Mrs. Motorcycle Bolted on me!

The other morning as I was getting ready for work, My wife comes back in the house after leaving for work herself. She said, "Mr. M., Something is seriously wrong with my Saturn. I need you to come look at it. I was driving along, and heard a pop, then clunk, clunk, clunk. I stoped and looked, but no flat tire! I want you to look." I took the car for a drive, and noticed it when I was pulling out the driveway. I needed to go no further than 1/2 of a block away from my house to realize there was something wrong with the left rear wheel. I pulled it back into the garage to see a bolt stuck into the tread at the back side on the line of tread, and sidewall.

This is what I found!

This put an interesting spin onto my day.

I got a plug put into the tire, drove her vehicle for the day. She took mine, and I got a new set of rear tires on it during the day.

I got my wife to get me a case and a half of beer later on that day for being such a good boy!

Ride For Their Lives! Home For Life Animal Sanctuary

Last weekend, I finally got to break out, and go for a ride. Any reason to ride is good, but riding for a cause you believe in is even better. I've been lacking on posting, commenting and riding lately due to storm season and my job. This has been keeping me more than busy. So it felt really, really good to get on the bike again. I put on about 350 miles last Saturday.

The ride was just another ride like any other good ride. There were lots of great twisty roads, and a good time to be had while enjoying beautiful scenery whilst rolling along on two wheels. I could have done this ride and likely a much better one with my friend Daren, whom I rode with, but the ride, or the "run" was only part of the reason to be out on two wheels this day. It was for the annual Ride for Their Lives Run. It was for the cause many of you know I deeply believe in. It was for the animals in need.

I rode in the "Ride For Their Lives" run.

This was sponsored by "Doc"Desio of St. Croix Harley-Davidson, and held for Home For Life. The Animal Sanctuary of St. Croix Valley, Inc.

Home For Life^® is a new kind of animal shelter. It is a long-term animal sanctuary. Home for Life^® provides lifetime care for special needs animals that while still able to lead quality lives but are unable to find a home due to age, chronic treatable disorders, handicaps or similar reasons.

Here are some pictures of the animals being helped, and some ride photos. Kudos to this wonderful organization!!!!!

When I go, Take me in one of these!!!!

A trick trike fitted for a Guy in a wheelchair.

"Doc" from St. Croix Harley-Davidson, and Officer Sweeny

Dogs with wheels

Dogs with wheels

The cat house

Cute Cocker

Look, the animals have their own houses, with air conditioning!

Many kinds of animals here.

A goat with wheels

Great job on organizing the ride! There was great food, and fun. They even had drawings.

Course, I won nothing. But I had a good time anyway!

What is more important...form or function?

These folks clearly have different views.

This guy who built his own C.B. antenna holder, clearly believes more in the principle of function before form.

The builder who made this chopper with the extra long forks, clearly believes in form before function.

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I like the happy mix between the two myself.

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Pet Cock Tip....errr, I mean here's a petcock tip

Ha! got your attention. No this is not pornographic. It is the part of a non fuel injected, or carburated bike that controls your fuel flow.

Off, Run and Reserve are the three positions. O.K., Still sounds kind of pornographic talking about three positions. Stay with me, there is a point cumming, I mean coming.

While in Colorado on storm duty, I was on my way back to the airport rental to return my rental vehicle. It was about 97 degrees, with no breeze, and no clouds. I spotted a guy on the side of the freeway sitting on a guard rail next to his motorcycle. He was not on the phone, and not doing anything, which led me to believe he might need a hand. (Of course I stopped).

I asked, "Are you just resting, or is the bike giving you trouble?"

He said, "I'm out of gas."

Me,"I gotta ask the obvious, how bout the reserve?"

Him, "I tried it. No gas. Won't start."

Me, "Let me run through the scenarios. Were you riding, realized you ran out of gas, and hit reserve, and ran that out too?"

Him, "No."

Me, " You had it on reserve when you left, not realizing you were on reserve, and drained all of the gas?"

Him, "No, I ran out of gas, coasted to this spot here, turned on the reserve and tried to start it a couple of times. It won't start, so there must not be any gas."

Me, "There's gotta be enough gas in there to get you about 20 miles or so. You have a pressurized petcock. You need to give your throttle about two to three full turns while the bike is off, hit the choke, and she should start right up. Mind if I give it a try?"

Him, "Sure, go ahead."

I gave it a try, and she fired right up.

Him, "Thanks a million! You are a life saver. Where the hell were you 45 minutes ago?"

I followed him to the Airport area nearest gas station, and was then on my way home.

I posted this story not to boast about what I did for this guy, but to share a little knowledge for those of you who might not already know this. Hopefully I can save someone else the headache of thinking they are screwed when they are really just fine.

Happy trails!

Rocky Mountain High

My absence can be explained yet again by storm duty. I've just recently returned from a tour of storm duty, handling tornado and hail claims from Colorado. Within about one months period of time there have been over 9 significant storms. Several of which had tornados and all that produced hail. It seems ironic to be sitting in your vehicle writing up a hail damage estimate for someone's home or auto while it is hailing at that very moment. It's happened to me once. I've also been on an auto "drive in" assignment once where as we were driving to the drive in location it hailed on the vehicle we were driving three different times.

This time handling hail claims in Colorado there was a tornado one night within a neighboring city to where I was staying at. It too produced lots of damaging winds and hail. This is crazy shit. I'm glad to be home. I only hope I can stay here. Hopefully they won't need me again for awhile. Maybe I can actually get caught up on some of your blogs.

Anyway, I didn't have much time to really get out and see the sights so much, which really bums me out, because it is such a beautiful place. While on storm duty you work a minimum 12 hour day. This leaves no time for anything else but to eat, sleep and shit. Sometimes you feel like all you do is eat, sleep and shit hail. The Rockies are truly breathtaking. At times while driving along from one home to the next, I'd get beautiful glimpses, but no place to really take the photos that would do the Rockies justice, because, well, work got in the way and so did the other moving cars flying by on the freeways.

I got one shitty picture while driving. That's it. Oh, and my camera's zoom sucks, especially while driving down the freeway.

I did get an interesting set of photos that I thought I'd share.

Nice trailer huh?. See anything interesting?

(I altered the picture so you don't really see.)

Yup, That is a mighty big trailer for a motorcycle.

Another angle to show you that the bike is truly pulling that thing.

Oh wait is that actually a Fido in that trailer????? WTF! I thought it was kind of cool, and yet at the same time, kind of cruel. I got mixed feelings on this one. Keeping in mind it was in the middle to upper 90's. Although at the same time as much as I love to ride, and as much as I love my dog, and he loves me, It would be nice to take him with me sometimes.

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Ain't he cute?

P.S.

Scroll back two pictures and look at the guys checking this out.

Anti Monkey Butt Powder review

The first time I'd ever seen this stuff was in a major sporting goods store just before last X-mas . My eye immediately caught the bright yellow packaging with the hilarious name, the funny monkey and his big red butt.

I thought it would be a great gag gift for my Brother-in-law, so I bought it for him. We all had a good laugh about it at Christmas. After that, I didn't really ever think about it again until recently. Knowing that I ride motorcycles, I was approached to try Anti Monkey Butt Powder and do a review on it. I decided to give it a shot. I thought what the heck, nothing ventured, nothing gained. After receiving the offer to try a free sample in exchange for a review I instantly remembered this stuff I had purchased as a gag gift for my brother-in-law. I remembered thinking how funny and eye catching the packaging and name was. I remember not really taking it seriously, and feeling like it was nothing more than a smart way to market some typical baby powder. I remember thinking that it was really more of a gag than anything else.

I couldn't have been more wrong!

This is the Sh*t. They have put Calamine powder in this stuff. It works fantastic as as a drying agent and leaves no clumping. It is not over drying and does not irritate the skin. It has a pleasant smell, without making you smell girly perfumy, or making you smell like a baby's ass after a diaper change.

I was and am so impressed with the stuff, I will even go "There" with you if you know what I mean. If you have read much of my blog in the past, you know I try to keep things kind of tame, but yet am not afraid to say what is on my mind. So I'm gonna let you have the details.

Yes, I tried it. Yes, I love it. I do actually like it so much I use it every day now. Even when I'm not going to do any rigorous activities or motorcycle riding. I am a guy, and I sweat. You know where the sun don't shine. I even use it on the boys if you know what I mean. I've never in as many years as I can think of been so dry and comfortable. A little is all it takes. One application will last all day with no major sweating, and some days I'll apply twice. No biggie. I can't believe I had to wait 38 years to be blessed with such comfort down there in never never land.

Anti Monkey Butt Powder is specifically designed and marketed for those who do lots of activity and those who sit on their butts a lot. But I'm telling you this, don't think you don't fall into one of those categories, and not give it a shot. It is for everyone. (unless you never sweat, and are not human.) So give it a try. Take my word on this one. The worst that can happen is you'll be dry and comfortable all day.

Sugar Daddy

An 86-year-old man went to his doctor for his quarterly check-up...

The doctor asked him how he was feeling, and the
86-year-old said ,'Things are great and I've never felt better.'

I now have a 20 year-old bride who is pregnant with my child.

"So what do you think about that Doc ?"

The doctor considered his question for a minute and
then began to tell a story.

"I have an older friend , much like you, who is an avid hunter
and never misses a season."

One day he was setting off to go hunting.

In a bit of a hurry , he accidentally picked up his walking cane instead of his gun."

"As he neared a lake , he came across a beaver sitting at the water's edge.

He realized he'd left his gun at home and so he couldn't shoot the magnificent creature.

Out of habit he raised his cane , aimed it at the animal as if
it were his favorite hunting rifle and went 'bang, bang'."

"Miraculously , two shots rang out and the beaver fell over dead..

Now, what do you think of that ?" asked the doctor.

The 86-year-old said ,
"Logic would strongly suggest that somebody else
pumped a couple of rounds into that beaver."

The doctor replied , "My point exactly."

Tragedy hits close to home

5 motorcycles crash on I-90, tying up traffic Friday July 3rd.

What a horrible way to start the holiday weekend.

I can't help but wonder what the hell happened here. It must have been a chain reaction crash.

I hope all of you had a safe holiday weekend. I got to ride my bike to and from the family cabin this weekend and the weather for the ride was absolutely gorgeous. I was able to clear my head, and just plain enjoy the thunder of the bike below me and feel the stresses of everyday life roll away with the miles behind me.

I hope you all had a wonderful holiday. My thoughts and prayers go out to those riders and family's who did not.

Pic of the week with a tattoo side note

When I woke up this morning, it was beautiful outside. Instead of just putting my dog out on the leash, I went outside with him. The grass was still wet with dew, and the sun was shining. The sunshine cascading on this dew laden cobweb caught my eye like a shiny coin would on black tar. The spider was in the middle. It was a classic picture of nature and it's beauty. It was one of those simpler things in life that make you realize how beautiful nature can be. I quickly got my camera to captured the moment.

Then I got to thinking.

I love cobwebs. They are really pretty, as long as you aren't walking through one. They also look pretty cool, and signify a sort of toughness. I've even got an old cobweb or spider web tattoo on my right shoulder. It's got a Black Widow in the center.

I remember thinking that I always thought that those cobwebs on the elbows looked pretty cool. When I got that tattoo I seriously pondered getting one one my elbow instead of my shoulder.

But I chose not to because I wanted all my tattoos to be able to be covered up by short sleeves for business purposes if I ever got a job where it really mattered.

Here is a picture of a dude with the classic elbow cobweb.

Pretty cool.

I had always heard that it had a meaning, but never knew what it was.

The power of the internet revealed to me that typically, the cobweb on someone's elbow signifies that they have been, or still are in prison. An extension or thread is added for each year they spend in the joint.

Funny, I never knew that until now.

I guess we all learn things as we go.

I'm glad that I know now. I'm also glad that I didn't choose an elbow cobweb design for a tattoo back then, not knowing what I know now. Boy would I have looked like a dumb ass at 19 with a tattoo signifying I spent five years in the Pen. That would have meant I was 14 Yrs. old when I started my hardened prison life. LOL!

I always feel like somebody's watching me...

Sometimes when I sit at my desk, clickity clackity clacking away at the keyboard typing this drivel that you sometimes come to read, I get the distinct feeling like I'm being watched.

Kinda like somebody or something is lurking over my shoulder, ready to pounce at any given minute.

Must just be paranoia.

I'm back in the saddle again.

Kenny sitting on the ground ready to roll (Like it should be).

By 10:30 last night Kenny was released from his time out on the trailer and was breathing thunder again.

After disassembly, checking everything I could possibly check, it turned out that all that was wrong was the connections were getting loose and corroded. Not like battery acid green corroded, but like black shit between the connectors at the battery post corroded. Really only the positive side, but I sanded both clean, and got good tight contact. This is all it took.

Thanks for well wishes, and advise. I know I can count on many of you who gave me advise if I ever need it in the future. Maybe I'll save myself some more money by doing some other maintenance myself from here on out.

I've always done my own body work and paint, and do just about any home building project, but have never ventured deeply into mechanics. I've learned something here. I can do some things like this myself, I can save some serious ching doing so, and I've got friends out there willing to lend good advise.

Thanks!

Bad motorcycle! Go to your trailer!

On Saturday from 10:30 in the morning until 4:00 in the afternoon, I spent power washing my deck, in preparation to sand and re-stain. It was actually a lot of work. I rewarded myself with a trip to the liquor store, bought a case of beer, and came home. Savored a beer, and decided I should also reward myself with a nice long bike ride. So off I went. I rode for a good while, letting the stresses of the day blow off of me in the wind on a nice long winding back road that I like to ride. I stopped for gas, got on the bike, turned the key, and nothing. No lights, no click, no starter, no nothing. This is a good way to ruin a ride. I've had problems with the starter a bit before when it's hot, but always seems to work on a second try. This was not the starter. Like I said, no nothing, not even a click. I checked my battery terminal connections, etc., and all were tight. I got ahold of my mechanic via cell phone, and explained the situation. He said, he's seen this happen 3-4 times on Sportys in the last 10 years. He said it sounds like my positive cable has a short. He said if I can find the pigtail coming off of it and isolate it, I might be able to bypass and jump it. Me not being a mechanic, which is why I called him in the first place, really did not understand exactly what he was saying. I caught him with almost no battery life left on his cell phone so he could not talk long either. He was out, so cell was his only way to talk. I said I've got no tools with me to do squat. I was lucky to use my key to get the back screw off to get my seat off to access the cables. I believe the next thing I heard was "Hmmm, Your fucked. Get a tow, or a trailer."

So begins Kenny's punishment. He Shall be banished to a trailer for not starting. I called my wife, (God, I hate when I have to do that), who does not drive with a trailer, and kindly asked her to pick me up. She couldn't get the heavy trailer out of the shed and hooked up so I'd have to backtrack. She drove all the way out to where I was and picked me up. I drove home with her, then drove back with the trailer and picked up the bike and headed home again. It was dark by the time I finally arrived back home with Kenny in tow on my trailer. I had a beer, showered, and hit the sack. It was a long shitty day.

Update. Yesterday morning, I was up bright and early. I'm up to my elbows doing surgery on Kenny, when My wife finds me in the garage working, and say's "I thought you were going to help me today." (I did say I would). We had lot's of things to do for preparation for going to her sister's house for Father's day.

Prior to my wife reminding me that I had other commitments, I was able to test the battery. It had 12.53 volts, so the battery was clearly not the problem. My mechanic, Stormy might just be right on this one . The battery is now out of the bike. This was the last I've done on it.

Kenny's still in solitary confinement on his trailer.

Naughty bike.

P.S.

If any of you gear heads have any ideas on why he is misbehaving, I'll gladly take advise. I am for once, going to try to fix this one on my own. I do still have to check the positive cable though. That won't happen till tonight (maybe).

Tattoo Zone

O.K.; This is just plain fuckin funny!

My wife (who is tattoo-less) e-mailed this to me.

Hey if we can't laugh at ourselves, then what fun is life?

I've got Tattoos in the Green "Socially acceptable rebellious zone", in the Dark Green "Warning 67% chance of dragons, wings, or equivalent faggy lameness zone", and on my chest, which is not mentioned here.

I know I've got to have some internet pals out there with tats in "OTHER" places, and it's all good.

So, pony up; Where are yours?