Nice Accessory

Isn't a holster, but an adapter for the holster you currently use.  Only drawback I can see is having to take your holster on and off your belt a lot when getting in and out.

http://www.gumcreekcustoms.com/

Some thoughts on Colorado

In Colorado it is illegal to carry a firearm into a movie theater.  My mother’s first question was “then how did the shooter get his guns into the theater?  ”.  I pointed out that only law abiding citizens abide by gun bans which she found very reasonable but it didn’t occur to her until I pointed that out.  With the anti-gun groups once again claiming that we have a gun problem, one has to wonder how differently this might have turned out it Colorado didn’t restrict their law abiding citizens, those who might have been able to make a difference in this case.

The corporate conspiracy to keep me single

So the other day while comfortably ensconced in the hospital I asked my doctor out for coffee.  I did preface the request with the caveat that it would be after I could both drive and hold a cup of coffee.  In case you’re wondering I did not take pain medication for the first four days after my accident so this was not a case of drug influenced bad decisions.  The reality was that she is both good looking and nice and presumably, having made it through years of medical training, intelligent.  Turns out that she is engaged, however, she also told me that hospital policy does not allowed dating of patients.  OK.  Here’s my problem.  How am I supposed to meet nice women if the places I frequent have policies against my dating them?

The Motorcycle Diaries Part 9: Wrap Up

How do you write about a motorcycle trip so that anyone will care?  What is it that really matters about the trip?  The interesting things, the things you might write about it, the highlights, are not the trip at all but the things that happened a in between what really mattered.  Take my recent trip for example.  Reading my blog you might have got the impression that the trip was one giant string of mishaps.  The string of mishaps, however, was definitely not the trip.  The dark green forests of Oregon  as we climbed over the cascade range from the Willamette valley to Eastern Oregon; the snowcapped mountains that we passed as we rode south into California; the sweeping ride through the high pines and desert of the Modocs; the dry grasslands and pine forests of the California Sierras; the terraced vineyards of the Napa Valley; and the broken rocky shoreline of the Oregon Coast, these were the ride.  Sitting with friends over lunch, over a campfire, drinking rum, cooking, arguing about politics, motorcycles, and girls, these were the ride.  So how do you write about a motorcycle trip?  If I tell you the individual details of each of the roads that we traveled, arguments that we had, rums that we drank, it won’t be interesting.  It was the experience that made the trip interesting not the retelling of it.  If I tell you about the highlights it might be interesting but it won’t be the motorcycle trip.  So what shall I tell you?

Oregon has 48 named mountain ranges.  The Harley shop in Reno doesn’t carry 30 amp circuit breakers but the shop three doors down does, which they buy from the Harley shop.  The KOA in South Lake Tahoe has campgrounds made up entirely of very fine dirt.  Fortunately they also have giant flat rocks on which one can sleep.  California has the best motorcycling roads in the three states in which we traveled.  The Napa Valley has quite a few vineyards for sale.  Interesting.  Krispy Kreme doughnuts

has not actually gone out of business but merely closed their Burlington store.  They were available in California.  The giant drive through redwood tree was actually in Yosemite Park, not the redwoods.  It isn’t there anymore, but there are three smaller giant drive through redwood trees in the redwoods.  The oldest is in Leggett but we didn’t get to go because nobody believed me when I said it was there.  The Oregon Coast is beautiful and cold.  By the time we got the Crescent City we were freezing and all clothing went on for the rest of the drive up the coast.

Paul Theroux once traveled around Britain by the coast.  He wrote about it in a book called “Kingdom by the Sea”.  William Least Heat Moon traveled the United States on the back highways and documented his travels in his book “Blue Highways”.  What they seem to have in common is an ability to both choose and tell the most interesting stories of their trips in a way that captivates their audience.  Perhaps I don’t see the stories that way, or perhaps I just don’t remember them well enough to tell them later but either way I guess my trips will mostly just be part of my memories.  I hope you enjoy the bits I am able to share.

The Need to Denigrate

Something that's been bothering me for a while is the need that some people have to denigrate others completely out of the blue and with no apparent justification.

Last year a student at my high school was killed.  Walking down a country road at night and got hit by a driver who didn't see him.  Commenters to the local paper felt the need to claim he was on drugs.

Not to long ago a fellow dumped his motorcycle on an on-ramp locally. Commenters immediately started denigrating his riding ability even though they didn't know him from Adam.  The reality, four bikes went down on the same on ramp in the space of a month. Clearly a dangerous situation and not an issue with the rider.


Captain Capitalism gives me a shout out and best wishes (which I really appreciate) after reading about my accident and the first two commenters make reference to Darwin awards and my lack of experience, suggesting I should be riding a trike.  Now, I honestly don't care what they think, I am pretty thick skinned, and I know I am a good rider who made some mistakes, but I am just puzzled as to why some people's first inclination seems to be to make some disparaging comment.

The Motorcycle Diaries Part 8: A Sudden End

Mobile blogger has  been an ongoing annoyance. I will post more on that later.

Meanwhile here is the update that I have been trying to post since last Sunday (July 15).

Rear ended a GMC/Chevy Suburban on Highway 18 coming out of Lincoln City, Oregon last Saturday.  I have/had a badly bruised left foot with a dislocated big toe, a broken left wrist, a broken right thumb, a broken left elbow, and a badly pulled pelvic/flexor/whatever the muscle that lets you swing your legs in a walking motion is called.  I am actually fine, just inconvenienced.  I'm home now (thanks again, stupid mobile blogger) and working on mobility and healing.

Here's a picture of me in the hospital from last Sunday looking cheerful, which I was.  I can also say that I actually had a really good time the last two weeks, including the hospital stay, so "good vacation, too bad about the broken bones" sums it up quite nicely.

The Motorcycle Diaries Part 7: The Good Stuff

Some of you may have noticed that our trip has had its share of setbacks and concluded, from the tone of my posts hat we aren't having a good time. On the contrary as I write this I am as relaxed and stress free as I have been in a long time. Here are some of the highlights so far.
Highlight: I talked to a real girl. Inyelligent, interesting, beautiful, likes to ride motorcycles. GTG then explained to me what I did wrong (didn't introduce myself, didn't ask for her phone number, didn't invite her over to the campsite for a drink) and what I should have done (a list very similar to the one above).
Highlight: Even with three breakdowns and a crash we are riding all three motorcycles and will have racked up over 2000 miles on this trip.
Highlight: Kurt Johnson at Jamestown HD gave us a set of old handlebars and loaned me a big crescent wrench to straighten some bent parts.
Highlight: Mule met a nurse at the hospital, exchanged email addresses and has already got a long email from her.
Highlight: Hwy 128 through the Napa Valley.
Highlight: Hwy 49 from Placerville to Chinese Camp.
Highlight: Tuttletown Recreation Area which has nesting falcons, a large owl of unknown breed, dozens of bird species, more stars than you can count, catfish that may bite the toes of unsuspecting swimmers and at least one very pretty park ranger.

The Motorcycle Diaries, Part 6: By Special Request

GTG requested a picture of us having fun since all the posts have been of us having problems.  Can you tell he's having fun?  He's the smiling one in the back.

The Motorcycle Diaries, Part 5: Biker Tough

Brian: I've broken my leg, I need to rent a truck.
Us: OK
(12 hours later)
Brian: It actually feels OK, I'll just ride up the freeway.
Us: OK
(12 hours, plus one hour of riding later)
Brian:This is boring, let's take the coast highway.
Us: OK

The Motorcycle Diaries, Part 4: Down Goes Mule

Well, the epic continues. Mule lost traction on a tight corner on hot asphalt, went up on the median and hit a drainage culvert. Over the handlebars and back onto the road, but this time on his face.  The worst damage is torn muscles in his right calf but no more motorcycle trip for him. Jamestown HD actually gave us a set of takeoff handlebars and I swapped them out so the bike is now rideable but it'll be headed home in a truck.

The Motorcycle Diaries (Part 3): Roadside Repairs

Well, a tale of broken motorcycles, parts littering the landscape, or at least a string of trashcans throughout Nevada and California. Let's start at the very beginning (I've here that's a very good place to start).

Leaving Susanville Mule's bike starts to backfire and miss.  Nurse it to Reno Harley, figure out it's probably the main circuit breaker, run down the road to another motorcycle shop which actually has the part and van, back on the road with a perfectly running bike.

For five minutes, until mine starts backfiring and dies.  Off the highway, a small mall, diagnose like mad but can't find anything, finally change the sparkplugs and it seems to be OK. Off we go. Make it to South Lake Tahoe and it dies again but this time it's dark and I can see that everything dies. Oh. I also have a defective main circuit breaker. Next morning, off to the auto parts store to get a new breaker (no Harley shop in South Tahoe) and back on the road.

How weird that both bikes, eighteen years apart in manufacture date, have the exact same problem within hours of each other.

It's good to be a Harley mechanic but frustrating to spend more time working on the bike than riding. Anyway, no further mechanical breakdowns, although the Fatboy seems to need a slightly smaller slow jet and the timing needs to be adjusted a little but nothing major.

Motorcycle Diaries (Part 2): My Rocky Mountain Home

I'll update later about what's been going on, but thought I'd share this picture of last night's bed. KOA in South Lake Tahoe is completely comprised of very fine dust so rather than lie in that, I chose a convenient rock and threw the bedroll out. Slept great, you can fill in your own pun.

The Motorcycle Diaries, Part 1 (The Non-psychotic Version)

Well, off to a rough start. Made it as far as Snohomish before the Fatboy crapped out. Friends with a truck to the rescue, battery completely dead so possible charging system issue. Back to Bellingham Saturday morning in said truck, quick test and sure enough, bad battery and bad regulator. Got both on the shelf so 45 minutes later running again and off we go for attempt number two.

All the way to Tacoma where I lose a bag of camping gear. Nothing valuable except a Jetboil so still headed for Portland. Guess I'll have to do some camping gear shopping.

Mobile blogger test

Just checking out the mobile blogger (which apparently thinks that "bligger" is a word. Definitely won't be typing long screeds.

We'll include more gratuitous kitty pics just to test the capabilities and call it a day.

On The Road Again

Headed out.  Oddly enough, at 7:30 I still don't know which motorcycle I'm taking.  The Road King has no saddlebags (call me, David!) and isn't registered (DOL opens at 9:00), but the Fatboy, with 165,000 miles isn't quite as reliable as I'd like for a week on the road.  It's interesting trying to pack when you can't actually put anything on the bike.  Pile of stuff in the dining room.

Going to try to post any interesting happenings while I'm gone.  Not sure about the mobile blogger app.  Last time I tried to put a google something on my phone it install a push ads thingy and I dumped it.  Immediately.  We'll see.

Miss Otis Regrets

Cole Porter still rocks

Miss Otis regrets, she's unable to lunch today, madam.  Find your favorite version.  Here's a few to get you started.

Ella Fitzgerald http://youtu.be/rX-b1Ksetcc

Kirsty MacColl and the Pogues http://youtu.be/R0ojrK-yz_M

Bryan Ferry http://youtu.be/RiPyPo86dOo

Company for Cho part 2

Breeder got pictures up. I got the pick of the litter so chose myself a beautiful Sealpoint (brown tips) female.  Have decided to name her Dhaulagiri (white, dazzling, beautiful mountain in Sanskrit) to follow my tradition of naming my Himalayans after the Himalayas.  I will call her Dhaula but it won't matter since we all know that cats don't actually respond to their names.  Here's a picture. She won't be available til the beginning of August so I have that to look forward to.

Casablanca

I'd forgotten what a great movie this is.  Just watching it again after quite a long break. 

What a cast.  Peter Lorre, Sydney Greenstreet, Claude Rains, Humphrey Bogart, Ingrid Bergman.

The music.  You must remember this, a kiss is still a kiss, a sign is still a sigh, the fundamental things apply.  Dooley Wilson.

The quotes.  "You played it for her, you can play it for me", "You'll regret it.  Maybe not today, maybe not tomorrow, but soon, and forever."  "Louis, I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship"

Happiness is crap

Happiness is crap. If you stay in tune with life, there are good days, bad days, happy days, sad days, sick days, well days, tough days, easy days, rainy days and brutally scorching hot days.
Nobody can stay happy all the time without drugs being involved.
And that's not my goal in life. My goal is to strive for contentedness. To be content.

OK, so we really need a context for this, right?  Read the whole thing.

Boudicca's Voice