Just called Jerry.   My bike is gonna be done thursday.   I’m not going to be able to sleep for 2 days.   I also gotta find a few thousand dollars.    I’ll find it.   You’ve never met a man more motivated.

First thing im gonna do is take the old girl to the firehouse for a beer.   It’s date night.

Stroker crank is in, stroker pistons are in, backplate and oil pump are in with the new cam chain tensioners, new pushrods, rings, bore is finished and looks good.   new bearings, oil lines.   its all in.

I should have my bike back next week.

I remember early on feeling that It was my job to provide.   I remember being in 9th grade, writing some silly ass paper in creative writing and taking it pretty seriously, that I was going to have a wife and kids someday and it was going to be my job to make sure they had a roof over their heads, food on the table and clothes on their backs.     I sound like I’m being dramatic, but I can remember the exact moment.  The desk I was in.  the  blue lines on the paper, and the teacher standing in front of the room. The feeling I had as I wrote it.    Funny, I didn’t know that very moment would stick with me.   Maybe moreso than any moment in my life.    Providing for my family is my job.

It’s not some macho bullshit.   If my wife ever wanted to work, I wouldn’t have some ego trip about it.   She’s never asked, and I’ve somehow been able to eek out a living.  Sometimes we’ve kicked ass.   Sometimes we’ve looked at foreclosure and had U-Hauls in our driveway and tried not to think about the memories of kids we’ve raised in the home we lost.   Thoughts of little girls in new school dresses in front of trees we planted with our own hands.   Bringing home babies to new cribs.    Problems overcome.   Neighbors we gave a shit about, and some we didn’t.  Starting new endeavors.  Struggling together.  Winning and losing together.   Each time, figuring it all out and moving on.

But every time, I’ve felt the weight of making sure we could move on.   Making sure that I had some sort of decision to share and to believe in.     It certainly hasn’t all been me, my wife has supported, fought and busted ass right along side me.   calling me out when I needed to be, and defending and moving ahead with the plan.      Adjusting the plan.

I hope someday my daughters will look back and remember their tattod Old Man who fought to give them a life.    I’m sure they’ll marry men different than me, but I hope they find someone who at least has the same quality as me.   I may be a lot of things:  Impetuous.  Impatient.   Loud at times, understanding at times.   But I’ve never given up.    Not on them.  Not on my wife.  Not on our life.  Certainly not on my responsibilities.     It’s why men die earlier than women.

I’m so thankful that I found a woman who’s got the same moxy.   Robyn, I love you.

Jerry was in my garage tonight.   My crank, oil pump, oil pump, cam chains,  pistons and everything else  are in, and my cylinders are out to be re-bored.   once they get back, in another week to put it all together, ill be breaking my new motor in.   That means, a whole lot of years of touring.   Damn, I can’t wait.   It’s in my head every hour.

Talked to jerry last night.   I’m just waiting on pistons then my bike is ready to put back together.  My crank is in.   Once the pistons are in, I’ll get it bored and then he’ll start putting it back together.

Man, Stand for something outside of yourself.    I’ve been selfish and self absorbed most of my life, and those times were mostly miserable.   Standing for something bigger than yourself is how you become happy.

My dad taught me that.   He was right.

I bought my first street bike in 1988. I rode it cross country till it finally gave out in 1994. Bought a wrecked bike, swapped the engine and rode till 1998. From 1998 to 2006 I was without a bike. Now again, I’m without a ride.

Bike is in the shop. A cam bearing failed and sucked through the engine. Need new pistons, Oil pump, cylinder bored and other things. My friend Jerry Fishel at vicious Cycles is doing a good job. I don’t trust many mechanics, but jerry is a good man. I trust him. Gimme 4 weeks and I’ll be back on the road when the temperatures start to turn again. By the time I break her in, I’ll be touring again on a rebuilt engine.

Just a note to my friends and family.  I get that this isn’t life and death situation, its not even close.  But I’ve got good friends and family.   My brother Pat offered his trailer to get me home, and let me ride his bike to get to work.   My brother Mike offered his bike to let me ride, as well as a new twin cam 88 in his garage for free.    I’ve had calls from my  BACA president, friends and others who have called me offering help and suggestions.   I’ll get this figured out, and its going to cost me alot of money I don’t have, but your friendship to me is priceless.    Thank you for offering your help.    I’m a rich man that way.