Random Thoughts

“if everyone is thinking alike, then someone isn’t thinking”

-George S. Patton

I heard this song on the way back home today.

A part of me is surprised it held out this long. I remember when this song came out. Even back then, most of us laughed at the shirts Steve Perry was wearing.

But the song has held on. My kids even know this song, and they’re Gen Z or X or Y as it comes.

Why?

Because the message is pretty good.

Don’t stop Believing.

Anything good in this life comes from believing in something bigger than yourself: To have a dream. It’s a damn hard thing to do, but if you don’t stop *cough* Believin’.

For a lot of years, I gave up on my dream. I crashed and burned, and through the process of it all, I gotta tell ya, I believe again. At least, I’m starting to.

And its a good feeling.

I’ve never met a man who hasn’t overcame a thing in life that was worth a shit.

So don’t stop believin’.

Turns out, Waylon Jennings released a new Album today. His son Shooter, about a year ago went through his recordings and found a lot of his old recordings and found 3 albums worth of good recordings, from the 70’s that he is releasing.

Pretty cool.

As far as ol’ Waylon goes, this is what has been chiming around in my head the last few days.

Man, the world has changed since I started this blog. Some for good, Some for great, and some for pure shit. Yet here I am, standing among it. Honestly, I am not sure what I think of it.

Or maybe I do.

Life has been great. My business has taken off, I’m busier than ever before, and I don’ t have time to sit in the personal stew time and life will give a fella. I am just tired of sitting in that stew.

And I won’t anymore.

I don’t know anything about anything, but I can tell you this:

Get to work. The world will find a place for the honest guy.

Be honest. your reputation will say more than you will.

Rock on.

Taking a sleeping bag and a tent on this little outing in a couple of days, and so I figgered I’d need something to hook a couple of bungee straps to.

Got this little beauty on Amazon, I can’t remember who from but it was a third the cost of the dealership. You could hook a bungee to how much that puts a smile on my face.

3 more days, and we ride.

6 more days and I head out. Can’t wait. I may bomb out earlier and milk an extra day out of if. who knows.

Viking bags hit me up. I’ve bought some of their gear in the past and have been fairly happy with it. It’s usually at least 1/2 the price of the MOCO (at least) and their gear has been pretty solid. I’m going to be trying out and reviewing their 18L – Century Medium Leather Motorcycle Sissy Bar Bag for Harley Davidson. Which looks like a decent bag for shorter trips or overnighters. We’ll see. I’ll make a future post about it.

You can check their Motorcycle Luggage Bags Here.

I feel a little Metallica coming on:

The problem with having to wait for a long ride is…. the fucking having to wait for a long ride.

I’m jonesing to go.

I did however, but me some new baubles for the bike. The bike I swore I would keep stock.

A new Pair of Grips never hurt anyone. Big Kahunas they call em. I just liked how they looked.

And after several thousands of miles of fishing chap stick out of my pocket at 80 mph, I got me a chap stick holder. I’m sure you can put other things in there: I just haven’t thought beyond chap stick. I’m sure i’ll think of something.

Gah, how many more days? 9?

I’m ready to ride.

A little over a year ago, I reconnected with an old friend in Texas that I haven’t seen for well over 30 years.

Not long after, he bought a Harley and we’ve been texting back and forth since then, trying to plan a trip.

Lots of good things have been happening for me; the biggest one is starting a new business about a year ago, and it’s taken off nicely.

But old friends are old friends, and road trips are the things in life that you remember.

I’m meeting him in El Paso in a couple of weeks, and we’re gonna go ride wherever the road will take us for a few days. He’s never seen the Grand Canyon, so we may go check that out.

I’m pretty fired up. Life is good 🙂

What a voice. a great song.

Was able to throw down a few hundred miles today, which is always good. Missus Zip threw me a bit of a hall pass Friday, so I jumped on the chance to make a few miles. To be honest, when you need to get a little saddle time she knows I’ll go with or without a hall pass, but I always enjoy the ride a little more knowing you’re not gonna come home to any size of marital hornets nest.

My business partner and his family had been camping up on the Mogollon rim, which is the forested and northern side of the state so I ran up to say hello.

Arizona I swear has the best named places in any place on the planet. Happy Jack is a killer song by the Who, and is also one of the best riding areas in the State. It’s around 7500 feet of elevation, and up in the Ponderosa pines. Its beautiful. The weather was 75 degress and you couldn’t wipe the smile off my face.

I ran to Happy Jack, shot the bull with everyone for a few hours, then doubled back and ran through the Tonto basin, which is always a great ride.

1 day, 350 miles, 1 State.