Saturday, December 31, 2011
Stockpile
Keeping The Cold At Bay
Testing
Breaking Early
Moving Day For The Stumps
Thursday, December 29, 2011
Another Fun Night @ The Belly!
Bad Week For Wheels
Wednesday, December 28, 2011
Monday, December 26, 2011
Plan B
Stumped!
Stamp & Go
Landscaping
Saturday, December 24, 2011
Sleep? How?!?
Trouble In The Making
Friday, December 23, 2011
Thursday, December 22, 2011
Time For Food!
Stupid Taste Test
Guinness Taste Tests!
Thinning Timetable
I've been trying to be a patient man. I dropped the bike off a little over two weeks ago. Actually, I'd called the dealership first, to see what kind of timeframe I'd be looking at if I brought my bike in for service. I was told that things were slow, due to the time of year, and that no appointment was necessary, just bring it on in. Fantastic! See you soon.
When I arrived, I was told there would be a bit of delay in getting it worked on, due to the dealership having "Customer Appreciation" days (starting the following day), which meant the Service dept would be closed for the rest of the week. Add to that, the dealership (and therefore, the Service dept) would also be closed for the two days after that (Sunday and Monday). That's a pretty long delay, for having been told things were slow and to just bring it in. (Hey, I'm a customer, and I'm not feeling the "Customer Appreciation"!)
Anyway, the Service dept said they'd be able to get to my bike by late last week. Well here it is, a full week after that, and still no word. So, patience having run its course, it was time to give them a call. And what news do I receive? My bike hasn't even been looked at yet.
(Pause, while a littany of screamed obscenities is heard in the background.)
The Service guy assured me that my bike would be started this afternoon, so we'll see how things go from here. My work's shutdown week starts tomorrow night - I'm off for a full week. Sure would have been nice to have had my wheels back in the garage, waiting to be rolled out and revved up over some long roadways. Maybe some vestige of hope lingers, and I'll have it before the week is over. The Calendar is running thin if I'm going to get any more 2012 miles on, though. But, positive thoughts, right?
Now then, about this forecast that's calling for a bit of snow in the next few days...
When I arrived, I was told there would be a bit of delay in getting it worked on, due to the dealership having "Customer Appreciation" days (starting the following day), which meant the Service dept would be closed for the rest of the week. Add to that, the dealership (and therefore, the Service dept) would also be closed for the two days after that (Sunday and Monday). That's a pretty long delay, for having been told things were slow and to just bring it in. (Hey, I'm a customer, and I'm not feeling the "Customer Appreciation"!)
Anyway, the Service dept said they'd be able to get to my bike by late last week. Well here it is, a full week after that, and still no word. So, patience having run its course, it was time to give them a call. And what news do I receive? My bike hasn't even been looked at yet.
(Pause, while a littany of screamed obscenities is heard in the background.)
The Service guy assured me that my bike would be started this afternoon, so we'll see how things go from here. My work's shutdown week starts tomorrow night - I'm off for a full week. Sure would have been nice to have had my wheels back in the garage, waiting to be rolled out and revved up over some long roadways. Maybe some vestige of hope lingers, and I'll have it before the week is over. The Calendar is running thin if I'm going to get any more 2012 miles on, though. But, positive thoughts, right?
Now then, about this forecast that's calling for a bit of snow in the next few days...
Wednesday, December 21, 2011
Winter Solstice 2011
Today sees the Fall season wind down to an end, and as of 12:30am tonight, the dreaded Winter season is officially upon us. We've been getting quite a break on the weather - here we are, almost to the end of December, and the roads are still free and clear. How much longer can this last? (Probably only as long as it takes me to get my bike back...)
Anyway, the other good news for today is that even though tonight marks the start of Winter, it also signals the end of the shortening-daytimes. Once tomorrow arrives, the days will begin to get longer again. Oh sure, there will be many a cold night and nasty day ahead of us for a while, but the Sun has stretched it's arms as far southward as it's going to this year. Even as I'm writing this, it's packing it's bags and making travel arrangements to come visit us again.
It's unfortunate that the Sun likes to dawdle on its journey, though. We're all the way up here, begging for it to hurry up, but it's doing the touristy thing and will make us wait about 4.5 months before it settles in over our heads again.
I think we should all pitch in and buy it a plane ticket.
Anyway, the other good news for today is that even though tonight marks the start of Winter, it also signals the end of the shortening-daytimes. Once tomorrow arrives, the days will begin to get longer again. Oh sure, there will be many a cold night and nasty day ahead of us for a while, but the Sun has stretched it's arms as far southward as it's going to this year. Even as I'm writing this, it's packing it's bags and making travel arrangements to come visit us again.
It's unfortunate that the Sun likes to dawdle on its journey, though. We're all the way up here, begging for it to hurry up, but it's doing the touristy thing and will make us wait about 4.5 months before it settles in over our heads again.
I think we should all pitch in and buy it a plane ticket.
Tuesday, December 20, 2011
Idle Hands
The old adage claims that Idle Hands are the Devil's Playthings. That seems a bit severe, given the time of year and all, but I will say this; I need to find something for my hands to do (leave that alone, it's too easy!). What I'm implying, is that I need some handlebars to wrap my hands around. This down time is killing me. It's bad enough when the weather prohibits me from enjoying the hiways and biways, but the season has been slow to bring in the snow and salt. We're almost to the end of the year, and the roads are still crystal clear and beckoning! Argggh, it leaves me searching for other things to do to occupy my time. Things I'm not used to. Things...festive! What the hell is going on? Look what I did to an unsuspecting little tree out in the otherwise darkened wooded area by my house? Now folks driving by will think I'm going soft or something.
And as bad as that is, look what I did to my poor Jeep!
Ok, in all honesty, I did these things on my own. I've always liked it when I saw some random tree, out in the middle of nowhere, all lit up. And, I thought running Christmas lights inside my Jeep would be pretty cool. Although, it does kind of run against my normal driving demeanor...which makes for a great way to screw with people! Now, when I pull up beside some Ahole that's been driving like a Dbag, I can snarl at them out my window. They see my angry face, but they also see all the festive lights adorned about me - leaving them at a complete loss.
What kind of deranged lunatic would adorn his vehicle with pretty lights, only to then disparage folks for their lack of driving courtesy toward other drivers??
Ahh, the holidays. So much fun, so little time.
I do with I'd get my bike back soon, though. Just think; all this wasted energy would be refocused to entertaining myself on the roadways again. (And, you'd start getting posts of a less-retarded nature.)
(Wishing I were able to) Ride Hard, Take Chances
And as bad as that is, look what I did to my poor Jeep!
Ok, in all honesty, I did these things on my own. I've always liked it when I saw some random tree, out in the middle of nowhere, all lit up. And, I thought running Christmas lights inside my Jeep would be pretty cool. Although, it does kind of run against my normal driving demeanor...which makes for a great way to screw with people! Now, when I pull up beside some Ahole that's been driving like a Dbag, I can snarl at them out my window. They see my angry face, but they also see all the festive lights adorned about me - leaving them at a complete loss.
What kind of deranged lunatic would adorn his vehicle with pretty lights, only to then disparage folks for their lack of driving courtesy toward other drivers??
Ahh, the holidays. So much fun, so little time.
I do with I'd get my bike back soon, though. Just think; all this wasted energy would be refocused to entertaining myself on the roadways again. (And, you'd start getting posts of a less-retarded nature.)
(Wishing I were able to) Ride Hard, Take Chances
Monday, December 19, 2011
RIP Dana
Ride Free, Dana. I hope the roads are treating you well. Scout out some great rides for the rest of us when we catch up with you.
Friday, December 16, 2011
Engrish!
December Riding!
Ahhh, it's a rare treat when you walk out your door, first thing on a December morning, and the air wraps its arms around you, embracing you in 50 degree warmth. Judging from the wet pavement of my driveway, there'd been a passing bit of precipitation overnight, but the skies were clearing, a gentle breeze was blowing...and, it's Friday! A warm Friday, in the middle of December! Today was nothing less than an amazing gift from the Riding Gods!
I envisioned the roads, beckoning to me as I eased through the curves, aiming for some of the fantastic straightaways that lie along my commute. Traffic would be light this early, and I would make great, great time. Hell - I was caught up at work - there'd be nothing to stop me from just adding a few roads to the ride, racking up some extra miles. Two wheels on a morning like this would truly be wondrous way to begin the day!
(These were the thoughts that rolled through my head as I climbed into my Jeep, and hoped that my bike would be finished at the dealership soon...)
(Not yet) Riding Hard, Taking Chances
I envisioned the roads, beckoning to me as I eased through the curves, aiming for some of the fantastic straightaways that lie along my commute. Traffic would be light this early, and I would make great, great time. Hell - I was caught up at work - there'd be nothing to stop me from just adding a few roads to the ride, racking up some extra miles. Two wheels on a morning like this would truly be wondrous way to begin the day!
(These were the thoughts that rolled through my head as I climbed into my Jeep, and hoped that my bike would be finished at the dealership soon...)
(Not yet) Riding Hard, Taking Chances
Thursday, December 15, 2011
Work sucks!
Saturday, December 10, 2011
Whatever happened to 'simple'?
Thursday, December 8, 2011
Bad Timing
First, the good news; we wound up with no snow from yesterday's storm. The bad news is that my bike is in the shop and I apparently timed things poorly. They have 'customer appreciation' days this Friday and Saturday - which means their Service dept is closed - which means my bike doesn't get worked on. Add to that the fact the dealership is closed on Monday... The guy at the desk said he thought they "might" be able to start working on it by late next week. Arrgghhh....I can feel my seasonal tensions rising...
The ride down last night was actually rather enjoyable. The conditions were miserable (40's and pouring rain), and traffic was ungodly. My 33 mile ride took almost an hour and a half. Did you just do the math in your head? Yeah; I averaged 10mph the entire time. And this is on 495 and 95; major interstate highways! But all that aside, I actually did enjoy the ride (except for one point when there was a grand fender-bender that happened right next to me. The exploding sound of metal ramming metal right beside me caused more than a bit of butt puckerage, but aside from that, it was a great chance to practice my slow riding skills.)
When I finally arrived at the dealership and was waiting at the service desk, one of the old-timer techs chuckled and asked me if I'd just had the worst ride of the year. I laughed and said no, not at all, it was actually rather nice. He didn't seem at all convinced, and with a confused look at the puddle spreading at my feet, he ambled off.
After signing off and leaving the bike behind, the only thing to do was to find a pub and have a drink. Fortunately, we found a nice Irish joint and settled in for a bit.
And that's that; I'm officially bike-less and not at all crazy about it...especially as I gaze out the window and the sunny skies... Oh well, with any luck I'll get it back in time for my work's shutdown week (between Christmas and New Year's) and will be able to get some last-ditch miles on.
So now what? Well, until I'm back on two wheels, I guess you'll just have to bear with me as I revert to posting random nonsense.
(*Sigh* Wishing I was) Riding Hard, Taking Chances
The ride down last night was actually rather enjoyable. The conditions were miserable (40's and pouring rain), and traffic was ungodly. My 33 mile ride took almost an hour and a half. Did you just do the math in your head? Yeah; I averaged 10mph the entire time. And this is on 495 and 95; major interstate highways! But all that aside, I actually did enjoy the ride (except for one point when there was a grand fender-bender that happened right next to me. The exploding sound of metal ramming metal right beside me caused more than a bit of butt puckerage, but aside from that, it was a great chance to practice my slow riding skills.)
When I finally arrived at the dealership and was waiting at the service desk, one of the old-timer techs chuckled and asked me if I'd just had the worst ride of the year. I laughed and said no, not at all, it was actually rather nice. He didn't seem at all convinced, and with a confused look at the puddle spreading at my feet, he ambled off.
After signing off and leaving the bike behind, the only thing to do was to find a pub and have a drink. Fortunately, we found a nice Irish joint and settled in for a bit.
And that's that; I'm officially bike-less and not at all crazy about it...especially as I gaze out the window and the sunny skies... Oh well, with any luck I'll get it back in time for my work's shutdown week (between Christmas and New Year's) and will be able to get some last-ditch miles on.
So now what? Well, until I'm back on two wheels, I guess you'll just have to bear with me as I revert to posting random nonsense.
(*Sigh* Wishing I was) Riding Hard, Taking Chances
Wednesday, December 7, 2011
Timing Is Everything
Gotta put the bike into the shop tonight - it's exhibiting the same tell-tale sounds from the Tranny that the last bike did; a high-pitched whining sound that remains constant at speed (regardless of shifting), as well as a click-click-click sound whenever I'm pushing the bike backward (even in Neutral). Kinda sucks that the mirror-image bike I bought wound up having the same tranny probs as the original bike.
When the tranny sounds began making themselves known, I decided to try and ride right into the pit of Winter. Once we had a huge snowfall and the roads were going to be junk for a while, then I'd bring it in. Alas, the noises are getting much louder, and given the possible scenario that was outlined by the dealership in Jamestown (the tranny grenades, the rear tire locks up...), I figure it's better to be safe than sorry (I must be getting old).
So anyway, the plan for about a week now, has been to drop the bike off tonight. And here we are; there's snow forecast for tonight. Did I wind up timing things perfectly? Well, if it were a real heavy storm coming, then I'd say yes, that I'd achieved my original goal of riding as long as I could. Tough to say at this point how much we're going to get, but watching the weather this morning, the accumulation totals began to creep higher. What was originally going to be slushy rain has now changed to over an inch, and may even climb higher. It definitely feels cold enough out there to snow, but the stuff coming out of the sky is still liquid, so we'll see when it turns.
Should make for a fun ride to the dealership later!
Hopefully this dealership will be able to turn the bike around as quickly as Jamestown did (three days!) and I'll be able to get some more miles on before the calendar's odometer clicks over to 2012. Wish me luck!
Ride Hard, Take Chances
When the tranny sounds began making themselves known, I decided to try and ride right into the pit of Winter. Once we had a huge snowfall and the roads were going to be junk for a while, then I'd bring it in. Alas, the noises are getting much louder, and given the possible scenario that was outlined by the dealership in Jamestown (the tranny grenades, the rear tire locks up...), I figure it's better to be safe than sorry (I must be getting old).
So anyway, the plan for about a week now, has been to drop the bike off tonight. And here we are; there's snow forecast for tonight. Did I wind up timing things perfectly? Well, if it were a real heavy storm coming, then I'd say yes, that I'd achieved my original goal of riding as long as I could. Tough to say at this point how much we're going to get, but watching the weather this morning, the accumulation totals began to creep higher. What was originally going to be slushy rain has now changed to over an inch, and may even climb higher. It definitely feels cold enough out there to snow, but the stuff coming out of the sky is still liquid, so we'll see when it turns.
Should make for a fun ride to the dealership later!
Hopefully this dealership will be able to turn the bike around as quickly as Jamestown did (three days!) and I'll be able to get some more miles on before the calendar's odometer clicks over to 2012. Wish me luck!
Ride Hard, Take Chances
Monday, December 5, 2011
Blizzard!
57 degrees in Dec is awesome, but these winter moths are out of control. On some of the wooded back roads, it's like riding through a living, flapping blizzard!
Thursday, December 1, 2011
Temp Check!
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