Bike pics .... Finally

Well this past weekend I was finally able to get something off my list of "To do's".

So you worked on the house, good for you.

No, I didn't work on the house.

So then you worked on the truck, no more rolling down the window to open the door?

Uh... no, not the truck either.

Did you work in the yard? Rake leaves? Trim trees and shrubs?

NO, NO, NO!

Well what exactly were you able to accomplish?

This past weekend, I was able to get pictures of my motorcycle and me!

Excuse me...

What?

Are you telling me you spent 2 whole days taking pictures of you and your bike?

No, of course not. But it was the only thing I was able to get off my list.

So a very productive weekend....

Hey, progress is progress. Anyways, I went over to Walrilla's to get an assist and to help him with something (he should be posting soon, so keep an eye open). Anyways, with his photographers trained eye, we were able to get some nice shots. There was even one with me in it that didn't look too bad.

Wow, he is good then...

Well, without further delay, here are the pics....

With the tour pac


ME!


With the backrest.

With just the seat.

Looking a little shaggy aren't 'cha???

Ya I know, a haircut is on the to do list.

So what are ya thinking, a business man cut, flat top or are you going all the way??

You know I hate short hair, but 10+ inches is just a little too long. I may just put it up to the stylist and give her the impossible task of making me look good...

What, your stylist is a miracle worker?

Bite me...

Can't wait to see this.

Well I will keep you posted....

What ever happened to "Made in the U.S.A."??

Well what got me to wondering about this was over hearing a conversation the other day at work. I heard a co-worker stating that he refused to shop at "Wally World" because he couldn't find anything he needed there that was "Made in the USA". Now I am old enough to remember the commercials you use to see on TV... "Look for the Union label" and "Buy American". But to be totally honest, I cannot recall the last time I saw one. I mean we have all heard at one time or another that we keep exporting jobs and importing products, but have you ever conciously took the time to see where the things you buy everyday actually come from? Here is a quick rundown of stuff around my house. New laptop - China. And if you have the time to look through the owners guide, and read through all the boring bits, you will find a warning stating that handling the power cables will expose you to lead. No joke. I recently bought a Harley Davidson Electraglide Classic. Nothing says "USA" like Harley right?Well I had a air temp gauge replaced with an oil temp gauge. The Air gauge was made in Malasia. Harley riding boots - China. Harley gloves - China.The Harley key fob my girlfriend bought for me - China. The tee-shirt I got when I purchased the bike - St. Loius?? Nope, thats where the design was put on the shirt. The shirt was made in Honduras. I plan on making a day of it soon and just go to the local HD dealership and go through their stock looking for "MADE IN THE USA". So what else is there. My suit - Syria. Cowboy boots - Mexico. Hiking boots - China. Sneakers (both pair) - China. Dress shoes (Cole Haan) - Mexico. Wrangler denim jeans - Mexico and Costa rica. My road bike - Taiwan. Mountain bike - China.RCA radio - China. Epson all in one printer, on the box you only see a California address. Could it be? Nope - Thailand. Space heater - Italy.Blender - China. Coffee maker - Mexico. Roller blades - China. Coats/Jackets - China, Mexico, and Qiz Jordan. Digital Camera - Japan. Well here is a ray of hope, the pillow I am resting on was filled in the US. The casing was made in China tho. My Springfield Armory 40 cal. SW.Springfield Armory of Geneseo, IL. On the slide it even says Springfield Armory USA. Made in Croatia. This is sad. Well there are some things inmy house that are made in the USA. My enterrainment center, it was custom made and I know the people who made it. But I can't vouch for where the wood,glass or hardware came from, it was made in the USA. And it seems most of the food and household chemicals are made here too. I am curious if this is "normal" in households across this country. Is it even possible to have a totally "Made in the USA" house hold anymore? And I have noticed resturants making a push. A local cajun eatery boast "Gulf Coast Shrimp" and What-a-burger is saying "US Beef". I did get an e-mail last week saying McD's was going to start using South American beef. But I can't verify this. So look around and see what is made here. Let me know what and where I can buy American. Should be a piece of pie, easy as cake.

Happy New Year!

OK, I know its almost February, but when have I ever been on time?

Well there has been a few times, but usually someone was kicking you in the butt to get you moving...

True enough. So anyways, I hope everyone had a safe and wonderful holiday season!

Ditto

So what are the plans for the new year? Well one is to start writing in this blog on a consistant basis.

I will believe that when I read it...

Have a little faith will ya?

Hey, I have known you all my life. I more than anyone has the right to be doubtful...

Fine, I will do it just to spite you.

We will see...

Moving on. I am also working out again. The goal is to run a sprint distance triathalon by mid-year.

Weren't you supposed to do that last year?

I am always late remember?

Oh

Fun things that have already been scheduled are a trip to Las Vegas in April and at least two friends and I will be headed to Sturgis Bike Week in August.

Are you going to ride up there?

Of course. That is the point isn't it?

I thought the point was to get there and back alive.

Ye of little faith. And some time this year I will be taking a hot air balloon ride. It has been postponed since last June.

Sounds like you.

Other than that, nothing on a personal side has been planned. But work is going to be a real nightmare this year. Lots of projects.

You can say that again. We are really going to need those vacations, and probably two or three more.

If we can.

Find a way.

OK, I will try.

Thanks.

Anytime. OK, so what plans do you the reader have for 2008? Insire us.

Please.

See you soon!

Sure you will...

OOPS!

Rookie mistake. Apparently I posted a draft before it was done. Its done now. Previous post is fixed.

See ya soon .... or maybe later??

Running Behind

The Worst Words EVER!!

And what might those be I hear you ask?? Well in my opinion they are "Oh that will be easy!". And usually what follows is anything but easy. For those that need to be caught up, I will recap...

My friends daughter is in the high school drama group and they will be preforming an adaptation of "Treasure Island". Well the part she will play is pirate/parrot, dressed as a pirate, carrying a parrot, and the parrot has lines and actions. Well talk moved to the parrot, and tales of what the original cast did and what they were looking to do. So when a rough outline of what they were looking for had been sketched out, I said that would be easy....

And apparently those words also mean, I will build it.

Well it was easy in hind sight. I mean, the final product didn't change that much from the original design. But DAMN, figuring out HOW to keep it LIGHT enough to carry and use plus STRONG enough to survive teenagers, that is a hair pulling exercise. Anyways, here are some pictures of the early construction.

These are pics of the body. You can see some of the control mechanisims that control the beak, head turn and wings. Most of the construction was made of balsa wood, bass wood, wood dowels and pieces of my old R/C race car. There is also brake cables off an old ten speed bike, the handle of a tooth brush, 20 lbs. test spider wire fishing line, parts of the trigger mechanism from an old air soft gun and assorted springs, washers, screws and nylon cord.

Here are some pics of the head. The beak was made out of layered bass wood. It was then cut out on a ban saw and shaped by hand. The pivots and linkages for the beak control are the front spindles and tie rods off the R/C racer. The frame and levers are made of bass and pine. It was then covered by styrofoam. I am not real happy with the final shape, but I will fix that on Parrot 2.0 .... did I just say that???

Well without a doubt, the biggest pain was the wings. They started out with 4 lift arms per side and ended up with 1 per side. And since that change I have figured out the problem with 4 and it should work right on the next one.... there I go again.

Then it was time to cover it. And of course I picked the absolute messiest, hardest to work with fabric ever created by man to cover this puppet. Sewing it was a nightmare, so I ended up hot gluing it to batting. Long process, but the end result actually made nice seams.

Here are pics of the "almost" final product.

The picture of the rear controls. The thumb is used to turn the head side to side. There is a trigger in front that works the beak. The lever at the bottom is used for flapping the wings. It is out on its test run now. They are using it in rehersals and so far it hasn't had any problems. If all goes well, I will add flight feathers at the ends of the wings and tail feathers in the last week before the show. So, for all practical purposes this project is done. The stress is behind me. I can relax for awhile.

Well, that is unless you have a friend like Walrilla. Then, you will be of on your next project before you can even catch your breath. And of course it will only be about a 1000 times more intricate and complicated and time consuming. But it will also be for ME, and I have at least 7 months to make it... that might be cutting it a little close. But stay tuned for contruction updates of DRAGON. It is going to be a monster.

Going to the birds....

You know you do for your kids what your parents did for you.... well, I don't have any kids, so I sorta adopted my friends daughter. And seeing as my mom saved my butt more times than I can count, with the last minute school projects, I have spent the last week working on a 3+ foot theatrical parrot. Sort of a big puppet, being able to turn its head, open its beak and flap its wings. And making this thing light enough to be carried for 1 1/2 hours without breaking her arm. Its getting there, most of the structure is done, and hopefully the total structure will be done early next week. Then to get it covered.... ugh. Anyways, I will post up some pics soon.

See ya soon

My Mid-Life Crisis .... Part 1

Well it has been well documented for years that when a man reaches a certain age, he "rebels" against "age" and tries to recapture his youth. Typically this age is said to be around his 40's.

Recapture your 'youth'?? When did you grow up?

Speak of the Devil. And do I even want to know where you have been?

Probably not, you would just get jealous.

That will be the day. Anyways, usually around this time a man will...

Hey! Whats this? A Harley?!? Whose is this?

It's mine. I picked it up while you were out.

Nice. Where are the keys?

Dream on. So, usually around this time, a common action is to buy the "little red sports car". After years of family cars, he...

Hey, this is a really nice color. It even sparkles in the sun. What do they call it?

Its crimson red sunglow. Can I get back to this post?

Sure, don't let me stop you.

SO, after years of driving sensible, tame, economic, respectable cars, the typical male will feel that he is defined by what he drives. And what male wants to be thought of as tame or economic? They want to be thought of as powerful, aggressive, ...

Wow, what size motor does this thing have? And is that a 6-speed gear box?

Yes, it has a 6-speed, and it is a 96 cubic inch or roughly 1600cc engine.

Dang, that must really move when you roll on the throttle.

Yes it does, now will you quit interupting?

Please continue.

Where was I..... oh, and by acquiring performance type machine, he himself believes that he is powerful. Sometimes, the man will start working out, eating right and altering his appearance to try and match this image he has created in his mind. It is during this phase that ...

Hey whats this crap in the fridge?? TOFU?? NOFAT MILK?? FRESH VEGETABLES?? WHERE THE HELL IS MY BEER AND PUDDING POPS???

They went bad while you were gone, so I threw them out. Try a carrot, they are quite tasty.

You suck at lieing and I have a better idea of what to do with that carrot.....

Oh yea, just try it!

Hey, have you been working out?

Yes I have, can you tell?

Nope, just a guess.

Whats that supposed to mean?

Nothing. Soooo, when you get to you mid-life crisis, you think you will fall into this pattern?

NO WAY!! I am very happy with my life; where I've been, where I am and where I am going. I will not need to remake myself, I am who I want to be!!

Well that is good to hear. You know how rediculous those guys are, right?

Absolutely, that is just one more reason I won't fall into that kind of mind set.

*smirk*

Whats that look for?

Nothing.... nothing at all.

Hey, what do you think.... tatoo or earing??

Now I have no more excuses.....dang it!

Well as of 3:30 pm September 25, 2007, I am officially a computer owner! Its a pretty little thing and Walrilla said it was a nice entry level machine. This is it. Anyways, I think my spending for the year is officially over. First the bike, then the laptop..... its time to enjoy both and start saving some money. And if the predictions are right, I will be spending a lot of time blogging, and that doesn't cost anything..... right? Can't wait to get back in touch with the wonderful people I met in Kerrville and hopefully meet more in the blogosphere!

So now I have to finish setting this thing up and give Walrilla back his internet connection. Pictures of the bike and pc coming soon. And if all goes well, we will be mobile blogging this weekend from the Smoke & Powder crawl in Houston. Wish us Luck.... we are going to need it!

Hi!! What did I miss??

Well long time no write. And I apologize for being soooooooo tardy but the name says it all. Anyways, to catch ya'll up on whats been going on in my life lately, well all the things that are fit to print, here we go.

Firstly, I am still in search of a laptop. As for good places I have found, Gateway seems to have some good deals in their outlet area. They are refurbed, but you can get some good units but they come and go quickly so you need to keep a close eye on it. Tiger Direct is also showing some promise but they are refurbs again. But I am getting closer to finally making a purchase. The biggest hold up at the moment is .....

Secondly, I am currently in the final stages of getting me a new motorcycle. Well the link will get you close but you have to click on touring and then Electraglide Classic to see what I am getting. And like anything, you have to customize it and those extras can really cost ya! But it will be mine by Aug. 10 and after that I PROMISE I will get a PC and start reading and posting on a regular basis.

Thirdly, The fight with the city continues. So far, they have replaced the manhole beside my house and about 90 feet of sewer main. They have also done work on at least one other manhole further down the line. This has provided some relief but during heavy rains, I still get "lovely water features" in my house. I am actually thinking of using that description when I put the house up to sell. Let the realtor figure out how to "spin" it.

Next, with all the rain we have been blessed with, the boat I bought last year is still in mothballs in my garage. Its kinda strange to not be able to go to the lake because there is TOO MUCH water, but this has been a really strange year. In a 100 mile radius, there is probably only 2 boat ramps that are even partially open. Most of the lake side parks are under water and the few that are still open are only partially open. And now people are reporting gators in the area. They killed an 8 footer 3 miles from my friends house and reported seeing a 4 footer in the area lake. And this place is usually more desert than swamp.

And last night I had a nice little surprise. I was doing a little cleanup around the house and was in need of a broom. Well I headed to the garage to get it and the dustpan, picked up the broom and it looked like a big "dust bunny" stuck to it so I shook it. Well half of the "dust bunny" broke off and hit a nearby box with a "thud". I thought that was strange and took a closer look at the broom. What I saw was something that resembled half a cantaloupe and LOTS of things flying out of it!! Needless to say, the "fight or flight" circuit kicked in and flight won hands down. The broom went left and I went right, closing the door securely on my way into the house. Leaning against the door, trying to get my heart rate back down, I was treated to a wonderful buzzing symphony on the other side of the door. NOT my preferred listening entertainment. So a quick run to the store for a couple of bug bombs and some long range wasp/hornet spray and I was ready to do battle. It was a hard fought confrontation, but in the end I prevailed!! I still have to check the rest of the house to make sure there are no other incursions. But that is a daylight activity.

Well, that's all for now. More to follow....... soon?

The Next Step

Alright, well I guess blogging can be fun. Although in my current situation it has proven to be sporadic and irratating. Not the blogging itself, the getting to a computer to use so I can blog. You must be the only IT professional in the world without a PC. Or a TV. Probably. But I am looking to fill that vacant space in my life. Found a girlfriend?? Oh you are just too funny today! I am talking about getting a computer. Then I can get more involved with blogging. Its a real pain trying to squeeze it in to working hours. Like you really work hard.... HA! Bite me! Anyways, I am thinking of going with a laptop and thats about all I have decided on. So, this is really a call for suggestions. What to look for in a PC. Or should I look at a Mac? Anyone have experience with air cards / wireless internet?? Any and all suggestions will be greatly appreciated. And you work with computers?? Just go away for now. I know I sound like a dweeb without you adding to my stress level! And you do it so well...