Bikes, 'Birds and the "May as Wells"

Phil, Angela and I went to the Harley dealership in Belmont yesterday where Angela traded in her Victory Kingpin for the Harley pictured above. Really nice ride. The Victory was nice as well but it just didn't quite fit her right. The new bike is similar to the one she rode to Laughlin last year. Come to think about it, almost exactly a year ago.

Its been quite a year. We're doing stuff I'd never dreamed that we'd do. It never occurred to me that Linda and I would be bikers. Yeah, if you can call a nearly 57 year old fat guy with no hair a biker. And if you called Linda a biker to her face she'd slap you. Regardless, I like riding. But I like having my family with me as well, so my mechanical pursuits this summer will center around the Thunderbird. Not so much to be done but some of it is rather daunting. I have a new dashboard that I want to install. Not just the dash pad, but the whole board. That means a complete teardown of the dash assembly. It's not usually the planned work that is a problem for me, it's the case of the "May as wells". I once pulled the engine out of a '63 Caddy because I wanted to change the battery cable end. Meaning I'm afraid of what I'll end up doing behind the dashboard. I'm figuring on all new vacuum hoses, but what about dash light bulbs? And taking the instruments apart for cleaning and sealing? I'm sure it will get worse as I get deeper into the project.

We just got home from church. A couple of good talks. I'm probably related to one of the speakers but we haven't figured out how yet. Mom may have some info for me.

Ok, one more little gripe and then off I go to watch "The Yellow Rolls Royce"; I'm waiting until November so that I have enough leave time to be off for a few weeks because I need some repair on my right shoulder. In the mean time, right now I'm in a bit of pain. Actually, quite a bit. I can't take any hard drugs because I'm on call. If the pager goes off and I need to go push rocks off of the highway on 89A I can't be loopy. Driving the plow truck takes all of my concentration. Especially going down the switchbacks. It's fun, but I need to be awake. Ah, and in the bottom of the canyon is a Dairy Queen!

New Toys and Presents

Lots happening but little of it interesting. The best thing in the last couple of months is that Linda and the girls got me an early birthday present. Tickets to the Jimmy Buffett concert in May. Linda must truly like me 'cause she is accompaning me to Phoenix for the concert. It's May, and the possibility of triple digit temperatures is high. That's how I'll be feeling though; high. Just from the music. I have a message board in my garage which says, among other things, " If you don't like Jimmy Buffett you're in the WRONG garage." I have a 50 disc CD changer in the garage. I usually listen to two discs; # 1 which is a compilation of Buffett songs I put together several years ago, and #2 which is a copy of #1. Just in case #1 gets scratched. Gotta have back up. Anyway, looking forward to it. It's GOT to be better than the Gordon Lightfoot concert we went to last fall.

The Flagstaff Six went to Cameron last Saturday for a short ride. Navajo tacos all around. Except for Angela who just has to be 15 degrees off center. She had a hamburger. She ended up not liking it. Ha! The tacos the rest of us had were huge, and I mean huge! Lin and I split one and didn't finish a quarter of our halves. There was at least four cows worth of cheese on top of each half. And two cans of green chilies. But what we did eat was really good. Next time we'll split a mini. Or I'll get my usual Navajo stew.

I spent too much money and bought a swell communication system for The Beast. I'm thinking that if it's gonna take naps (see the post of January 17th) then I'll need some way to wake it up. Shouting into a CB from another bike just might do it. Dang thing.

I saw a Tow Pac kit on Craigslist which I think I could adapt to Frankenbike. If I can just get Linda to agree..... This kit makes a bike into a trike. Actually a fourk. Or whatever you call it when the cycle has four wheels. We've been looking at them for several months but they usually run around $3500.00. This one is less than 1/2 that. Lin would ride with me if she could drive a trike instead of a bike.

Ok, off to play cribbage with the family. Great to spend time with them.