Snippets

[Crusty]

I've been writing about my exploits in the thread Crusty's Travels, but it looks like my traveling is going to be minimal for a while. But I still love motorcycles and I still love writing about them. SportsterPaul suggested that I start a thread here in the General Discussion area, so while it won't always be about motorcycles, they are a major part of my life and I usually have something relating to them. Also, I think that the other things I write about might be of interest to some folks. So here's my latest Snippet:


Nice Day For Somethin’


I’ve been sitting on my dead ass since I got home from Australia. There were some valid reasons; the worst jet lag I’ve ever experienced and a couple of migraines. The first of which was the worst I’ve had in decades. There were also some other reasons. The relatively cold temperatures – I was used to daily highs between 90 and 107 F and the grey skies. One of the weather heads said that Cincinnati has had only 3 sunny days since New Year’s Day the other night and we’ve had 15 days with some rain or snow. Also, I’m on a very tight budget, this month. I need to squeeze the nickel until the buffalo shits and the Indian begs for mercy.

Well; yesterday, my lethargy broke. I finally started getting things done. I finally made it to the barber shop and got my hair cut. I was really looking like a bum. I hadn’t gotten a haircut in almost 3 months and it looked it. I had the barber leave my beard a bit longer than I usually get it cut. I think that the thicker beard will help keep my face warmer in the winter weather. She did neaten it up a bit, though. My hair got cut to its normal fairly short length.

I also went by the YMCA and got signed up. I get Silver Sneakers as part of my Medicare supplemental insurance and that gets me free membership at the Y. They have exercise bicycles and they have a pool. It's nowhere near as nice as the pool at UQ Gatton, but I can swim laps in it. I just signed up yesterday. Today, I start working out.

After dinner last night, I was restless. I checked the Program Guide and there was nothing I wanted to watch on the Idiot Box, and I had finished the book I was reading, so I put on my boots (I wear slippers around the house) and went down to the basement and started playing with the ’78 Sportster. I don’t have the money to get it up and running, but I could get a start on doing things that don’t require any cash. I changed out the generator. There was a Cycle Electric generator that was wrapped in rags that came with the bike, but wasn’t installed. I’m going to have to investigate how to wire it in, as the regulator is attached to the end of the generator. The stock regulator was attached back by the battery box, so I guess I’ll have to look at the wiring diagram in the Service Manual and get it sorted out. I also saw a sheet of instructions for a Dyna electronic ignition, so I’ll have to check that out, as well. There’s no battery, so I’ll have to get one, eventually. I need to replace the oil lines, so I’ll be buying several feet of “Transmission Oil Cooler 5/16” hose, as well. The bike is wearing a set of stock Factory staggered dual mufflers (Guido wants them; they’ve become rare), I want to put a 2 into 1 Chrome Salami exhaust on it and I just happen to have one that I’ve been saving.

My goal is to turn it into a Tribute bike for Bill. I want to get a Superglide gas tank for it and have the tank and fenders painted Brilliant Red. I want it to look like Bill’s old ’78. It won’t be an exact copy; I want to put better brakes on it. I had a ’78 Superglide, and I remember just how much the brakes sucked. If I’m going to ride this bike around like I hope to, I want a bike that will stop. There are a lot of things that will need attention or replacement. The rubber isolators for the handlebars are clapped out and need replacing. The drive chain looks good, though. I need to find a trident style sissy bar; both Bill’s Sportster and my Superglide had them.

Other things that are going to cost are getting the oil tank painted black. It’s painted blue to match the current tank and fenders, and I want to find a front wheel with the original aluminum rim. The bike is wearing a wheel with a steel rim.

But that’s all in the future, when I have some money. For now, I can do little things like I did last night. I spent a couple of hours going over the bike. I basically wiped all the accumulated dirt and corrosion off. I removed the gas tank and seat and did a bit of cleaning.

I’ve had the bike since before I moved to Cincinnati, I hauled it down in the U-Haul Truck along with all my other stuff; but I didn’t have the spark to work on it. Yesterday, I not only got the spark to hit the gym, I got fired up to start working on the ’78. I hope that spark stays with me.

A couple of pictures from last night:








You can see the Chrome Salami standing over in the corner in the second photo. The bike cleaned up pretty nice. It's got a ways to go, but little by little...

[Crusty]

On a Winter Day with Snow


It’s snowing. My lawn is white, but the driveway and pavement is only wet. It’s not quite cold enough for it to stick. I’m a bit restless; I didn’t go out at all, yesterday, so I think I’ll take a walk and head over to the Loonie Noonie in a little bit. I won’t be hitting the gym today, but some exercise would do me good.

I’ve had this memory come up a few times lately of an Easter Sunday back in the ‘80s that I’d like to share. It’s one of those memories that makes me smile; but first, a little background.

I learned to ride a motorcycle back in 1969 while I was in Albuquerque, and it was both instant love and instant addiction. When I returned to Massachusetts, I told my parents I wanted to get a bike. My mother was dead set against the idea, but my dad (I found out years later) used to run Moonshine on an Indian Scout back in the ‘40s. In fact, he found my first bike for me. I think that led to a Battle Royale between my parents, but my dad prevailed and I got a bike.

Anyhow, it was Easter Sunday and the weather was beautiful. I think it was 1982, but I’m not sure of the year. I had gone over to my folks’ house for Easter Dinner, which was, “A meal that couldn’t be beat!” as always, and afterwards, my little sister, Grace asked me if I’d take her out for a ride on my bike.

So we went out for a short ride, and when we got back to the house, I took my little brother Tony out for a ride. That set the tone for the afternoon. After Tony and I got back, the three of us kids and my dad talked my mom into going out for a ride. That took a concerted effort on everyone’s part, and it took a while to talk her into it, but in the end, she put on the helmet and a light jacket and climbed on the back of the Superglide. We went for a careful, relatively slow ride and I think she actually relaxed enough that she was able to enjoy being on a motorcycle.

After we got back, I had to take my dad out. He hadn’t been on a bike in several decades, but he had to go after my mom had let herself be talked into going. I could tell that riding was bringing up old memories and he enjoyed the ride. Enough that I thought that after that ride, he might actually get a bike of his own. Especially since he said, at one point, “We might as well go back to the house; riding back here isn’t nearly as much fun as riding up front.” It was that exact thought that led me to learn to ride in the first place.

After we got back, we all went into the house and had coffee and cake (or some other equally sweet snack) and the day rolled on to a close.

My dad never did get another bike and I think that was the only time my mom rode on a motorcycle in her entire life; but for one beautiful day, they both got to experience something that has been a major facet of my life. I got to share the joy of riding with my family.

It’s a nice memory.

[Crusty]

Holy $#@&*!

There isn’t a cloud in the sky! It’s bright and sunny and the temperature is supposed to hit 59 F (15 C) today. I feel the need to do something outdoors. I’m torn, however between choices.

My immediate urge is to jump on the Roadster and put some miles on it. I’m not sure where I’d want to ride to, but maybe just being out on the road for a few hours would be a good thing. I’m thinking that maybe a ride to a BBQ joint a ways off would be nice, Rudy’s up in Springfield comes to mind. I like their ribs, even though they’re not nearly as good as Jim’s in Blairsville, GA. I could ride RT 68 from Springfield to Xenia, then take Rt. 42 back to Cincy.

Then again, I could just go out into the back yard and work on trimming back some of the jungle. This is the year that I hope to have all the brush and such trimmed back all the way to the fence all the way around the yard. My idea of a nice yard is just lawn. No decorative plants, bushes or flowers; just grass. I can tolerate the shrubs in front of the front porch, for now, but I think the yard would look better without them. In the winter, I can see the fence through all the stems of the brush. This is the best time to do the trimming.

Or I could mix the fun of a ride with doing something practical and head up to Jungle Jim’s in Fairfield and buy some Gatorade. It’s on sale there. I won’t save enough on the Gatorade to offset the price of the gas I’ll use getting it, but if I take a ride out in the country, I won’t save anything (if I go to Rudy’s I’ll spend money there). I’ll get out on the bike for a little bit and I’ll be doing something that’s helpful.

Or maybe I could mix cutting brush and buying Gatorade. I could run up to Jungle Jim’s, then cut some of my own jungle. That’s an idea.

While writing this, I came up with an idea that has a real appeal. I think I’ll ride up to Rudy’s for lunch today, and work on the yard tomorrow. The weather is supposed to be as warm tomorrow, but it’s going to be cloudy in the afternoon. So I’ll check my cash and make sure I have enough and head North. I’ll ride the Interstate intentionally up to Rudy’s, then take secondary roads home. The reason for riding the interstate is for the benefit of the Roadster. Steady speed running for a bit over an hour will do the engine good. It will allow everything to warm back up to a good operating temperature. In the winter, the bike only does short runs around town and some parts never get up to temp.

I used to do a similar ride back in Massachusetts. My first long ride in the spring involved getting on the Mass. Pike and riding to the New York state line; a two hour run at steady speeds. Then, I’d head north on State Route 22 until I got to State Route 2 and head east over the Taconic and Mohawk trails. That got me back in shape for riding through some twisties. By the time I got home, both I and my bike were warmed up for another season of riding.

There won’t be many turns on this ride today, but it will still do both me and the bike some good. There ya go! I’ve made my decision.

[sportsterpaul]

Nice to see you posting some more, good on you. I recognize that blue bike, and probably would keep the oil tank blue, but that’s me, I like side covers and fenders painted to match the fuel tank. Sorry about them pesky migraines, hope they come up with some better form of treatments. Glad you’re home safe and sound.

[Crusty]

Groundhog Day 2020


Today, Punxsutawney Phil didn’t see his shadow. That means it’ll be an early spring. An early spring is one that arrives in six more weeks. If he had seen his shadow, that would mean six more weeks of winter. He’s one sharp meteorologist, I’ll tell you.

I wasn’t paying attention to the groundhog, today. I was busy combining options. I had decided to ride up to Springfield and have lunch at Rudy’s Smokehouse. Once I made that decision, I just jumped on the bike and rode north. Well; not quite. I first went to a Sunday morning meeting, then I headed for the Interstate as soon as the meeting ended. The thing is, I didn’t bring any tools or maps or extra gear in case the weather got cold. I haven’t been out for a ride since October and I was champing at the bit. I didn’t think about any of those things until I was on my way and I wasn’t going to turn around to get them.

It worked out OK, though. The Roadster was feeling very happy to be on the road again and so was I. I did as I planned and took the Interstate up to Rudy’s. The food was a little bit of a disappointment. The ribs were good, but when I took a bite, the meat came right off the bone. All of it. That meant that each bite was a mouthful. The beans just didn’t click with me. I didn’t eat half of what they gave me. The biggest disappointment was the lemonade. It was very watery and diluted tasting. Still; it’s the first BBQ I’ve had since Christmas. Melia did the ribs for Christmas Dinner and they were spectacular.

Another thing that bothered me was the tip bowl. I mean, you walk up to a counter and order. They give you a receipt with a number and when you hear them call your number, you walk up and get your meal and carry it back to your table. And when I’m done, I get to put my trash in the trash can. Why am I expected to tip when I’m doing my own serving and bussing? I don’t tip when I buy a cup of overpriced coffee from Star Bucks, for the same reason. If I’m doing all the work, why should I pay somebody else?

Anyhow, when I left Rudy’s, I went Due South on State Route 72 to Cedarville where I caught US Rt. 42 which I took to Mason which is on the outskirts of the Greater Cincinnati area. Then, I jogged over to I-275 and went by Jungle Jim’s. I had thought that Gatorade was on sale for $4.69/ 8 pack, but when I got there, I learned it was $3.99/8 pack. That made me smile a bit. I only bought two 8 packs because that’s all that will fit in my saddlebags. Since today’s the last day of the sale, I guess I’ll just have to be happy with what I got.

After being in Australia, I’m especially tuned to prices. Gasoline at the cheapest station I saw was at $2.18/gallon. When I left Spring Creek, the cheapest price of gas that I saw was $1.43/Liter. I’m not going to do all the math converting liters to gallons and Australian dollars to US dollars, but we pay less than half. Gatorade is especially bizarre in pricing. The cheapest price I saw for a 600ml. bottle (roughly 20 oz,) was $3.60. I bought eight of them for $3.99. The really screwy part is that a 1 Liter bottle of Gatorade sells for $2.60. You get 2/3 more for a buck less. And they don’t sell the smaller bottle packaged in quantities. You buy them individually. You can buy 8 of them, but it will cost you $28.80.

When I first started out for Rudy’s, the temperature was on the nippy side and I could feel the cold wind on my legs. It had me wishing that I had put my riding pants on instead of just my blue jeans. But it got warmer as the day progressed and by the time I was riding back, the temps were up in the 60s (15+ C). The one thing that I wasn’t expecting was the wind. There were warning signs on the Interstate that the winds would last until 5:00 PM. I never felt the winds while riding up I 75 or I 70, but riding south on the secondary roads, they were really attention grabbing. Not dangerously strong, but strong enough to make me concentrate on my riding.

In all, today’s ride was just what I needed. It reawakened my realization of just how much I enjoy riding the Roadster. It’s not perfect, but it sure feels good.

Tomorrow, I’ll work on the jungle. Today was a magnificent Mental Health day.

[Crusty]

A Day Full of Potential Snippets



Yesterday was an interesting day. It started with me making meatballs and spaghetti sauce. I had bought a pound of ground beef the other day, and it was starting to turn brown in the refrigerator. Since I am a bit of a cheapskate (especially this month) and I didn’t want to throw it out if it went bad, I decided that it was time to do something with it. So yesterday morning, making meatballs and sauce was first thing on my agenda.

I had a few other things that I wanted to accomplish. I wanted to do some yard work and I also wanted to head over to the Noonie, then go to the Y and get some exercise on the bicycle. None of that happened.

I called David while the sauce was cooking. It was his first day off in a while. One of the employees at his shop had been out sick with the Flu and David had to cover for him during the previous week.

While talking, I asked him to look and see if the Gatorade was still on sale when he next went to Jungle Jim’s. He was going up there and invited me to ride along. The catch was that since the weather was warm, he was going to take the Miata. So I agreed. We set a time to meet and when the time approached, I was waiting out in the driveway.

I saw two cars coming down the side street; a white car and David’s grey Miata. To my surprise, the white car pulled into my driveway. A woman got out and informed me that she used to live in my house and just wanted to stop and talk. She had lived there in the 80s and we discussed various things about the house. We talked about the refrigerator location in the kitchen, and other little facts. When she told me that there were two bedrooms, I told her that a previous owner had taken out a wall and turned the two into one long bedroom. She told me that there used to be a swing on the front porch and she used to rock her two year old on it. Then she said, “He’s now in his 30s.” She also told me that she had planted the two trees by the sidewalk. I was nice and didn’t tell her that I hate those trees and I plan to have them cut down as soon as I can afford it.
She left, and I got in David’s car and we drove up to Jungle Jim’s.

Now; I’m not the kind of person who goes shopping for one item, grabs it and hits the checkout. I may stop for one item, but invariably, I’ll grab a few other things while I’m in the store. This means that a five minute trip almost always turns into an hour or two and a cart full of items. To compound this, David is also the same kind of shopper.

The Gatorade was still on sale, so I grabbed 4 8-packs of orange. David needed to get some gouda cheese for a dish he makes that’s supposed to be really tasty (I’ve never tasted it), but an hour and a half later, the two of us managed to fill the rather large shopping cart. I mean, 85% Ground Chuck for three bucks a pound and Yukon Gold potatoes for $.49/ Lb. were too good to pass up, along with a few other items; like a cheesy double shelled taco kit for a buck. If you shop like me, you know exactly what I mean. After shopping and we literally filled the rather small trunk of the Miata, we hit Skyline Chili for a late lunch, then came home.
Once I got everything put away, and opened my mail (the mailbox was stuffed when I checked it), I had all the ambition of a lethargic snail. So I hit the recliner for an hour and recharged (I took a “Power Nap”). Once I woke up, I did things like portion out the pot full of meatballs and sauce into containers and put them in the freezer, and measured out the Ground Chuck into 1 pound packages.

I didn’t fix dinner. Well, kinda. I did fix something, but I hesitate to call it dinner. We had a late lunch and I’m trying to keep my intake of food on the lower side. But I had a Red Baron Pizza that I had bought on a whim because it was only $2.00. I figured it was going to suck, but it was worth two bucks to check it out. I decided that two Chili Coneys weren’t going to hold me, so I’d bake the pizza and have half for dinner.
When I said I thought it was going to suck, I was wrong. It was an order of magnitude worse. It had the consistency and flavor of the doped fabric of Baron Von Richthofen’s Fokker Triplane. I’d tell you how much it sucked, but my vocabulary isn’t extensive enough. Even at two bucks, it was a ripoff.

One of the items that was stuffing my mailbox was a book that I’ve been waiting for. I read about 100 pages, then went to bed.

I didn’t get to the gym or to a meeting and I didn’t clear any of the jungle yesterday, like I had planned; but it was still a very good day.

Oh; I ate the second half of the pizza for breakfast. I was hoping that the flavor would have gotten better after a night in the fridge. Or maybe having it with a cup of coffee would improve it. It didn’t. It still sucked. This is one time I really wish I wasn’t such a cheap prick. Never again.

[Glamazon]

Thanks for a great read. I'm a sucker for a bargain too being a half Scot. I found an energy drink called Pussy in Home Bargains, 2 cans for £1 what could possibly go wrong? Even at 50p each it was a rip off, I know why it was called Pussy because it tsted like a cat pissed in it

[BSA Bob]

Reflecting on your visitor, I once answered a knock at the door to meet some people shepherding an old bloke . He'd lived in my place about 50 years previously & asked to talk. So of course I showed him around. It made my day.

[Crusty]

Projects


I just went down to the basement to put my laundry in the dryer and as I looked around, I could see several improvements I’d like to make.

These aren’t new projects; I’ve been thinking about them since before I got back from Australia. I’ve got three two bulb fluorescent light fixtures. One’s hung above my toolboxes, and the other two are just sitting on a corner. I’d like to convert them to LEDs and put them all up. I also have a fluorescent fixture in the kitchen that I want to change over. I like LEDs a lot; they throw more light and use less electricity and they last a long time.

I have a bathroom in the basement. Well; it’s just a toilet in a small room. I left it alone for the first couple of years that I was here, but I replaced the guts in the tank last summer and it works well. I also cleaned the floor in the room and replaced the broken light fixture. Now, when I’m working on a bike. Either in the cellar or the garage, and I get a “Sudden, strong urge to urinate”, I don’t have to run upstairs to the bathroom. But I want to make it a little nicer. There’s a black ring and some stains along the back of the bowl that I can’t get out. I’ve tried Comet and Scotchbrite pads and they won’t touch it. I guess I’ll have to hit the hardware store and ask what would be a way to get the bowl clean. Someone told me Muriatic Acid works, but I want to get some confirmation before I start putting things like that in the sewer system. I want to get some shelf brackets and put a shelf on the wall. I also want to mount a toilet paper holder to the bottom of that shelf. And, I need to either put new tiles on the floor, or get some adhesive and glue the present tiles down. They’ve all started coming up.

While I’m putting things up, I want to put a paper towel holder in the garage and maybe one in the cellar, as well. There are times when I really don’t want to waste a rag and a paper towel would do the job better. And I want to get some sheet insulation and cut it to fit the panels on the garage door.

Those are the cheap and easy projects.

Upstairs, the projects get more elaborate and, of course, more expensive. Not all of them; I can replace the bathroom sink faucet for about twenty bucks, but after that, the price is on a really steep uphill climb. I want to paint the bedroom. That’s not a big deal for most people, but it is for me. I’m not a painter. However, the resistance I’ve got isn’t coming from my lack of enthusiasm, it’s because I will only use Benjamin Moore paint. And it’s expensive.

The remaining projects are, for me, very expensive. The bedroom used to be two separate rooms, but a previous owner took out a wall and made one big room with a big closet. I’d like to go back to the original setup. I also want to renovate the bathroom. I never use the tub for a bath, so I’d like to take it out and put in a walk in shower. The valve for the bath water is getting progressively harder to operate, so if I have to knock a hole in the wall to replace it, I might as well go through the whole room. Replace the tub, toilet and vanity/sink, put up new waterproof walls (I prefer plastic sheet instead of tiles) and a new floor.

And I want to replace all the carpet. The carpet in the living and dining rooms looks like crap. It’s stained and always looks dirty. And there something funny with the cushioning layer under it. Sometimes, it feels like there something hard under there, but not always, and not in the same place. I want to rip it all up and get some good quality carpet put in. The carpet in the bedroom is OK for now, but if I do convert it to two rooms, it’ll need to be replaced.

Now, I can chip away at the cheap projects; the lights and other small stuff, even as I work at reducing my debt. It won’t cost a lot to change the lights to LEDs, or make the cellar bathroom a little more functional. And at the same time, I have the ’78 Sportster to get up and running and I’m also maintaining the Roadster (which will need tires before much longer), so my money’s going to have to be parceled out thoughtfully, but I think it’ll all be achievable in time. I just have to keep my focus on what I’m doing.

I bring this up because this morning, I had an e-mail from American Flat Track telling me that tickets are available to some races and Mike posted the dates of March Badness on Badweb. Both of those would be good sized expenses for me. I can pass on the races, They’re getting too rich for my blood and I really have no desire to see a flock of identical Indians on a track. However, I’m a bit torn on March Badness. A friend will pay for my camping, but still, food and gas can add up pretty quickly. It’s at Two Wheels of Suches, which is my all-time favorite campground, and I really like the people who go. And I flat love the ribs from Jim’s Smokin’ Que. But it’ll mean cutting back on some improvement at home. That’s something I’ll have to give a bit of thought to.

[BKB]

I can recommend the Harbor Freight led fixtures. 4' long by about 3x3" & $20 with a coupon. Very bright, white light. 5000 lumens claimed. I replaced 7, 4' twin tube fluorescent shop lights with 5 of the leds. Brighter & better quality light for my old eyes. I also got some from Rural King that were the same size for $14. Brighter than the fluorescents, but they cast a series of pale green stripes on things. Put those in the attic & the other garage bay that is not the workshop.