How was your day

[Charles in Lake Charles]

GREAT!!!

RETIRED!

[Chuck in Indiana]

GREAT!!!

RETIRED!

You'll find it's the best job you ever had.

[jcctx]

GREAT!!!

RETIRED!

'bout time; when we goin' fishing, or?????

[nick949]

Excellent Dusty.

I rode the Convert and the Quota around the block in my neighbourhood and I didn't even damage myself.
Healing continues apace. I think I'm part Wolverine. I will be riding regularly before the end of the month.

Nick

[johnr]

Hmmm. No drain tubes?

[nick949]

three but the scars are just below the picture. Not fun when they were pulled out.

[Muzz]

three but the scars are just below the picture. Not fun when they were pulled out.

No heart job here but I had drains for the hernia ops I had. "As much fun as a bucketful of hemorrhoids" as Roper would say, when they removed them. A weird sensation as well as being a bit painful.

[Northern Bill]

Its been a cool wet spring here in Ontario.  Yesterday it was projected rain for our vintage track day so a full day of sun was a real bonus.  I rode 6 sessions on my 1987 CBX250 before I had to call it quits.  I seem to reach my limit earlier these days or maybe it is just that I am getting smarter and quiting while I'm ahead.  Today I am off on the T3/Le Mans Replica for breakfast on another sunny day. Life is great!

[Nic in Western NYS]

three but the scars are just below the picture. Not fun when they were pulled out.

Kicking butt and taking names Nick, way to go!  (Don't overdo TOO much)

[Chuck in Indiana]

Attaboy, Nick..

[oldbike54]

 Great stuff guys , track days on a cool little sport bike , Nick on the mend , who else has a story to tell , the Canucks are taking over 

 Dusty

[nick949]

Great stuff guys , track days on a cool little sport bike , Nick on the mend , who else has a story to tell , the Canucks are taking over 

 Dusty

We have slightly less on our minds  (or is that IN our minds?)

Nick

[Testarossa]

We had a great Saturday.

Gail and I attended my stepdaughter's graduation in Fort Collins (Bev's daughter). The kid has shown tremendous courage and perseverance in getting through a pre-med program following her mother's death. Joyous occasion! She so happy, relaxed, poised and self-confident now. What a transition.

On the way out of town we stopped at Euro Moto to sit on the V7iii Stone. Gail thought the saddle too hard, but if I buy it it will be for soloing -- the Mille SP will remain our two-up bike. The Stone fits me very well. Next time I'm down there I'll ride it. Euro Moto is a full-on Piaggio shop and it's stuffed with Guzzis, Aprilias and scoots, including an MP3. In back they're servicing BMWs etc too.

Perhaps because Euro Moto is doing well, we spotted a lot of Guzzis on the road south to Boulder -- several V7s, a fast-moving loop and a Quota. Also an Indian Scout and even a Honda Six.

Fast trip home in the Subaru -- perfect weather, almost no traffic. The turbo Forester is a great Q-ship -- I can pass anything any time even uphill at 10,000 feet. Approaching McClure Pass a Porsche Cayenne came up behind us so I put my foot in and walked away from him. Cornering is limited by the cheap tires but apparently it's as good as a Cayenne because he didn't catch up until we slowed for bad pavement 10 miles past the summit.

Today the weather is perfect again and we'll make our first two-up ride behind the SP fairing.

[Penderic]

 

[oldbike54]

 Good one Pennie 

 Dusty

[RANDM]

 

Is it just me or do the animals around Penderic's place seem to have
issues???

Maurie.
(Great foto's Penn)

[oldbike54]

Is it just me or do the animals around Penderic's place seem to have
issues???

Maurie.
(Great foto's Penn)

 That one's problem is his choice of beer 

 Dusty

[flynguzzi]

Had a great Mother's day church service, came home changed clothes and began the removal of my 76 Chevy truck engine with a hole in #1 piston. Was a little short on power and smoked like crazy, was going to borrow Cindy's F150 to pull the rally trailer to Council Grove for the Ks. rally but she needed it for the same weekend.....So I dragged my other 6 cylinder engine up the ramp out of the basement and began the transplant. (I still have another engine in the basement, cannot have too many spares when you are as cheap as me!)
I quit for the day as I cannot do the marathon engine swaps like I was when I was 25yo, so I will unleash the engine/tranny tomorrow and make the job complete.

jb

[RANDM]

Excellent Dusty.

I rode the Convert and the Quota around the block in my neighbourhood and I didn't even damage myself.
Healing continues apace. I think I'm part Wolverine. I will be riding regularly before the end of the month.

Nick

Good to hear that ............. but you are just poodling like a decrepit
Granny aren't you?.

That one's problem is his choice of beer 

 Dusty

Yair - you'd never see a Cat that  drank Cooper's with such bad posture.
 
Maurie.

[nick949]

Good to hear that ............. but you are just poodling like a decrepit
Granny aren't you?.

Yep. Decrepit Granny just about nails it. Not pushing too hard for normality - the consequences of over doing it don't really appeal to me.

Nick

[RANDM]

That's great to hear, after all it's Spring for you guy's yes? Go smell some flowers. 👌

[nick949]

That's great to hear, after all it's Spring for you guy's yes? Go smell some flowers. 👌

I did, on a lovely walk this morning.

Trilliums in bloom (official flower on Ontario). They come out with the blackflies 

[RANDM]

 

[Chuck in Indiana]

I'll see your scars, and raise you a few..   

[Chuck in Indiana]

How was my day? Much better than yesterday.
Excerpt from journal:
Local retired airline captain Larry bit the farm (cancer) and one of his friends asked me if I would do a "missing man" formation over the cemetery in a Taylorcraft L2, his first airplane. "Sure." The plan..all by email.. was for 3 guys from northern Indiana to meet me in Van Wert, Ohio, and we would figure out the formation, timing, etc. I was to be a bit player doing the pull up and flying west.
I borrowed the airplane from my BIL, and he showed me the switches and levers.  I also had a new phone that I'd loaded my navigation app on. It didn't work after leaving our airspace. When it got a fix, it would show me that I was maybe 20 miles off course. (!) I drug out the charts and started finding out where I *really* was. I know.. it doesn't sound like a problem, but this part of Indiana/Ohio is the plains.. farmland.. with very few landmarks. Finally found a good one, corrected course, and found Van Wert. Oh, BTW, BIL Bob didn't mention that the compass can be off by 20 degrees in any direction. 
I had a note pad with phone numbers, including the airport manager's phone number, and was told he would know all about it. Taxied up, and when told why I was here, he said he didn't know anything about this. No other planes showed up. (!!) Started going down my list of phone numbers. No answer on any.  By now, I'm thinking do I have the wrong day?? Wrong airport?? The service is supposed to start at 10. I waited until 10:30. Nobody showed up. Decided to give it a try, anyway. Asked the airport manager if he could give me a prop. Blank look. "You mean start it by flipping the prop? I didn't know anyone still did that. I'll try, but I've never done it."
That wouldn't be a good idea. Got some chocks, told him to hold the tail, and started it myself..not the safest thing in the world to do.
Grumble grumble. Headed for the town where the ceremony was supposed to be, and found two cemeteries. You are supposed to be 1000 feet above a town, and of course both were *in* town. I dropped down to 500 feet and circled them. No line of cars at either. Climbed away heading west just for Captain Larry.
The radio quit on the way back, and I couldn't raise the tower to land. Landed anyway, the tower operator was probably asleep.
Thought, oh well, wasted morning.. at least I can get the van washed on the way home. It was covered with bugs from our Wild Guzzi knot a rally trip last week. The car wash was closed. Hydraulic failure. He was working on it.
Grumble grumble some more.
Decided to mow the lawn.. it had finally dried out from the biblical rains we had last week. Did fine until finishing up around one of Dorcia's flower beds on a steep hill that goes down to the pond. Suddenly it was sliding on some mud that I didn't expect. Got it shut down and locked the brake to keep it from going into the pond. Got the tractor out. Grumble gr.. oh, you know. Got Dorcia to be the tractor driver, tied the hay rope to the mower, and told here what she needed to do. The mower is a hydrostatic drive, so the wheels would have to be turning before she pulled me. Started up the hill, and the mower ran out of gas. (will it never end?) Drove to town, filled my 5 gallon can, got the mower going and drug it up the hill. Whew.
Decided that was enough for the day. It's beer o'clock.
Came in to the house, and I have a phone message from Ed the Rocket Scientist, who arranged the whole missing man thing saying they'd saw me, and it was beautiful. They were just unloading the hearse when I climbed out and headed west.
I called him, and asked WTF?? "Didn't you get the email saying the time had been changed, and the three other guys couldn't make it?"
No. Still don't have it.

[Muzz]

Flukes count Chuck!

In my case I had an interesting few days.

I had been to the doc to check out what I suspect is a stomach issue from being on anti-inflammatorys  for too long. He sent me in for a stress test to eliminate any heart probs. They picked up an irregulatory, and when I was back in the doc's rooms two days later I started getting chest pains. Ended up in hospital.

The good gnus is that the arteries are great, there is some calcification on one of the valves though. The heart doc thinks I may have the makings of an ulcer. He thinks that the stress test was a false reading and the pain is muscular, me, I am not so sure. The chest pains come and go in flashes and no muscle strains I have ever had have done that.

Not too worried as the government has footed the bill for me to know that the arteries are clear at least, which is good to know.

[johnr]

Geez Muzz, take care.

After an almost non existent summer and an Autumn that completely failed to produce its quota of still clear sunny days, it's only May and we have Southerly gales coming straight up off the Antarctic ice.

Snow to low levels, though not quite down to the near sea level that I'm at. Cook Strait ferry crossings are cancelled tomorrow with expected 7M waves when this lot arrives up there,  and as for Foveaux Strait down where I am? Well I don't even want to think about being out there, but I doubt anyone will be sailing or flying to or from Stuart Island for a while.

Inside  my unheated flat it's 5C (41F) at the moment (2PM) though it may warm up a bit if the winds die down, so I'm dressed in multiple layers two of which are wool and my woolly hat.

I'm sparing a thought for the homeless today. I may even be at risk of joining them if my landlord succeeds in selling this building.

Anyway, I'd better go and send off an email to our transport authority and see if I can promote the return of my Passenger licence so I can get a job.

[davedel44]

A great day here in Galveston.  After years of debate, planning and collecting parking fees the city aided by some federal transportation funds has erected the first of several public restrooms along our beachfront. 





State of the art Portland Loo.  Stainless steel to resist corrosion.
Vented at the top to evacuate foul odors.  Grates at the bottom to ensure no one over stays their welcome.  Self-flushing because sometimes we forget.  All for the bargain price of 80K each.


Conveniently located across the street from an appropriately named beachfront bar.





Can't  wait till they are all built and fuctional so I can recoup some of my tax dollars.

Dave
Galveston
 

[davedel44]

Tropical Store Cindy We Will Rebuild



Yesterday I  spent some time volunteering for the Galveston Beach Patrol, all the while being bombarded by the local media's sensationalist reports and "live storm coverage".  At times there were more reporters on the beach than lifeguards.  All searching for terrifying shot of storm damage, bagering the guards about rescues (none) and wildly exaggerating every aspect of the situation.

Massive, irrational coverage of this non-event causes more harm than good.  The tendency of the media to "cry wolf", desensitized their audience who will eventually ignore much more dangerous storms. Such exaggerated coverage has caused wide spread panic as in Hurricane Rita where no lives were lost except those highway deaths during the evacuation.

Galveston experienced some minor street flooding, 40 mph winds and several inches of rain.  Conditions further East were worse including a young man killed when he was struck by debris carried ashore by a wave.



Dave
Galveston

[Charles in Lake Charles]

Pretty much a nonevent. I only got 4 inches of rain and a couple of tree branches down even though the eye passed 30 miles from us.

If it had been a real hurricane, I would have gone elsewhere. Hurricane Rita taught me that.