Turned out good. I’m pretty happy with it. I’ve been talking about getting into woodworking for years, and finally jumped in and did it. I’m kinda fired up about it.
40 bucks worth of wood and a new Dewalt Mitre saw. I think end tables are next. The wife wants a white shiplap wall, with a built in entertainment center and shelves with these hanging barn door things. I hate our kitchen table, so thats gotta happen.
Yah, this is cool. I get to go buy new tools and get wife points for building home things for her. That means I can trade those points in for a week long ride at the end of the month 🙂 Plus its pretty fun, I’m not gonna lie.
Can I brag a little? Read More »
I’ve been riding since my father first bought me an XR 75, at the age of 11. I’m thankful he did that.
I think the road, to me is a metaphor for life: Twists and turns, things that are unexpected, personalities that stick with you, and a lot of long miles in-between. The road it seems, is a helluva adventure. And the nice thing is, it never ends.
It’s why I can’t wait to get on the road again.
For that spot, when you’re out there in the middle of a good road, and you need something to fit the bill.
Twist that throttle; Something good is about to come up.
Randy Meisner Knew. Take it to the limit.
A good Riding song… Read More »
A month is enough.
You can look at this epidemic from all different angles: Health, security, economic, safety, freedom. The truth is, it’s all those things, and you can’t sacrifice one at the expense of the other.
I originally bought in when I was told that this virus was so bad, we needed to stay at home so as not to collapse our healthcare system. I hated it, but I stayed at home. We did that. I got paid by the government to stay at home.
But I don’t want another check. I want shit to open back up.
There’s this place about 60 miles west of Phoenix, Called Wickenburg. It’s a bitchen old historic town on the way to Las Vegas. My wife and I first went through there about 2 years ago, and found this cafe we fell in love with. The food is good, but the service is what we fell in love with. A little old Biker gal named deb. She makes the whole experience.
Deb was on the news this morning:
If you’ve ever met Deb, she’s a force to be reckoned with. A rare mixture of total sweetheart, humor, and an sharp inability to suffer fools. If you’re nice, she treats you like family. If you’re an idiot, she’ll ask you to leave. We loved her immediately. She makes the best biscuits and gravy you’ve ever had. The gravy my wife eats by the cup; it’s delicious.
Deb just wants to keep the doors open; its her means of income. Yavapai county has had only 82 confirmed cases, and zero deaths. I’m gonna ride down there tomorrow to support her, even to just buy a cup of gravy.
I’m sick of this coronavirus shit. We did our part: open things back up. I’m not a lockdown kind of guy. I don’t want any more stimulus checks.
I’ve been a huge fan of Governor Ducey —- But I think he needs to re-think his strategy and realize we’re not all dumb, stop protecting us and let us decide for ourselves.
It’s time to give peoples livelihoods back Read More »
I’ve been searching for a bike bag. I decided not to put a tour pak on my bike, because I don’t think I need it. I’d like a good bag, without a lot of bullshit on it. I travel pretty light.
Here’s what I want, maybe you guys could throw me a suggestion:
I gotta think the military makes something that would suit me perfect. I’m not an anal retentive, overly organized guy. I just need something simple that I can strap to the back of a normal sized Harley backrest, and not have to worry about.
Anyone got a good line on a bag their sold on? I might have to have one made. Hook a brother up.
Looking for a Road Bag… Read More »
I’ve been thinking alot about fear lately. It’s fucking worthless.
I see it when I go to the store: I see people with masks on; I see it in people who won’t make eye contact. It’s become more pronounced because I’ve turned off the news this week, and pretty much laid off of social media. I see things in people that just don’t make sense to me, and I see fear behind it. I look back, and I don’t think I’ve ever made a good decision that was based in fear. In fact, the things I value the most took a certain amount of courage to just go do, in all varying degrees.
Part of my job is dealing with people every single day who are afraid of technology, and afraid of feeling stupid about it. They call me and ask for help, but they’re so afraid they won’t let themselves make a decision. It’s the ones who aren’t afraid, we can do the most with and end up being successful. You can’t back into it, you gotta move right-the-fuck toward it. Be smart about it, but move forward. Even if your shaking.
I think it’s why I like Bikers. For the most part, you can’t scare these pricks. They’re up for riding across America to see a thing, or they’ll knock you on your ass if you get too far out of line. Fear really doesn’t enter their thinking much. I love that spirit. It inspires me.
Anyway, just a thought. Something to think about on a long ride.
I’m also sick of the stupidity, but that’s a whole other post.
Yep, a Friday at home. Last weekend I went riding, and this weekend I should probably stick around and be a dad, even though a good portion of the day at work today I was looking at google maps, figuring out rides to New Mexico and Texas.
Tomorrow morning, the wife and I will wake up early (at least I will), then I’ll talk her into going to the grocery store. I’m proud to say, I haven’t stood in line to buy toilet paper and we haven’t purchased any since before this whole stupid TP thing happened. We’re down to 4 rolls, and with 3 girls and me in the house…. well, you know.
Had a good day at work today. Sales are still good, even working from home. The people who are the movers and shakers? They still are. The ones who are scared to make a move, are even more scared now. To me, its nice it’s so pronounced. It makes it easier to find the movers and the shakers. I work better with those customers anyway.
Washed the bike after work. Maybe the most bugs I’ve ever washed off a bike after a single 2 day ride.
Bought a miter saw this week and actually made a coffee table. Historically, the only thing I’ve been able to do with wood is burn it or bury it, but I’m kinda proud of what I made. My wife seems happy with it, and she’s gonna sand it down and stain it this weekend. Apparently it was decent enough she asked me to make her a desk, some night stands for the bedroom, and some other stuff.
Not a whole lotta shit going on at the Zip Household this weekend. I’m restless and I find myself wanting to fire up a thing, and raise a ruckus somehow. Maybe I’ll get in a fist fight over a 36 pack in the toilet paper Isle. I doubt it, but who knows….
I have a week off next month, and I might head north to go ride a thing.
Having a gut full of this virus, lockdown and quite honestly peoples reaction to it, I did me some riding last weekend.
Man, its perfect riding weather this time of year. Good enough for a leather jacket in the morning some leathers to get over the mountains, and then long sleeves in the afternoon without sweating your ass off. Perfect. I loaded up the bike in the morning and headed east. My bike was purring and it just felt good to get out on the road.
Most of where I rode was through the Apache Indian reservation. Historically, the apaches weren’t your mud farmer, hunter gatherers of the indian nation. They’d keep the peace if it was warranted, but they fuck your day up if it wasn’t. I’ve been reading up on Cochise and Geronimo, and they demanded respect by any cultures measure. This part of the country was invaded by Spain, then Mexico, then the westward expansion. The Apaches were on the front lines of all of that. Part of this ride was that I wanted to get a sense of all that History.
Due to covid 19, much of the Tribe had all the side roads blocked off as I went through the reservation. They run things their own way, so I couldn’t get off and explore so I stayed on the state Highways.
Heading down through Fort Thomas, I found an interesting, almost old forgotten memorial. It was to a guy named Melvin Jones, who was born in Fort Thomas, and later went on to making the Lions club an international organization in 1917. When I was younger, the lions club was everywhere. Our family reunions were held for years on Fathers Day at a Lions Club Lodge in Utah (they still are). Membership has waned over the years, but clubs like the Lions were a woven into the community fabric all across America.
Anyway, I thought it was interesting. Out in the middle of nowhere.
I headed into Safford, and then up a new road into fort Grant. Lots of history up there as well. The old fort is situated on a prison now, and was the site of one of the largest massacres in the US in 1871.
The ride up through fort Grant and into Wilcox AZ was fairly killer. The roads were empty, and it was one of those roads where you just get lost in the moment; my music sounded good and my bike was purring. I was enjoying the hell out of it.
Just past Fort Grant I found this old Historic Store:
If you live in Arizona, it’s pretty much required to see Tombstone. At least, it should be. You may have seen it. The very end of the movie ends with Johnny Ringo getting shot by Doc Holliday. I’ve been to tombstone several times, but I’ve never found Johnny Ringos grave. With a little encouragement from Mike F who’s been a long time follower of this blog, I took the dirt road out to see it.
There’s some speculation on whether doc Holliday really killed Johnny Ringo. He was found propped up at this spot a day later, with one bullet missing in his gun, and a bullet wound in his temple. It was officially ruled a suicide, but several people have claimed to have killed him. I like the Holliday story myself, but it probably was by his own hand. Either way, Here’s the place.
I landed in a placed called Double Adobe. This part of Arizona, people are pretty friendly. They love their guns, and their Independence. Exactly what you’d expect from Arizona — Ranches and farms everywhere, and you can see Mexico from here. There are Trump flags and stickers everywhere. I felt right at home.
I woke up, broke down my tent and watched the sun come up. It was pretty cold, but the temp climbed fast as the sun rose. I headed east toward the border town of Douglas, and then on to New Mexico and then north west to home.
I jacked up my camera phone dropping it off my bike on my last ride. I took a DSLR camera with me to get some pics, and I took a bunch: Some bitchen old buildings and signs in Douglas, Some old Adobe homes in New Mexico, and the spot where Geronimo surrendered to the US in 1886, ending the US and Indian Wars. Yeah, good pics, but I somehow managed to fuck them up on that DSLR. I think rattling around in my saddlebag changed a setting, or I fat-fingered something when I took my first picture of the day. Everything came out white. Oh well. Next time.
On my way home, I found a playlist on my phone: The 100 best classic country songs of all time. My dad woulda loved this shit, and I gotta admit I enjoyed it on this ride. Hank Williams, Dolly Parton, some George Jones…. That song about “momma socking it to the Harper Valley PTA… ” It seemed to fit the country I was in. Kicked a foot up on the freeway pegs, stopped and took some bad pictures, and enjoyed the wind.
A killer ride. That was the last major road in Arizona, checked off my list. I keep thinking I’m done, I always seem to find some new side road I get curious about, so I’m sure I’ll end up going back.
It was a helluva good ride.
2 states, 2 days, 670 miles
A Run through Apache Country. Read More »