Two Wheels and a Tank Full of Gas

Where the H*ll have you been?

2011-12-05T14:36:00.006-06:00

I was on a friend’s blog and noticed he had not posted since July! I was shocked W.S.! That was until I looked here… D’oh! So, call me kettle. What have I been up to? Well, from a purely riding position, I have not really done anything save for one Denton bike night since the July ride below this posting. Since Sept, I have been on a deer lease, and have seen nothing except crows and zombie nighttime deer pics from the camera. I duck hunted one day and had two firsts, a hooded merganser drake and a woodie hen. These are detailed in photos below. The box blind has become my weekend place, and by ET standards is not too shabby. No central heat, kind of cramped, no plumbing, but again by ET standards, nothing out of the ordinary.

I hope to ride more, and the hunting has really hemmed up my budget, but in the spring there will be a little more cash, and with an aging hunting dog and poor luck at the lease this year I will have to really question if the hunting with its high price of entry is practical when competing against riding, family camping and kayak fishing.

Hunter was really resistant to get the birds we downed in the big water, but was a little more open to going in the mud for the woodies until he tweaked his hip pulling up a hind leg in knee deep mud. So, I have said for a few years that “I am really only hunting for him and when he is done I probably am too.”

Where will I ride next? MN is off the table until I am gold-wing- corbin-saddled wealthy, but I would like to try another trip to the west. Maybe a ride to my cousin’s place on the river.

Alt Vacation

2011-07-20T11:09:00.003-05:00

As I mentioned, MN did not happen. The weather was horrible, and the logistics just did not work. The logistics failing mostly because I refused to stop & spend the night in Kansas and add two days to the trip.
Regardless, I have learned a few things in this ordeal. I am taking the Moto-Minnesota trip off of the table until when/if I ever own a gold wing. I went to Galveston, and in the heat, pushing for distance and not stopping much; I can cover 350 miles in 5.5 hours. And, my butt hurts. The sheepskin pad was helpful, but a $600.00 Sargent seat may be in the future. Again, I need to focus on the 300-400 mile per day rides over the 1000 mile per day rides.
I will look to the future to restrict moto-camping to spring, fall & winter. I have asked my wife to hit me with something heavy should I mention riding the ST to MN in the future.
To avoid the rain, I decided to go to Galveston Island. It was a hot ride. And it rained. I spent some time with friends and turned around to head back after two days of watching it rain on and off. The ride home through Houston was epic in the sense that at 5:30-6:00AM in rush hour traffic I was caught in the most violent thunderstorm I have ever ridden in. On I-45 I was trapped in the center lane at times riding in a foot of water, showered by arches of water from the surrounding vehicles unable to go faster than 20MPH with 100 foot visibility and unable to get off of the road. I assumed that my ticket was punched.
I rode out of the storm by the time I made the Woodlands, all the time just a step ahead of the developing weather. I made Huntsville and Sam Houston State park by 7:30AM. I used my parks pass to take a “natural” break, change clothes, drain the water out of my water proof boots and collect myself.
Traveling alone raised a few questions. One being, who watches your bike while you take extended “natural” breaks?
Regardless, I made it home again and spent the remainder of the break at the lake away from two wheels.

Not so Fast

2011-06-13T12:07:00.001-05:00

So, here I am on the precipice of another MN trip… cancellation. This time, I have everything I need, gear, bike (in for repair at the moment), time off, etc. However, the one factor beyond my control, the weather, has stopped me in my tracks. The jet stream is in an uncharacteristically northern position laying a series of storm systems, one on the next, through the central USA. The weather has been odd to say the least this spring. Between severe tornado outbreaks, midwest flooding, severe drought in the south and west, one is left trying to decide where to go.

Why is this particular trip so hard? Well, geography I guess. From the southernmost state of the northernmost is a logistical problem if one is trying to beat the extreme heat and cold. In Texas prime spring riding begins in mid-February and runs through early May. In Minnesota, it can still snow in mid-May, and often on the fishing “opener”, and the remnants of the winter sand and rock salt still lay on the road. In June the temps in Minnesota are pleasant and in the 70’s and in Texas and much of the US south of Iowa already in the 100’s and high 90’s. Pick up in the fall, October is pleasant enough in the south, but in Minnesota the leaves are changing and snow by holloween is not totally uncommon. The last time I went grouse hunting up near Duluth in mid-October, it snowed all weekend.

Riding north, out of the heat is a possibility; however, the trip home grows hotter by the day. Last Wednesday in Minneapolis it was 103 degrees. On the days in the 10 day outlook it that it is not raining, the temps from Dallas to Minneapolis are consistent within a few degrees. 18 hours in the saddle in temps from the mid to high 90’s can be dangerous.

So as time runs out on the “Trans-country” I am left to find a new way to while away the next two weeks.

Yes, I am still here...

2011-01-04T09:00:00.002-06:00

Well, another Holiday season in the bag. Not much going on but I suppose I am writing here so the TWAATFOG NATION (TFN) does not think this is a dead link. Was I limiting myself when I started this motorcycle blog so many years ago? I would like to think not. But I admit my travels have slowed since lost Rider Highway exited the two-wheeled plane and became a full time cager. It is not even a cool car, it’s a sedan.

Another shot at a MN trip? I don’t know. Funds will be an issue for the next 15 months since the Malibu has moved on to the other side. Its spot in the garage has been taken by another Honda, a CR-V with a fat payment that will all but kill me until AJ is out of child care. Speaking of moving on, we had put down a longtime friend over the Holidays. One of our dogs, Maggie, a 14-ish year old Sheppard mix was in poor health and it became her time. I wanted to publicly thank Dr. Wallace DDVM for her professionalism & compassion.

Truthfully, the only places I want to go, riding or otherwise are MN, Big bend/West TX, and maybe back to Galveston. BB/W-TX is a bit far to go solo, and can be dangerous if alone in the sense that if there were to be an accident the fire ants would likely get you before an ambulance would. MN is hard because 2/3 of the riding will be the commute. Also, the thought that you can never go home is ever present. The few people I want to see will be working which leaves be to my own devices during all week days. And the short riding season basically forces me to go between 6-15 and 7-31. G-town is cool but all of my friends have families and kids assuring I would get scolded for leaving them behind to pursue miles in the bike. When you look at a map of the US from a riders perspective North Texas is a black hole, a singularity for the over sensitive if you will.

Finally, for the last 24 months I have worked actively to expand my circle of friends and acquaintances. This has had mixed to crappy results. I have met a few people that have become good hunting buddies. On the Moto rider front, not so much. I thought I was meeting some good people but it was more like a handful of douchers and a thief. It is okay, riding is a solitary activity. If I meet someone along the way, fine, if not that is cool too.

Morning Ride to Lake Murray

2010-09-04T15:21:00.002-05:00

I took a little “get out in the first cool air of the fall” ride this morning. I drove a fairly deserted I-35 North to Oklahoma and from Hwy 7 found my way to the Lodge of Lake Murray. Built in 1949, and looking as such, it was still in operation. I did not get to check out anything but the lobby. It was like I stepped back into time, way back.

The trip home was a little hairier. I-35 was busy. Texas DPS Troopers were all over the place, a menace really the way they kept racing in and out of traffic nabbing people for driving 5mph over. Really, I had the GPS and would not believe it myself had I not seen it. Welcome to Texas, I hope you brought your wallet.

Here are a few shots from the trip.

Wheels Turning ... in my head

2010-08-12T11:35:00.005-05:00

Well, not just in my head. I hopped on the whistler (I guess the settled nickname of the ST1300 b/c the whistling sound the motor makes.) at 5:45am and ran the 125 miles to my mom's house to sit with her today. She had some neck surgery this week and pops needed to get into the office for a bit today. I snapped a pic of the Federal Pen in Seagoville when I stopped at a Prison-side-park to swap face shields from clear to tinted for the rising sun. I will call it Convicts at Sunrise.

Being on the road, knowing it will be 104 degrees today, had a euphoric feeling I have not had since big bend in May. It did not help that I had read a blog yesterday and today about a couple that had purchased and ridden a wee-strom from TX to Alaska & back in just over a month. http://2texans2alaska.blogspot.com/ All of the sudden a summer week in west Texas, although challenging, did not seem too tough.So, I am contemplating a winter trip somewhere, maybe back to big bend during the week between Christmas & new year's day. maybe a trip to do the things I was not able to do in May like the Indian lodge, McDonald, TERLINGUA, etc. The challenges will be different though. First, I have already been there (sort of) and am seeing in my minds eye the conversation with wife & child, me trying to sell them on this instead of being home during the winter break. Second, I will be solo, Lost Rider Highway having sold BOTH of his bikes. Ill show him though, I'll sell my duck boat and retire my dog, then he will be left with nothing but his own two dogs and his dad's new duck boat. Oh well. Finally, this costs money, and being right after Christmas the budget will be very strained.

However, the largest problem with BB in December is that accommodations are very hard to find. Camping space is competitive, hotels are spendy and the park will be crowded.
I may be able to compensate for some of this by traveling at a bit more of a brisk pace, thus camping less and consequently saving money. I felt that during the May trip I would have been happier covering 400-ish miles per day rather than the 250-300 we had averaged. we paced out days to kill a week, often determining distance by State Park locations. I have since learned that in west Texas camping is where you can find it. Campers are welcome in the city park at Terlingua, TX. There is no water or facilities but I am sure I can work something out. Also, instead of the Hill Country loop on the return trip, 2 additional days on the road, I will try the US 67 route to Ft Stockton & back. I will avoid most of the major highways and will see virtually none of the same scenery as I did in May.

Enough out of me. Any thoughts? Alternate trips? Since it will be the dead of winter may options seem to be south and southwest. That is like the local music scene here in Gun Barrel City, Country and Western.

UPDATE:

Lone Star Rally is off of the table. Too many people and no one to navigate the madness with. My G-town riding buddy will soon be turning his m/c in a jeep. I envy him a little. I felt the effects of my return trip from the lake in 102-110 degree temps through Saturday. A little cool air blowing in my face from a jeeps a/c would have been nice.

Gear Tidbits

2010-06-23T12:53:00.006-05:00

Last month concluded the moto camping trip of the year. I doubt I will do anything that grand for some time to come. The trip highlighted a few gear issues. One, the bivy tent although light and relatively comfortable is no place to spend a lot of time because you can do nothing buy lay there. Sitting up is a challenge, and changing clothes is impossible. I think my out of doors wardrobe changes embarrassed a few of my neighbors. Another issue is that there is no indoor storage for my gear, including tank bag, moto-zipp bag, or panniers. Had it actually rained on us all of this would have sit partially exposed on the vestibule or just placed in the open wrapped in a tarp. I could never shake the thought of a peccary (javalina) destroying my new moto-zipp tail pack.

This has been remedied by the purchase of a CHEAP bass pro shops 7 X 7 dome tent scored on sale for 50% off at $29.99. Moto camping seems to be hard on tents, as evidenced by the wear on the REI bivy. This is in essence the disposable rain poncho of tents. I should be able to get all of my soft gear in this tent. Reviews are stodgy, but if I seal the exposed seams, along with the pre taped rain fly I should be okay in bad weather. I do not like the plastic floor, but it was $30.00, and I always tote an indian blanket anyway so I will never feel it.

The other MAJOR problem I had was no pillow! I was miserable for 6 days over this problem. I only slept moderately well on the last night, and only because I knew I would soon be able to buy a pillow. The very day I returned home I went to the Walgreens I had passed up the perfect pillow at a few weeks before and spent $4.00 on a pillow. The event was so traumatic that I am still looking for spares in the event I am ever without a suitable travel pillow.

The last gear tidbit I wanted to mention was my new Coleman LED lantern. I am still looking for a reading/tent light for my trips. I picked up the Coleman micro-hiker lantern ($20.00 at amazon) for this purpose. It is a great lantern but the light is uneven and there are hot & dark spots witch don’t work very well to read by. Having said that, this lantern is a step in the right direction. The major drawback is the switch. I routinely unpack this lantern to find that the “press to operate” switch has been triggered in the pack. I traveled with the batteries removed after the second incident. I am really interested in the Brunton Glorb sold on the Aerostich website, but for $35.00 I am passing for now.

Big Bend Cycle Trip

2010-06-08T12:06:00.003-05:00

I wrote my riding journal up two weeks ago, two weeks after my return from the “big bend” trip. I needed that time to properly process the trip and read Jupiter’s Travels through the African portion of Simon’s journey. What erupted from my brain was a 4800 word novella worthy of prison issue tp. However, divine intervention & cheap Chinese components saved the TWAATFOG nation the misery of reading it. The very next time I went to use the laptop it died. Really, the very next startup it never booted again. All was lost. I was heartbroken not because the lost work but because I type soooo sloooowly.

I do not want to just let this pass, so I provide here the short version, two paragraphs per day recording destinations, distances and accommodations. I reserve the right to mention up to two oddities per day.

Day One, Sanger to Colorado City, TX via Abilene: Miles = 260
We left at 8 am, light rain threatening, and via Ft-Worth rode to I-20 towards Abilene. We made Abi at lunch and dined next to a bothersome bum in an older Whataburger. The staff was nice, and seemed interested in our journey. We noticed how fast our tires were wearing. Mike’s front was looking done in. We fueled in the ghetto and were on our way. We arrived in Lake Colorado City State Park about 2PM. We were asked to wait until 3PM to check in. We killed the time visiting with the maintenance ranger prepping what would be our cabin. Much was learned about the lake, namely that it was “dead”. The cabin was nice and smelled of bleach, one of my very favorite clean smells. We had a nice clean cabin and a porch with a picnic table to loiter about. The view was nice but knowing that the lake was “dead” ruined the mood.

Oddity: The lake cooled a power station about ¾ miles away and the cabin was situated almost directly below the high wires to the plant. This all provided for a constant humming sound no matter where you stood in the park.

Day Two, LCCSP to Ft-Davis, TX via Midland / Odessa, Pecos & Ballmorea: Miles = 250
We set off early to Midland to buy Mike a front hoop to be installed in Odessa. The explanation would violate the rules of the “short version”. We were in Odessa until 3:30PM. Original plans had us in FT-Davis (Mts) State Park at 1PM. We got a late lunch in Odessa at the Permian Basin Hamburger Co. This was, as it turns out a twin to the Denton County Independent. I met the owner and UNT Alumni & Friends of UNT b/c I happened to be wearing a UNT shirt. It was a pleasant surprise to help salvage a lost day. From Odessa, 100 degrees according to the ST’s computer, we rode towards Pecos, seeing towering dust storms on the horizon. At Pecos, intermittently 110 degrees we crossed “west of the Pecos” and turned south on hwy 17 to Ballmorea. We finally met our dust storms and the 60 mph winds that spawned them. This was the hardest riding of the trip. Ballmorea started the topographical change as we approached the Davis Mts. We arrived in at Davis Mts. State Park at 5PM. We made camp, went to town for dinner, found a 6 pack and called it a night.

Oddity: A “boys school”, think boys town, moved in at the campsites directly across from us. They did their best to be quiet yet manage to cost me two nights sleep.

Day Three, Alpine, Marfa, Ft-Davis: Miles = 100
This became a rest day of sorts. We were too exhausted to ride to the national park. We had a plan B in the works that involved a scenic loop in the desert. The ride was fun; though I was franticly searching for a pillow after two nights of discomfort. After several stops I gave up, but this became a huge issue for me throughout the entire trip. I liked Alpine and the Marfa lights watching center, and I got my first real taste of the Chihuahuan Desert. The panoramas reminded me of all of the old westerns I grew up watching. The desert is vast. We were back by 2PM. After a little struggle to get a cold beer, we bought another 6 pack and went back to camp. In town we met a few Germans touring rented Harlies just up from Terlingua and the national park; they had commented it was 115 degrees there at 11am. While in camp we met a woman riding her bicycle from Savannah, GA to San Diego, CA. She had been on the road since October. I have been following her progress on her blog. We cooked in the campsite and turned in early. I was still stinging a little for not trying to get to Terlingua.

Oddities: I drove all this way and did not eat in the Indian Resort in our own campgrounds and I did not get to see the McDonald Observatory.

Day Four, Ft Davis to Junction, TX on I-10: Miles = 300
From this point on there was much cursing & gnashing of teeth over the new computer system that TPWL rolled out while we slept. This was our biggest day, mileage wise, and all but about 45 miles on the 80MPH endless ribbon of IH-10. Let me say, 80MPH is really comfortable for the ST, but I don’t care too much for it. We reached Junction, quickly, before 3pm and were (eventually) checked into our campsite in South Llano River State Park. The grounds here would rival many private golf clubs. It was truly a park. This was reminiscent of the private campgrounds I grew up in. The Davis Mountains and SP were wild, this was a beautiful contrast. My mood sank to an all time low. We were battling fatigue and rain and I was losing. We rode to the town’s only grocery store, my lowest point, and spent $42.00 on cold cuts, olives, cheese, smokes and a 6 pack of Tecate. The cold dinner did me good. The rain held off and we called it a night, too tired to stay up late.

Oddity: Mike picked a strange place on IH-10 to relieve himself. Standing on the shoulder of the tarmac watching 18 wheelers race by at 85MPH is enough to make your sphincter tingle.

Day Five, Junction to Inks lake SP, Burnett, TX via Fredericksburg and llano, TX: Miles = 150
An early start prompted by the sound of thunder had us skipping coffee and on the road by sunrise. The trip to F-burg was nice and we dodged most of the rain. In F-burg, after asking around we found a good breakfast, clean restrooms and a gift shop for taking care of a few family obligations. While having an ice cream snack on Main Street we met a few riders that were able to show us the “three sisters” on my map. This was also when I noticed I had some sort of oozing abscess under my left thumbnail, presumably caused by a “hot spot” that a seam on the thumb of my glove was creating. A good squeeze and some iodine and we were back on the road. We rode through Llano, and I regretted not stopping but between the large amount downtown roadwork and the chasing thunderheads we pushed on to Inks Lake. The cabin was not as new as LCCSP, but the table & chairs inside the air conditioned space was a great luxury after living at picnic tables for 5 days. We napped then ventured to a very nice park store followed by dinner of spam, ramen and crackers. This was the best meal of the trip. The previous two days my packing had become horrible so I used the evening to go over every piece of gear and repack it properly. I was ready for the trip home.

Oddity: Nothing of note except that I have yet to receive my cabin security deposit back from ILSP.

Day Six, Burnett, TX to Sanger, TX via Ft-Hood, Belton, Temple, Waco & Ft-Worth: Miles = 270
Mike was up early packing. Since I had packed the previous evening I was a little put off; until lightning flashed in the window. It was time to go home. We rode in Friday morning rush-hour traffic from Ft-Hood through the south side of Waco, traffic being heavy all of the way through Ft-Worth. IH-35 sucks. One fuel stop and a speedy breakfast standing next to the bikes at a Hillsboro 7-11 and we were back out dodging 18 wheelers, SUVs, and rain. The rain finally caught up with us after two and a half days of cat & mouse, less than 10 miles from home.

BB & Back

2010-05-18T16:13:00.007-05:00

We made it back I will get the journal up later, but here are a few pics from the Trip.

Big Bend Bound

2010-04-28T09:37:00.000-05:00

Big Bend appears as though it is going to happen. However, please do not look for any Facebook or blog updates until I return. Now that there is a new generation of scumbags scanning these site to see who is not home so they can rob the place while you are gone a guy cannot even travelogue anymore. Thanks A-hole.

So, this is what is on tap: We will stay at or hit the following places. Lake Colorado City SP, Balmorhea SP, Fort Davis City & SP, Marfa (sweet), Terlingua, TX, Big Bend NRA, Marathon, TX, Alpine, TX, Fort Stockton, TX, Junction, TX, South Llano River SP, Fredericksburg, TX, Marble Falls, TX, Inks Lake SP.

If we still have anything left in the tank we will head to the folk’s place at cedar Creek Lake. Check back for updates and pictures from the trip!

First Farkle

2010-03-22T10:08:00.002-05:00

A question has plagued mankind since the dawn of time: How fast am I going in this po-dunk little town? Moto speedometers of the electronic variety are notoriously inaccurate. Usually in my favor, but I have found that going too slow is also another condition that gets extra attention from the po-dunk LEO community. Going below the posted speed limit is obviously the sign of a drug runner and warrants a little suspicion, occasional shake down and sometimes the random unlawful intimidation.

My GPS is very accurate, but until now I have had no way to hold it on the ST1300. I have just ordered the Universal brake/clutch lever mount from ram for my GPS. So, deputy dog will need to find a new way to pay for his Copenhagen & BBQ.
This will create the opportunity for farkle #2, a power supply to run said GPS.

Pre BB shakedown

2010-03-19T22:40:00.007-05:00

Planning a BB-NP trip and 6 days of riding/camping and never having been out on the ST1300 I was a little worried. This week being Spring break I had a little comp time to burn so, needing a little rest, I was to ride up to Concours Mike’s dad's in the OK mountains, more specifically Winding Stair National Recreation area, North of Talihina, OK. The ride would be a good sample of what we are to encounter. 250 miles up, I would sleep on it, and 250 miles home. I would be gone just over 28 hours and would get to sample 2 days riding and 1/3 of our big bend ride. I would ride up alone and return with Mike.

I rode up Thursday leaving at 8:45, fueled up in Atoka, cut across a sweet valley ride from Stringtown, birthplace of Reba, (OK hwy 43) to Sardis, OK and then on to Talihina. In Talihina, I fueled up, ate a NASTY gas station cheeseburger and a snickers at the pump. I was at Mike’s dad’s place at exactly 1pm. I rode 230-ish miles in 3.25 hours. The temperature never got above 55 degrees.

That evening we took a late afternoon ride to Heavner, OK for a nice dinner at Vickie’s diner. Do not expect to find much on the town square unless you can speak Spanish. There’s also an abundance of chicken farms and of course chicken trucks.

A few notes: My purchase of the Camel-bak classic 70 oz (2-liter) hydration pack was the greatest thing ever! When I left my house I did not put a foot to the ground until I hit a stop light in front of the Choctaw Indian casino 100+ miles away. I was able to gulp some water at the light. On fuel consumption, both of my stops required less than 3 gallons of premium. I averaged a little over 41 miles per gallon. The range of this bike is staggering in motorcycle terms. My camera crapped out on me during my 4th picture. It turned to be batteries.

The return trip was cool, with us hitting the road at a leisurely start time of 9:30am. Starting temperature was 55 degrees. Our first leg was on OK Hwy 1, better known as the Talimena scenic parkway. The section we rode was about 25 miles of bombing up and down small mountains racing from hair pin to hair pin at speeds of 60-80mph with a stop at the final look out before descending into Talihina. Every day should begin this way.

The most notable events of the ride home: Mazzio’s pizza is the most popular place in Atoka. The wind ran 20-30mph in our face and across us beating us to a pulp the entire trip home. For the first time ever, in my witness, the Red River had A LOT of water in it. It looked like a river. We were home at 2:30pm.

A few (more) notes: Long distance riding is an endurance sport. I have plenty of will & determination, I however am a little short on the endurance side of this endurance sport. My goal for the next 55 or so days is to spend some time increasing this endurance with walking, riding my mountain bike and with liberal use of my dumbbells.

Minnesota Out Big Bend In

2010-03-11T09:11:00.001-06:00

My talk of my epic MN trip has once again damned the trip to oblivion. A few factors popped up that were not easy to overcome. First being that traveling with a second rider really adds complexity to the venture. If I screw up in distance planning it is not just me sleeping in the bed-bug-inn or on the side of the road somewhere. Also, a challenge, and one that cannot be addressed until actually on the road, is finding the balance of distance between two riders. One person will inevitably be able to ride longer than the other. Even in a balanced situation, one person stops before they need to and the other has to push themselves to their limit. Done 6-8 days consecutively and it compounds with fatigue.

The other factor is that there is NOTHING to see between OK and MN. The lion’s share of the riding is just a commute. Unless I am going to do an IBA SS1k (1000 miles/24 hours) there is no reason I can see to make that ride. My first long haul on the ST1300 should not be a SS1K.

So, the alternative we selected was Big Bend. Neither of us have ever been there, we can still kill a week on the road. We get to finish in the Hill Country, and we will never be more than 700 miles from home in this loop of about 1700 miles.
It is a great thing Texas is when you think about it. We will be able to ride 1700 miles and never see the Gulf coast, go north of Abilene, East of San Antonio, or south of Del Rio.

We have booked our camp sites and the days look like this:
1. Sanger to Lake Colorado City SP = 260 miles
2. Colorado City SP to Fort Davis = 256 miles
3. We will stay here two nights. The first day (afternoon we arrive ) we may ride the 100 mile Ft Davis loop after we make camp) = 100-ish miles
4. Day Ride – Fort Davis (via marathon) to BBNP Park HQ, to Study Butte, return to Fort Davis = 249 miles
5. Fort Davis SP to So. Llano River SP in Telegraph, TX = 292 miles
6. Telegraph via Fredericksburg & back roads to Inks Lake SP near Marble Falls = 129 miles (will be more depending on what we do on the way)
7. Inks lake SP to Sanger, TX = 261 miles

Total (-ish) miles = 1547 in 7 days plus day rides.

No Comment

2010-02-03T11:02:00.003-06:00

Hello,
Due to the recent "rash" of spam comments offing to make a quick buck I am turning off comments. If I can find a way moderate them, aka approve before posting I will. I would gladly take the SOB posting the spam comments and run him through neck-to-nether-regions with a flaming pole and post a photo of his carcass on my front page.

Until later, G

Finally a Trip, But Still No Bike

2010-01-15T08:49:00.000-06:00

I am leaving for the Wichita mountains wildlife refuge in Oklahoma for a weekend camping trip today. This is a place I have frequented for many years. Some of my greatest outdoor moments have happened within the boundaries of this 50,000 acre playground. I have been able to drag friends, co-workers, associates, relatives, girlfriends, dogs, fiancé, wife and many more to this great place. I am looking forward to bringing my kid there, but we are a year away from that. The lengthy relationship between cougars (the mountain lion variety, not last call), coyotes & rattlesnakes and 30 lb children has not been lost on me.
I have only been twice in the last 8 years or so. The first of the two was right after we moved back from MN in 2001. We were a group of three couples and our dog maggie. The trip was defined by two moments. The moment I had to turn back while hiking up elk mountain. Not by my design, and I have not summated since. The second was a rather nasty run in one of our party had with a couple John Wayne meets Terminator, meets A-hole, meets fondling themselves while watching COPS Park Rangers. You know, typical L.E.O.’s. The second was about 4 ½ years ago. A party of three we avoided most of the hiking and concentrated on canoe/kayaking and wandering flat trails.
This is kind of sad considering the great times had in this historic region. The goal this weekend? We will climb elk mountain. The best I can tell I am about 40lbs heavier than my last summit and at least 9 years older. This is a recipe for a long-ass day. Maybe I should buy that $49.00 care-flight membership? When I get back I will post a couple of before/after picturess of this weekend and maybe one from college for “perspective”.

Another Winter

2009-12-15T14:19:00.004-06:00

Too cold to ride, too much work to ride, too many commitments to ride. The fact is even though I have not ridden I have been able to duck hunt this year. Now “hunting” would indicate that I have had some luck in the field. I have not. I think I have about 3 birds for the season. However, I have had the pleasure of meeting a couple of new people in which to hunt with and have hunted a few places I had never been to before. I have been out about 7 times, 4 more than last year, and there is about a month and a bit to go. I have even had the boat out once.
The reason I have been able to get out is mostly because I had to work a few evenings in November freeing up a few mornings during the week. I also can get out most Sundays. Since I am usually out by 5AM and back by 11AM the family inconvenience is “minor”. The fact is that if duck hunting happened at midday it would never happen for me.
What about after the season you say? Well, I plan to ride. I am (again) planning the MN trip. If you have been here before you know that I have been trying this for 4 years. Last year I scrubbed because of repeated mechanical problems of the mule which led to its being sent to the glue factory, opening up the car-hole to the St1300, a bike yet to be named. Any naming ideas are welcome? A few names kicked around have been “Whistler”, “Yamato”, “Silver Surfer”, “Ester” and “Aluminum Falcon”. This is not the first go round for this topic.
I have the MN trip itinerary done, but it was created with the riding & fuel distance limitations of the Strom in mind. I would like to think that with the improved wind protection and doubled fuel range the ride will be altered. I don’t think we are talking about taking off days but I should be able to improve over the 450 miles per day I had originally intended. The difference is between endings in Missouri on day one vs. making it to Des Moines Iowa. Maybe an extra 200 miles on the trip up and back.
The intriguing part is that I am considering doing a saddle sore 1000 for the trip home. That would be a certified 1000 miles in 24 hours through the bun burner association. That would hopefully mitigate the typical end of the adventure doldrums.

Getting a Job = Harvard Admission... Hardly

2009-11-06T13:08:00.003-06:00

Landing a job like getting into Harvard
By Samuel Sherraden, Special to CNN , November 6, 2009 9:45 a.m. EST

I read the above article and about busted at the seams. I wonder why they do not post Job search articles by the two groups of people that actually know about job searching; job seekers and career services professionals.

More tiring yet were the comments! Apparently, this is Bush's fault, even though the housing Mortgage meltdown can be traced directly Bill Clinton's policies forcing banks to make risky loans to people who could not afford their homes. Or that the only way to fix this is for a greater government roll in the economy, which is contradictory, small economy = big government, large economy = small government involvement. This is kind of a rule.

I work in the career services industry and have for the last 9 years. I think it is fair not to count the “discouraged” workers in some unemployment measures. Some workers labeled as “discouraged” are actually voluntarily unemployed workers and often only work when convenient or when the standards for achieving and maintaining employment come with limited effort. Once the task of achieving and maintaining employment become too great many will drop out of the workforce until the next low unemployment cycle puts hiring managers back in the position of “looking for someone with a pulse” to fill open vacancies.

I by no means want to diminish the plight of job seekers. Since just before WW2 full employment figures have ranged from as low as 3% to as high as 7%. This economy sucks but saying getting any job is like getting into Harvard is wrong. For example, this does not take into consideration geographic or educational variables in the unemployed. During Recessions College graduates suffer unemployment at roughly half the rate of non graduates. Geographically, unemployment in Dallas, Texas is 8.3% and Detroit, MI is 17.8%. Yes, gettign a job in Detroit may be like getting into Harvard, but finding work in Dallas or Houston might be compared to getting into a State College.

The author's blanket statements just fuel the fire of despair for workers just when they need the most support. People like Samuel Sherraden push more people into the "discouraged" worker category lessening the likelihood that they will find a job to support their family. The next payroll these people will be on will be the Gub'ment, and once on that payroll it is nearly impossible to get off.

What kind of bike is this?

2009-10-19T21:30:00.003-05:00

Here is a higher res picture... I hope, I am not sure what blogger will do to it. Click on the image for the full size picture.

Still less than 1500 miles on the Silver Surfer!

2009-10-15T11:54:00.001-05:00

Where have I been? Well, nowhere that’s where. I am only writing to let the Twaatfog nation know that I am still alive. Same story really. Sick kid, rain, more illness, more rain, built an ark, fine ants, plumbing, drywall guys, work, and repeat. In my 20+ years in Texas I do not remember a Fall like this. We have been in a repeating rain cycle since late September! I have recorded over 9 inches of rain in the last 3 weeks. My teeth are floating. I know in Texas there is an unwritten rule to never complain about rain, however I would not mention this rule to Clayton Williams lest you want to be shot, but I am sick of this. The new ride rots in the garage, along with everything else at 100% humidity, as I watch the riding season slip away. The weather guy said sunshine today. Maybe later, it is raining this morning. Today I pushed the issue and rode in during a light misty rain, hoping to ride home in the sun. Time for Mother Nature to make a choice! Consequently, I left my rain gear at home.

ST 1300 Update

2009-07-22T10:16:00.002-05:00

So many people have asked where I have been. Actually, that is a lie; the two people that read this have a pretty good idea of where to find me on a daily basis. On June 25th I took and passed my PHR exam. I studied a solid month before the exam so most of my spring was lost to the stress of SHRM. If you are in TX then you know the weather sucks right now. Just last weekend we broke a 17 day 100 degree+ streak. There were several 102-105 degree days in that run. This week is tolerable but I have yet to sit in the bike. In 48 hours I will be on my way to Galveston, in a rented breadbox, to celebrate my 40th.

The ST has 575 miles on it. I wanted the break in (300 miles) to get done quickly but I have been advised to ride it easy through 600 miles, the traditional break in period. What have I learned so far? Don't buy a bike in June, it’s too hot. The ST1300 is heavy and steers that way up to about 20 MPH. Don't buy a bike in June, it’s too hot. The mufflers superheat the contents of the saddle bags once you stop. Don't buy a bike in June, it’s too hot. The ST lacks the "flick-ability" I am accustomed too. You cannot turn the handle bars lock-to-lock with a real tank bag.

My opinion of the bike has not really changed from the initial assessment. Honestly, it is a little boring... In a good way I guess. The Strom had so many quirks that it was a living project. The ST1300 just sits there in its well engineered glory ever ready to be ridden. It personifies the old Honda marketing slogan "You meet the nicest people on a Honda."

I explained it to a friend this way: When I would walk into the garage and look at the Strom's intimidating yet insecure countenance I envisioned a drunk slurring loudly at me "What are you looking at!" as I fetched the frozen peas from the deep freeze. The ST is more like "Welcome to my garage. Where can I take you today?" It just sits there in quiet perfection.

Mods? Well, to be honest the windscreen stinks. That would be first. Second would be inquiring into front end adjustments. When the adjustable windscreen is all of the way up the rear end feels loose at high speeds (70 & up). It almost feels like the vacuum behind the screen is so great that the rear end is being levered up off of the ground. It is unsettling. With the screen all of the ways down you get a healthy dose of wind but no helmet buffeting. I usually leave it down.

Hello New Friend

2009-06-17T12:29:00.008-05:00

Remember back a ways when I said that anything that does everything, probably does not do anything very well? After a few touring trips this became apparent about the Mule. I could have lived with the shortcomings of road use but my riding habits never evolved into the Paris to Dakar type I had envisioned. The real rub has been the “burden” of Strom ownership. The fit & finish of the engineering was not there. Air-box problems, finance company issues, crankcase issues, clutch issues, chain-set issues, rear hub issues, fuel-injection issues, aftermarket luggage, windscreen, crash-bars, center stand that never fit quite right… issues. Most damaging was the lack in confidence of the entire platform and longevity concerns. Since the drama of owning this had been so high the dealer bought her back from me at what I would call a very fair price.
So, out with the Mule and in with the Honda ST 1300. I got a square deal so the buyer’s remorse is at a minimum. This is a purpose built machine of the sport touring ilk. If this bike could only speak 3 words it would say “I eat miles.” And since it is a Honda it has engineering that makes Germans and OCD people (me) giddy.

It was hard to say goodbye, but we both will be better off. Dusted down in the drive this morning I took one last picture of her. I have always given human emotional attributes to my modes of transport, so it hurt as little bit to watch her rolled away. It was reminiscent of breaking up with a crazy college ex-girlfriend. The one that would start fights (with men) in bars and do all that crazy “stuff” you could ever imagine. You hate to see her go but it is best for everyone that she/it is gone! Such as it was with the mule.

The sadness did not last too long though. The moment I sat astride the ST I was in love again. All of the anticipation, newness and excitement renewed with a turn of the key and a stab of the throttle. Love is fickle I guess when it comes to bikes.

Back on the road again

2009-06-06T11:38:00.004-05:00

While doing some "routine" maintenance on the mule, part of the "get over it process" I found that my local shop failed to reinstall the airbox gasket on the mule... 7000 miles ago! Needless to say running an open air element in the motor is not too good for a lawnmower, much less a modern motorcycle. After my freak-out and cuss down (not really, I was mostly polite) of the local shop I ordered the replacement. While waiting for the part (that has yet to arrive) I visited with the offending shop's GM on Tuesday to discuss this situation. I went well armed with my manual, maintenance records, and a link to the thread on VSRI forum detailing how eas it is to "dust" a motor. In the meantime I was forced to order a K&N filter since my gasket is still MIA. So, I said goodbye to $65.00US and installed the new element and rode straight to the shop for the required tests.
The outcome so far has been positive. The results of the compression / leak down test were: Front cylinder = 147 psi /-2% leak, Rear cylinder =145 psi /-3% leak. The service specs are 114 psi / 7% respectively. I pick the mule up today and barring any (more) damage caused by the shop I should be good to go. Oh, and while dropping the bike off Friday I found the the service manager has been replaced. A lesson for the millennials, being a gifted technician no matter your profession is no substitute for being a dick to your customers! The new guy seems nice.

Get Over It!

2009-05-28T11:03:00.001-05:00

I just had to get over it. I wiped the “shit” from my hands (See the Gummed Up post) and really rode the mule today for the first time in over a month; that was not a trip to a mechanic or to a friend’s to wrench on it. I still think the clutch is, at the very least, not working right, and that it was running poorly. I changed the oil, continuing the use of Mobile1 4T, and re-replaced the rear sprocket. The sprocket I replaced was the brand new, less than 100 miles, black powder coated Drive Systems™ branded cog that came with the new D.I.D.™ chain kit. (Like the ™’s? I watched the Love Guru last week. You will need to see it to get the joke I guess). The coating immediately came off and the bits of powder coating, which I can only assume would be somewhat abrasive, coated my brand new chain. I replaced it with the OEM sprocket.
Everything I had done was merely scheduled maintenance, some a little early, to keep from having one giant repair bill all at once. What have I learned? The dealer’s mechanics really prescribe to a “ride till it breaks” philosophy. Presumably problems are easier to diagnose & repair if they are broken. I guess that is why you see so many motorcycles on the side of the road?
On the road this morning the mule ran great on a semi-spirited back roads route to the office. While waiting at what seemed like an exceptionally long red light I realized how much I missed riding in to work the last month and a half. The light changed I popped the mule into gear, released the clutch a little fast and something “slipped”, “popped”, “skipped”, “lurched” or “slid” as I accelerated away from the light! It felt clutch-ish or chain-ish or it could have simply been the rear tire spinning in some oil at the light. I pulled off to check out the bits & pieces and after a quick inspection I was on my way. My WTF moment was left behind in the parking lot I had just left. There is nearly 18,000 miles on the clutch, close to the natural life expectancy for a fat guy’s bike, and I doubt the new chain jumped a cog. It could have been a film on the clutch plates from sitting for several weeks??? Who knows, who cares, I am just going to ride it. If it breaks and I cannot fix it there are people for that.

Just don't get it?

2009-05-21T14:18:00.003-05:00

Remember the news about the Flight 93 Memorial? I guess there was enough negative response that a form letter was created. It did not address the Government's willingness to steal private property, just provided details on the legal sodomy and processes that the rightful owners will be subject to. Below is a copy of my e-mail and the Park Superintendents reply:

My E-mail:

To 05/07/2009 02:58 FLNI_Superintendent@nps.gov PM
cc Subject From NPS.gov: Flight 93 Memorial Email

Way to go! Creating a memorial for a small group of heroic Americans by stealing a small piece of America from its rightful owners? That is kind of ironic actually. If you steal their land I will never visit, donate or volunteer in another federal park again!

Sincerely,
Glenn Jensen

The Reply:

Re: From NPS.gov: Flight 93 Memorial‏
From:
Adam_Shaffer@nps.gov
Sent: Thu 5/14/09 4:30 PM
To: mn_northstar@hotmail.com

Thank you for your email of May 7, 2009 regarding the Flight 93 Memorial.The National Park Service (NPS) has begun the process of eminent domainto begin constructing the Flight 93 Memorial in time for an opening on September 11, 2011. Through this action, the NPS is ensuring the permanent protection of theremains of the forty heroes of Flight 93, in what is truly a national cemetery. In addition, the NPS is keeping the promise made to the partners and the community that the memorial will be dedicated by September 11, 2011, the tenth anniversary of the 9/11 attacks.
The NPS, as well as the Families of Flight 93, has been working with landowners since 2005; but with several exceptions, offers made to the landowners have been unsuccessful. Now, to meet the construction timeline,we must acquire the land by exercising the authority authorized by Congress for the Flight 93 National Memorial, and request the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) to make the necessary filings in U.S. District Court. We will provide copies of updated appraisals for the land to the DOJ for use incompensating landowners for their property. Under eminent domain, the landowners are entitled to "just compensation," which ensures they will be paid fair market value for their property. Construction of the Flight 93 National Memorial will begin by the end of2009 and the Memorial will be opened on the tenth anniversary of 9/11.

Thank you for your interest in the Flight 93 Memorial.
Sincerely,
Joanne Hanley Superintendent

Everything but depth of penetration and the revolutions per minute!

I guess in this case if you are "the landowners" (people, objectified 4 times in two paragraphs) you have "no rights". "The landowners" are citizens but because of their location have been denied their property rights and the rights afforded to them by the 4th amendment.

For those who voted for change I sure hope a plane does not crash in your backyard.

Me Big King Obama. Me Take Your Land...

2009-05-07T14:13:00.004-05:00

There goes the constitution, well the 4th amendment to be exact. The Federal Parks service is going to condemn 500 acres of privately owned field, including two “cabins” or homes as some people refer to the place they live, so they can build 58 million dollar memorial to the passengers of flight 93 in Pennsylvania. I am not against a memorial, but the seizure of private land to satisfy the request of what amounts to a small but vocal special interest group. The Vietnam memorial traveling exhibition has proven that the monument need not necessarily be at the location to honor the spirit. My father in law is visiting it today in North Texas! The people on flight 93 were fighting for freedom and liberty; not the crushing of the 4th amendment or for a Government that assumes what is yours is theirs.
You can visit this link and tell the parks service how stupid this is here: http://home.nps.gov/NER/sendmail.htm?o=%3B%3B%3AGUDJ%2B%40NJR1J1JA%5B1%2AEJ4%2E34J%5D2II%5F16%21%22X%0A&r=/flni/contacts.htm
Or you can e-mail this guy in the PR & Marketing area: David_Barna@nps.gov

Gummed Up The Works

2009-05-06T14:07:00.001-05:00

I’ve had this feeling lately. We have all had it. The feeling where everything you touch turns to shit in your hands. What is the opposite of the Midas touch? Most recently, my truck, motorcycle and sparrow inhabited powder room exhaust fan. The truck & the sparrows I can live with, one being self inflicted, the other negligence vaguely sort-of on my behalf. The worst though is the Mule. In the process of “making it better” and doing the prescribed maintenance this has, well, turned to shit in my hands. While replacing the chain & sprockets, I somehow f’ed up the clutch. Two dealers have proclaimed it fine, but I still feel to the contrary. And, on my way back from the second shop to get it looked at while riding home in a light rain it seems to have lost some power on the upper end. Hopefully the drivability is atmospheric, it has been about 90% humidity here for a week.

All of this from performing routine maintenance. Nothing was even critical yet, I was just preparing for the Minnesota ride (Again!) that will not happen this year. It has been like an unraveling sweater once you pull the first string. Maybe my new motto should be “Neglect the bitch.” I know that won’t work too well with my OCD. In a whimpering fit I placed a thread on the TWT forum detailing my problems. To my delight several fellow stromers (I shall hence forth call them mule-skinners in honor of Little Big Man) have replied to my plight and have offered to look at the bike to see if there are indeed problems, or if it is just in my imagination. I have also been invited to the TWT tech day in Burleson, TX to have any interested tech types give the mule a listen & drive. We shall see.

Welcome to Government Motors

2009-04-30T14:04:00.003-05:00

I’m a Chevy guy. More so, I am a GM guy. Have been for a long time. My stripped 99’ Malibu will clock 175,000 miles at its next oil change. The fact that most of the cars my family has owned have been GM’s does not escape me. My dad in his 65 years has never owned a Toyota, Honda or Nissan. To my knowledge, the only foreign car he has ever owned was a Daihatsu he took over the payments on for me when I was in college. A great car but just that, “just a car”. The manufacturer only gone now because Toyota bought them out, mined their technology and closed them down to eliminate a domestic (Japan) competitor.
My first cars were Oldsmobile’s and Buicks, 70’s junk from the oil embargo days. Olds is gone, Buick only survives because it is a price point between Chevy & Cadillac. All of these had “personality”, some good and some bad. My most memorable cars? My first car was a 1973 Olds Custom Cruiser Wagon we called the Sub-Urban Assault vehicle. An army green grocery getter hand-me-down from my mom. At a buck a gallon it was a $30.00 fill up. I sacked a lot of groceries to cruise Forest Lane in Dallas, TX on Friday nights. I had a 1977 Buick Electra with a “plush” back seat... if you know what I mean. However, my number one would be my (don’t laugh) 1984 Chevy Celebrity wagon. Should be on the all time ten worst GM list but only misses the cut because it was so forgettable that nobody remembers how bad it really was. This car, which I paid $250 for with 92,000 miles on the clock, got me through college… all 6 years of it. It had gone 196,000 miles the day I traded it for my first new truck, a very forgettable Ranger.
But here is the thing, none of these cars I have mentioned ever left me on the side of the road. I changed the oil, fixed things as they broke, and did not drive it like it was stolen. If you take care of your car, it may last forever. Ed Wallace said it best a few years ago on his “Wheels” radio program. Paraphrased, “If the average American car owner treated a Toyota the way they treated their Cavalier, the car would not last as long. The typical American car owner does not properly maintain their car. The tolerances of American cars are built to the specifications of their consumer’s habits, not for optimal quality.” My Malibu would agree with this.
Why the blathering about this? I feel that the demise of GM & Chrysler, the latter filing bankruptcy today, can be aimed in a lot of directions. Labor Unions (my #1), politics, leadership (tied for #1), globalization all had a hand in this. You cannot blame the workers. Look at the quality of the products being built in non-union plants, not just Toyota. Did you know American workers build the Toyota Matrix side by side with the Pontiac Vibe in California? The Matrix outsells the IDENTICAL less expensive Vibe at almost 2-1.
GM engineers were handcuffed. Designers & Engineers reverse-engineering new products backward with the budget remaining from Inflated labor & benefits costs, Michigan taxes, political kick-backs and what have you. You build a $20K car that only $5K goes into the vehicle. The archaic union model has destroyed this industry. Are the non-UAW American employees of Toyota, Hyundai, Nissan or Honda being exploited? No, and the pay is comparable. The Department of Labor and EEOC have long ago taken the torch in the protection of the worker’s wellness. Where will UAW workers go when the American car makers are gone? Nowhere, they will stay home and ask the Government to care for them, just like the Union did. And this administration will do just that, just check out the “Employee Free Choice Act” legislation.
As reported in CNN money, the now government controlled GM will give the UAW 41-50% ownership of the company. Before we buy a car from Government Motors ask yourself, what has the Gevernment ever done really well? Stumped? Me too. What kind of a car will you build if you know you can never be fired? How many raises will you give yourself since you are negotiating your labor contracts in a mirror? You can read the article on the link below. I fear I have bought my last GM. This is a sad day.
On a brighter note, Ford in not doing too bad. JD Power has many of their vehicles beating Honda and Toyota in initial quality! Who knows, in 10 years I may have a 175,000 mile Ford Edge or Fusion in the driveway. All I need to do is change the oil, fix things as they break, and try not drive it like it is stolen
http://money.cnn.com/2009/04/30/news/companies/gm/index.htm?postversion=2009043010

Spacer Mod Done!

2009-04-15T11:27:00.014-05:00

The spacer modification is complete. The job took about an hour but I took my time cleaning and inspecting everything I removed. This included visually inspecting brake pads, caliper, drive cushions, chain (toast), rear sprocket (toast), spacers and axle. I cleaned the rear sprocket and all spacers for good measure. Surprisingly, everything internal still looked newish. As an added bonus, I appear to have sealed bearings so the commonly reported rust was nowhere to be seen. I did this alone, but it would be a little easier with another set of hands and a gopher so you would not be up and down so much. I could have done this in as little as 30 minutes if I was rushing. The greatest consumer of time was aligning the sprockets during the chain adjustment. The guides on the swing-arm are too far apart. Had they been closer it would have taken a fraction of the time.
Results? First impressions are positive. The wheel is now 2mm to the right. Handling changes should be negligible. I was told that the chain would ride centered on the sprocket. The “naked eye” measurement, not a micrometer mind you, looks like the offset may be over corrected. However, the chain and sprockets are toast. I will reevaluate this when the new chain is installed. The largest benefit I can see is that the 1st-2nd gear shift is much smoother. This comes from proper compression of the cush’s and proper loading of the carrier bearing (supposedly) causing less slop in the drive line. This should only get better with the new chain. Now, the offset chain / sprocket issue. I am not too concerned. If Suzuki shipped it over 2mm off and the stock chain lasted 16,000 miles I am not worried about a better chain lasting any less time. Chain replacement at 6000 miles is common. I’m fat, so the stock chain lasting 16K with poor alignment is miraculous. I do not expect less from the DID X-ring.

Maintenance & Stuff

2009-04-08T15:35:00.002-05:00

I guess I am lazy when it comes to blogging. I recently read that travel & adventure bloggers should blog 3-5 times per week (or more!) or not bother. Really? First, I have a job, kid, wife, house, dogs, hobbies and a ton of yard work to deal with every day. When would someone have time to blog 3-5 times (or more) per week. I have a life. I guess.

Maybe I should take up twitter? That’s all the world needs is minute by minute updates of the minutiae of my life.
My first tweets….
10:02 AM – Hmmmm , seems clean enough
10:03 AM – checking the bottom of the seat
10:04 AM – evaluating paper supply
10:05 AM – double checking stall door lock
10:06 AM – cold seat
10:08 AM – Damn, single ply!

There are some things the TWAATFOG nation need not know.

On the Mule side there have been some maintenance issues to deal with. The mule is getting old, she is almost 4. I just ordered my first replacement chain this week. The stocker lasted 17K miles which I am told is quite good. From Sprocket Center dot com I purchased the DID gold X-ring VM2 chain with a stock set of steel AFAM & Drive Systems sprockets and rivet master link. All for the Princely sum of $185.00 incl. shipping. The identical chain alone at the Denton CC was $189.00 plus tax. Sprockets would have tacked another $100.00 plus on the bill. I will have an old neighbor over to help with the install. Another $50.00. This set-up I am told should go up to 20K miles if I treat it right.

While I am forking over the dough for the new chain I thought I would address the rear wheel misalignment issue. All Stroms (02-09) have the rear wheels offset by 2mm left. I purchased a spacer kit through the RichlandRick’s (VSRI forum) spacer replacement & exchange program. I get a fresh SS spacer -2mm and an outer spacer (like a washer) that goes on the axle at the left swing arm. I then send my spacer in to be machined for a future stromer in need. Cost = $40.00. Now 1 in 10 bikes will need a little extra tweeking but I am told any local machine shop can clean up Suzuki’s mess for about $15-40. I am told under strict authority that this is a truly necessary mod for optimum chain & carrier bearing life.

And that my friends is the difference between Suzuki AT bikes and let’s say BMW GS’s. BWW, upon finding that all wheels on all GS bikes are off 2mm would have sent a smallish Bavarian gentleman with a lathe, micrometer and a little steel lunch pail to my house to fix the problem in my driveway. Suzuki on the other hand, once acknowledging the engineering gaffe promptly said it was in our imagination, it was within “tolerances”, it was not worth re-engineering (even though a guy named Mike in Switzerland did it for them) and if we do this ourselves we will void our warrantee.

This is really a tribute to the V-Strom that the riding community sees such potential and value in this package that they elect to re-engineer manufacturer mistakes. There is almost an entire cottage industry build around replacement ECU’s for the V-Strom. I know it sucks a bit but I guess I will cry myself to sleep every night on the $10,000 I saved by buying the mule over the GS.

Winds-day thoughts from the fringe

2009-03-04T08:30:00.003-06:00

Happy Winds-day Roo.

"This year, taxpayers will receive an Economic Stimulus Payment.
This is a Very exciting new program that I will explain using the Q and A format:

Q. What is an Economic Stimulus Payment?
A. It is money that the federal government will send to taxpayers.

Q. Where will the government get this money?
A. From taxpayers.

Q. So the government is giving me back my own money?
A. Only a smidgen.

Q. What is the purpose of this payment?
A. The plan is that you will use the money to purchase a high-definition TV Set, thus stimulating the economy.

Q. But isn't that stimulating the economy of China ?
A. Shut up.

Below is some helpful advice on how to best help the US economy by spending your stimulus check wisely:

If you spend that money at Wal-Mart, all the money will go to China.
If you spend it on gasoline it will go to the Middle East.
If you purchase a computer it will go to India .
If you purchase fruit and vegetables it will go to Mexico, Honduras, and Guatemala (unless you buy organic).
If you buy a car it will go to Japan .
If you purchase useless crap it will go to Taiwan .
If you pay your credit cards off, it will go to bank management bonuses and they will hide it offshore. Same with stock investment.

Instead, you can keep the money in America by spending it at yard sales, going to a baseball game, or spending it on prostitutes, beer and wine (domestic ONLY), or tattoos, since those are the only American businesses still operating in the US.

Wow, a motyorcycle story

2009-02-04T13:31:00.005-06:00

Well a sad one anyway...
An old man in Japan died when his bicycle was struck by a motorcycle. Unfortunately, he did not go fast, he died because 14 hospitals failed to admit him. Read the story: http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/A/AS_JAPAN_MEDICAL_CARE_DENIED?SITE=TXSAE&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT

The really scary part is that (brace for bait & switch) we are choosing Socialized Health Care (SHC) as we speak in the USA. The new CHIP bill last week put another 3-5 million people on SHC! How do you roll back the clock on socialism when your entire family relies on it for all basic needs. Quality health care for your family used to be a motivator to succeed. Has the government ever succeeded in making personal choices for you? I recently learned from a Labor Lawyer specializing in Health care Law, yes damn his oily hide and all that, that over 70% of all hip replacements to the elderly in the state of Minnesota are given to Canadian citizens. Why would someone leave the land of socialist milk & honey for medical care in the US? Well because according to some age/societal contribution calculator old people in Canada (75 & up) will not generate enough tax revenue to justify the expense of treating their ailment. The Labor Lawyer, yes damn his oily hide and all that, referred to the Canadian system and most SHC as health care rationing. He contended that Illegal Aliens in the US get better health care just by walking into an ER than most Canadians. Plus, they never pay! Good for them I guess.

Anyway, the main reason I care about this today is because without the for-profit US system my 2-year old daughter would not have had the after hours pediatric urgent care office to fix her separated elbow last night. She could have gone days or weeks in Canada without seeing a pediatrician, or maybe have been turned away at 14 hospitals in Tokyo without any assistance.

Yes, an after hours kids only urgent care clinic you say! An innovation formed from the mind of a person that saw a possibility to make a buck and help families. In SHC, there will be few innovators, but many bureaucrats. Remember your last trip to the DMV or the Unemployment office? Think of that experience when your kid, spouse or parent is ill.

What is a Trillion?

2009-01-30T15:33:00.004-06:00

The B.O. presidency is about to pass an 850 Billion dollar “stimulus” package, criticized as being a fast-tracked budget extension for many liberal pet-projects. Additionally, most economists feel the expenditures are too slow to develop, and that the economy, left alone, would recover in about two years. Many provisions of the stimulus package would not even be in full swing yet. We, as a nation are about to have an operating deficit of one trillion dollars.

I have for years (since 1988) said that liberal government’s primary directive is to get people so dependant of government programs and money that the people would resist change for fear of losing assistance, thus creating a permanent liberal state. A government that will let enough individuals fail to give the masses a real fear of what life would be like without the government aid, but offer no real motivation to excel since the burden of the poor rests firmly on the shoulders of the successful.

So, back to my question, what is a trillion? We see the word and probably think hey, it is only one more than a billion and just two more than a million. I think if the media showed the number instead of the word people would be a little more concerned.

With my question in mind I took to the Inter-web and this is some of what I found.

• Trillion = 1,000,000,000,000.00, or a 1, twelve zeros and 4 commas.
• A Trillion in time: A million seconds ago was 12 days ago. A billion seconds ago was 1959. A trillion seconds ago Neanderthals were wandering around France.
• Based on the US Treasury’s average gross income of a working American I would have to work 17,233 years to make $1,000,000,000,000.00. However, since I work in education I may need to work 20,000 years.
• Light travels about 186,200 miles per second. It takes the light from the sun 8 minutes to reach Earth. If I could ride the V-Strom to the Sun at 100 MPH it would take me over 105 years to get there. At light speed, light leaving the Sun would take 62 days to travel a trillion miles.
• A Trillion in Distance: A trillion miles would be about 350 trips to Pluto & back on the V-Strom if we were both on the same side of the sun.

I do not know about you but that last one made me a bit nauseous.

With this in mind I do not think is unpatriotic or that I lack compassion for the people in need if I want to ask where my money is going.

How long does it take to heal?

2009-01-08T14:52:00.001-06:00

I was walking through the halls of campus and saw PE-BO (I coined it, it’s mine) on one of the numerous flat panels that adorn the corridors on campus. Of course I got my requisite laugh out of the plaque on the podium that read “Office of the President Elect”. He did not look out of place nor was I shocked to see him as the next President. Please do not confuse that statement with any, and I mean any, softening of my opinions for the man. Swap the word welfare for stimulus in any of his speeches and you know where the country is headed.
Anyway, the reason I bring this up is because the media made race such a big deal during the election that in hindsight I put some deep thought into who I supported. During the election I publicly stated I did not think there was really that much of a difference between PE-BO & The McCainiac. So was I supporting McCain because he was “like” me? Ideologically, I am a fiscal conservative with many liberal social views.
You get intriguing glimpses of yourself when you have your guard down and you least expect it. So when I looked up and saw PE-BO on TV, in that fleeting unguarded moment, the only disdain that surfaced was for the man’s policy and not who or what he is. That answered my question.
Now about the healing, in the aftermath of the aforementioned fleeting unguarded moment, I felt no loss or anger. I am not stripping the Bikers for McCain stickers off of the mule or anything like that but there were no real passionate emotions that erupted. I was upset about the election outcome. I do not expect to win every election, but I have not been as beat up as the typical Texas democrat. I (my party) have not lost a presidential election since 1996. I have not lived under a democrat Congressman or Senator in a longer time than I can remember and the last democratic Governor elected in Texas was was Ann Richards. So, I was poised to take the loss quite badly. I still occasionally see the faded Kerry or Gore stickers trolling around on battered Toyotas and wondered if I was going to be that guy. I am glad to say I have healed and the time required seems to be about 64 days or less. I got over it and I will continue to try and make a better life for my family in spite of the new liberal political machine. I will transfer any new tax burden levied upon me and remove the exact amount from any nonessential spending prolonging the current economic slump. I will not reward any increased middle class taxation with increased consumerism and I urge the TWAATFOG nation to do the same. How was I able to “get over it” so fast? I figured that out too. (Humor & Generalization Warning) To most hard-core liberals politics is their Religion; they are in fact mostly godless. So, getting over an election loss is not readily possible because their political ideology occupies the same space in themselves as a sole would reside in normal people. To walk away from the election would be the equivalent turning your back on your Religion. Since my political ideology is but a small portion of who I am I only needed 64 days. In other words, I have a life to attend to so I “got over it”.

Of Dogs, Ducks & Guns

2008-12-23T22:44:00.007-06:00

This all started this summer with a brave proclamation… I am not hunting duck this year. Instead, I would spend my fall and winter weekends camping, cycling, and hanging out with my kid. Truth be know it was not just the time and competing activities that prompted my proclamation but also increasing license fees, asshat game wardens, limited hunting lands and a tight economy.

Then this Fall while sitting on my deck in the sun; it was one of those days you could smell the hint of winter in the air but the Sun would still hit my back yard in the afternoon, I took a good look at my undocumented Labrador retriever Hunter. No he is not Mexican, just a W.O.P. He does not have papers but take one look at him and his pedigree is undeniable. He is one of two remaining pups from a litter of 14 that did not sell five years ago. The other is his brother Rusty, Lost Rider Highway's dog. In the late afternoon light I could really see the gray in his beard and on his muzzle. I was feeling guilty so I started the process of trying to figure how I was going to hunt this year. Slowly I bought licenses, some diver decoys for the big water and got ready to hunt. One problem remained, there was nobody to hunt with. Everyone stuck by their guns but me.

Almost weekly I started loading & unloading the boat but never getting out. Some days it was 80 degrees sometimes it rained or was too windy and other times I was just too damn tired. If you know me then you know how OCD I am and how much this was stressing me out. The next thing I know and my dog is looking at me and thinking “hey dumbass, it’s the end of December and there is only 5 weeks left”. He was right. Two days before the University’s holiday break I burned some vacation time to get into the field.

Day one, Monday, we went out in 26 degree weather and got skunked. It did not help that we did not get out until about 9am. The crack of dawn right? Actually, I had not scouted this property this year so I was not eager to walk in before first light. We did not see any ducks but I took advantage of the situation to properly scout the property. Tuesday we were in at first light and had the last decoys and the blind set right at shooting hours. It was 32 degrees and freezing rain. We were better today, two teal, a drake & hen.

Last year I would have never hunted in these conditions, but this year the pressure was really on to get out. I am glad I did. These two birds in these conditions really got the monkey off my back. The dog is happy and so am I. Is there a moral to this story? I don’t think so. Maybe there is, don’t skip any duck seasons because you do not know how long your Lab will live?

Good Riddance

2008-12-17T09:48:00.004-06:00

Maybe the TTC (Trans Texas Corridor) is done? Maybe our Governor, who likes to not listen to us, will finally get the message, through force. His pet commission, The Texas Transportation Commission, which runs TxDOT was abolished by the Sunset Commission Tuesday. The Texas Transportation Commission was the architect of most of our private toll road projects in Texas. The commission will be replaced by a lone Commissioner that reports directly to the Legislature. Hopefully gas taxes which account for about 3.5 Billion per year will finally be used for road and highway construction and maintenance instead of Governor Perry’s pet “economic development” projects.

Depleted Stars?

2008-12-17T09:13:00.004-06:00

There has been a lot of talk in the press about a depleted Stars lineup. It is bad to be missing 7 key starters but I think we have become spoiled here in Dallas. We still play a team every night with Brad Richards (MVP), Mike Modano, Marty Turco, Mike Ribero, Mark Parrish, Daryl Sydor, and Fabian Brunnstom. These players are rounded out by young players like Loui Eriksson. We even threw away Sean Avery. He needed to go but on a team with less talent I do not think this would have happened. Ask St Louis fans if they would be disappointed by this depleted lineup? Would they have ditched Avery? They would, for the first time in a long time, have some hope for their team.

We have just become used to Hick’s open wallet for his sports teams. Although I may not agree with many of his choices I would never fault the guy for not trying to put the most competitive product possible on the ice. Now if I just had FSN & Versus (at a cost of about $100.00 p/mo) I would gladly watch this depleted team play the last 50 games of the season.

Epic FAIL

2008-12-12T14:14:00.005-06:00

Personally, I do not like any bailout and prefer to let the market decide. But, does the market control GM & Chrysler? I don't think so. I think there is a lot of outside political and labor meddling. By now everyone knows the package failed in the senate. GOP representatives would not sign off on any loan that did not get consessions from the labor unions. Since the fingers of failure seem to universally point in that direction that may not have been a bad idea.

FROM DMN:
"That bill passed the House on Wednesday but immediately ran into opposition from Senate Republicans who said it did not go far enough.
On Thursday, they demanded the United Auto Workers union agree to accept a lower pay and benefits package that would be in line with compensation earned by workers at U.S. factories producing cars for Japanese companies such as Honda, Toyota and Nissan. In an unprecedented series of negotiations, lawmakers met with representatives of industry and labor on the first floor of the Capitol in hopes of striking a deal - the effort that ultimately collapsed when the UAW balked at the terms demanded.
At a news conference on Friday, UAW President Ron Gettelfinger accused GOP senators who blocked emergency loans of trying to "pierce the heart" of organized labor.
Sen. Bob Corker, R-Tenn., who played a leading role for Republicans, told reporters at the Capitol that the talks came close to success but failed when the UAW refused to commit to lowering its pay-and-benefits package in 2009 so it would be "at parity" with the Japanese companies."

You cannot restructure an industry withou restructuring all of the components. Labor, you see, thinks that the carmakers work for them. I think there is some irony about to happen here. The GOP, which labor stabbed in the back by supporting Obama, just returned the favor to the UAW. And now their only hope resides with Bush. If I were Bush I would let the UAW rot. Let the automakers reorganize under CH11 and the UAW will be history.

The new big three (Toyota, Nissan & Honda) seem to build decent cars without paying fat union bosses kickbacks and huge salaries to unskilled workers. When you think about it, the best cars in the workd are still being built by Americans. They just needed to get rid of the unions to do it. Unfortunately, my next Chevy may be a rebadged Toyota.

Thoughts on the Big Three

2008-12-09T09:12:00.004-06:00

When the Ford, Chrysler & GM first went to the hill to ask for loans the remarks were varied from all sources. So, what does a car guy think?
Initially I thought & still think Chrysler is toast. They have nothing EV oriented to speak of in the pipeline. That was all being developed on the Benz side, as all R & D had been, before the sell off. R & D is the most expensive part of the manufacturing process after labor. Chrysler did petty good on the labor side with the contract negotiations but there is no substitute for cash on R & D. They even went to Hyundai seeking a research partnership, as did another US Automaker, but were told they had nothing to offer that Hyundai did not already have. Sobering to say the least. As a privately help LP they are by far the weakest. Look for GM to try and buy the Dodge & Jeep badges in the fire sale. Rumors were, since the LP was formed, that Chrysler was just being redeveloped to resell after Benz let them go anyway.

How about GM? Greatest potential and largest liabilities. They still do well overseas, North America is the loser for them. GM is selling Chevys in China! GMAC tanked too. (Read my previous post for some insight on why people may not do the right thing like pay for the stuff they buy.) Their hybrids are good for large trucks and their EV technology is about to kick Toyota's but. The gamble to put resources into EV's and not into Hybrids I think will pay off. As America urbanizes the City-EV will replace the econo-boxes the line city streets. The Volt will bridge the gap. The motor is not mechanically connected to the drive train, it only generates electricity to power the electric motors at each wheel or charge the batteries.

What about Ford then? When all of this started it was remarked that big blue was in the best shape. They are the smallest, they have operating cash, and the new F-150 is a hit. They also got some help from their Volvo & Mazda units on shared technology. This almost makes up for the Land Rover debacle. The current low gas prices have helped too. The escape hybrid is also pretty good. If they can get a focus based hybrid or an EV to the market soon they may be just fine.
So, why did they go to the hill with the other two? Like all of us they did not want to miss out on any freebies! Hey, I have stood on line at the grocery store for the free samples with no intention of buying the product. Maybe they just wanted to see what the fuss was about?
Or, maybe they are geniuses? They could have led the charge to the hill only to not take a penny. Every time the auto bail-out is covered on the news I hear 2 things: GM + Chrysler= 15 Billion dollars in aid, Ford says they may not need cash assistance after all.
I can see this now....Ford, the only American automaker that did not take bailout money from the hard working taxpayers! Now that is Ford tough. That will sell cars.

Ruby Tuesday

2008-12-09T08:46:00.005-06:00

I am home this morning waiting to attend Jury duty for the City of Sanger. I envision when/if asked if I would rather be somewhere else I would reply "I would rather be on my boat scouting duck hunting locations and maybe wetting a line." It is not that I do not want to participate or that I do not think the process is important. It is just that the process apparently does not think I am all that important or crucial to the process. You see, since my Sophomore CJ major days I have always wanted to serve on the jury. However, being college educated, caucasian, male, republican (fiscally conservative) and, more recently, a father I am usually the first to go. Lawyers like to dispose of people from the jury that have the ability to look 10 minutes into their future. Obviously, the client cannot or he would not be on trial. They usually will not have this internal duologue: "I should not sell this meth/steal this/break that/do that/etc. because some guy is going to hand my ass to me on a Tuesday afternoon 10 months later".
That's really all that separates us, besides the bailiff anyway. I never, and I mean it, do anything, and again I mean it, without evaluating the consequences. This condition, projecting yourself into your future, was one of the most fascinating subjects studied in my college Psychology of the Offender courses. It is all that separates us. How is this behavior honed? Basically everything that happens to you develops your projection. Your family life for instance. Remember this "just you wait until your father get home" threat. I guess that is an empty threat if the father has abandoned the family. Education? Grades are not instant, you work for them a semester at a time. If you are not able to defer your gratification then you will forever live in the now, an animal of impulse.
And now I am going leaving the house to pass judgment on you. Not that You would be reading this, you would have to go looking for it.

Things I think are ridiculous

2008-11-26T14:16:00.002-06:00

1. Office of the president elect: In less than three weeks P.E. Barak Hussein Obama created a forth branch of the Government. This new & improved branch lacks any of the stodginess of the old branches like accountability and checks and balances. Perfect for the socialist platform… say and do anything you want. Promise ~~billions~~ (er) Trillions in welfare. B.O. supporters won’t know, they rarely pay taxes. BTW the new Treasury guy, you know the Clinton one, helped orchestrate our banking collapse. His actions helped create CITI and their like by changing banking regs under Bill.

2. The Dallas Stars: What the heck? Conference finals to dead last in the standings. Get rid of Avery. This is not Hull’s frat house. If he wants to bring in his washed up buddies he can do it in the minors. Since Avery’s arrival the team has gone from physical to reckless. The skill is of no threat to any team in the division. Without the scoring threat you will see double shifts of the opposing team’s checking & fourth lines. Hope you are ready for more injuries because they are coming.

3. Senator Franken: Has not happened yet but if he (the Dem Political Machine) wins look for a live action version of “Why not Me?”

4. The Honda TransAlp is not available in the US: This is the primary reason the Wee-Strom is all the Shait in the US.

5. The hunter’s choice bag limit: Imagine this. “You can have no more than one of these four…. But only two of these and those… No more than one of these, but not counted in the one of four… With a total of five. Now these over here, we don’t care so much about them so you can have 15 of them. And don’t get us started on the geese!” This is how the waterfowl regulations read. You would have better luck assembling a chinese scooter.

Where's Winchester

2008-11-26T13:56:00.001-06:00

The other day I was going to write that the first "fighter" in Dallas had been shown the door. Crombeen was put on waivers to make room for Leitenin (Lets is gone again) and was claimed by the Blues. He spent some time last season earning frequent flier miles between Dallas & Iowa. I guess he has been reunited with another Dallas to Iowa frequent flier, Brad Winchester. Both were in scraps in Crombeen's first game. Crombeen lasted 7 seconds in St Loius before getting his first fighting major. Prediction: Either Avery or Hull will not make the all star break.

Peaceful Transfer of Power or Please, lets be Classy

2008-11-06T11:40:00.005-06:00

I was sort of afraid this would happen. Consequently, everyone was worked up over the B.O. Presidency (That's right you saw it here first TWAATFOG Nation, I coined it!) that they are forgetting that Pelosi now runs the country. Anyway, the B.O. victory is a little reminiscent of the O.J. acquittal. I was in college at my dorm when the O.J. verdict was handed down. What I saw was an embarrassing spectacle regardless race or cultural ties.

Anyway, from the Chicago area press:

“White bitches. F--- McCain. You white police can’t do nothing,” 19-year-old Celita Hart taunted officers as she stood with a throng of Obama supporters in the 6900 block of South Western Avenue, Assistant State’s Attorney Lorraine Scaduto said in a court Wednesday. At some point, authorities said, Hart left the crowd, which had been chanting “Obama, Obama,” walked up to a squad car, and smacked a male officer in the face.

And...

While Kenneth Smith, a 24-year- old felon, never stated why he fired three rounds at his residence, in the 6700 block of South Ada Street, he complained that officers only arrested him “because a black man won for president,” Scaduto said.

Peer pressure seemed to get the better of 54-year-old Joseph Morgan, who allegedly was caught holding a .22-caliber gun in the air on his back porch in the 5700 block of South Lowe Avenue.
His excuse, according to prosecutors?
“Everybody else is shooting their guns, I figured, ‘Why not?’ ”

Now, I have supported presidential winners (GW) and losers, (HRP & HWB) I have never slapped a cop or fired randomly in the air. As Ron Burgundy would say, "Lets be classy America". Like or hate the man we still respect the office.

Sardis, OK

2008-11-05T19:03:00.014-06:00

What do you know, I actually went somewhere on a bike. And not to work or the new Ft. Worth strip club. I went to Sardis lake just outside of Clayton, OK. We camped at the Sardis cove campgrounds right on the lake (See pics). The ride was a pleasant 180(ish) miles and if you are a gambler runs right through a giant casino in OK. The only hitch was that on the way I hit a softball sized rock-like object at about 70mph. I now have both kinds of wheels on my bike... a round one and the other kind, not so round. My front rim is now custom! Replacement will run me $542.00. Needless to say I will be screening e-bay for a newbie.
First night was really cold, in the 30's, and foggy in the morning. To warm up we rode in the fog to Clayton, OK and had a great b-fast at the best (only) restaurant in town, the Bulldog. It was great! Get the buffet and save room for the sticky buns. (not talking about the waitress) Good coffee.

Second night in the 40's so the mummy bag was a little warm. With temp swings in the 40 degree range a small throw or blanket would be advised. I wish I had my serape for a blanket and for the campfire.

We pretty much laid around the fire while mike's (lost rider highway) dad & uncle hunted in the nearby preserve with muzzle-loaders, the way it should be (bows excepted). It was a nice relaxing trip. The ride from the campgrounds to Atoka and back is in some of the nicest country. Great views throughout. Be sure to try the Talimena Scenic Drive just outside of the town of Talimena, OK if you are going to take the trip. Most restaurants are biker & motorcyclist friendly.

Did not like Ike

2008-09-30T12:57:00.010-05:00

When I woke at 3am last Friday morning after about 3 hours of sleep I had a bit of a pit in my gut. I thought it was the lack of sleep or the dinner I skipped the evening before. Regardless of how I was feeling I was already an hour behind schedule. Scott and I were on our way to Galveston, TX to clean up our friend Doc's house from the splashing Ike gave the island.

After a quick stop in Fort Worth we were on the Island by 1:00 in the afternoon. Typically you see weekend traveler traffic heading from Dallas to the the coast on I-45 but this day it was a procession of emergency vehicles, construction crews, and utility repair vehicles with names on the doors representing a multitude of Texas Cities & Counties. All headed to Houston & Galveston. Our approach to the island was shocking. The road to the island was littered with cars & boats. Big boats.

We spent the early part of the day touring the island. The destruction was wide spread, especially on the ends of the island. Much of the central interior part of the island looked somewhat spared.

Our first real out of the car stop after dodging construction & utility vehicles was at Jamaica Beach at Jayson Hudson's home. He was without power, water and gas. His house, on stilts with an an enclosed garage took in about 6 feet of water. He also lost anything outside on the property like the fences & sidewalks. His entire neighborhood looked looks much like the national media coverage of the storm represented. Missing roofs, large boats strewn about, debris lodged against anything solid. Most small features just washed away. After a beer & a cigarette at Jayson's we went back into Galveston town.

We piddled around helping the neighbors until Doc arrived. Once there, breaker by breaker, we brought the electricity back up in the house. Doc was lucky, his proximity to UTMB & his property's elevation, his electricity & water were on. All water needed to be boiled. Our initial survey of the basement was not good. Very close to a total loss. Earlier that day we assured Jayson we would be back Saturday afternoon to give him a hand. What we foolishly predicted would be a half day job with 5 hands actually too a full day and a half of work. Everything had to come out of the house, be sorted, losses cataloged & hauled to the curb, rehabs cleaned of mold, and all drywall removed.

Scott and I were on the island for exactly 48 hours. In that time we ate from red cross trucks, got food & ice from the police & military, made multiple trips to home depot, endured a scary curfew encounter with police in which a pistol and flashlight were pointed in my direction and handled (read smelled, tasted & touched) some of the most disgusting things I have ever seen. I wish I was able to go back and help again next week.

I'm not dead, so here is a quote

2008-09-12T11:14:00.004-05:00

Hello,
I have been a little lame on the postings lately, largely due to the pace of work and interviewing for a promotion I did not get. So, just to let the TWAATFOG nation know I was still alive I am posting my favorite quote I have seen today

Quote of the day from the Guardian UK....

"With our claustrophobic little homes it's no wonder people get drunk and stab each other on the streets"

AND

"Another good reason for building bigger houses is to reduce class divisions, as Harriet Harman is so keen to do. America may have great inequalities of wealth, but the difference in scale between the homes of the rich and the poor is generally much less than here; one of the reasons why it feels more classless."

Classless? Was that a jab (stab) at our culture?

Let the Games Beijing!

2008-08-08T16:46:00.002-05:00

The Summer Olympics kicked off in Beijing with the typical pomp & circumstance surrounding such an event. Russia, not to be outdone by the 30,000+ fireworks displays at the opening of the games, invaded the territory of Georgia. I can only hope that the peril to the supply of peaches will not drive the price up above $143.00 per bushel.

Air quality has been an issue since the awarding of the games to China, second only to their human rights record. American cyclists were chided by the Chinese Olympic officials for having the nerve to wear protective masks as they disembarked their plane upon “seeing” the air when they arrived . They “voluntarily” apologized. Regarding the brown air in Beijing: Beijing officials on Friday continued to insist that the murky haze enveloping the city is not the result of pollution, but instead is fog created by moisture vapor in the air. Visibility, they say, is not necessarily an indicator of air quality. "The air quality, I think it's good. It looks a little bit misty. You cannot judge the air quality by its appearance. You have to trust the scientists," said Wang Wei, executive vice president and secretary general for Beijing's Olympic Organizing Committee.

Reject This!

2008-08-07T10:43:00.004-05:00

At Arm’s Length

Edited for space: Rejected by Kayakfishingmagazine.net

Let’s say you don’t have any friends. Let’s not say that, but rather you are like me and do not have any kayaking fishing buddies nearby. However unlike me you actually catch fish worth photographing. What do you do? You can take a picture of your catch at rods length or you can try to hold your camera at arm’s length and get a shot of both of you up close. After spending an evening in the garage trying to modify an old table-top tripod to the end of my broken aluminum golf ball retriever I realized I was in over my head. Once my creativity ran aground I took to the internet. After surfing camera supply sites with little progress I discovered two possibilities at Amazon.com.

I found the xshot from xshotpix.com and the quik-pod from quikpod.com online for less than $25 each via their respective distributors. Both were cheaper at Amazon than as a direct sale from their home sites. I ordered both with the intention of testing them out then selling the loser on E-bay. The quik pod arrived packed in an unlabeled plain white box while the xshot was packed in high quality multi-colored shrink wrap package.

The quik pod (QP) extends to 18” and can hold up to a 16 ounce camera. Constructed of polycarbonate plastic the QP feels a little cheapish and bulky. Extending easily with a firm pull, closing requires pushing a release button while pushing the shaft inward. Extended there is considerable play and rattle in the shaft. The camera mount is a friction ball attachment secured by a clear plastic bracket and plastic capped wing-nut. Under the weight of my 12 oz Canon digital camera I could see obvious flexing in the shaft. Packaged with the QP is a padded mesh stuff sack, wrist lanyard, pocket clip (think big ink pen), hiking clip (small non-load bearing aluminum D clip) and a nifty mini table top tripod.

My initial test with the large camera prompted me to purchase a lightweight digital camera online. The camera seemed a little too close but I could not tell so from the pictures taken. This was clearly designed for shoulder up self portraits. The QP performed well but I could never get comfortable with the clear plastic clip being all there was between me and loosing the camera in the drink. The tripod has telescopic feet and screws into the base of the QP (update: very “bendy”). This was by and far the best feature of the device! However, I would not recommend using this with the shaft fully extended since it may not be entirely stable. The tripod performed much better with my non-wife lightweight camera.
Pros
· Comes with lots of goodies
· Removable tripod
· Stuff sack
Cons
· Too short
· Feels like a toy
· Do not trust the camera mount head

The Xshot (XS) was a stark opposite e from the quikpod. First Impression: this is not a toy. The classy if not hard to open packaging revealed a slick looking slender stainless steel device. The black plastic camera head is pressure mounted into the end of the collapsible shaft. The XS is manufacturer rated for 12 ounces and less. Unlike the QP there were no tripods or stuff sacks included. The XS felt a little more heavy duty than the QP. The XS readily glides open to its full 37” length in one fluid motion. The stainless steel construction inspires a little more confidence. However, when fully extended with my full size camera the shaft showed considerable flex. I thought it would work a little better partially extended but this revealed the primary design flaw of the XS. The head & shaft segments rotate freely within themselves. If your camera approaches the weight limit or has an off center tripod mount the XS partially extended will very often spin your camera until it hangs upside down. The device needs to be fully extended, the flexing of the shaft providing the friction to prevent spinning. The push buttons on the QP remedy this situation.
Pros
· Light and sleek
· Steel construction
· Useable length
Cons
· Can spin camera
· No tripod

Both devices do what they promise. The truth is neither was designed to endure what I will put them through. Not to mention what unknown havoc saltwater will play on these. However since this is about opinions, winners and losers if I were forced to choose one I would pick the xshot. This is based almost solely perceived advantages of the stainless steel construction, additional reach and sleek pocketability.

Happy Fishing, (riding)

On the Trans-Texas Corridor

2008-06-26T10:28:00.004-05:00

Want some more of your land stolen, women stampeded, cattle raped (Thanks Chevy) ... Support the TTC! I guess this is a Motorcycling issue, if you do not want to see more countryside turned into Interstate and have 1000's more 18 wheelers in your area every day. Below is a letter written to most of my elected officials this week (Cornyn, Hutchison, Burgess and Estes).

For those who do not know the TTC, or trans-texas corridor, is the NAFTA super highway (Big Ass toll road) running from Mexico to Canada and over most large cities on the current I-35 route. Buh-bye Austin, San Antonio, DFW, Denton and of course Sanger. It will require the eminent domain (read land snatch) of over 4000 sqare miles of private land in texas if TXDOT gets all segments. Most will be built and managed (read owned) by a Spanish firm, that get this, opend a shell copmany DBA as Bluebonnet enterprises or some such name. Bluebonnet? Must be from Texas right? Nope. You can get more info here: http://www.corridorwatch.org/

Dear Senator XXXXX,
I am a writing to voice my opposition it the TTC! I am shocked that though there is tremendous public opposition to this project, TXDOT continues to ram this down the throats of your constituents. In Denton County alone TXDOT says it will aggressively use eminent domain to steal over 4000 acres of private land from your constituents! Do you defend the theft of private land? Are your actions or inactions facilitating this theft? Your constituents appear to overwhelmingly oppose this project, how will you help them defend their property from the State of Texas and TXDOT? If this is project is such a great idea why cannot the public vote on this subject?

This project will leave a 1100 foot wide scar on the face of this state from the Rio Grande to the Red River! The only benefits will be to route cheap goods into the country to benefit large multinational corporations. I deeply oppose this project and will vehemently oppose any of my elected officials that support construction of the TTC.

Regards

Our Hill Country Ride

2008-05-20T10:15:00.003-05:00

I went on a cycle trip through Austin & the hill country a few weeks ago. I was really looking forward to the trip, romanticizing the wind through my “hair” winding my bike through panoramic vistas all while getting an OPEC enraging 50MPG on the Strom. Well, it was not quite that. From the moment we rolled out at 4:30am bloody nosed in an intermittent rain that lasted from Sanger to Waco I was a little stressed. Fact is, with the exception of a weekend to South Eastern OK, all of my long distance riding has been solo. I have never put on too many miles with a group. I set off chasing a Connie & La-Z-Wing on a glorified dirt bike. I needed a sabre saw and all I had was a hammer! And chasing was what I did. When I was in the lead I held people up or in the group I lagged behind. In the wind carved hill country I was battered & buffeted at 65 or 74 MPH, because as it turns out the mule does not have a gear for 70MPH, the posted speed limit on most HC roads. I averaged just over 29MPG. And speaking of the mule I learned something else. When it don’t set the pace (below 70) it isn’t happy! Another observation on an old adage “Something that is designed to do everything okay will do nothing well”. While that was not exactly the case I must say that the hill country ride would have been better for me at slower speeds on less improved roads on a less windy day.

Our trip day by day:
Friday, depart 4:30am after nose bleed was under control. I’ll save the disgusting details on that one. Intermittent rain from Sanger to Waco. Arrived at McKinney Falls SP at 10ish. 255 miles. We ran errands fortifying supplies and blowing a little cash at Wal-Mart & Academy. Our bunk house cabin was pretty cool, nicest of the trip. Stayed close for the rest of the 95 degree day, ate a freeze dried dinner (Very Good!), had a fire and went to bed.

Saturday, departed for Fredericksburg via HWY 290, which sucked. It was 50 miles to get away from traffic. Once in Dripping Springs things got really windy. Flogged on to FB. We really scheduled too many miles today and we paid dearly. Doing it again, and I will, I would skip the overnight in Austin and cut the corner and go to Pedernales Falls or LBJ and tent camp. We had a couple of hours and beers in FB and then lit out for Meridian. This was the best part of the day. We saw some neat towns, Marble Falls the coolest, and got to meridian at 5:15PM. Luckily we called a head because they closed at 4:45PM. Forgot to check miles, more than 200. We were tired and it reflected in our initial assessment of the park. We had a cabin near the boat ramp with NO BUNKS but very clean. 200+ miles, very windy day, slept on concrete floor. Not as bad as it sounds, by morning it was 50 degrees and we had a new appreciation of our accommodations.

Sunday, leaving at 8:00AM a leisurely ride home via Cleburne. We were able to avoid the interstate until just North of Hillsboro. I-35 was busy but we were home by 11AM. Total miles was 648 to my door on the GPS.

My Letter to CNN

2008-05-20T09:16:00.001-05:00

My wife and I both work in education and like many families often there is not a lot, if any, left at the end of the month. Add the expenses of child rearing and sometimes life can be a little scary, but we have always made ends meet. Now, I live in fear of the first month when the ends don’t meet. In the last year and a half I have watched gasoline, electricity and in consequence my grocery expenses climb exponentially. I do not think we are wasters of resources, we have done more than most people do to conserve & save. More attic insulation, programmable thermostats, driving economical transportation (a 4-cyl car and a motorcycle) and carpool when possible. These measures have made little impact on the bottom line because conservation cannot keep up with the spiraling expenses.

It is hard to understand. Our own energy agencies are reporting gasoline demand is down about 6%, the refineries are scaling back production to burn off record gasoline inventories (and to keep prices high) and gas prices keep going up. Meanwhile T. Boone Pickens and his ilk are getting media time to talk about “record demand’, about refineries that cannot keep pace with the this record demand and of the need for wind farms. All of this taken for fact and run day and night by local and national news outlets without scrutiny. Playing the over eager media T. Boone creates an artificial hysteria with the intended purpose of driving up the profit margins in his oil own investments!

Instead of running “Billionaire Sees Future of Wind Farms” stories why doesn’t someone from CNN ask T. Boone about his illegal manipulation of the oil futures markets rather than regurgitating the hysteria building stories that he spoon feeds the nation?

Caption this photo??

2008-04-10T10:21:00.008-05:00

I saw this and liked it so much I thought we could host the first ever "TWAATFOG Caption This Photo Contest". No prizes though, at least not until I get a new car!

"So, when Wen Jiabao turned his back on me I did this and hit right in the bum! He must have jumped three meters high...HA! It was so funny I pee'd a little."

"The Stanley Cup?? Hmmmm, I hate to be a homer but I have always been a New Jersey fan. GO DEVILS!!!!"

Please post your captions in the comments.

Another rider maybe

2008-04-07T10:43:00.002-05:00

As I mentioned a few posts back I am taking a little run into the Texas hill country in about 4 weeks. I had also mentioned that we were lacking a rep from the cruiser community to come on our little shakedown. Well I just found out this last Saturday that we may have Gary's (Goldwing Gary) friend with his new VTX1300 (don't know his name, Ill call him VTX Tony) come along. Where will Tony excel? Having ridden a few scooters, none this heavy, I think Tony will be happiest loping around the small towns or backed up to the curb in front of the bar. I think the twisty terrain and back-roads pavement will have him down shifting more than he would like, and the heavy front end will prove to be somewhat fatiguing. However, in the straights I think I will still have the slowest bike on the run. There is no replacement for displacement! I just hope if we get to chasing that there is enough tight technical stuff that I do not get dusted off.

I was going to bitch about gas prices...

2008-04-01T15:43:00.004-05:00

Then there was this tidbit.

A report posted on Islam Watch, a site run by Muslims who oppose intolerant teachings and hatred for unbelievers, exposes a prominent Islamic cleric and lawyer who support extreme punishment for non-Muslims — including killing and rape.

A question-and-answer session with Imam Abdul Makin in an East London mosque asks why Allah would tell Muslims to kill and rape innocent non-Muslims, including their wives and daughters, according to Islam Watch.

"Because non-Muslims are never innocent, they are guilty of denying Allah and his prophet," the Imam says, according to the report. "If you don't believe me, here is the legal authority, the top Muslim lawyer of Britain."
The lawyer, Anjem Choudary, backs up the Imam's position, saying that all Muslims are innocent.

"You are innocent if you are a Muslim," Choudary tells the BBC. "Then you are innocent in the eyes of God. If you are not a Muslim, then you are guilty of not believing in God."
Choudary said he would not condemn a Muslim for any action.

"As a Muslim, I must support my Muslim brothers and sisters," Choudary said. "I must have hatred to everything that is not Muslim."

So, what these morons think is that even if something is horribly wrong they will not go against their brother?! It is beliefes like this that can turn back centuries of progress through fear and intimidation. They want a second Dark Ages!

It is amazing that this gets almost no mention in the mainstream media, and in the same week there is worldwide outrage over the Dutch filmaker Geert Wilders' 15 minute film on islam. Enough so that the country of Pakistan hacked and disabled Youtube worldwide for over two hours trying to stop people from viewing the movie.

Let me get this straight... okay to kill and rape someone because they do not share your theological beleifs but I cannot watch a youtube film because it offends you. Hmmm, okay.

It appears as though double standards rule the islamic extremists. Maybe when the oil is gone the extremists funding will follow and soon the extremist themselves will vanish. It is hard to plan honor stonings, homicide bombings and such when you have to get up and go to work in the morning. (HA)

later

Hill County Ho-Down

2008-03-24T23:12:00.000-05:00

I am so excited I can hardly stand it! My first MC trip if the year will come in May. Too late to start I know but I will take what I can get. We will be going on a 3 day hill country jaunt through central Texas. For those not from Texas the Hill country is just as the name implies, hill country. The hill country is riddled with a network of Farm to Market roads (FM’s) scenic drives, bars, barbeque, and nature. It is Texas’ USA 1. We will cabin-camp a couple of state parks and spend the days checking out some pretty cool places. We may play a game of washers at the post office in Luckenbach, have some Jack Daniels Chocolate Pecan Pie & a Lone Star at the Grist Mill in Gruene, catch a band at Gruene Hall, or cruise the Devil’s Backbone outside of Blanco. Any or all would be a blast. I used to frequent this area back in college when I had friends attending UT in Austin or Southwest Texas State (I will never call it Texas State!) in San Marcos. Austin / SM were great jumping of points for hill country runs. This area also has, in my opinion, the best state parks Texas has to offer.

Another reason that this adventure will be interesting is the rides going on the trip. Three of the four major types of touring motorcycles will be represented. Adventure touring (my mule), Sport touring (Mike’s Concourse), and Luxo-Touring (Gary’s 87’ Goldwing) will all be on the trip. Absent will be the cruiser touring set. Probably because I only know a few people with those bikes and none that would hop on for a 5 hour buzz down I-35 to Austin just to spend three days carving curves in the hill country. Sadly, I see more cruisers heading to the hill country on trailers behind big SUV’s than under a rider. I am sure we will share the roads with a lot of “dentist bikers”.

The predictions will seem apparent but I am sure that I will enjoy the slow technical stuff. Mike will love fast sweeping open stretches and Gary will enjoy anything but having to hold the GW up at a stoplight. I also expect to have the slowest bike on the tour but the flickability of the Strom should keep me fresh. The new street oriented Battle Wing hoops should really give the mule some bite in the back roads. And, if the road turns to gravel it will probably be just me.

I will check in with an update after the trip.

DADDY NEEDS A NEW SET OF WHEELS...

2008-02-27T10:15:00.002-06:00

I need a new car. Not a new car mind you, I am too cheap and laden with family responsibilities to get into a car payment. I have a cool 18 year old truck. My dad gave it to me. One of the nicest things anyone has ever done for me. But it sits a lot and has some "sitting" issues. While living the true TWAATFOG lifestyle I commute & travel most days on two wheels. However, when I need a car I really need a car bad. Anyone who knows me knows that I am just a little bit OCD. If I own it, it needs to function properly or I will not sleep at night. Not just my cars...everything I own.

I looked at a jeep last week. It was really cool but the gas fumes in the cabin and the total impracticality of this vehicle made me pass. The coolness of the jeep was outweighed by the need to carry people & stuff. This saddened me since I have wanted to own a jeep from the age of 10. My truck is a two seater but in a pinch we could jam 2+a car seat up front. Come to think of it, every vehicle less one that I have owned since 1994 has been a 2ish seater. I need 4 seats. I need a new car. But again, being the cash strapped American that I am I have only a certain amount I can spend to upgrade my situation.

I miss the days when I could drop $900 and get some ugly reliable transportation. The car that got me through most of college was a $250 estate sale wagon. Maybe I have just been lucky in the past. I have surfed local classifieds and CL only to see a parade of junk. As impractical as the jeep may be I have yet to see anything better. Even dropping a new motor into my current P/U seems a better option than most of what I am finding. I could host a Glenn-o-thon to raise money for my new ride but that seems like a very Screech or Gary Coleman thing to do.

So TWAATFOG nation (the 4 of you) what do you think? Any advice? Have a friend who needs to sell a good car cheap? Let me know via comment.

Poor poor Big Easy or These Things I Believe?

2008-02-14T18:44:00.002-06:00

Ever since walterindenver propped the TWAATFOG on his site the traffic here has been staggering. I have had three (3) comments! Wow people have read this thing. So, in good conscience I thought I should do a review of the contents, you know sometimes these are written out of passion.

A few months ago during the San Diego wild fires and their "classy" local emergency response I sort of ripped the big easy a new jambalaya hole for the "un-classy" local Katrina response. Well, in retrospect that felt a little harsh. So I did some fresh googling and well I don't know. The first thing I stumbled upon was an FBI report stating from 1-1-08 through 2-6-08 there had been 21 murders in N.O. Wow, that breaks down to like .57 per day or in less mathematical terms someone gets murdered like every 42 hours or so. Yikes!

Then this morning this little gem gets kicked my way. Mayor Nagin and Police Chief Reily jackassing with a couple of assault rifles. Great police work there Lou. The spin on this will be amazing. "I see N.O. is like a Chocolate city, you know a little white cocoa, some Dutch cocoa, and it is all stirred together in a giant bowl like structure with this big-ass machine gun."

Once again the people of the Big Easy are victimized or made out to look "un-classy" by their corrupt political leaders.

Not to mention the flagrant display of poor gun handling technique. C'mon Ray, people only shoot from the hip in the movies!

Berkeley Gets it Right

2008-02-13T22:38:00.002-06:00

A very vocal minority of anti war socialists usually gets it's way right? Maybe not. Local and national outrage over the harassment of USMC recruiters in Berkeley, CA has pressured the city council to reverse it's resolution on the re-zoning of recruiting offices in their community. Really, they were mad about the war in Iraq, and the truth is nobody is thrilled with it. But they aimed their discontent at the USMC and not the current political administration that put them in Iraq.

I am proud of the people of Berkeley that stood up and said that this city council does not speak for them on this issue. Now I know why councilperson Donna Spring said "I think we should just go ahead and pass it," "We can't take everything to the voters." I guess she knew something about her constituency.

See details below:

(02-13) 01:33 PST Berkeley -- After a day of enraged confrontation outside Berkeley City Hall between anti-war and pro-military demonstrators, the City Council backed down early Wednesday from its controversial decision to tell the U.S. Marines they are "unwelcome intruders" for operating a downtown recruiting center.

Council members conceded that they had erred in passing a resolution Jan. 29 that condemned the Marines - rather than the war in Iraq - and some council members added that they felt they owed U.S. troops an apology as well the many Berkeley residents who were ashamed and offended by their position.

"To err is human but to really screw up it takes the Berkeley City Council," said council member Gordon Wozniak. "We failed our city. We embarrassed our city."

Berkeley Sux

2008-01-28T18:36:00.000-06:00

For the first time ever, yes history happening here on the TWAATFOG, two entries in one day. I was sent a link from a site called the daily calafornian about the Town of Berkeley trying to zone military recruitment stations in the same manner as pornographic businesses. I am not opposed to them hating the military. However the comments from one of the council members Donna Spring who says... "I think we should just go ahead and pass it," "We can't take everything to the voters." really got me worked up. Apparently the enlightened people of the Town of Berkeley's city government feel they are above the democratic process and smarter than the citizens of the town.

Donna Spring and the members of Berkeley's Peace and Justice Commission do not think the military has the right to recruit there or anywhere else. Just more people that think freedom of thought, expression & free choice should only be extended to people that share their opinions.

Obviosly they don't like the Federal government but I bet they do like the Federally subsidized fresh drinking water, sanitary sewage, access to interstate highways and relatively safe plentiful food supply.

Would you like a hot apple pie or Diploma with that?

2008-01-28T11:04:00.000-06:00

Gosh, where to start??? Do I complain about the declining value of education or the fact that Socialism may not work? Announced today in the U.K. school districts will begin offering credit towards a HS diploma for people working at McDonald's. Read the Story here: http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,326007,00.html

This comes less than a year after an EU study revealed that all but two (Oxford & Cambridge) European Universities failed to provide adequate education to their students. When surveyed the students felt that the education was poor, even though they did not pay tuition. When asked in said survey if they would pay a small amount of the cost of their education if the quality were increased they gave a resounding NO! The sense of entitlement of some people is staggering. I guess that is why the US is still the largest destination for International college students.

The biggest losers here are the people that actually try hard to achieve their educational goals. Someone who works hard to get their HS diploma gets the same Diploma as the person given theirs for flipping burgers. Unfortunately in life there really are winners and losers and the sooner people learn that effort counts, in the workforce and life for that matter, the better off they may be.

Why was Hillary in Michigan?

2008-01-17T10:39:00.001-06:00

I know I should not talk Politics in the TWAATFOG bit since it is too cold to ride and you do not want to know about my recent repair adventures on my 19 year old Pick-up truck I am forced down this dark path. It is a slippery slope indeed. My good friend "Walter in Denver" at http://www.walterindenver.com/ once mentioned in passing that a certain (I can't remember) libertarian's comment may have merit, and now look at what he has become. Actually, I do not know if that is how it started but I do remember that about 16 years ago Walter and I did nothing but play golf and drink in Deep Ellum bars never once discussing Politics.

Why was Hillary in Michigan? The delegates were stripped of their votes by the national party. That says something about the National Socialist Liberal Democrat movement anyway. This is not a democracy, you vote when we tell you. You disagree? Fine we will take away your voice. This was a meaningless primary skipped by all other candidates. The only name on the ballot was Hillary's

What did Hillary learn? Well, first that over 45% of all voters in the wolverine state voted uncommitted on a ballot of one with only her name listed. Two, that 77% of black voters polled preferred another candidate? Could any gains from the meaningless victory outweigh the damage done? Meanwhile the other Major candidates were in Nevada & South Carolina, states that actually count, stumping for themselves. Maybe Hillary needed this while still stinging from a 3rd place finish in Iowa?

A great insight to the Clinton political machine can be seen in the Slate article http://slate.com/id/2182065 titled The Case Against Hillary Clinton-Why on earth would we choose to put the Clinton family drama at the center of our politics again? By Christopher Hitchens, Posted Monday, Jan. 14, 2008. I reference this mainly because of comments regarding her meeting with Sir Edmond Hillary who passed away this last week. When meeting him she remarked "that her mother had actually named her for this famous and intrepid explorer" regardless of the fact that she was born six years before the intrepid explorer ever accented the mountain and was still relatively unknown in the USA. But when have the facts ever gotten into Hillary's way? Sir Edmund Hillary was somewhat of a hero to me so reading the comments made my blood boil a little.

I guess Michigan can be written up as an Ego maintenance exercise for Hillary. Only Hillary could sleep better at night knowing that if she loses the nomination that at least she will be able to say she had a clear and decisive victory in Michigan.

So Long Modano?? Hockey Talk

2008-01-08T10:31:00.000-06:00

Among my many passions there is Hockey.

You play against the top players every night making room on the ice for guys that might be 2nd or third liners on another playoff team. You suck it up and take a pay cut on a 5 year deal because the front office guilts you into it with promises of defensive support and a scoring winger that never come true. You sacrifice certain statistical and hall of fame success to toe the company line of the defense first philosophy for the good of the team. What do you get? Your front office throws another $25 million at yet another 2nd line centerman with a guaranteed 5.7 mil per year. Remember the Turgeon, Arrnott, Thorton, et'al experiments? All gone with the next big contract or run out because they were not defense first. Where is Mikes scoring winger? Defensive support?

I would not blame Mike if he hit the road at the deadline for an East Coast playoff run on an offensive team or another Western Conference cellar dweller. Maybe the Stars will Mike the same favor they did for Neal Broton. Gretzky prooved in LA that you do not need to go to the playoffs to get hall of fame numbers. And, the shorter seasons probably extended his career a few years. How would Mike look skating in Chicago with the two rookies of the year setting him up. Maybe in Atlanta skating with Ilya Kovalchuk and Marian Hossa? Where would Mike be if he had a reliable talented offensive winger setting his plate for the last ten years? Nobody remembers Adam Oats but he set up Brett Hull for his first 300 or so goals in St. Louis. Could we have been talking about a guy that is in the run for scoring records for the NHL, not just American born players? We will never know. Maybe his numbers have fallen because unlike other 37 year old marquee players he is still carrying the team?

I hope that Mike Modano will make a decision for himself this March since the ones he makes putting the team first seem to go unheralded.

Headline:
Dallas Stars invest in Ribeiro
12:57 AM CST on Tuesday, January 8, 2008
By MIKE HEIKA / The Dallas Morning News mheika@dallasnews.com

Brett Hull has deferred a lot of the responsibilities of his new general manager partnership to co-GM Les Jackson, saying he had a lot to learn in terms of the intricacies of the front office.
But Hull was front-and-center Monday as the Dallas Stars announced a five-year, $25 million contract extension for center Mike Ribeiro. It was the kind of decision that pulled heavily on Hull's ability to read a player's talent.
"I feel it's my forté to understand what a player like that is capable of," Hull said. "And watching him play, I don't see a decline. I don't see this as a one-hit-wonder season. This kid is skilled, he's increased his conditioning and strength, and that will only improve."
Ribeiro, 27, could have become an unrestricted free agent in the summer. The Stars have seen enough in two seasons, though, that they are basically making him their No. 1 center for the next five seasons. He is scheduled to become the team's third-highest-paid player next season at $5 million. Read entire story at www.dallasnes.com.

What's in an oil change?

2007-12-18T18:10:00.000-06:00

I learned something today. I mean besides the fact the HS drop-out oil change boy thinks everyone is dumber than his "computer". Some auto mfg's have retroactively changed their oil recommendations to be able to revise many years worth of mileage data to insignificantly increase their CAFE standards rating (Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE)). Most notable are Honda and Ford. Why? Since every manufacturer has to maintain a minimum mileage standard averaged across all vehicles adding .05 MPG might help keep a big SUV in your line-up for another year or two. These vehicles represent the highest profit margin. You need to keep in mind that over 70% of the cost (value) of the average vehicle is in the electronics, computers & wiring. So, a Ford Focus with all the safety perks has about the same electronics cost to build as an Expedition! The difference is a few thousand bucks of steel & plastic and maybe a DVD entertainment system.

Why should I care? Well switching from 5-W30 to 5-W20 could have an adverse affect on your car's motor. Actually, switching back and fourth between any different brand and viscosity of oil could cause harm anyway. All oils are formulated with manufacturer specific detergents & lubricants so switching from one to another could be loosely compared with abruptly changing your own diet. More specifically, you are changing the grade of your oil. Let us look at the numbers: 5 = the cold weight of the oil. This is the weight when you first start your car in the morning. Between the two grades this number is a wash. 20/30 = the weight of the oil at operating temperature (aka hot). The 20 is much thinner at temperature than the 30 is. In an older engine regular use has increased the tolerances and spaces between moving parts, oil pressure has dropped over time and seals are not as tight as they once were. The thinner oil is being asked to work harder. The films may deteriorate before new oil can be pumped in, just simply leak away because it is a thinner liquid, or simply fail because it is not being used in it's intended application. If you drive in city traffic, tow anything, have frequent starts & stops or drive your vehicle hard you may be lessening the life of your motor and not even knowing it.

Meanwhile, oil change drop-out boy is just following what the computer says and does not give a crap about your motor. Also, for some reason most establishments charge an extra $5 for the 5-W20 oil. A coincidence? Maybe not. Go to the local auto parts store and see if there is a $1.25 per quart difference on the shelf. Interestingly enough, my motorcycle that can rev as many as 11000 RPMs (Sports cars can rev about 5000) requires 10-W40. There are no CAFE standards on bikes. So, if you are not diligent you may (read: you will) get a lighter grade of oil in your vehicle at the Kwiky Lube. Don't wreck your car or truck because Honda and Ford want to sell a few extra mini-vans and Expeditions. In the end go with what the manufacturer recommended when your car or truck was built, not with what they are saying now because of politiking. If you don't pay attention the next one they sell might be to you?

My Inner Hooligan

2007-11-14T20:26:00.000-06:00

A few words on my inner hooligan. It turns out that you do not need a Hypermotard, B-King or Super TT to be a bike hooligan. All you need is to be a bored commuter grinding down the same 8 minutes of super-slab twice a day. Incidentally, that 8 minutes used to be about 11! Daily I hit triples, thread the needle, ride someone's tail, make harrowing passes using the access road and commit daily douchebaggery.

You see it is not that I am an a-hole, you are. By you I mean anyone in my way. Don't get me wrong I would feel the same way in a ford focus as on the mule. 2+ years of seeing "people" tooling away in the left lane in their KIA Sorento talking on the phone, applying makeup, eating, wondering if people think thay are driving a Lexus. 2+ years of gravel trucks spewing their load on the highway and 18 wheelers trying to drive over you mid-pass. 2+ years of the citizen traffic enforcer who think it's their responsibility to run the left lane rolling roadblock next to the trash truck because driving over 65 is a crime. The obliviot going 20 mph slower than the posted limit causing the entire highway to go left or right to get around them. If you fit into one of theses categories then you are an a-hole.

I do not want to drive 100 mph to work. I mean what's there, work? The longer I am on the road the greater the chance is that you will kill me. Going fast is a risk but getting killed by you the motorist is even more dangerous. The three minutes I save in my commute are three minutes you will not rear end me, crush me, run me onto the shoulder, cut me off, run me down, burn me with your cigarette butt, hit me with your rocks or orphan my child! If I really wanted to risk my life on a bike I would jump parked school busses.

Up in flames

2007-10-25T18:14:00.000-05:00

California is burning. When asked about the progress of the fires the "Terminator" said that there was nothing but good news. Funny but he is right. No one has died. I am not hearing stories of rapes, con-men/women, wasted resources, corrupt cops looting local merchants or hysterical mayors blaming everyone but them selves. A story this morning on CNN.Com likened the tent city in Qualcom Stadium to a county fair. A far cry from the Super dome.

950,000 people have been evacuated from San Diego. I guess disaster relief plans can work as long as the people do not predate each other, the politicians are not too busy having their own families flown out via misappropriated government helicopter, or having the FBI move your congressional office for you including the stolen refrigerator full of bribery cash.

This question begs to be asked: Maybe Katrina was the way it was because New Orleans is the way it is. I know there is a big difference in the two types of disasters but I believe human nature transcends these events. Maybe Katrina was not the governments fault? The people of San Diego seemed to avert disaster on their own.

So, as Ron Burgundy would say "Keep it classy San Diego."

Product Review

2007-09-27T10:43:00.000-05:00

Q-Link Legacy 250cc "Cruiser"

When I first saw this bike I was immediately intrigued. Mostly because I could not see the motor. In the cycle world where the heart of the beast is the power plant why hide it unless it is a little disappointing. Now, I was not able to ride this bike but I did get the close-up inspection and a rider demonstration. Q-Link, according to one of the few sites I could find is a Chinese manufacturer with a US HQ in Grapevine, TX. So, I imagine I will soon see these clogging the limited bike parking on our campus.

Fit & finish are substandard even for a container import bike/scooter. This bike feels underpowered and a little fragile. A cruiser / scooter hybrid, this bike does not have the full benefit or charm of either biking category. 18 BHP for $3200? This one is definitely not for me.
For the money I would buy a used Vespa, Silver wing or Bergman. If an entry-level cruiser is more your style check out a Rebel, Virago or Eliminator. All available in a 250cc last time I looked. A brand new 2008 Ninja 250r is only about $200.00 more!
No matter what you buy be sure to consider dealer & factory support once you need service or repair.

Endless Summer...Not So Much So.

2007-08-23T18:20:00.000-05:00

So what if I did not make it to Canada or Minnesota this summer? On the calendar there is still about a month left of the season and in Texas weather wise there are about two and a half. But if you work in Education your summer ended abruptly this week. The dorms reopened, all scheduling talk begins with “fall & winter”, and all of the cool summer clothes in the stores have been replace by the goth crap the college kids wear.

However, just because summer is over (for me) does not mean TWAATFOG will spiral into oblivion…again. I do have winter plans. I will forgo some hunting to work in a little more camping & riding. Sure the Labrador will get the short end of the stick but I think he would be just as happy chasing buffalo in Oklahoma as he would retrieving ducks from icy cold water in January. And we may still do that…in January not October or early November. Basically, if it is warm enough to sleep in a tent or ride the mule then that’s what we will do. 30 degrees? Fine, we will sit in a boat wearing down & neoprene drinking coffee waiting on the ducks.

Now for Canada, about 6 months ago I had e-mailed their tourism dept. for info. I got it today. Only slightly faster than if I needed an emergency MRI or other life saving medical procedure. Woo-hoo Socialism! Anyway, I think I was trying to do too much in a week. To have to drive 1100 miles to ride another 1500, then to drive the 1100 mile home. For those (me) weak in math that is 3700 miles in 7 days! In perpetual motion I would need to average 22.8 MPH to get back in a week. Not just while riding or driving mind you but while eating, drinking, sleeping, etc I would need to maintain a pace of 22.8 MPH. Too much. So, I may just try Minnesota this April or May. The temp is still cool enough during the days and the evenings are warm enough to tent it. That will knock about 1000 miles off of the trip. Still, 2700 miles is a lot of road time alone. Maybe I can do it in 10 days?

On more realistic goals I hope to get in a riding or kayak fishing trip to Galveston and a few other local runs this fall. We will be in Galveston in September for a gathering so maybe something then.

Product Reviews & Simpsonizing!

2007-07-31T12:02:00.001-05:00

As promised here are the updated long term product reviews I have been delinquent on delivering.

Icon Motor-head boots in stealth black: $132.00 w/ Tax & Shipping. Too thick to allow any foot movement and would not fit under the shifter peg w/o adjustment to the point that you had to lift your foot off of the foot peg to down shift. Gone on E-bay for $26.50 and glad to get it.

Garmin 76GPSMap76CXs: $339.00 on sale! Reg. $549.00 retail. So far so good. However, not much more than a really expensive toy without the software upgrade. The base map is adequate for highway use and general navigation but showed no small roads or lakes. I got the topo USA with an Amazon Gift Card for $86.00 Incl. shipping & no tax. The detail was so great that for the first time I have reduced the detail settings on the unit. Now I am covered anywhere in the US. It also has some marine Navaids but I would not use it for oceanic navigation in place of nautical charts. The trip speedometer is great since the motorcycle’s factory electronic unit reads fast. Not knowing your speed in some of the small towns around here can cost you dearly with the local police’s speed traps.

Joe Rocket Meteor 4.0: Scored for a sweet $99.00 on clearance from a reg. $299.00 retail. I love the fit & finish and the winter warmth of this coat (warmest I owned) but is really meant for taller riders. The coat bunched up in the chest when I was leaned in on the bars creating a blind spot down and directly in front of the foot pegs. Kind of a bitch when parking. Wore it for two seasons then sold it on E-bay for $66.00! Sweet.

HJC Sy-Max Helmet: Pretty good so far. The plastic around the chin bar vent switch has cracked which is disappointing considering how little I wear this helmet. I will test HJC’s customer service when I ask about a repair. However, there may not be much they can or will do from Seoul S. Korea. My old helmet has about had it and this one will be my next full time bucket so we will see how it holds up. Ear plugs are a must for this unit b/c of the moveable chin bar.

1954 Duracraft 14ft V-hull: $300.00 motor, boat and trailer. More dents have made it look meaner! Sweetest deal of the year. It is dry docked because of the flooded out boat ramps so I will take advantage of the time to replace the transom, impeller and trailer bearings. Last time I had this out I rescued a family with a blown motor on their 25k deck boat from the middle of the LRR reservoir. I gave them a good 2 mile tow into the wind! My only gripe is that I wish I had a little more motor on her.

Now for some fun stuff! With the release of the Simpsons movie you can “Simpsonize” yourself. I forgot to get the address but I am sure you can google it and find your way there. Sponsored by the Movie release and BK it was pretty fun. Have a good head shot of yourself before you start and the process will go much faster.

Have fun!

The dog days of summer...

2007-07-30T18:56:00.000-05:00

It is fastly becoming the dog days of summer here in North Texas. Although we have yet to hit our first 100 degree day you could assume that the available summer activities would be limitless. Not so. Due the 100 year floods and summer rains in North Texas pretty much any outdoor activity you would want to do has been cancelled or closed. All local lakes, campgrounds, day use areas, boat ramps and hiking trails are all flooded, have been flooded or just plain washed away.

I did not know it was possible to have too much water in the lakes but here we are. I have access to three boats and two kayaks, only one near an open lake. The others sitting on trailers 100 miles from the nearest open boat ramp because all local lakes are full of dangerous debris from the flooding. Even with all of this lake mess I nearly bought another boat this summer! I passed in it due to weirdness with the selling party. No boating or fishing this summer.

The campgrounds are also closed in the region because most are next to a flooded lake. It is unlikely I would have camped much if at all this summer but being told I could not seemed to bother me. I was even turned away at the gate of the day use area while trying to do a drive through on my motorcycle. No Camping.

What about motorcycle trips? Again, who know what I would have done since cancelling the Canada trip but the ratio of free:rained-out weekends was too low to take advantage of. No motorcycle touring.

One of the by-products of all of this rain is another reason for despair. Mosquitoes! The swarms of the little blood sucking buggerers chased us indoors every evening at dusk. Just when the temperature and humidity let off enough to be outside we were forced to retreat into the house. No getting drunk on the deck.

Maintaining a balance between an adventurous lifestyle befitting a Roosevelt want-to-be and that of a dazzling suburbanite is a sizable challenge without your entire summer being rained out. So, loosing what little remaining free time you have can be devastating!

Oh well, I guess I will just wait until this Fall. Hopefully I will not soon forget this summer lest I waste another one watching TV or pissing it away in some other manner.

It has been awhile...

2007-06-19T18:00:00.000-05:00

Where have I been? For someone who has kept such a low profile I have actually been quite busy since April.

In April I had the good fortune to be able to attend the Angola prison Rodeo. Angola prison is situated in the heart of the Louisiana swamplands adjacent to the Mississippi River. After seeing the location & the topography one could only assume that the prison only has walls because they have to. There is a 16,000 acre campus that also serves as a working ranch. One road in, swamp and rivers on three sides, nobody is walking out of this place.

This is one of the last true prison rodeos in the sense that all of the performing talent are actually convicted felons. The rodeo is also accompanied by a prison craft show where all of the craft-makers, again prisoners, sell their wares to the public. There were two interesting things that were a little creepy and worth commenting on.

The first is a rodeo game they played called Guts and Glory. A poker chip is fastened a very angry bull’s horns and all participating rodeo folks are put into the arena to try and get the chip. Winner gets $200.00 and a trip in an ambulance. The first guy to the bull was thrown about 20 feet straight up landing on his head and then quickly under angry hooves! He did not get the chip. The creepy came not from the event but the very “Christians –vs- The lions” vibe I got from the crowd. They wanted blood! I could tell that they felt that getting your ass stomped by a 2000 pound bull was an integral part of the rehabilitation process.

The second thing that was a little creepy was in the craft show. You could buy some crafts directly from the inmates. Other, I guess deemed too dangerous, sold you their wares through chain link cages surrounding the crafts pavilion. I was asked several times for my address so they could send me custom crafts. No thanks!

In May I took my very first family vacation with my new family. The three of us went to the folk’s lake house for Memorial Day and then on to Galveston Island for the remainder of the week. We bummed around the island for a few days while staying with friends. We also spent an evening at the Kemah Boardwalk on the mainland. AJ is already way ahead of me in her adventure/age ratio. She has seen a hokey boardwalk, the ocean, a dolphin, an island, NASA and a real pink flamingo all before the age of one!

I also got to spend a day in Sulfur Springs, TX last week. I was there for my court-date (see January archives for this) and decided to make a family outing of the trip. The court meeting with the DA seemed to go well and I hope to soon be saying the ticket was dismissed. While there we were able to get to Cooper Lake State Park.

CLSP South Sulfur Unit is a nice clean unit situated on the South side of Cooper Lake about 10 Minutes from Sulfur Springs, TX. It has all types of camping from Primitive to air conditioned cabins. Even more remote is the North unit across the lake. We were to picnic there but the hot weather and bugs on the lake got us not wanting to push our luck with AJ. We will definitely camp there this fall.

In the interim I have been doing a little fishing at LRR and a few Motorcycle romps to Lake Texoma, a 70,000 acre reservoir, to look at slips for the Lone Star.

In the next week or so I will discuss a few reverse mod’s on the Mule and I hope to do a product review on Fire-hose material work dungarees as warm weather riding pants.

Summer Heat

2007-04-30T18:25:00.000-05:00

It is summertime. Not according to the calendar but in Texas, for all practical purposes, it is. So, I thought I would touch on a summer safety issue, Heat Exhaustion (HE). Many of us have been dehydrated countless times and have called it “heat stroke" (HS). I learned the difference this weekend between dehydration and HS/HE.

Yesterday I did about 5 miles of kayaking on LRR and exited the activity with no complications. It was in the mid 80’s, partly cloudy, nice breeze. All in all not the kind of weather you would associate with HE. However, over the next several hours I got a headache, cramps, hot dry skin, ringing in my ears, clumsy, my arms and legs seem to weigh a ton and I was shivering in an 80 degree house. During this period I drank maybe a gallon of water. The shivering was what got me scared. In the past I have only shivered when cold, duh, or running a fever. I took my temp, orally for anyone curious, and it turned out I was running a fever of about 100 and a half degrees. The whole time HE or HS was In the back of my mind. I had never felt like this. It was like the flu without the cold-like symptoms.

By now I should have carried myself into the Emergency Room. Instead, I got online and started researching HS & HE. Everything I read pretty much suggested I do the same thing. One of the simplest descriptions was “virus like symptoms with the absence of sneezing or runny nose, sometimes with no fever or a fever up to 107 degrees.” My saving grace was that I had been drinking water all day and most of all was the little bit of congealed dry Gatorade mix I remembered in the middle of the night. Almost the instant I drank the Gatorade I began sweating. Avery good sign, probably the only reason I did not go to the ER. Apparently water is not enough. There I went, not believing the corporate hype again.

By 3am my fever had broken and I felt much better. Monday was a long work day lugging around my 2000 pound appendages and a ringing melon.

As I dissect the day I found a few places where I went wrong:
1. Diet coke for lunch. I actually went for the fountain PowerAde but it was dispensing with carbonated water and it tasted pretty bad.

2. One beer. It is customary to drink a malted beverage upon completion of a manly endeavor. I may pass on this custom in the future. Beer flavored PowerAde?

3. I stayed outside after I began to feel sluggish.

4. Heavy lunch. 1/3 pound burger with fries & crispito.

5. Hot shower. I bathed when I got home. I am sure the steamy hot shower did nothing to help my overheated body.

6. I did not consider the increased humidity of that day.

However, I am not a total idiot, I did do a few things right:
1. I wore a hat.

2. I slathered 45 S.P.F. sun-block on every square inch of skin.

3. I wore light colored clothes.

4. I drank about 1.5 liters of water over a 3 hour period. An acceptable amount for the conditions.

5. We took multiple breaks and never pushed it too hard.

So why am I telling a boating story in the Motorcycle blog? The physical factors on the lake were not that different than what is widely considered to be optimal riding conditions. Factor in engine heat, full riding gear and the 70 MPH breeze and the rider could get into trouble sooner than the three hours it took me on the lake. Rowing a 52 pound kayak on the open water may not be any more exerting than rowing your 500 pound sport bike or 700 pound cruiser through the many turns on the devils backbone in the Texas hill country.

2007-04-16T17:29:00.000-05:00

11-4-2004 is a date I had not thought of in a long time. So long in fact, that I did not even realize that I was not thinking of that date. A lot has happened since then. I’ve changed jobs, bought a house, had a child and much more, so I am not surprised I had forgotten the date. Unfortunately I didn’t forget the date, I blocked it out, repressed the memories. I did not realize that until today.

What happened 11-4-2004? A notorious robbery gang called the “take over bandits” had a very raucous shootout with the Dallas police, the Richardson police and the Texas State Troopers in the parking lot of a building in which I was attending a training meeting. It may not have been so bad if I had not been in the parking lot trying to crawl under a ford explorer while I heard bullets whirling overhead. That is the sound they make, they whirrrr. Roll your tongue in a slow high pitch as you say it and you will be pretty close. I would not have been there had the idiot center manager, Lois, not evacuated us into a gunfight. Oh yeah, and the back door was exit only so we, about 15 of us, were left to find our own cover. There were a few stories of bravery and heroism that day. A mother, protecting her child from the gunmen, threw her car keys into the bushes so they would not take her car with her child still strapped into the car seat. Another of an employee in the building securing the front door while staring down the barrel of the AK-47. I survived and I guess I had not thought about it too much since then.

So, why did I remember a date I had not thought of since who knows when? I walked out of my regular Monday morning staff meeting to find out some nut-job in Blacksburg, VA had just murdered 30 or so people on the Virginia Tech campus. I work at a college now. Ironically, in the staff meeting we discussed the evacuation and emergency policies for the new building we just moved into this last January. It took a few minutes but by the time I reached my desk I could hear the whirrrr overhead, feel the grit of the parking lot on my palms and my face and smell the oil of the still warm engine of the green ford explorer. That is how I remembered 11-4-2204.

There have not been many details released yet about what happened in Blacksburg but I am sure in the end it will have happened for some senseless reason.

2007-03-06T08:45:00.000-06:00

Hello,

At least once in our lives we motorcycling enthusiast decide to buy and finance a new ride. Since the cost of the average motorcycle has sky-rocketed to somewhere near $10,000 for a metric or American ride and maybe twice that for anything Italian we are not paying cash anymore. Gone are the days of my $500.00 rat bikes. When I bought the mule I was offered a promotional finance plan from my dealer for Suzuki Financing. Competitive rates, decent terms, all seemed okay. However, when I got my first statement it turned out that my bike loan was owned the HSBC! If you are not familiar, HSBC is widely considered to the largest predatory lender in the US of A. I was now treading barefoot in a sea of broken glass and mystery fees. Since I have had the account I have been threatened, lied to, shuffled, and god only knows what else they want to do to me. Why would Suzuki or The Cycle Center of Denton, TX do this to me? As it turns out I am dealing with HSBS’s bottom feeder CSRs. There are no pleasantries when you call and they will only give you there name if you badger them for it. It is easier to lie to a customer if they cannot trace it back to you. In the last two years I have had no less than three payments “lost” until the first business day after a due date. Seems a little fishy to me??? Cha Ching! $35.00 a pop per instance. Try calling to get them waived. I have had one late fee and once $15.00 was rolled off. As it turns out their goal is to get me to default so I will pay the default rate of about 24%. Why not just put it on the gold card??? So, if you are going to take the plunge opt for the bank financing. Sure you may have a slightly higher payment but in the long run it will save you money and aggravation. And in the end you won’t have to break out the K-Y every time you have to deal with HSBC.

I Heart New York

2007-02-13T18:47:00.000-06:00

Hello,

Sorry for the lack of news, it has not been for lack of events. Since I wrote last month I was able to do a Bachelor trip to New York City for a long weekend with a few close friends. Since it was not a motorcycle trip I will keep the stats short.
New Jersey: Smells real bad, no left turn lanes, exactly as portrayed in popular media. American Airlines: Sucked-it! 0 for 2 regarding on-time flights. From DFW I had the pleasure of boarding the plane and then being parked on the tarmac for an hour and fifty minutes without a/c or restroom facilities. Thanks for the swollen bladder, it came in handy while drinking in NYC. New York: Much cooler than I thought. The city was a blast. Of course I must say that to Judge NYC without leaving Manhattan would be misleading. Much like judging south Dallas from within the walls of Dallas Country Club. We hit many of the tourist sites, took in an Improv show, got on TV at the Today show, slept for a brief few hours on the street, urinated in public, ate off of a cart in Times Square, and found that Korean donuts are very tasty. All in all a great time.

In unrelated news, I am still planning summer moto trips and as soon as I get the logistics worked out I will share the details.

TWAATFOG New Year

2007-01-10T21:14:00.000-06:00

Another holiday season has passed and we have embarked on a new year. Like every new-year that has passed since my adolescence I vow to make this one better than the last. I promise myself every year that I will travel more, take better care of myself, stay home more, party more, learn new things, take it easy, drink less, drink more, be a better friend, etc. There is some conflict in that list of goals.

2006 started with my January Pneumonia and finished out in the Pediatricians office. AJ’s pending and later healthy arrival was the focus of 2006. Opening my heart and home to a third person was not as hard as I thought it was going to be. With all of the illness & birthing and such I still found a few opportunities to do some neat things. I made it to Oregon & Washington, Rode to the Gulf Coast and the Quachita Mountains on the mule, got in several hunting days, moved to a brand new state-o-the art building at work and still had time for the family. Not a bad year.

So what is in store for 2007? Travel-wise my immediate focus will be to fine tune my gear and bike for a Midwestern expedition. So far the plan is for about 10-12 days in Wisconsin, Minnesota, the UP of Michigan, and a sliver of Oh-Canada! The target date is in June and the trip will consume most of the year’s accrued Vacation from work. I believe it will be worth it. I am still in the process of working out the logistics but I hope to work in some day-rides with my brother, friends, relatives & acquaintances and some sorely needed alone time in the woods. If all things go well I will not confront my debilitating carnivorous bear phobia.

The rest of the year is open. I hope to fill the gaps with plenty of family time, kayaking with SJ, scouting for fall hunting, a glorious return to camping and of course plenty of saddle time.

Product review

2006-12-05T18:00:00.000-06:00

Okay, a little holiday fun. With this being the first holiday season with the kiddo (AJ) I have had to stick close to home. Lucky for me I have a high speed internet connection that can bring the wares of the world to my front door. Even though I have not had many opportunities to go anywhere I have still been able to research and orchestrate my latest accumulations of “stuff” or “junk” as most reasonable people would refer to it.

Product #1- The Garmin gpsmap76CSx. I have never owned a GPS unit until now. I have had experience with a Magellan Meridian on and off for the last couple of years. It baffled me. If I had read a manual for it may not have been that way but I never availed myself to it. So, I really have nothing to compare to. I did a great deal of research on the web and I must say most of the info was either incomprehensible or just crap. Finally, I went to the Cabela’s in Ft. Worth, TX after narrowing down my choices to a few units. The gpsmap 76CSx being one of them. It was selected for its Marine capabilities, and this was the one I was leaning to. After about 5 minutes with the GPS experts at the GPS counter I was sold. It was a very pleasant experience. The Unit came with a very helpful quick start guide and a very lengthy but interesting manual. Which I have read…most of. The color screen works well in daylight and the auto off backlight will save your batteries. Once the Compass was initialized it was quite accurate. The controls are very intuitive and had a homey Windows feel to them. The Magellan I used was a few years old and the Garmin is proof of idiot proof evolution in gadget ware. We took both units into the field and the performance was, well, pretty equal. At times the Magellan was superior. The only complaint from me is that I do not know how to use it and the monochrome screen is a little hard to use in the sun. I enjoyed using the Garmin and the software and controls worked well for me.

The verdict? I like it and it was quite useful on our excursion. Four stars.

Product #2- 1954 DuraCraft 14ft v-hull boat with a 1971 Evinrude 6hp Fisherman. Another internet find. This one from the North Texas Duck Chat. One short trip Bowie, TX and three bills later this bad boy was all mine. The neighbors looked worried as it basked in all it’s dented OD green glory in my driveway. In the end it has displaced my wife’s car in our tiny car-hole. I have had her out twice and she only takes in a little water through the plug, never enough to matter. Using the above GPS I clocked her to a top speed of 7.3 mph. I think that is like 2 knots. For the purpose of navigating the sloughs and shallows of Lake Ray Roberts in search of ducks it is the perfect tool for the job.

The verdict? The dents make it look mean… Five stars.

Time to Quack!

2006-11-20T06:49:00.000-06:00

Well it is Duck season again. What does all of this mean for the hunter/gatherer in all of us? It is a time to get back to some very simple roots of humanity and to also give nature a little helping hand. Though some do not consider hunting to be a conservation activity that is exactly what it is. If you are a fan of evolution you know that a little hunting pressure will inevitably assure the most competitive of the species will continue to flourish while the less well equipped will be culled from the gene pool. To see more evidence of this conservation look at how the conservation groups spend their money. Ducks Unlimited, The Wild Turkey Federation, Pheasants Forever, and the like tend to spend about 80% of their income on conservation programs. These are pro sportsman organizations. On the other hand anti hunting groups like PITA, The Sierra Club, World Wildlife Fund and their ilk spend roughly 80% of their proceeds on marketing campaigns. So, who is really helping nature and our feathered friends? Sportsmen’s licensing fees will also fund state and federal conservation programs. No such contribution from the Sierra Club. So, enjoy the outdoors. If you can, take a kid hunting or fishing. With great anticipation I am looking forward to the day I can take my daughter “AJ” on her first hunting or fishing outing. If that is not her cup of tea I am sure she would enjoy an autumn day’s walk in the woods with her father. Who would not enjoy that?

Product Review

2006-11-10T06:36:00.000-06:00

Okay, back to biking here. I have a couple of product reviews for the “masses” reading TWAATFOG.

Product one is the new HJC Sy-Max helmet. This replaces the Cl-Max that had been around for a little while. Based on the construction this stands to be a large improvement. Sy-Max is a polycarbonate, fiberglass, kevlar blend. The Cl was thermoplastic. This helmet has a USA DOT rating but is not able to get the European Snell rating because the chin bar is not fixed. I have heard from several sources that the helmet would pass Snell testing without the chin bar. It is more of a perception than construction issue. Few if any of these types of helmets get the Snell rating.

How did it perform? Well, there are two sides to every Schwartz... The adjustable chin bar is great for down low visibility when in the up position. Great when asking directions, fueling up or just for occasions that you do not want to remove the helmet when stopped. Manufacturer say not to have open when riding but I have tested it at about 30mph and there is minimal wind drag on the chin bar. The helmet also comes with a small breath box included. In theory you can put he helmet on without removing your glasses which is the reason I purchased the helmet. I am still working on that maneuver.

Down side? The locking mechanism seems to be difficult to close with one hand and there is almost no way to do it without putting you hand(s) on the screen. The helmet is also a little loud on the highway. Earplugs will be needed for anything more than a short jaunt. So, I like the helmet and the price point is right for what I fell like I got ($193.00 at www.Newenough.com or it can be had for about $259.00 at your local MC shop).

Product 2 is the ICON Motorhead boot. This boot has a nice heavy looking sole and Leather Upper construction. This is a really neat comfortable boot. I have flat wide feet and amazingly there were no fit issues. These seem to be a hybrid between a motocross and street boot. I did not want boots with laces so I chose the Motorhead. The latches are clunky and ski-boot looking but seem quite solid.

Down side? I was really disappointed with some of the sewing. I went through two pairs via mail before I got some I could live with. You can see that some pulling occurred when the toe cap was sewn on and there are several little tears in the leather. ICON knows this because the flaws were doctored with what appeared to be a black waxy shoe polish and a sharpie. Also, the soles are glued on and seem to be on a little crooked. This was consistent with all boots received. My mobility was quite limited. I have a DL 1000 and I have ridden with large hiking & hunting boots. The bike, unlike some sport bikes, can tolerate clunky boots for the foot controls. I had to move my shift lever up to be able to get this boot to work on my bike. I looked at a friend’s Kawasaki Concourse shifter and, well, it would never work. SPORTBIKE GUYS SHOULD NOT BUY THIS BOOT. I hope they get a little more limber as I wear them, and I will be wearing them since they can no longer be returned having been worn. ICON does have a one year warranty and at the first sign of falling apart they will be headed back to from where they came.

These boots look good but like most of what I am seeing from China the buck stops there. The value at $139.00 (discounted) is just not there for me. I plan on punishing these boots to see how well they hold up and I will do a follow-up in a few months.

New Horizons

2006-10-17T15:26:00.000-05:00

Hello, sorry I have not posted in while. I have been a little preoccupied this week. A couple of things have changed in my life. One, my wife of nine years has just given birth to our first child, a girl. We will call her “AJ” for the sake of the blog-o-sphere. I am already shopping little motorcycles. Second, it turns out that a few people are actually reading this thing. Maybe a somewhat impressive feat. Considering that I am typing this on a second hand laptop with a keyboard problem equivalent to a typewriter with 5 missing keys. I mean a floating 5 missing keys.

Anyway, A few people are reading this. With that known I am changing the mission a little. I will be less technical. As it turns out no one but a few motor-heads care about chain tension, shock preload and cross bar mods. I will not quit writing about riding adventures or trip planning. Heck, everyone likes an adventure right? I may even win a few people into riding. I will be more user friendly to the typical user. I can get and share tech info on the Strom Forum if I need that kind of fix. So, welcome and enjoy the space. Comments and feedback can be e-mailed to mn_northstar@hotmail.com. Any comments appropriate to the “mission” will happily be posted.

Sweeeter!!!!

2006-10-02T17:42:00.000-05:00

Just days after my post I met the Kinkster himself. He was on the Campus for a political stop and he made himself available to his many fans. I had a front row seat to the show and was able to meet him shortly after the event. I got a great photo op and he signed a book for me. He was a hell of a nice guy.

Sweeet!

2006-09-26T18:05:00.000-05:00

I promised to keep the pols out of my blog but I could not help this! The TX Gov race has been already been quite colorful with Gov goodhair, the angry grandma, an unknown dem, and a singing jewish cowboy but now we have the "body". Yes, Jesse "the body" Ventura is now on the campaign trail with Kinky! I found the photo on Fark.com and could not resist the post.

Newest Mod

2006-09-19T06:46:00.000-05:00

Oh the times are slow. Too much work and not enough play time. However, I am not standing still. I am still preparing for the riding season. Although the weather this week has tricked me into thinking it is here. Mid 50's this morning, what a glorious commute! I wish I could have kept going straight on to the Ozarks or someplace else not as flat as NC Texas.

My newest mod is the SW-MOTECH Universal Handlebar cross bar. Below is the product review and a pic from site Twisted Thottle.com. The application is the same as mine so I borrowed their pic.

Good product. Made in Germany, all parts felt and looked high quality. Quick install! I had this on the bike with a 10mm socket and allen wrench (not incl.) in less than 10 minutes. For Strom V-Strom riders this will make your handlebars feel much more solid and increase your feel for the road over the weak feeling factory setup. Don't expect 100% rigidity but a nice compromise of a handlebar swap.

I got my mojo back baby!

2006-09-15T22:17:00.000-05:00

Howdy,
Well it worked. The preload has been my problem for the last month. I made a scorching hot commute to work this morning hitting three digits about three times, once while orchestrating an acrobatic lane change. The arss of the bike felt like it was nailed to the pavement. My cycle center pro had remarked how the new bikes are "over engineered" to the point where one little change can disrupt the entire Setup. He was not lying.

We are in the process of planning another trip in the next month or so. As the plans develop I will publish then here.

Later, G

All things confusing...

2006-09-14T15:48:00.000-05:00

Well, as mentioned in my previous post I have been somewhat reluctant to take to the open road since the blow-out-flat on the Strominator. I messed with tire pressure, chain tension, and shock preload. All of which did nothing. So, after consulting the "manual" one last time I shrugged my shoulders and carefully rode to the dealership. I paid for the extended warranty and I will be damned if I am not gonna use it! I left the bike in "Jimmie's" capable hands. 24 hours later I was told to come and get it, there was nothing wrong... accept user error that is. You see, I have been religiously following the owner’s manual on shock preload. Apparently if you take things literally it is not good to put all of your faith in a document that was created in Japanese and translated into English.

There is a knob that you turn to adjust preload on the shock. Following the instructions presented in the manual, 5 clicks of the knob (yes it actually clicks when you turn it) would bring you to the maximum preload. AKA, makes spring stiff. Well, as "Jimmie" showed me there is a visual way of checking this. You look at the spring as you tighten, or click, the knob. There are 5 lines that become visible one after another on the top of the shock as you crank the knob clockwise.

In Japanese apparently a click really means "Turn knob until graduated scale on the top of the mono-shock housing becomes visible and desired stiffness is achieved." From the lowest position 5 "clicks" of the knob will not even begin to preload or stiffen the shock. The upper middle setting required closer to 15-20 clicks! No wonder the thing was loose on the road.

So, in the future I guess I will call upon my very knowledgeable friend "Jimmie" to answer the questions that were lost in the translation of my owner’s manual. I have not ridden too much since the most recent adjustment, just back to the house, but I am excited to see how the bike will handle.

Later, G

Get off my case!

2006-09-03T01:21:00.000-05:00

Some of my constituency have accused me of not keeping up with my blog. It is not like I have much to write about... I am still afraid of my motorcycle and it is still as hot as hell in Texas. Well, until this week that is. The bike still feels squirrelly as hell since the new tire was put on. I have been going through the possible causes. My most recent thought on the handling problems have been that the chain is too tight, causing the rear wheel to torque during suspension travel. We will see.

As all things go, sooner or later there is something to write about. Today was the opening weekend of Texas' dove season. We went out with two dogs, two hunters and came back with 7 birds. Not a great success. However, a bad day hunting is better than the best day at work. Here is a pick of me and my hunting dog appropriately named hunter.
Later, Glenn

Missed it by that much!

2006-08-14T18:09:00.000-05:00

Hello friends,
This last weekend our boat, the 1959 Lone Star Eldorado, that you may have read about on Lost Rider Hwy, took to the water for the first time since 1980. The weekend started with a tenuous Saturday shakedown on the choppy brown waters of Lake Ray Roberts. We were delayed a few hours by rain. Yes, rain in Texas in August. It was if God had Christened the craft him/herself. Following the successful voyage we scheduled a recreational trip for the very next day. Three souls aboard for about a three hour tour, three hour tour. Lacking the decision power of a professor, a couple of millionaires and a diva... only a skipper, first mate and a Maryanne were aboard and were not able to arrange for a long shipwreck.

The only island we set foot on was Culp Island on the lake's Southwest end. With the exception of the presence of party trash and fire ants it was quite enjoyable. I was left with only one question as we shoved off to the marina. Who the fuck drinks Jumex nectar and leaves dirty diapers and crudely opened "mexicorn" cans all over the beach? I guess that is mother natures problem.

By now you may be asking yourself what is up with the title of this entry??? Well the late great Don Adams playing the immortal Maxwell Smart used to say "He missed it by that much" when one of the KAOS henchmen fell off a building and missed the truckload of pillows below or some other equally absurd accident occurred. He would say this while holding his thumb and forefinger between his face and the camera with only a miniscule amount of space between them.

On our way to the marina, with yours truly at the helm, we were cruising slowly into the no-wake zone of the marina about 120 feet from shore when we heard and felt the clatter of metal and rocks. The friction stopped us in our wake. As fast as I could I killed the motor but it was too late. You see, I piloted the boat into about 3 feet of water sitting calmly over a bed of scattered rock.

Now there were no buoys or warnings about the outcrop so I am only at fault for not knowing the lake that well as I should or not springing the $100 for the depth sounder that would have warned us that we were in 36 inches of water.

No more than 100 feet to our left there was a channel that led into the marina. And, I missed it by that much.

To ride or not to ride...

2006-08-08T17:24:00.000-05:00

I have recently spent or maybe wasted a great deal of my personal and professional time preoccupied by a single train of thought. How safe am I on my motorcycle? Is my commute putting me in additional danger? Do recreational riders have more accidents because they are not on their bikes every day? Am I using enough caution? Are my riding habits dangerous? Are the Interstate highways safer than the back roads to work? Maybe it is the other way around? Did you know the motorcycle fatality rate per accident in Denmark is 1in50?

These and an endless train of similar thoughts have spent a great deal of time in my melon. Most of this has been brought on by the recent attention paid to a certain AFC QB, who shall remain brainless, who put his face through the wind shied of an approaching vehicle. Never mind it was not his fault. More recent & local, a motorcyclist inexplicably and abruptly exited I-35 at 70mph from the left lane on to the median hitting a light pole. He had a helmet on. He lived. He lost both arms; one at the scene and the other in the OR. Also my own experience with the flat has me a little rattled. Not the flat but the breaking in of the replacement tire. It is a little slick and not quite squared off yet. The bike is a little loose on the highway because the tire is still so new.

All of this has me wondering if I should spend more time in my car than in the saddle. My wife seems all too knowledgeable about recent motorcycle incidents and is quite eager to tell me about them. Most recently a story about a man who’s penis was sliced off during the course of the accident. Initial responders swore if the cycle would not have been there that they would have assumed it was a homicide before even considering it an accident because of the condition of the body. He lived. Maybe she wants me off the bike before the baby arrives?

The only reason I am concerned about this is because if I am thinking of a no face, no arms, missing penis motorcycle rider on a loose bike while I am riding than I am not thinking about my own safety. Much less about what is going on in my immediate environment. Maybe this will purge these thoughts. Sorry, a little long for a blog entry. As always please send feedback to mn_northstar@hotmail.com.

2006-08-07T08:27:00.000-05:00

For sale 1964 Ford Falcon Futura $6000.00 OBO

Up for sale is a 1964 Ford Falcon. I am not advertising this car as #’s matching because I have never checked. However, the car is an original V-8 car with correct 2 speed ford cruise-o-matic and retaining a 260 ci engine. This car would be a great restoration candidate or a really interesting daily driver. This car is 100% complete and everything works. I have taken great care in maintaining this vehicle since I have owned it. This car has been garaged for at least the last 12 years by myself and the previous owner.
I have a kid on the way and promised myself I would try and sell this car. I am pretty firm on the price and would be willing to deliver within about 200 miles of Dallas, TX. If you want to know more e-mail me at glennsfalcon@gmail.com. I have many more pictures and a more complete description of the car in a PDF I can send to any interested buyers.

First Blow Out

2006-08-02T18:36:00.000-05:00

Wow, it has been a slow week. The only motorcycle or travel event to report on is my first blowout. At first I thought it was my first flat. What is the difference? I am not sure, you may weigh in on this if you like. I have always defined a flat as something that happened while you were in the beer store and a blow out happens while you are actually moving. When leaving for work in the morning I noticed the tire was flat when I rolled the mule off of the center stand...a flat. After removing the panniers and taking the rear wheel off I was able to see the significant wear and some damage on the sidewalls of the tire. I rode it flat...a blowout. Upon further inspection I found a 2 inch piece of steel imbedded into the center to the tread. Oh well, a week’s wait for a tire and $35 mounting fee and I will be back on the road. Moral? Keep a couple of tires on hand if you can afford it, especially if you have an oddball size or brand on your bike.

Congrats DL 650

2006-07-28T21:33:00.000-05:00

NOTICE.
I Just got the new Cycle World today and want to gloat in the news that the "baby strom" Suzuki DL 650 V-strom beat the Ducati Multistada 620 "hands down" in a head to head road test, and comes in like $2100.00 below the sticker of the Duc. Also, German Cycle Magazine Motorrad named the baby strom "Der AlpenFuhrer" (#1) in a 20 bike shootout through the mountains. The strom 650 and 1000 share the same egineering and chasis geometry. I love my mule but I am starting to wish I had bought the 650 and put the $2300 difference into, well, a second 650 for the old lady (aka my wonderful, loving and understanding wife).

The mule

2006-07-25T20:11:00.000-05:00

Well since the goal here is to primarily cover my motorcycle travels and experiences I guess I have made a sizable omission. What do I ride? Since I have had a great love for the outdoors, often prefer the path least traveled and the utility and versatility of an object define its value to me there was really only one choice for me; adventure touring. Why buy an adventure touring cycle? These bike are designed to go anywhere, haul large loads, the engines have loads of torque, good horsepower and can tolerate just about any road surface or lack thereof.

Unfortunately I am not made of money so that eliminated all of the Euro tourers from my choices. As much as I wanted that BMW I lacked the $12,000 plus to close the deal. After some searching I found the Suzuki V-Strom Dl-1000. In German Strom means wind. The retail is about $8999.00 local and I did about 15% better than that. However, I have made some very dollar intensive upgrades to the stock cycle, some of which may have not been needed on some other bikes. I will detail the expenditures below.

Overall, I am finally appreciating this bike. The biggest problem was the fuel injection computer and just about everything in the fuel delivery system has had to worked on or adjusted. Fuel injection on motorcycles is still somewhat new territory for Japanese motorcycle manufacturers. This same bike was sold in Europe with a Kawasaki nameplate and carburetors.

After many, many trips to the dealer I finally bought the Power Commander III (PC) computer module to regulate the fuel air mixture. Finally the motor is somewhat smooth. This came at the cost of nearly 20% increase in fuel consumption. I have contacted PC several times regarding this development with no response. If you buy this computer just know that you are on your own with the tuning. Thanks guys, I hope you choke in the $350.00!

With the exception of the tuning issues this has been a great ride. Its highway manners are above average, it is not too buzzy until you really get into the top RPMs (7500+), great chassis stability and an all round good commuter bike. I ride it to work almost every day.

The additions include Givi monokey panniers & mounting system ($514.00), Givi crash bars ($129.00), Suzuki touring windscreen ($79.00), Suzuki center stand (197.00), Cortex tank bag ($79.00) and Power Commander ($349.00).

The attached pics show the additions minus the crash bars. So, don’t give up on the bike if it is not just right when you take delivery. I plan on riding this machine for at least the next 10 years or so. The extra money spent to make it right was just an expanded portion of the overall investment.

2006-07-13T13:49:00.000-05:00

Hello,
Well it is hot here in TX so there is not too much to do or write about. However, I have reconnected with a few old friends this year and have been frequently asked what I have been up to. So, the next few postings will be a recap of this year. They will be short with maybe a picture or two.

In Feb I did a Bach trip to Portland. We only had 2 1/2 days so we wanted to make the most of the trip. Our main excursions were to Mt St. Helens and to the Washington coast. The mountain monument was amazing. If you are ever even remotely near the area I would recomend a vist. From the Mountain we went straight to the coast. It was a long haul through some really interesting country. We left Portland at 7am and the round trip from Mt St. Helens to the Washington coast via Astoria(sp?), OR and the Columbia river and back took about 15 hours. here are a couple of pics from the trip.

2006-07-12T10:32:00.000-05:00

I have been away for the last couple of weeks so I have not posted anything here since setting up shop. Week 1 was in New Orleans at a work related conference. The city seemed like a ghost town with a big red-light district in the middle if it. Downtown and the French Q were in not bad shape. However, on the trip in from the airport I could hardly count the FEMA trailers still parked in the neighborhoods. There were many empty storefronts. We could not find any restaurants open after 6pm unless it was also a bar. A couple of evenings we ended up on Bourbon Street after 10pm and found it to be grittier than I remembered from my college trips there. Most of the regular bars seemed to have been replaced by strip clubs and what appeared to “massage parlors”. Also, with the absence of tourists the crowd seemed a little rougher as well. I must say that there was a very noticeable police presence in the FQ and Downtown. I never felt at risk walking the streets in the FQ or DT. The one time I felt a little spooked was during a conference sponsored sunrise walking tour through the FQ. It was really informative as well as entertaining. I just could not get over how empty the FQ is at 6am! It was al little spooky. I did find one coffee house and about 10 bars that were open. After taking the tour I realized that the cool bars were not on Bourbon Street but tucked away in other parts of the FQ.

Why is the city so empty? Questions I decided to ask anyone I met: Where is everyone and why haven’t they come back. The different answers were too numerous to list here. However, most at some level were related to either politics or money. I was frequently reminded that New Orleans was a very poor city before the storm and now the situation has compounded. From speaking with city officials (a guy fixing a stoplight), visitor bureau (a guy giving away city maps) and others the consensus is that about ½ to 2/3 of the people that have left have yet to return. A large percentage of the people there now are just there to rebuild and will probably leave when the work is done or the money runs out. If 2/3 of the people there do not want or care to come back and rebuild why should anyone outside of the city care? DT and the FQ are really unique and probably need to be rebuilt, but does the city need an urban residential population? Many large metropolitan areas have a vibrant tourism industry with a relatively small urban labor force.

I have always liked Now Orleans. This was my 4th trip there in the last 10 years. It was really sad to see the city and its people in the shape they were in. Most of the people I met there were celebrating life. A few were alive but seemed dead inside. The storm damaged the city in ways I will never know. I hope the people who want to return home will get to do so soon, and if you don’t want to come back, well that’s cool too.

I will post a few pics from the Crescent city here.

First day on the blog

2006-06-26T09:24:00.000-05:00

I have been meaning to do this for a while. This will hopefully be an efficient way of tracking my few travels. I will try not to let this degernerate into a right-wing political forum although I may comment on issues from time to time. Later.