Well today while waiting for the monsoon I took those ugly ass Saddleman saddlebags off of my Sportster. Since they are bolt on, the rear turn signals have to be relocated to behind the bags. This isn't a problem since the bags come with plastic brackets to remount them onto. The problem with that is all the rear bolts have to be taken out to do the job. I had to remove two bolts from each bag. The same two that hold the sissybar and rack. The same two that also hold the fender to the frame. Done and done. Time to put the lights back on. Not so fast. The wires are threaded through the bag and I had to remove the plug from the wires. That by the way requires removing the tail light. Ok, now I'm ready. NOPE. Even lifting the fender as high as it will go doesn't give me enough clearence to install the 3.5" bolts without hitting the tire. Damn it! So I loosen the axel and belt adjusters and push the tire forward. Finally they go on. Much easier to put it back together.
Now what to do with the bags?
Friday, April 19, 2013
Monday, April 15, 2013
Virginia is for...
Well this installment of the Random Thoughts is coming to you from Christiansburg Va. Work has me out of town for couple of days. Virginia is for lovers or so they say. For me it's all work. I used to work here every single day, back when there was more money involved and my back was younger. Two years ago I, along with a few others spent some time here just enjoying the beautiful countryside. Plans are to revisit that idea again this year. For now, I just want to go home. I hate hotels.
Wednesday, April 3, 2013
Sunday, March 31, 2013
Well it's been a year since I posted anything here, time to catch up.
Firsth of all, Happy Easter everyone. Jesus loves you.
In the past year I have been back to work and I'm still broke as a convict, thank you family.
Our son Matthew has obtain his first real job. It's part time and he makes minimum wage but it's steady and he enjoys it. He makes his gas money and a little to spend on girls and what-not, for the rest of his needs we provide. He's still in school and an "A-B" student so we don't mind. I think he's looking at a junior college to start and transfer out. Hard to believe he'll be a Senior next year.
The daughter got her learner's permit. She's doing well and getting better as a new driver. Come April 30th she'll be ready for the road test and hopefully safely running about town and country with the freedom all 16 year olds should enjoy. Her mother and I bought her car as we did with our eldest so all she needs to do is continue to be the "A" student/athlete she is and concentrate on prepping for college.
Little man has entered middle school and is doing fine. The ADHA tends to play a role from time to time but we keep it at bay most of the time and his school work reflects it for the most part.
The wife and I celebrated out 18th anniversary in October. Still happy and WAY more appreciative of each other than where we stood when it started. Love you Tonya.
I have a new bike (finally). I lucked out and found a 2003 with VERY low miles and worked a deal where the bike is mine free and clear. Economy be damned, the bike is mine and it's not going anywhere. As fate would have it, out of the blue Peewee called the day after I got it and asked when we were going to go on another riding/camping trip like the one Billy, Wooley, and us took a couple years ago. I'm ready, well as soon as the tag office opens I'll be ready.
Firsth of all, Happy Easter everyone. Jesus loves you.
In the past year I have been back to work and I'm still broke as a convict, thank you family.
Our son Matthew has obtain his first real job. It's part time and he makes minimum wage but it's steady and he enjoys it. He makes his gas money and a little to spend on girls and what-not, for the rest of his needs we provide. He's still in school and an "A-B" student so we don't mind. I think he's looking at a junior college to start and transfer out. Hard to believe he'll be a Senior next year.
The daughter got her learner's permit. She's doing well and getting better as a new driver. Come April 30th she'll be ready for the road test and hopefully safely running about town and country with the freedom all 16 year olds should enjoy. Her mother and I bought her car as we did with our eldest so all she needs to do is continue to be the "A" student/athlete she is and concentrate on prepping for college.
Little man has entered middle school and is doing fine. The ADHA tends to play a role from time to time but we keep it at bay most of the time and his school work reflects it for the most part.
The wife and I celebrated out 18th anniversary in October. Still happy and WAY more appreciative of each other than where we stood when it started. Love you Tonya.
I have a new bike (finally). I lucked out and found a 2003 with VERY low miles and worked a deal where the bike is mine free and clear. Economy be damned, the bike is mine and it's not going anywhere. As fate would have it, out of the blue Peewee called the day after I got it and asked when we were going to go on another riding/camping trip like the one Billy, Wooley, and us took a couple years ago. I'm ready, well as soon as the tag office opens I'll be ready.
Thursday, March 29, 2012
An ass out of you and me
Why is it that as humans we always assume the worst?
All winter long, all WARM winter long, I have put off fixing "Big Ticket" assuming it was in need of a stater solenoid. Not the most expensive part of the bike for sure but 50 bucks is 50 bucks. Since I had no plans to ride over the winter that money had better places to be.
So tonight, after 12hrs on the job, I came home determined to stay busy since I am on call tonight. I knew if I sat down I would be tired in no time flat. I toyed around with the jeep while letting the battery in the bike charge a little. Just before going in the house I went into the building to see if I could jump the solenoid and at least start her up for the first time since October or so. Well due to the genius minds at Harley Davidson in the 70's, the solenoid is damn near impossible to get to with that rear exhaust pipe still on. Anyhow, "Big Ticket" has a starter button on the top tree for easy access when things are working right so I decided to just try it for the heck of it and it made a tiny noise at the starter. AH HA!! The solenoid is fine. I jumped the starter button and "Big Ticket" spun over a few times and roared to life momentarily. So it turns out that because I am not only a cheap skate but also a procrastinator that I have saved myself 50 bucks and quite a bit of heartache. As for my assumption of the problem, when you assume you make .......
All winter long, all WARM winter long, I have put off fixing "Big Ticket" assuming it was in need of a stater solenoid. Not the most expensive part of the bike for sure but 50 bucks is 50 bucks. Since I had no plans to ride over the winter that money had better places to be.
So tonight, after 12hrs on the job, I came home determined to stay busy since I am on call tonight. I knew if I sat down I would be tired in no time flat. I toyed around with the jeep while letting the battery in the bike charge a little. Just before going in the house I went into the building to see if I could jump the solenoid and at least start her up for the first time since October or so. Well due to the genius minds at Harley Davidson in the 70's, the solenoid is damn near impossible to get to with that rear exhaust pipe still on. Anyhow, "Big Ticket" has a starter button on the top tree for easy access when things are working right so I decided to just try it for the heck of it and it made a tiny noise at the starter. AH HA!! The solenoid is fine. I jumped the starter button and "Big Ticket" spun over a few times and roared to life momentarily. So it turns out that because I am not only a cheap skate but also a procrastinator that I have saved myself 50 bucks and quite a bit of heartache. As for my assumption of the problem, when you assume you make .......
Monday, March 26, 2012
I'm Back!!!
Well it has sure been a while since I put my musings to the world. Last posted August 6th? Yep, quite a while indeed.
So how has the world been without me? Just as screwed up as ever I see, maybe even a little worse. It is an election year after all. Ahh, elections. A process that sounds good in theory yet never seems to materialize as it should. As the days pass and the race gets closer the candidates abandon all their morals and standards just to discredit the opposition's campaign and drag their personal lives through the media mud. It's a wonder anyone even bothers to vote considering the choices we have. Strange how it comes down to just a matter of "the lesser of two evils". Not quite what our forefathers had in mind I would imagine. Lord help us.
So let's see, the price of fuel is up. No surprise there. What does surprise me is that somehow everyone seems to think there is some easy fix for it. The only way I see a reduction in price is if the rest of the world suddenly quits becoming increasingly dependent on it. Laws of supply and demand.
Reality TV is still running amok. I personally thought that it would have run it's course by now but apparently the masses can't get enough of the mind numbing, "unscripted" acting. My only "reality" show addiction is American Idol and it too is beginning to wane on me. "All good things..." I guess.
The job is doing good I guess. I find it best not to complain as it could always be worse. I like what I do and my 55-65hr weeks provide the necessary finances to pay the bills as well as pay the ones that are behind. We still aren't ahead of the game (I wonder if we ever will be) but we are catching up.
My driveway has adopted a Jeep Wrangler. More open air travel except this thing holds the family. Now to get the motorscooter back on the road and legal.
So how has the world been without me? Just as screwed up as ever I see, maybe even a little worse. It is an election year after all. Ahh, elections. A process that sounds good in theory yet never seems to materialize as it should. As the days pass and the race gets closer the candidates abandon all their morals and standards just to discredit the opposition's campaign and drag their personal lives through the media mud. It's a wonder anyone even bothers to vote considering the choices we have. Strange how it comes down to just a matter of "the lesser of two evils". Not quite what our forefathers had in mind I would imagine. Lord help us.
So let's see, the price of fuel is up. No surprise there. What does surprise me is that somehow everyone seems to think there is some easy fix for it. The only way I see a reduction in price is if the rest of the world suddenly quits becoming increasingly dependent on it. Laws of supply and demand.
Reality TV is still running amok. I personally thought that it would have run it's course by now but apparently the masses can't get enough of the mind numbing, "unscripted" acting. My only "reality" show addiction is American Idol and it too is beginning to wane on me. "All good things..." I guess.
The job is doing good I guess. I find it best not to complain as it could always be worse. I like what I do and my 55-65hr weeks provide the necessary finances to pay the bills as well as pay the ones that are behind. We still aren't ahead of the game (I wonder if we ever will be) but we are catching up.
My driveway has adopted a Jeep Wrangler. More open air travel except this thing holds the family. Now to get the motorscooter back on the road and legal.
Saturday, August 6, 2011
Just so you know...
I have not died, fallen from the face of the earth or even abandoned my friends and family. I have been away looking for work, finding work, finding better work and then making as much time as possible for the wife and kids.
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