Random Thoughts

I’ve been about as domesticated as I think I’m ever going to be this last month. Home? It’s great. Love my wife and kids, I love my house. But hell, you can only spend so much time in the garage, do yardwork, and stare at the walls in my bedroom slash Covid-19 office. The highlight of my month was killing that fucking gopher in the backyard, and buying a propane weed burner so I could start small fires in the backyard in the name of weed control.

I am proud of taking the jump to play around with making something out of wood. It’s pretty satisfying taking something raw as wood and making something out of it, especially since I didn’t know jack about it before. I finished up some end tables this last weekend. They’re ok, but I’m already restless to take it to the next step and I’m looking at table saws, routers, and the like. Eventually, I won’t suck at it, and I’m enjoying the hell out of the pursuit.

But I gotta get out. I’m ready to ride.

So this next weekend I have a week off. I scheduled it months ago, before all this covid shit happened. With work and the adjustment of working at home, I hadn’t thought about it all, but I’m thinking maybe hitting up some old haunts in Northern AZ and route 66 to see how thing have changed. Either way, I gotta show those places to the new bike, and if I haven’t I haven’t *really* broken her in. I’ve made enough furniture and spent enough time around the house that the wife has given me a hall pass for the trip. Hell, I’m sure she wants some for herself too.

I was born to ride. It’s in my blood somehow, and I enjoy the living hell out of it.

I hope all you biker pricks out there are ignoring the nonsense, riding it like you stole it, and enjoying your free god-given rights. If you’re not… I don’t know why you are reading my blog.

Rode 50 miles this morning with the wife to find a sit-down breakfast joint. We found a place, that mostly ignored all the state regulations. Sat on the back porch of the place, ate some killer Huevos Rancheros, and felt like a free man.

Shit is opening up in Arizona.

Life is good.

A great song.

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.

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 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.

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:

• Something simple, and black. I just like Black.
• Waterproof, somewhat.
• I need a spot to throw all my main shit in that I’m only going to get out when I get to where I’m staying for the night: Sleeping bag, Air mattress, tent, whatever. Room for a helmet when I’m in a Helmet state.
• I need a couple compartments. Two. A place to put my reading glasses, sunblock, a bottle of water. Easy to get into, without digging to the bottom of my saddlebag. That shit settles on a ride and I end up pulling the whole thing out to find the small thing I want.
• I’d like to keep it vertical. Shit flopping over my saddle bags scuffs up my paint, and makes it hard to get into them.
• Not too big. I need to be able to bungee it.

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.

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.