Coincidences

What are coincidences?

Seriously?

Are they simply juxtapositions of two or more things or events that show a commonality? If event A never occurred, would event B be noticed? Does A cause B? B cause A? Is there some unseen string tying the two together, only to be observed by a single person?

If I dream of a black Harley Street Glide with a four leaf clover painted on its tank, and then see that same bike on the commute home from work, that would seem odd, yes? Perhaps viewing the bike would shape the memory of the dream so as to engineer a false commonality. Maybe it was really a Triumph Bonneville with a fig leaf on it's tank riding around in my dream. Memories, especially of dreams, are fluid and fleeting, many times coming into false focus based on similar physical stimuli.

Any more, I will be damned if I know how some of these unseen things in the universe work.

This morning I wrote a little piece about Hearing a Call. The Call is unique and can mean different things to different people. Some calls are internal; some exhibit external presentations. Mine is a private call at the moment. No, I am not giving up motorcycling. No, I am not "switching teams." An, no, I am not entering the priesthood. When the time is right; timing is everything... or nothing at all.

At any rate, this morning I wrote what I wrote. This evening after leaving work, on my way to run a lengthy errand, an advertising truck caught me eye. If you are not familiar with these vehicles of questionable quantitative value, they are typically flat-bed trucks with large signs mounted to the bed. Some of them have signs that change. Others' signs are static.

This particular one was static. It was in oncoming traffic, waiting to turn left, across my path of travel. Needless to say, vehicles in this position throw imaginary red flags while I am riding. As I pass, the sign was obvious. The ware or service being advertised was unimportant. The huge words in yellow on blue, once read, would have caused my chin to drop if not for my helmet's strap.

I swear... This is what it read.

"Something is calling, Answer It!"

This stuff is just too odd for fiction.

Picture, "End of Confusion" by Wim Grooten.

There's a call for you, Razor...

Omnipresent as the universe is the call. Persistant and ubiquitous as water tumbling gently in ageless streams, it is there for those to hear.

As children, all are capable of hearing the gentle bell heralding the call. Over time deafness is beaten in by others or by ourselves. We are all capable of hearing again, however not knowing what to listen for, or when the call will come, makes this task of hearing no less difficult.

Some fear it. Some factor it away in cold logical equations such that the remainder is considered rounding error. Some feel it is not within them to answer. Some are told it is better not to answer. Some apathetic souls simply sit and watch television as the bell patiently asks for attention.

I understand there is a call for me... Be back soon.

Socialy Inept & A Choice of Good -vs- Good

I ride a motorcycle. To me its physics are simple; throttle and brake and gyroscopic effect and fuel and road condition and speed and weight. When I can afford it, I fly. Here, the physics are pretty simple as well; thrust and drag and gravity and lift.

This is my public announcement to the world... I am socially inept. Nuances that others see and understand, fly tall red banners for all to see, yet for me they are nothing but tattered rags ruffling in the breeze. They serve no purpose but to place tiny markers in my mind, and I move on.

Decisions... Here is something I posted on my Facebook status: "What path doth one take when both are of the righteous and just?"

Please tell me. My choice was made before the situation, with it's logic that I could not argue. It was there, the irrefutable logic presented as flags; nuances that hold no comprehension in my mind. It required an interpreter.

Perhaps I will get my ass kicked for not seeing the nuances. In the proverbial sense, it has happened before.

Valentine's Day Ride

As fate or luck or the universe would have it, Valentine's Day this year is a solitary 24 hours in a calendar of 8,760 hours. Nothing new. There are less attractive alternatives to a solitary Valentine's Day. So, this day when so many celebrate being with someone special, I do as well.

What did I do? Ride, of course! Originally the plan was to spend the day in my garage, working on my project bike. By 10AM, the weather was in the low 60s and the bright blue sky perfect for riding.

This No Trespassing sign was a little unsettling. A Laser Shock???

This one made me giggle a bit.

This is the time of year when the desert starts to turn green. Couldn't resist taking a few pictures while doing a bit of hiking.

ROTFLMAO!!! These ranchers certainly have a sense of humor!

The long lonely road. How apropos.

And finally, a little video of the ride. Hope it doesn't bore all who decide to watch. :-P

Television - Just Shoot It!

Six months ago, my daughter, her boyfriend and I moved into an apartment. Since the cost of moving and getting the appropriate things set up was coming out of my bank account, a bold decision was made.

No cable TV. No digital converter, either. If my daughter or her boyfriend wanted it, they could pay for it. And, I am here to say, people CAN survive without it.

Well, more than survive; thrive.

Since being deprived of this mind-sucker, my daughter has acquired a job and loves it. Sure, it's Burger King, but complaints are minimal. Her grades went up an entire letter grade in ALL classes. YES! And, she now has a pet snake that SHE paid for and SHE takes care of.

Her attitude toward life and money and responsibility has entirely changed for the better.

Her boyfriend has acquired a job he likes and is doing well.

And what of I? Well, my project motorcycle is slowly moving along; I have finished four fiction books; started reading and researching the history of the county where I grew up (Mercer County, IL); taking classes in preparation of helping at a local domestic violence center; have a few websites that are in the process of being built; taught my daughter's boyfriend how to change the oil in his car; ridden across the country; started to write a few short stories; started creating videos of my rides and while I work on my VX800; and a few things that are certainly forgotten.

So, my suggestion, if at all possible, leave that television off. Or if you like, dispose of it like the person in the above video.

If I could only get my two room mates do clean the apartment and do the dishes...

Liars, Damned Liars and Statisticians

Over the past week, statistics have been raining down on my head. While I do not purport to be an expert in the field of statistics, I do know enough to be dangerous; where and what to question.

Recently a Child Abuse study was released by the US Department of Health And Human Services. Using reports from CPS, LEO (Law Enforcement Organizations), school officials and other 'sentinals', the study estimates there were 743,200 incidences of abuse in 1993 and 553,300 in 2005/06. Further, there were 879,000 estimated incidences of child neglect in 1993, and only 771,700 in 2005/06.

Keep in mind that the source of this data is not strictly from child abuse professionals. This provides a wider and deeper investigation into this social ill. However, including data from individuals provides a bit of variability in the reported data. Some of this variability was filtered through a more or less standardized reporting criteria, but that latitude of variability still exists.

Further, the reporting data was sampled over two, three week periods and then annualized. Two third of the sampled counties were studied from the first week in September through the first week of December. The other one third of the counties were studied from the first week of February through the first week of May. This left, for the most part, these months unreported: December; January; May; June; July; and August.

One of the first things taught in statistics class is to ensure a random, representative sample. Anecdotal evidence as relayed to your's truly, indicate a sharp but brief rise in reports immediately after Christmas and New Years. Neither of these peaks are included in the sample periods.

Further, using the 2008 Quarterly Domestic Violence Report from the Nevada Department of Public Safety, the peak months of reported DV is April, May, June, July, August and September. National monthly or quarterly statistics were not readily available, so, this will need to suffice.

See any issue? The federal report missed several months of high reported abuse.

Further, other government studies show different numbers. According to the CDC, there were 905,000 childhood victims of maltreatment from October, 2005 through September, 2006 as reported by state and local child protective services. According to the Health and Human Services report, a total estimated of 1,256,600 occurred. This latter number included an estimation of official and unofficial reports. So, if there were 905,000 official reports, unofficial reports would constitute 351,600. Sort of low, in my opinion.

To make things just a little stranger, the US Census Bureau reported there was a total of 1,860,259 reports of child abuse and neglect that were investigated in 2007. This number blows the Health and Human Services report out of the water.

Either way, if that number is greater than one, it is too many.

Cave

It can be so easy to slip back into our own caves. The warmth and gentle humid breeze welcomes one back with dark open arms. The world, so confusing and different and startlingly sharp prod the weak back home to the well worn lonely stone prison.

And many are happy to go.

With others, apathy and weakness alters the escape velocity ever so subtly. Over time many find their trajectories aimed back to where they started with such force it may seem impossible to halt the slide. And they impact, and feel the warm safety of their old cave, and stay.

The boulder at its mouth placed there for the previous resident's protection. This infinite grotto sobs and cries out for the person's return. In the heavy air an unearthly scream peels out to the universe, vibrating in resonance.

Standing there unwavering, armor stained and dented from battles won and lost. Brown, tarnished shield held firm in a black leather gauntlet clad scarred hand. Spear, mirror polished, razor sharp with the marks of many battles, ready as its master, without a moment's pause.

This cave shall never be inhabited again.

Motorcycle Vlogging - Premier

Yes, I have now entered the wonderful world of motorcycle vlogging. Borrowing AtlasRider's method for taking videos while riding, this was an interesting experience. Placing my camera inside my helmet, just in front of my nose, almost no peripheral vision was compromised.

And so, with no further delay, my premier motorcycle vlog post.

Song is "Nina Straight" by Stasola; used here under A Creative Commons license. A better, larger format version can be downloaded here: www.radstream.com/vlog/ridetowork2_0003High.wmv If it is not there, well... There is only so much space available on my hosting account.

There are a few modifications that need to be made before much more video is shot. First and foremost, my helmet needs to be adjusted to allow for my camera. There is a small piece of plastic near my chin on my helmet that needs to be removed. It is only there to support the poofy soft padding, is not structural and is not necessary for the integrity of the helmet design.

Additionaly, the small piece of plastic causes the camera to look down slightly.

AND, I have a habbit. When a small battery goes bad, I do not throw it away. It is tossed in a saddle bag or drawer or pocket. Well, about 1/3 of the way to work my camera batteries give out. I pull over, get two batteries from my saddle bag, start the camera and take off. About 2/3 of the way to work, the same thing happened again!

The batteries just put in the camera must have been nearly dead in the first place! After a bit more digging, Fresh Duracells were locate and put in the camera. That's the stuff!

Another reason to ride, as if I NEED another one; to make videos. Wonder if this is something I could mention on a first date...

"I ride motorcycles, read science fiction, enjoy camping, love watching thunderstorms, oh..." voice lowered to a whisper, "I also vlog."

Christmas Ride, 2009.

For one reason or another, I did not post a word, a peep or a picture from my 2009 Christmas ride. My daughter and her boyfriend went to Sedona to be with his parents for the holidays. So, with the cookies and treats all baked and delivered, no Christmas meal to prepare, no hustle to make the place presentable to guests.

What should I do??? Hmmm... Free day, $10 for gas. I am going for a ride.

Pardon the quality of this video. I may be a computer professional and all, but this is the first time attempting to create a video while riding. Be sure to turn the audio down before watching. The wind noise can be a bit too much.

The video was taken while approaching the little "B" place marker below.


View Larger Map

My initial idea was to ride to the Hoover dam, snap a few pictures, check out the new bridge being built and ride into Arizona for a bit. NO luck. After passing through Boulder City, cars and trucks on their way over the dam were bumper to bumper. And, I was there as well, putting along. The heat from the engine after about 30 minutes of this clutch slipping headache told me it was time to stop, let my bike cool off and turn around.

Which I did.

The day was beautiful. There was no way a beautiful riding day like this should be wasted, so I turned south and rode through a tiny little mining town called Nelson, past several abandoned mines, past the infamous Techatticup Mine, on to the Colorado River.

Pictures coming up. Must sleep...

October, 2008

October, 2008. Colorado, interstate 36 eastbound, ten miles or so from the Kansas state line.

It was quiet. The air was clean, with a slight breeze from the West. Red winged blackbirds flitted and played in the light skies, pausing only a few moments to land in a fence row or on the ground.

Hundreds of miles of solitude on two wheels. There are times and places where the road and life become one. I'm good with that.

Breaking the Habit

The amount of time and attention spent on simple, online social interaction was a true surprise. Rather than the typical 45 minutes of work and 15 minutes of checking e-mail and Face Book and news groups and forums, these multiple 15 minute breaks were consolidated into one 30 minute lunchtime escape.

And, that is not all. Yesterday evening was spent making a slow barbecue chicken dish, brownies, spending time with my daughter and reading. There was no running upstairs to check e-mail or Face Book. It was quiet and productive and relaxing.

Regardless of the relaxing nature of last night, frustration did peek it's head into the living room. Money is at a negative level; this is honestly an interesting experimental week in thriftiness and minimalism. There is money for gas, and that's about it.

Then there is the desire to be out in the garage, wrenching on Vixen. It is chilly outside, dark when I get home after work and for me, that environment is simply not conducive to wrenching.

Perhaps that is a good thing; lessons in patience are always welcome. It will be warm in the evenings soon enough.

Then there is the post sinus drip, the nausea, the difficulty sleeping, the restlessness, the scratchy throat. But, this is a good thing. Details later.

Dr. Oz Wants Me to Have More Sex

That's right. In a recent article by Dr. Mehmet Oz, M.D., there are three suggested New Years resolutions for 2010. These are, in no particular order: get more sleep; never let yourself feel hungry; and have more sex.

Item number one? Check. For the past several months, effort has been extended to get seven to eight hours of pillow time. Honestly, I feel SO much better getting more sleep.

Item number two has never been an issue. MY issue is in the method of not feeling hungry. Instead of grabbing a bag of corn chips or licorice out of the vending machine at work, I need to keep fresh fruits and vegetables available. And, not the crappy ones, but the ones I like.

Now the tough one... more sex. According to the good doctor, "Sex is an indicator of many things, and if you aren't having it at least once (and ideally more) a week for 30 minutes, it could mean something is dangerously wrong."

Once a week, eh? If I factor in arrears, that's... well... I am at least 250 sessions behind. Ideally more? I am so screwed.

OOoo.... Please pardon the pun. Read the whole Dr. Oz article here.

Why One Needs GOOD Tools

Today was a wrenching day. The clutch has been dragging on my Harley Sportster, so out comes the manual and tools.
First things first. I prop my sporty up so that she is leaning slightly to the right and pop out the kickstand just in case she tips toward me. Once 500 pounds start coming down, a kickstand will stop it; my arm will not.

Following the service manual, I loosen the clutch cable adjustment.
And then start to remove the "derby cover" with a Torx socket. It happens. This socket has been used about six times to remove and torque this cover. Apparently today was the day to fail. Before complete malfunction, I was able to torque the bolt, so the cover is still secure.
It may not be terribly obvious here, but the Torx socket is quite chewed up and quite completely useless at this point.

After this little failure, readjusting the clutch cable, I see this.
Great, a nice little 3mm finish crater in the left front of the tank, likely due to a rock.

So, what do I do? continue wrenching on my VX800 project!

25,000 Miles in 2010

In the spirit of my 25,000 mile goal for 2010, here are my odometer readings. My first year of riding in 2008 netted a total of about 16,000 miles. 2009 came in at about 19,000. 25,000 miles in 2010 shouldn't be too tough.

26,969 on Vixen, my Suzuki VX800. Hopefully she will be running and operational by the end of 2010.

17,225 miles, all mine, on my Honda Rebel.
And, last, but certainly not least, 67,929 miles on Athena, my Harley Davidson XL1200C Sportster.

2010 - No Resolutions for Me!

2009 was interesting. It was a year of discovery and adventure and duty.

And now it is 2010.

Honestly, New Years resolutions never made much sense to me. Typically after a few weeks they are broken. After a few months, forgotten.

Goals I can do, or at least work on. For myself, once a New Year's resolution is broken, it is broken. Goals, on the other hand, are more flexible and forgiving and in many ways more fruitful.

So, in that vein, here are a few goals for the coming year.

• Ride 25,000 miles. Yes, it can certainly be done. I'm up for it. Anyone want to ride along?
• Rebuild a motorcycle. Working on it!
  
• Rid myself of some debt.
• Write more.
• Simplify.
  
• Smoke less.
  

Several of these are already on my bucket list but just happen to currently be at the top of my list.

A few suggestions from people I know just couldn't make it to the list. Ya... No...

• Get a girlfriend. Ya, well...
• Write a book about my cross country trips. Well, in all, not a bad idea. It is simply not the right time for that.
• Open an e-bay business. Been there, done that. No Thanks!
• Get another Harley. Well, four bikes is more than enough for me. I don't need another! There is barely enough room in my garage for wrenching as it is.

And with that, I am off to finish my coffee and do a little wrenching.

Happy New Years, all!

Nexus

Each moment is the result of a function. The function accepts the results of all previous functions. It's result is used for all subsequent moments in a recursive fashion.

MomentType moment(MomentType ParmMoment [, ...])

As time moves forward the results become infinitely more complex.

Riding down the road, the cutting edge of then and now opens ahead. Why is this so obvious now that I ride? And, it is not only riding where I feel this sharp edge.

Carefully the saddle and tank of my VX800 project bike is removed and set aside for later attention. The bike's yesterdays all point to this moment. Why? This could easily be someone else restoring her. This bike could easily be on an unceremonious junk heap. Why is she in my garage?

And what was it's life like? I compare both of my VX800s; V1 (my first VX800 project) was thrashed and abused and ridden hard. Her inner rear fender is coated with melted and burnt rubber, her rear tire is flattened with no tread left. Wiring harness and pipes cut and slashed, most beyond repair. How was her last mile? Did she enjoy the mysteries of the open road? Did she dance in the twisties or tear up any gravel roads?

V2 was well taken care of until she started having engine problems. The tires, while now cracked, have sharp tread. Her saddle still supple and comfortable after nearly twenty years. The previous owners obviously maintained her well.

Now is the opportunity for infinite points of moments to come together, for an abused bike and a broken bike to merge into an incredible, uncommon function of steel and aluminum. And what of the possible futures for her?

What of the possible futures for me?

Tomorrow.

(Image "Nexus" from www.bathsheba.com/sculpt/nexus/ )

Little Project Bike Update

Honestly, I am too tired and not feeling well enough for a full update on my project bike. But, for those who appreciate V-Twin Suzuki bikes (Stacy) and other visually stimulated folks, here she is; a black 1991 Suzuki VX800.

OK, honestly, she doesn't look like much in this condition. The engine is in the garage, as is the final drive mechanism. Hence, the appearance of crap. BUT, I have all of her.

Current appearance not withstanding, this bike is a rare bird. She was only sold in the states between 1990 and 1993. At 805cc, this bike may be the largest displacement, most powerful motorcycle in the Standard class. (I may be wrong, though. Anyone?)

Oh, and I have heard of people who modified this bike into full blown street fighters, cafe racers, sport tourers and even one fellow who modified his into a dual sport adventure bike.

Strength

"Water is fluid, soft, and yielding. But water will wear away rock, which is rigid and cannot yield. As a rule, whatever is fluid, soft, and yielding will overcome whatever is rigid and hard. This is another paradox: what is soft is strong." -Lao Tzu

Many years ago, weakness was my friend. Bowing and breaking and allowing myself to be subjected to others' whims was the norm.

There was a rumble deep in my soul with no outlet, only a thin mirror reflected the inner storm. Then came the leathers and armor and gloves, and I felt strong and the inner storm started coming out, expressed some would say, as an intrepid, enthusiastic, inspirational motorcycle rider.

As it happens with many riders, one day on a long ride, I pondered how this made me strong. How is it this two wheeled machine gave me strength? How could this black leather and armor grant me, a quiet farm boy living in the city, the feeling of strength sufficient to do what must be done?

In the crystal blue sky was the answer. It is not the feathers of the eagle that make it an intrepid hunter, it is the eagle itself. The leather and armor and throbbing engine beneath were merely expressions of my inner strength. These things did not give me power, but rather reflected my own.

Those of you out there who feel powerless or weak, have more within than you know.

Desires and Dreams

Many face this conundrum; the near term satiation of desires versus the long term goal of dreams. Desires are subjective; ones desires or even dislikes may be another's dream.

The choice is personal and at times difficult. The desire, short term enjoyment. Not many will remember one for going out on a Saturday night to ride around in an attempt to impress the opposite sex. And what if the ride is successful?

100 years from now, people will likely not remember me for riding around and turning a few heads. A short term trist? It would likely be enjoyable but as permanent as a cool gust of summer air.

No. There are dreams; things of more permanence. The choice of dream over desire is not always easy, but is usually the better decision. It's an individual thing. Satiated desires in the pursuit of dreams are bonuses along the way.

Late Starter

By all intents and purposes, I am a late starter in the world of motorcycling. Sure, there were the occasional rides on the neighbor's little Honda 50cc dirt bike in the backwoods of Illinois when I was in high school. Maybe that is what lit the fire. For decades that ember sat somewhere, waiting.

Not until late in 2007 did the ember catch on. The reasons for the delay are many, and for the purpose of this, do not matter. What matters is that it did catch.

Yesterday I enjoyed the opportunity to ride up to Eureka with several other riders. No, we were not on bikes. 14F temps, in my opinion, are not conducive to enjoyable two wheel time.

The arid landscape is quite unlike that of Las Vegas. Here, is a quiet stark beauty. The roads are mostly two lane and sparsely traveled. The land, populated with trees and scrub, beckon the hiker, the rider, the adventurer. Odd signs, old roads and paths, ruins from the 1800's exercise an odd gravity to some.

To go where few if any tread. To experience what few if any do. To see things that few if any can or will.

These things urge me to go out and buy another type of bike. Maybe a little Honda CRF230L. Maybe a Yamaha TW200. Maybe something larger like a V-Strom or a BMW F650GS (see pic).

To think of the roads, the trails, the nights under the stars, the dirty, messy bikes, the broken spokes and chains, the friendships and experiences I missed while traveling my own path...

Being a late starter does not preclude one from missed experiences, it only means the new experiences can be savored more with a better trained palate. My project bike and the roads are calling.

Not a happy camper - bike damage.

No, I didn't go down, thank goodness. This happened while she was parked and I was in a meeting. Came out, hugged everyone good-bye, went over to my bike, started her, and as soon as I sat on the saddle, the headlight shown down on the damage.

It certainly could have been worse. The wheel or forks could have been bent. Heck, for that matter, the whole bike could have been taken out.

It is indeed possible the person who did this, didn't even know. But, if they did, minimally an apology would have been nice. Recognition that they made a mistake.

It is likely there would have been no police called, no insurance adjuster called. Just recognition.

Ah well.

Cause Cookies (Recipe)

There are special ribbons for breast cancer, domestic violence, Autism, child abuse, Fibromyalgia, AIDS and a host of other causes. Being involved with Bikers Against Child Abuse, the cause of child abuse is near and dear to my heart.

While thumbing through cookie recipe books, I found an interesting one in an old, 1950s Pillsbury cookbook. Little did I know this would be a rediscovery.

As a child, my grandmother make a doughnut shaped cookie that was simple and delicious. Somewhere along the way, that recipe was lost... Until today.

This cookie recipe is slightly modified from the cookbook to make it easier to roll into the shape I wanted. Here it is for all to enjoy.

• 1 Cup butter or margarine
• 1 Cup sugar
• 2 Eggs
• 1 Teaspoon real vanilla
• 1 Teaspoon real almond extract
• 1 Teaspoon salt
• 3 1/2 Cups unbleached flour
• 1 Egg white
• 2 Tablespoons water

1. Cream butter and sugar until creamy.
2. Add salt, vanilla, egg and almond extract.
3. Mix until well combined.
4. Add 1/2 of the flour.
5. Mix well.
6. Add the remaining flour.
7. Mix well.
8. Heat oven to 350F.
9. Cover and chill dough for 15 minutes or so.
10. Beat egg white and water very well.
    
11. Take a small piece of dough and roll it into a rope about the length of the width of your hand.
12. Fold rope into a ribbon shape and place on ungreased cookie sheet.
13. Gently brush a small amount of the water/egg white mixture onto each cookie.
14. Sprinkle with colored sugar. Choose the color that matches your cause.
15. Bake about 5 - 8 minutes or until the ends start turning brown.
16. Cool on cookie rack.
17. Do not handle until well cooled as the ends may crumble off.

There it is. Each batch of Cause Cookies makes about 100.

These are made blue for child abuse. Please celebrate and promote your cause with these simple cookies. And, please let them know where you got the recipe.

Ride safe, remember to use oven mitts and enjoy the holidays.

Baking <-> Life

Last night I made about 70 oatmeal raisin cookies. By the end of this weekend, there should be about three times that number, ready to be sent to family and friends.

They are luscious, light and just a little crispy. Among the cookie eating public, they are a favorite.

But, why stop there? Different is good! Diversity in all forms expands the horizon. Staying with the tried and true is safe and comfortable and familiar... and a bit boring at times. So, it was time to mix it up.

In an old cookbook, I located an interesting raisin date bar cookie recipe. Something didn't look right about it as the mixer whizzed around, but I continued. It was something different, something intriguing, something new... And it failed.

In the end, it was far too crumbly to send to any one and the edges burnt to inedible crisps that seemed similar to what bad, burnt granola might look and taste like. The unburnt portions tasted fine but were so crumbly, cutting them was a grand challenge.

Life can be safe and comfortable and familiar, and that is OK for some. And, that is periodically OK for others. But, it can be a bit boring at times.

Trying new things broadens our horizons, regardless of success or failure. The first time I made cookies at the wise age of five, they burnt to a crisp. Mistakes are the only way to truly learn how to make things better.

This weekend I will try to make those raisin date bar cookies again. There are many things I am going to try again. There are many new things I will try. Through success or failure, the horizon will broaden.

Better News for Wednesday

Iowa Harley Girl's blog post really got under my skin in a good way. Most of the news headlines these days is just plain irritating. I don't give a big care who Tiger Woods is doing! Why did Paris Hilton disappear? PFFTTT!!! Extended US Financial bailout? My wallet is pretty empty at the moment... NEXT!

So, here is one way to make the news headlines more interesting. Just add a motorcycle! Sure, the news itself is just as boring and tedious and bla, but the headlines would at least sound better.

So, here are my altered news headlines for the day.

• Obama Pushes New Stimulus - $5000 Cash Back on all Motorcycle Purchases
• The Mystery of Harry Reid in Black Leather and Chaps
• Why Did Paris Hilton Disappear on A New Victory Vision?
• Madoff victims ask Congress to recover their funds by selling off his 1940's motorcycle collection.
• Taking a break from his North American Electric Motorcycle tour, Al Gore rebuts Palin's climate change claims.
• Japanese Economy Grew More Slowly Than First Thought, likely due to surge in Harley Davidson sales.
• TSA passenger screening manual leaked online - bikers on list of groups to watch.
• Coffee, Exercise and Daily Motorcycle Rides Fight Prostate Cancer

**These are not real headlines! They are just for fun, parodies if you will.

Day 357 - Rain and Cold Delay

41 degrees F. Rain. More rain coming.

On my list of things to purchase is a little space heater for the garage. It does get cold here in Las Vegas, and wrenching on a motorcycle without a heater is just not my idea of fun. Hot cocoa, the 'net and a little reading is the primary order of business for me this evening.

Please don't get me wrong... I like riding in the rain. To a reasonable extent I like riding in the cold. The combination of the two is just not pleasant for me.

All I need now is a fireplace, etc...

Leaves

A leaf falls from its tree one brisk fall morning.

"Tree," it yells. "I am not done yet! The sun is shining and I am cold! Why must I fall to the hard ground into the shadows?"

"Do not fear, my leaf. You have many things to do before your time on the Earth is done. You must help protect and shield many from the cold and snow and wind of the season. They are depending on you."

"But this is new and I have no idea what to do! Who do I protect? How do I help keep them safe from winter? I am only a single leaf!"

"Our parents and their parents and their parents lived in this forest, my little leaf. It is not a matter of knowing, it is a matter of being who you are."

"The ground looks so lonely down there. What if there are no other leaves where I settle for the winter? How does a leaf blowing in the winter wind find another?"

"Take solace in the knowledge that your brothers and sisters will always be near and if you are alone and do not find another while flitting on the wings of winter, so be it."

365 Days Of New – Day 363

When strapped and blindfolded to the front of a speeding train, it can be difficult to notice its slowing. Laughingly, that is my financial situation. The train is indeed slowing; things are getting better; there are simply times when it feels like that train is barreling toward a bridge that is only partially completed.

Project Vixen, my little VX800 motorcycle project took a new turn over this long Thanksgiving weekend. After a day and a half of work, my garage was reasonably clean and work area temporarily set up.

With a container of parts cleaner on the right, soapy water on the left and a pile of Vixen’s parts in the center, she went from a disassembly project to a reassembly project.

It is time. Time for Vixen to change directions. Time to stop tearing apart and start cleaning and evaluating. Time to make some progress on my bike and maybe even myself.

So, 365 Days of New; new challenges; new beginnings; new experiences; and hopefully, after 365 days, a new custom Suzuki VX800 motorcycle in my garage.

“The secret of success is constancy to purpose.” –Benjamin Disraeli

Old Wounds

There it is. An old wound. Quiescent for months or years or even decades, once triggered they can change a life or change an outlook or change plans.

In the scheme of things this old wound is quite minor. Within the last twenty one years the only indication anything happened was a little pucker scar on the tip of my right index finger. Not even hundreds of thousands of keystrokes had bothered it.

In the summer of 1979 I could regularly be found wandering the woods or at a friend's farm. Well, on this particularly mild late summer night, my friend and I decided to make Molotov Cocktails and throw them at a pile of rocks. All went well until one of mine didn't catch on fire.

After waiting a little while we investigated. The bottle had fallen short and seemingly landed gently in the freshly plowed field that abutted the rock pile. I reached down to retrieve the bottle and quickly discovered it had indeed broken. Pain was instantaneous. It was not a bottle I retrieved, but several shards of glass embedded in a very bloody finger.

After a few swear words, alcohol, tweezers and a band-aid it was believed all was well. A few years later my finger started to itch. After several days of this a small piece of glass broke through. There was no blood and little pain, just a minute shard of glass.

What I believed to be the last piece came out when I was in college as I washed the dishes. As before it was an itch and after a few days a piece of glass pokes out.

Now, decades later, it is hurting. This is not without prompting. A great deal of my time this long Thanksgiving weekend was spent cleaning my garage, arranging tools, changing Athena's oil and working on my project motorcycle. Yes, muscles are burning. Yes, joints are a little painful.

This is new. An irritated old injury. It would be easy to stop working on my project bike or pay someone to change my bike's oil. That will simply not happen. This old wound will not stop what I enjoy doing.

Perhaps this same mode of attack could be used with other old wounds. Maybe.

Motorcycle Repair Shops...

Yes, Athena is out of the shop. With a new rear tire, rear brake caliper and caliper bracket, she is ready for a ride. While I am happy to oblige, there are some necessary comments that need to be made about this repair.

• Number One. I arrive and the Red Rock Harley Davidson shop to pay for the rear tire and warranty work, only to be shocked that the final bill was nearly $100 different from the initial quote! Why, WHY???
• Number Two. Is it THAT difficult to have a bike ready what the shop says it will be ready? I mean, REALLY?!?!?
• Number Three. I hardly recognized her when the shop manager wheeled her out. Honestly, it looks like not a single centimeter was untouched or unhandled by someone. What gives???

OK, now that I have your attention, I was smiling ear to ear yesterday. The shop manager explained to me that the initial quote included a set of rear brake pads. When they received the calipers, the pads were included! Fresh brake pads, no charge! The initial quote was nearly $340. Actual price paid, $265.

No, she wasn't ready when the shop told me she would be. She was ready BEFORE they initially said she would be! How often does this happen???

And, what else did they do? Removed 5500 miles of dirt and grime. They detailed her for free!!!!!

Needless to say, I am quite happy with Red Rock Harley. This is an unpaid recommendation; stop by Red Rock Harley on Rainbow if you are in Las Vegas and need or want anything Harley related.

OK, I am leathering up and going for a ride.

Biker? Baker??

One of the things I like to do is bake and cook. Yes, bikers can indeed cook and be darned good at it.

Here we have on the left a Peanut Butter Heath Bar cookie.

On the right is an experimental, and good tasting oatmeal white chocolate cookie.

Give me a bike to ride, a different bike to wrench on, few good books, some good friends, strong coffee and a good kitchen!

OK. Step away from the keybuard, buddy.

Much to my chagrin, I did indeed click the "Publish Post" button on my previous post. Let's start a few days ago, shall we?

Wednesday night I feel like a beer. So, while getting dinner for my daughter, her boyfriend and myself at a local grocery store, I buy a 12-pack.

'Sure, that will last me all weekend, no problem.' Hmmm...

So, Wednesday night I have two.

Thursday night I have two.

Then there was Friday night. For no particular reason I sat in bed and decided to watch some National Geographic videos on Hulu and have a few beers.

Then I proceeded to watch some episodes of "Quantum Leap" and other assorted sci-fi shows. And have some more beers.

AND then decided it would be a good idea to hop on the internet and have some beer. There is some reading and laughing and writing. AND beer.

Well, I fell asleep with the thought I had written something here and not posted it. OK. No problem. I try to be careful when drinking and writing, to NOT post something until the next day so I can honestly see what drivel I wrote.

OOPS. Not this time. But as a badge of my stupidity, I will leave it up. What the hell.

Ride safe, all!

The Phone

Here it is. A phone; a piece of machinery that connects people.

For the last 10 years or so, I owe my financial well being to the telephone. In 1998 or so my current boss at a telecommunications company calls me with a job offer. I accept.

Cell phones bother me. Not the phones themselves but just using them. For years, during the 'dark times' they were an instrument of codependency and manipulation.

The cell phone rings. My ex. "Where's the whiskey? I KNOW you know where it is!" "Mr. Razor, could you please pick up your wife before the cops arrest her?" I could go on ad-nausium.

Now, there is a need to grow past that dislike, pushing into my uncomfortability zone. It is a necessity. I need to call. Need to use this tool. If you read this and receive my call, I sincerely hope you understand. This simple act of making a phone call is not always so simple.

Satisfaction, Never and Always

Satisfaction, Never and Always.

The road tempts with catharsis and peace and power and freedom.

Every mile, every turn, every straightaway; desert or mountain or plain satiates the primal being. The grinding pegs, early mornings, hum of the road, thump of the engine, din of the wind washes everything away, leaving nothing but the rider's bare eternal primal soul.

The day's end, a beer, a camp fire, silence and reflection. More is needed. There is so much to wash away but less. Gaining in perspective but ride as one might through sun and rain, heat and bone chilling cold, the end of the ride leaves an empty something.

A turn, a fork in the road, an unintended stop may bring unknown adventure, a new friend, a partner or more. Who's to say for there is satisfaction. Yet at the end of the day there is not.

To ride one more day, to be satisfied, to cleanse, to make a difference, to carry the colors again. That is my desire; my prayer.

Waystations

6:30 AM. 40 degrees Fahrenheit. Humidity 84%.

Cold blooded Athena rumbles her complaints but knows we must be moving on. Another waystation ahead. Will there be shelter? Will there be dry warmth where the two of us can recover from the elements?

One never knows for sure when the next safe waystation may be. In this cold, harsh world, one must have faith in ones' friends and that the next stop will welcome the chilly, wet, tired rider. When a friend or waystation with open arms is found, they must be remembered, savored and held close to the heart, lest they be lost forever in a sea of mediocraty and ambivalence.

Maintenance & Repair Time

Yes, it is that time. Since Las Vegas really has no concrete riding season and alternate off-season, there is a certain pain behind my right eye while undertaking lengthy work on my primary motorcycle. If it is over 25F and under 120F in the morning, and Athena is willing, I ride.

But, it is time. She needs a little TLC. The items are not major, and will hopefully not keep me off the road long.

• Rear Brake Caliper - There is something wrong with the rear caliper and/or caliper bracket. The rear pin on the caliper and bracket is loose and simply will not tighten. In my attempt to investigate, something else was discovered... The primary caliper pin is the wrong size and was forced into the caliper. That pretty much ruined the threads, but to add to the fun, whoever did this wonderful motorcycle repair, used Loc-Tite. So, now the pin goes in far enough to hold, but not far enough for me to be comfortable.
  
• Rear Tire - $215. Before leaving on my little cross-country trip, the rear tire was worn but not unusable by any means. After riding up to Mesquite last weekend for a poker run, the tire is shot. The inner cords are now peeking through the rubber. NOT good. Date of repair... This Thursday.
• Engine and Primary lubricant change. Quite an easy process.
• Bike wash. Athena is quite the dirty girl and seriously needs a good wash and detail.
• Tune-up and scheduled check-up. Perhaps she is overdue by a few thousand miles, but it needs to be done. New or cleaned air filter, plugs, etc...
  
• Straight pipe liners. Liners in the straight pipes are starting to become loose. This causes a rather irritating rattle at mid-RPMs. It is a simple issue to repair.
• New headlight bulb. Somewhere in Georgia my high-beam light went out. Low beam still works, but only having one gives me the jitters.

Personally, I think the worst part of this entire process is cleaning out the garage so there is ample room to work. Getting greasy holds a certain amount of pleasure. Shuffling boxes and getting rid of the things littering my work area is just not that much fun.

Reason For

There on a large billboard along Interstate 95 and smaller roads in the eastern part of the Las Vegas Valley; God has a message for me. He knows my purpose.

Ok, as a starting point, I am not religious. If it is simple, consider me a spiritual agnostic who has seen a few too many things to consider myself a complete atheist.

The billboards proclaim that God knows my purpose. He does. Really? It happens again.

A yell, a scream, a grab, a cry for help. There is no In/Out sign. There is no on-call schedule. No one pre-arranges these things. They happen. For some unseen reason, I am just there.

Working backward: parent yelling, child screaming and no way I could track down the source of the sound before it stopped; photos of a young boy who was beaten by his step-dad because he was too loud in gym class; little girl, out of the corner of my eye, black eye, before I could get to her through department store crowding, she was gone; man yelling obscenities and threats at his wife from a hotel room; a man yells at and grabs his female companion; a young man, upset with his sister, swears and throws her baby stroller out of her pickup; a woman tries avoiding her argumentative male companion, she sits to eat an apple, he kicks it out of her hand, threatens her and runs away; woman tries running over her boyfriend with her car; and there are more and more.

Two years ago in October my motorcycle was delivered. That was when it really started. There were ocassional incidences before, but nothing like I have observed in the last two years. Abuse and mistreatment seemed to boil to the top and there I am. There are no coincicences.

God knows my purpose? Well. If this is it, I am ready. Bring it on.

Five Things About Razor

Reading through a "how to write a successful personal blog," article, the topic of new post regularity was mentioned. It went something like this, 'Post regularly, even if you have little to write about.'

One of the other topics was 'what to write when you have nothing to write.' That looked interesting. Right there was a post idea; a top five or ten list about you that no one knows. It shouldn't be a regular post topic and should contain obscure yet not mundane topics or things from your life.

So, here goes. Five things you may or may not know about me, Razor.

1. First Thing I Wanted to Be When I Grew Up: Astronaut.
2. First Motorcycle I Piloted: Little Honda dirt bike when I was thirteen years old. I was riding it in a field and the clutch cable snapped. Had to speed-shift it three miles or so, up and down hills. Quite the challenge.
3. First Computer I Owned: A Timex-Sinclair ZX81. After that, I built my own computer based on the 8080 processor, then moved up to a Tandy MC-10 Micro Color Computer.
4. Things I Did As A Kid to Stay Out Of Trouble: There were plenty of things to keep me out of trouble on the farm. I did the typical farm work, hunting, fishing and climbing trees. Books, short wave radios, computers and electronics also occupied my time.
5. What Am I Thinking About Right Now: Riding my dirty motorcycle to work. What else???
   

The Hawk DOT Wine Glossy Full Face Modular Helmet - Some Thoughts

Several weeks ago some young punks stole my helmets. One was an Arashi full face and the other was a Scorpion 3/4. Both silver.

Well, without a helmet I had no choice but to get a new one. After some thought I drove to Cashman Center on the last day of Las Vegas BikeFest. There at the LeatherUp booth is a red, modular helmet.

"How much?" I ask.

"$65. I don't want to pack all of this."

So, for $65 I bought a nice looking, DOT approved, modular helmet. Overall, it seems to be well constructed. The thumb pull modular release has never failed to lock or unlock. The paint and finish on the helmet's skin is rather thin and is not terribly durable. Mine has quite a few little scuffs and scratches.

There are two controllable vents. The one above the forehead tends to stick a bit. The vent in front of the rider's mouth doesn't stick much, but admittedly, the vents are pretty darned cheap.

Some helmets I have tried tend to deaden some of the ambient noise. The Hawk helmet does not, and I think that is a good thing. My Arashi and more expensive helmets did not attenuate the noise, and I like that.

The only thing that is a specific flaw in the Hawk Modular Helmet is the fact that the top of the visor does not even touch, let alone seal with the upper part of the helmet. In dry riding conditions, this is not a problem. In wet conditions this flaw becomes an issue. Rain easily enters the face area when riding through heavy rain, or slowly riding through moderate precipitation.

While this flaw is easily repaired with a length of simple household weather stripping, it is not something to overlook when reviewing.

Ken's ranking: 3.5 out of 5 thumbs-up.

Crushin' My Butt

Yes. It is that time... again...

On the last day of my little riding expedition, logic was surprisingly still holding strong. The thought was simple; 'I need to save money. Smoking costs nearly $100 per month. Smoking is not good for you. Quit. If I can ride like this, I can stop.'

So, at this point, my body as been without nicotine for 36 hours. It feels good... A little strange but good.

I am not depriving myself of anything else. Food, coffee, tea, sex, whatever... Oh wait. The whole sex thing, ya, about as active as a jelly fish after laying out in the desert for a few weeks. TMI? Sorry. No smoking here, so expect odd behavior. :-P

Seriously, since I quit a few days ago, it is as if I can't eat enough. Sure, I get full. It is as if I have the munchies. Well, healthy munchies. I am attempting to stay close to veggies and fruits and other healthy food. While not 100% successful, that's ok.

So, Athena awaits a new rear tire in the garage, Reb awaits a new oil seal. Vixen is still in 500 pieces and I fight the desire to grab a pack and start smoking again. Interesting day today.

Where I am, physically anyways.

Yup. Weatherford, Oklahoma. Just a little something from a wet, cold, bike riding amateur film maker. :-P

Riding Thoughts - Some Loose Ends

Riding for hours and hours, the subconscious tends to work while the conscious is busy controlling the motorcycle, time and space. Sometimes it locks onto something and nudges the conscious, 'Hey buddy, I got something important for you.'

Two days ago it knocked as I rode, cold and soaked to the skin. I have loose ends.

From my previous life there are bills and debts and loans. The reason is unclear completely, but my subconscious tells me that these loose ends must be tied up before I move on. To be clear, after the 'dark times' were over, I owe nearly $20,000 not counting my motorcycles. That is a chunk.

Through the recent years I have learned to trust my subconscious, my gut. Not going to question it, just follow the lead.

Now it is a matter of how to accomplish this task, and in short order too. I need to get past this.

Oh, and I don't gamble or strip so MegaBucks and male pole dancing is out of the question. LOL

Riding as Life

There it is. A singular road sign on a well trodden path pointing off to the right where fresh two lanes lead off into the woods.

What is there? Maybe nothing but a lane into another frustrating Orwellian housing complex. Maybe an uncompleted asphalt stub only leading to a dead end. Maybe there will be soaking cold rain along the ride. Maybe you will go broke. Perhaps it will be straight and perfect and a little boring.

But just maybe there will be mountains and twisties and sweepers and sights and sounds and scents never before experienced. Just maybe. Can you resist? Even the detractors and expense, the possibility of getting soaked or being bored add to the adventure. The possibilities and chances tumble in your mind as the exit comes closer.

On a motorcycle or life... Take it.

The Route. Here we Go!

Well, the route is set. Athena has a new set of grips, fresh oil and short of a minor 'Harley Leak' she is ready. I need to take care of some bills, pack and I will be ready.

Right now, the route is pretty solid but may be changed slightly depending on traffic, time, weather and a host of other things. But, here it is, in order of travel. If anyone wants to meet up, let me know. I plan on spending a few days in Pensacola and a few in Burlington, NC. Other than that, it is road-time, baby!



View Larger Map


View Larger Map


View Larger Map


View Larger Map

Another fellow is making a similar run for Best Friends Animal Shelter about the same time. The two of us discussed the possibility of meeting up, but alas, no luck. Maybe next year.