it was good to go. On the way home I couldn't help but notice the abundant sunshine was starting to be blocked by a small dark cloud. The closer I got to home the more I realized that cloud was dang near over my house. My plan for an extended ride was reduced to just chasing dinner and the chosen take out restaurant was about a fifteen mile round trip. Not much of a long ride but it was more about not missing an opportunity to get out on the bike than how far I could go. As I backed the big Ultra out of the garage a bird shit on my head. At least thats what I was hoping because the alternative was rain. Sure enough it was starting to rain but I refused to accept that. Not on my parade, not today.
 My destination was away from the incoming droplets and I quickly out drove the moisture. By the time I reached the restaurant I had forgotten about the pending gloom and went inside to order. This wasn't a fast food joint so I had time for a refreshment and to catch up with social media on my phone. I noticed my buddy JT the Barber was doing some podcasts and made a note to check them out later. John got me started in blogging and if it weren't for him you wouldn't be reading any of this gold. Anyway, during my surfing session my wife had texted me to inform me of heavy rain and lightning. I told her it was only seven miles home and if a little rain was gonna stop me then I needed to turn in my man card. Soon they brought my carry out food to the table and thats when I looked out the window. My man card was in jeopardy. The rain was coming down so hard it was bouncing back up as if some unseen force was rejecting it. This is not how I wanted to start out the 2019 riding season but I also knew I was heading to the comfort of home so a little discomfort wouldn't last long.
 The worst part about riding in the rain is the time spent not moving very fast. This includes walking in the parking lot and riding at city speeds. Just getting on the bike sucked because as quickly as I wiped the seat dry, it flooded out. I couldn't get the thing swiped dry and swing a leg before a puddle formed on the seat. I knew the restaurant patrons would all be looking out the window at the knucklehead getting on his motorcycle in the pouring rain so I did my best not to cringe as I sat down. The resulting hydrosackosis was a little more discomfort than I had imagined.
 The thing about riding a motorcycle is that it cures whatever is ailing you. Once at hiway speed I had a great ride despite mother natures attempt at force feeding me a shower. It actually ended too soon although the drop in temperature would have probably caught up with me. Maybe this year won't be that bad. Mileage in 2018 was at a twenty year low and I'm hoping that was just a fluke, not a trend.

Later.

Pillion Pics

 Yesterday we had some really nice weather. I know this because every customer that came into the store let me know how decent the weather was. My standard reply was something along the lines of "that depends which side of the counter you're on".
 Once my work day ended and I was on the freedom side of the counter I arrived at home to find my wife ready for a bike ride, and so we did. The following are random pics from her point of view on the back of the Ultra.

 We had a nice ride mostly on back roads but maybe we stretched it out too long as I clearly heard a groan from her when she dismounted. I guess I made a grunt or too as well when I got off the bike. Still, good times and it was nice to get out for a ride.

Later.

First Ride

 That foot of snow we got last weekend is melting away at a pretty fast rate. There's a lot of grass showing already but not all exposed grass is a good thing. In a spot by my garage that was snow covered in the morning there is now a dandelion. I'm not happy about that because I can just image customers calling in wanting their lawns sprayed when I haven't even been there for the first two rounds, not to mention the fact that the ground is too soft for equipment. Enough about weeds.

 With temps near 60 and the sporty in pieces I made the command decision to roll the Ultra out of the garage. After making a few checks I thumbed the starter and brought the beast to life. Everything seemed alright until I noticed the bikes rear suspension was raising to full height on its own. This is a problem that came and went last year so I knew I had to clean the "up" valve in the ride height control.

 I spent maybe half an hour looking the bike over before I decided it was ready for the road. 

 It wasn't a long ride but it really felt good to be back on a bike. There sure are a lot of buttons on this bike and I admit to forgetting what a few of them do. I guess I'll just have to do some more riding and get back that muscle memory. 

 I thought about taking my wife to dinner on the bike but knew it would be a cold ride home as the temp was sure to drop quick after the sun went down. Prime rib and an old fashioned were just what I was craving and we found a place that chars and seasons the meat just right.

 I'll most likely get out for a ride again today. I need to wash the bike and look closer for damage from that tip over in the garage this winter. A quick inspection yesterday only revealed that large scuff in the fairing and I think it'll buff out.

Later.

A Day Off

 Thanksgiving was on Thursday and the boss had given us Friday off, although I did work on Saturday. The point is that he picked the right day to close shop because Friday turned out to be a gorgeous day, so I took advantage of the nice weather to get in a bike ride.

  The first thing was to get the bike out. Luckily we left just enough room when pushing the dead Subaru into the garage. If I would have had to push it ahead any further it would have rolled over a small drop and the end of the concrete and I wouldn't have been able to push the car back in on my own. 

 The sun was shining and at one point the bike thermometer told me it was 64 degrees. Are you freakin kiddin me? 64 degrees on the day after Thanksgiving! I saw a bunch of riders out doing the same thing I was...taking what we figure is the last warm ride of the year. Come to think of it I saw more leather than I did blaze orange.

 Brown was the theme for the day. Except for a few pines, most all of the landscape was very winter-like without the snow. I pulled over a few times to take a closer look. 

 Not much to see here but sometimes just watching a river flow can be interesting. I didn't stick around long enough to get all philosophical and shit, just long enough to come to the conclusion that having a river in the back yard would be cool.

 Another quick selfie just to record the moment. The wind really raises hell with my beard. Its odd how the sun seems to make it look grey as well. Huh. 

 I didn't check the odo but I figure I rolled along for about 150-200 miles. I guess I timed things out pretty well because I pulled into the garage just before I would have had to make the switch from shades to clear glasses. I fear this may have been the last ride of the season but the bike is still accessible if we get another winner day. Of course the deal breaker is if they have to salt the roads before such a day. That salt dust just seems to get into everything and I'm not willing to ride the Ultra in it. The Rat and the Sporty are put away so as far as riding anymore this year, the end is near.

Later.  

The Truth About The Wind

 Every so often the daily ride turns into more than just commuting. Something happens and everything just clicks and there's an overwhelming sense of a connection with the environment. That happened Wednesday when after years of biking I finally made a realization about the wind. We always talk about the wind in our face as we hustle down the road or our "knees in the breeze". Thats all fine and dandy but the blast of the wind in my face as I roll down the hiway is an artificial wind. Its only wind because I'm hauling ass through the calm air. What I like is the interaction with the environment. I don't just want to be outside, I want to be part of the outside. I want the wind to blow in from my side and slap me on the shoulder as to ask "you want some of this?" Yes please, may I have another?
 Its not just the feeling of the wind but the visual evidence of its presence. I like watching the trees dance back and forth. They twist and sway as if they are trying to shake their leaves off. Sometimes they remind me of this scene...Is there a spider on me!? Get the spider off me!! Is it still on me?!? Stop laughing! Where did it go? Some of the fall color leaves are hanging on for dear life while others let go and sail away. On the ground, ribbons of leaves chase each other like lemmings as a gust of wind rearranges them across the street. I can hear them over the thump of the big twin as they shuffle along the concrete, or at least I think I can hear them. Maybe it's more than that. As I approach and ride though that gust I can feel natures power influencing me and those leaves. The combination of feeling the gust, adding a little steering input to correct my path and the visual of the racing leaves gives me that feeling of connection with mother nature. The bike becomes a tool for transportation, but not from point a to point b. It transports me to a place where I can get lost in the feeling of being in tune with this thing we call nature. I like that feeling, even if it only lasted a few minutes during my lunch break.

Later.

3's

 Last Sunday I had planned to do some work around the house and shop. The temps were just a bit cool that morning but the sun was shining and the mercury was on the rise. You probably already figured out that I blew off the chores and went for a ride. And why shouldn't I? The season isn't gonna last forever and those nice days are gonna be few and far between. I'm kinda like a squirrel packing away nuts for the winter. I have got to get in enough miles to satisfy the urge till spring or I'll get a knot in my stomach jonesing for a ride. Anyway, along the way I noticed the odometer was gettin ready to pose for a pic so I pulled over and obliged.

 There'll be a few thousand more on it before I park it for the winter. That will average out to about 12,000 miles a year which has been the norm since I've been keeping track when I got a new Kawasaki Voyager back in 1999. This doesn't include Sportster or Rat Turd mileage so maybe the annual mileage is a bit higher. I know this doesn't do much for resale value but thats not why I buy the bikes. Its because of the wind in the hair, the handling and power to weight ratio, and being more exposed to the environment. Some days that whole "being exposed to the environment" thing really sucks but for whatever reason I wouldn't trade it. I have a hard time putting it in words but if you're reading this blog then theres a good chance you already know what I'm talking about. 
 Temps haven't dipped below freezing yet...see ya on the road.

Later.

Fall Slimey Crud Run

 Sunday morning I bundled up and rode the Ultra down to Madison, Wi to visit my daughter and have some breakfast. It was a cool ride and I was surprised to see a lot of other bikers bundled up and enduring the Fall temps. After the visit I rode to Leland which is the destination of the Slimey Crud Run. I arrived early like I usually do. I'd say there were only about thirty or so other bikes and that allowed me to park right in front. I like that because I usually just sit on my bike and watch the riders pass by.
 The internet can bring strangers together that may have never noticed each other. Upon arrival I was greeted by "Coop" of Coop's Corner. As we were chatting I noticed a burgundy Ultra roll up and it just clicked that this was Mark that writes another blog I follow called The Biker Wave.  If you tolerate my babbling on this blog then you'll enjoy the writings of these two different riders.
 I took a bunch of pics of bikes I liked but those are my favs...you may be into something else. Instead of posting those pics I'll just give you a 360 of where I was parked. This wasn't taken at peak attendance and I expected a lot more bikes considering the nice weather.

  In past years I've usually hung out pretty late but this year I got a bug in my ass to get moving. The weather was great for a ride and this is prime Wisconsin back road area. My mood was quite relaxed and on this day "prime back roads" meant scenic country rather than race track. I was pretty much alone on those roads for quite a while and enjoyed a quiet ride with great overlooks and fall color changes. For a while I was lost in all of it and achieved that nirvana that is so hard to find on a bike. I didn't let my guard down but there weren't any distractions to take away from the beauty of it all. The only sounds were the rush of the wind and the big twin thumping away. The roads were pretty smooth and the bike handled perfectly. Good bonding time with the Ultra.

Later.

Martini Blog

  "Whatcha gonna blog about"? says my wife. "Oh crap, that's tomorrow. I gots nothing."  That's the conversation we just had moments before I started writing this.

 The martini in the pic isn't the first drink of the evening so writing this now is a crap shoot. The martini is just washing down a few brandy old fashions. BTW, pineapple doesn't belong in an old fashioned. This is Wisconsin, not Kalifornia. After requesting an orange slice and a cherry rather than the pineapple the knucklehead bartender snuck in there,  the second one tasted much better. I'm sure it had nothing to do with the fact that I was on the second drink.

 Saturday started with a banana/strawberry smoothie and a cool ride to work. By lunch the day had warmed up nicely and I left work early to get a new tire mounted on the Ultra. It was a nice hour ride and the bike ran well. See, I've been experimenting with different fuel maps in my Fuelpak3 and have been experiencing minor running issues. I finally got fed up and called Vance and Hines to ask which base map to run with a gutted head pipe, street cannons and the extreme ventilator air filter.
*side note, wife just brought me another martini*
They suggested a base map and I loaded that map two nights ago. It's all done on a phone app with bluetooth and is pretty cool and easy to navigate. I had one short ride and thought it was much better. Todays ride has left me with the opinion that I may not mess with mapping for a while. I runs pretty sweet.
 I arrived at the Harley dealer to exchange blood and sweat for a rear tire. I explained the situation with my air ride suspension and my concerns about belt tension. The response I got from the tech left me confident he had been down this road before. He then asked if I wanted the bike washed. "How much is that gonna cost me"? I asked.  "Just time" he explained. "Your terms are acceptable" and I wandered off into the showroom. I immediately spotted a familiar face and we had a nice talk about bikes, vacations, first rides and ailments. (it seems the older you get, the more you talk about medical shit) As we spoke, a group of people were being escorted into the showroom and stopped in front of us. These were the students in the newbe riding class. Out of curiosity I followed  them for a while just to get a sense of what this was about. First they must get their temps by passing the DMV written test. Then for $320 they do a Friday night, Saturday and Sunday which includes classroom and riding training. At the end of it they are licensed and legal to operated any moo sucker they want. Of course this dealer hopes it will be one of their hogs. At their last stop of the showroom tour, the rep asked "That's all I've got, who's ready to ride?!" A bunch of hands went up, including mine. I couldn't help myself. Later as they started their riding course I watched them from the lounge window like a puppy crying to get outside.
 Somehow I got all crossed up on the ride home. I was trying to skirt around some rain clouds and may have done some unintended backtracking. Anyway, that free bike wash was a waste of time cuz I got hammered. It was a short rain but the bike got dirty just the same as if I were riding in crap all day. Rats. Some days ya just can't win. On that ride home I spotted three squids and one bike parked along a lonely back road. I gave them the thumbs up/thumbs down signal and they waved me on. They had the situation under control but I had to wonder about what I saw. Three guys wearing helmets and one bike. The nearest help of any kind was miles away. I saw no other bikes as I approached or for miles after I passed. I guess I just thought it was weird they all kept their helmets on while someone on another bike would be gone for so long. Maybe the other biker was wadded up in the ditch somewhere. It would have been easy to miss him in the tall swamp grass of the marsh. Whatever.
*she told me whats in these martinis but I forgot. Whatever it is it's kicking my ass. I spend more time hitting the backspace button than any other*
 Tomorrow (as I write this, today as I post this) will start with me editing this mess. Spell check underlines in red any questionable spelling. Right now the red lines look like the bunting on an Independence Day float. After that I plan to pack for vacation. I don't leave for two weeks but because we now have uniforms at work, I think I can get this out of the way. I only need casual wear for one weekend here and I have enough threads to cover that. I also want to mess with my GoPro mounts. Later on I may ride down to Madison to support my daughter with some kind of community art project reveal that she worked on. I'm sure a visit to the vegetarian restaurant is also in order.
 I'll leave you with this. From our ride to LaCrosse last weekend. I parked the bike and looked around to see a building across the street that made me laugh.

 A funky looking building from decades ago. The sign reads:

 The reader board above the door says:

 It doesn't seem like the two go together. I thought it was funny but what do I know.

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.

Dinner Cruise

 On my ride home from work Friday I was cruising along at a pretty good clip when an oncoming rider started frantically patting the top of his helmet as we passed. I gave him a thumbs up return instead of my usual arm stretched to the side peace sign. There were a lot of cars around us and I'm sure some of them were wondering what all this secret biker code was about.
 A few of those cagers found out in a hurry what it meant. Our friend on the crotch rocket was letting me know that Johnny Law was near and I should scrub off some speed. I acknowledged with the thumbs up and just enough braking to get legal but not make it obvious by nose diving the front end. The cops had us trained to slow down about two miles back in their regular trap. Now they have expanded their coverage and this is gonna suck. I may have to find a new route to and from work.

 Besides my riding to work, the bulk of our riding has been dinner cruises. There's been a change in our eating habits lately that includes a lot more vegetables and little if any meat. My wife is taking it pretty seriously with a lot of juicing in her diet and no meat. The changes in weight and energy are quite noticeable. I've eliminated the crap from my diet as well but I'm not being a food nazi about it. My goal is just to eat healthier. Eliminating soda has probably been the most important change. Beer and brandy old fashioneds are still on the menu so all is well in the drunk and stupid department. Anyway, because of this diet change we are now expanding our restaurant destinations further from home. Yesterday was a hundred mile round trip for dinner and we had some gorgeous riding weather for it. Friday night we had great weather as well.

There are at least two veggies on our table I can't even name.
No matter, except for the bananas, honey and whiskey old fashioned,
 they'll get "juiced" and drank.

 On that Friday night ride we passed through a known speed trap and my wife said "Don't let the coppers get us, Honey". Ya I was accelerating from an intersection in a playful manner but I started thinking about her request. Should I slow down or should I gun it if I draw reds? I chose to slow down because I don't think the Bonnie and Clyde option was really what she meant. We all know the tone of a text message can be misunderstood but sometimes things can be taken the wrong way even when said face to face. When we got home and were putting away groceries (yes, we grocery shop on the bike) my wife held up a bag a of cashews and asked if I was gonna put my nuts by my chair. "Yes I am" and I plopped my ass down in my recliner.

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.

Joy Ride

 Yesterday was another work day and let me tell ya, some people really challenge my ability to not be a dickhead in the store. I was talking with a customer in the showroom when a guy taps me on the shoulder and says he hates to interrupt but...and then he goes on with his lame ass story. The first thing I did was look around to see if I was being filmed because this guy was politely being rude, if that makes any sense and I felt like I was being set up. I wanted to give him a quick answer that would get him to leave me alone because I knew he was just looking for free advice. I came up with one that made him go away but what I wanted to say was if you hate interrupting then why are you doing it and by the way go jump in the lake. And another thing, why do you think your problem is more important than this gentleman that got here before you? OK, I'm done venting.
 So after work my wife and I went for a joy ride. No destination but I was tired and knew I'd keep it under a hundred miles.

 I thought this pic looked odd because the road looks pretty straight but the bike looks kinda leaned over. Not really leaned over but tipped more than appropriate for the situation. I don't even know where this was so I can't piece it together.

 Just a breezy ride on some quiet back roads. I realized I had traveled about ten miles on these back roads that were posted 55 and I had not even touched 45mph. That's one of the first signs of getting old. I forget the other signs.

 My wife is our official photographer and she gets some interesting shots despite the fact I don't take her to interesting places. The glare screwed this one up. I call it "alien campfire".
 Our turn-around point turned out to be take out chinese. We didn't leave the house with food in mind but it ended up that way. It's fun not having a plan and ending up with a nice ride. The sun is shining and we should be able to get out again today. See you on the road!

Later.