Thought for the day from a Texas rocker

I hate the thought of lowering expectations but learning to be appreciative of what is in front of us.


I am watching my gratitude.







By the way Ray Wylie Hubbard is an excellent musician with a pretty unique  Texas sound.


Good Stuff!


https://vimeo.com/82331615

Thought for the day

We all think we have time.  Hopefully we do.  Some of will leave this place with more dreams of what could have been than incredible memories.

The balance between work and play is  always a challenge

I have been a bit quiet on this blog. 

As what is supposed to happen, at least in my mind, I met a woman and have been quite distracted.  A blonde who is smart, kind, fit and finds me charming.  Her kids are grown.  She lives downtown in a cool apartment with a view.  We go to cool restaurants and bars.

It is all good.

Some quotes for today

Some great quotes and thoughts from Brene Brown.  Vulnerability is her specialty which ties into all relations. 

She has some excellent TED talks as well.  Check her out.

We love seeing raw truth and openness in other people, but we're afraid to let them see it in us. We're afraid that our truth isn't enough - that what we have to offer isn't enough without the bells and whistles, without editing, and impressing.

Brené Brown

We risk missing out on joy when we get too busy chasing down the extraordinary.

Brené Brown

After collecting thousands of stories, I’m willing to call this a fact: A deep sense of love and belonging is an irreducible need of all women, men, and children. We are biologically, cognitively, physically, and spiritually wired to love, to be loved, and to belong. When those needs are not met, we don’t function as we were meant to. We break. We fall apart. We numb. We ache. We hurt others. We get sick.

Brené Brown

Spent a weekend with an asshole

Fortunately, there were four other men who are not assholes.


We had fun.  We boated, we drank, we golfed and we drank.  We told stories and lies.  We hung out at a college tailgate party with that wonderful youthful energy.  We numbed some of the pain that we inflict upon ourselves.


I will call him Mark, because that is his name.  He is an Obama hating racist.  He did not use the N word but he has in the past.  A pot smoking Donald Trump supporter.  Only marginally employed with his best days well behind him. Living those Glory Days as Bruce Springsteen put it so eloquently. A fat guy making passes at any female that will tolerate him.


It was his 27th wedding anniversary.  Apparently she is unworthy of a celebration.  She is a nice woman.  I do not understand marrying someone and not wanting to spend quality time with her.


At some level I do understand.  The thrill is gone.  Kids are still at home.  It is too expensive to divorce.  He has left his health go to hell.  She is not young and pretty.  She is not going anywhere.  What is the point?


Perhaps the point is that you should be kind to your partner.  Seek to respect and improve the relationship.  Don't be an asshole. 


The other thing that pisses me off is the small-minded Cincinnati drivel.  What the Cincinnati Reds did 26 years ago.  Who played on the big red machine.  What St. X's football score was and why does Moeller football suck?


Well enough of my charming thoughts for the day.....

Nonchalant

A fork in the road, I rode the Dragon (again)

Sometimes it is not quite so obvious but life is full of forks

To quote Yogi Berra, when you come to a fork in the road, take it!

Wandering is good for the soul.  Some of my best discoveries have been as a result of taking the road less traveled.  Where does that road go?  GPS is for right brained and lazy minds.

On the other hand, I have also been caught in the dark on narrow roads.

Another motorcycle story.  One of the dangers of riding alone is that you are completely free to make mistakes.

I took a trip out to see my son in the Marine Corp in NC.  Not too far out of the way are the Smokey Mountains.    There is a famous road called the Dragon not far from the park  Highway 129.  Look it up.  A Mecca for motorcyclists and car enthusiast. 

So I ride down from Cincinnati.  I get to the Pigeon Forge.  Traffic is backed up on a Thursday in the spring.  I employ my internal compass take  a right which leads to a highway which leads to the Foothills Parkway.  Dodging some rain but stayed dry.

Sometimes I impress myself when my plan actually works and I found the highway, the Foothills Parkway, and the Dragon. 

I had it to myself on a Thursday night just before sunset.  Life is good.


I then started looking for a place to rest my head.  2.5 hour later, a wrong turn up a two lane mountain road in the dark, I finally found a place.  Not exactly as planned.

Peggy, That might be a good thing to mention - Dating adventures

I like to meet potential dates at the dog park. It is casual and safe.  Most women like my dog, Dusty, as he is a handsome and awesome dog.   If  there is not attraction at least Dusty gets a work out.


Now if I ask you if you would like to meet at the dog park you might mention that you do not like dogs and dog parks.  Just saying....


The yoga pants were nice.  You really did look good in them. 


Dusty

Charter Schools: Last Week Tonight with John Oliver (HBO)

Good stuff.  I like John Oliver more than ever.  This scam is making national news.  Ohio gets special mention.  White Hat Management also gets special attention.  Online schools get exposed.




A billion dollar failed experiment.

The Intuitive Realist: The INTJ

What a sexy title!


https://culturaldisasters.wordpress.com/2015/11/14/the-intuitive-realist-the-intj/


This author is spot on.  He or she hits on several key characteristics.   Good stuff here. I did correc a couple of spelling errors.  Must not have been written by an INTJ.


"Fiercely loyal, serious in tone, direct in communication style, INTJs are a hard win but a solid win. Once you’ve won them, they are the best ally you could possibly ever have but getting to that point can be a painful, laborious process. That’s because INTJs have really high standards for themselves and for others close to them. They do not wish to see themselves as mediocre in quality nor do they wish to be surrounded by hoards of riffraff. INTJs value quality over quantity, preferring perfection or something very close to it. "


"An INTJ’s mental construct is electrical energy protected and guided by fiber optics or copper wiring in a structured way. There are no random connections. Every connection serves a purpose and every memory or lesson learned is neatly filed away for future reference."


"INTJs also alleviate stress by engaging in sensory activities. INTJ hobbies (unlike their work) are usually highly engaging for eyesight, smell, taste, touch, and sound. They’ll get into dancing, car racing, outdoor activities, sports, music, cooking, etc. INTJs rarely pursue intellectual/cerebral hobbies as a way of relieving stress, rather finding it to be either pointless or even counterproductive to that end. They do, however pursue knowledge out of curiosity and practical purpose as well as genuine excitement but those motives seem to be independent of stress relief. "


"But there’s more to being an INTJ than just being hyper-efficient and strategic. INTJs are also lazy.
Yep, lazy.
The irony is that INTJs will often put a ton of work in at first just to make sure they don’t have to put in a ton of work later. The less repetitive work, the better. Easily bored, they will replicate a process only a few times before they decide to dwindle down the steps to even fewer. Lazy shits, they are but brilliantly so."


Laziness or boredom with some of the social connections can be a struggle.  This can be an issue with relationships that require constant and consistent nurturing.

Round 37

Round 37 of my love life.  Sometimes it does feel like a boxing match, some pain is inflicted by each boxer or lover.

I am not sure there has actually been 37 rounds but it does feel like a slough.

Vanessa passed through all the logical checks.  I let her into my heart.  I let few people in to that space.

I am trying to live a more active and healthy lifestyle. Trying to find someone who can keep up mentally and physically. Looking for that visceral attraction.

My intuition tells me this is not right.  She has had a pretty spoiled life until her unpleasant divorce.  She has some weight issues.  Some back problems. I think long-term.  What will this look like five years from now?  

A Saturday night date.  First she has to hang with the mayor at the NAACP convention.  Driving to my home, a car crash.  I rescue her.  A trip to the emergency room. I took her home to her apartment.  She fell asleep bruised and sore but ok.  I went home to care for my dog.

An unmet expectation that I would take her to my home. Be there for her 24-7

I had rationally analyzed her situation. I have eleven broken bones in my body.  Three stents, a missing gallbladder. I healed.  I deal with death and catastrophic injuries.  This is not so bad.

She has family and friends.  Ultimately, she did not like my nursing or lack of nursing.  She let me know I was obviously defective.   I had failed her test.  I was not the man she was looking for.

I felt like an asshole. But I was pretty sure she was not the woman I was looking for.

We have moved on.

The woman who still gets in my head is Barb.  She occasionally texts me.  I text her back.  Despite our issues there is still a visceral attraction for me.

We agreed to meet for dinner.  We arrived at the same time.  She hugged me and grabbed my hand to hold it going into the restaurant.  Wow! It is like we are a couple again for that hour.

Nothing has changed for her.  She still is dealing with a challenging college student.  She still cares for her ailing father.

We exchange some texts.  I am emboldened and send her a song.  I ask if she had found it.  She replies found what?  I sent her the song “She Lost that Loving feeling”

She replied. I am not looking.

Screw it, relationships suck.

300 Posts- A milestone. Sharing some of the many random open tabs in mybrain.

“Because I can…”  My new motto.  This is a nice sentiment and opportunity.  I am chained to my mortgage and career but the benefits are pretty good.  Other than that very few obligations.

So I post on my blog.

 Shameless Plagiarized Disclaimer:

“Persons attempting to find a motive in this narrative will be prosecuted; persons attempting to find a moral in it will be banished; persons attempting to find a plot in it will be shot.
BY ORDER OF THE AUTHOR
per
G.G., CHIEF OF ORDNANCE”
― Mark Twain, The Adventures of Huck Finn

Like me, it is an acquired taste.  Some things that amuse or bemuse me.

Some are still works in progress as I am a work in progess. 

Some are mean and some are funny.

There are a lot of really important, insightful, thoughtful and serious blogs on the internet.  This is not one of them.

A great quote for the day:

 

Enjoy the ride……

 

I intend to……

 

Research

Sometimes such a fine line between brilliance and stupidity.  Darwin's theory at work.

Thought for the day

Problem solved.  That is a pretty satisfying.  

We live in a pretty gray world.  Sometimes seeing things as black or white is quite satisfying. It works or it doesn't.  It's fixed or it's not.

Most of life is not so easily defined.  Complicated problems with subjective answers. 

We are all mechanics to some degree.  Sometimes we cannot fix some problems.  That is not so satisfying.

A random update

I think a lot.  Time for another post.  I have been doing a lot of thinking but not much writing.  Too much fodder.  Some of the current thoughts running through my days and nights.

 I need to break it down in pieces.

Taking a road trip.  Going home again.  My son Thomas and his new wife are coming.  It is good to go home but as the saying says, you can never really go home. 

Mom fell again.  This time she fractured her heal.  Third fall in a year.  The big family home is not that handicapped friendly.

Thomas is deploying somewhere at the end of the month with the Marines.  Some places he mention as possible temporary stops are Italy, Africa, Yemen and Libya.  He does not know and will deploy like a good Marine.

I have been busy at work.  One of my attorney employees went MIA after being stressed and underappreciated.  He has that what I describe as a New Jersey attitude.  Not a very pleasant person.  He is a strange bird.  He works out of his home and has never really adjusted claims thus he struggles.  He is on indefinite disability while I suspect he looks for a new job.  I hope he finds it.  Sometimes managing people sucks.

My new boss is a pain in the ass.  A busy busy woman with no apparent other life.

I think about INTJ stuff.  Why am I wired the way I am?

The dating life is going reasonably well.  V is an interesting woman.  Kind and smart.  So very busy, meeting people, breakfast meetings, lunch meetings, dinner meetings and running her non-profit organization.  So very scheduled.  It is hard to hit a moving target. 

I am many things she did not envision. A motorcyclist. Facial hair. A non-conformist.  An INTJ.  Yet somehow we fill a space for each other. 

Barb has reached out a couple of times.  Damn sometimes I miss her.  Not sure if I could fix some of our issues and could just leave to more disappointment.

I am enjoying reading and commiserating with others on the ADVRIDER.Com site.  I think about my independence and the red pill.  A different perspective.  Outcome independence as the red pillers like to say.  I continue to try to improve myself and realize that I have been too beta and failed to address issues that were not working for me from others. 

Thought for the day

Thought for the day

Out of the blue

Out of the blue.

I got a request to link with the ex-wife in Linked-In.  Really?

I don't think it is commendable to sleep your way to the top of a failing school and I really do not want to have any association with that scam.

It did trigger some annoying thoughts in my mind.  Fortunately, there are some pictures to go along with my thoughts.  The internet is a beautiful thing. 

She continues to be irrelevant in my life and from what I can tell my son's lives as well. 

Rant over

Out of the blue

Out of the blue.

I got a request to link with the ex-wife in Linked-In.  Really?

I don't think it is commendable to sleep your way to the top of a failing school and I really do not want to have any association with that scam.

It did trigger some annoying thoughts in my mind.  Fortunately, there are some pictures to go along with my thoughts.  The internet is a beautiful thing. 

She continues to be irrelevant in my life and from what I can tell my son's lives as well. 

Rant over

Why Motorcycles are better than women

• Your motorcycle doesn't get upset when you forget it's birthday.
• You don't have to talk to your motorcycle after you ride it.
• You can choke your motorcycle.
• Your motorcycle doesn't get mad when you ignore it for a month or so.
• Motorcycles don't get jealous if you come home with grease under your fingernails.
• Motorcycles don't snore.
• Your motorcycle won't wake you up at 3:00 AM and ask you if you love it.
• Your motorcycle won't leave you for another rider.
• You don't have to pay child support / alimony to an ex-motorcycle.
• If you say bad things to your Motorcycles, you don't have to apologize before you can ride it again.
• If your Motorcycle doesn't look good, you can paint it or get better parts.
• If your Motorcycle goes flat, you can fix it.
• If your Motorcycle is misaligned, you don't have to discuss politics to correct it.
• If your Motorcycle is too loose, you can tighten it.
• If your Motorcycle is too soft, you can get different shocks.
• If your Motorcycle makes too much noise, you can buy a muffler.
• If your Motorcycle smokes, you can do something about it.
• It's always OK to use tie downs on your Motorcycle.
• Motorcycles always feel like going for a ride.
• Motorcycles don't care about how many other Motorcycles you have ridden.
• Motorcycles don't care about how many other Motorcycles you have.
• Motorcycles don't care if you are late.
• Motorcycles don't get pregnant.
• Motorcycles don't have parents.
• Motorcycles don't insult you if you are a bad rider.
• Motorcycles don't mind if you look at other Motorcycles, or if you buy Motorcycle magazines.
• Motorcycles don't whine unless something is really wrong.
• Motorcycles last longer.
• Motorcycles only need their fluids changed every 2,000 miles.
• Motorcycles' curves never sag.
• New Motorcycles must be asked for, and if you don't want to pay for them, you don't get them.
• When riding, you and your Motorcycle both arrive at the same time.
• You can kick your Motorcycle to wake it up.
• You can ride a Motorcycle as long as you want and it won't get sore.
• You can ride a Motorcycle any time of the month.
• You can share your Motorcycle with your friends.
• You can't get diseases from a Motorcycle you don't know very well.
• You don't have to be jealous of the guy that works on your Motorcycle.
• You don't have to convince your Motorcycle that you're a motorcyclist and that you think that Motorcycles are equals.
• You don't have to deal with priests or blood-tests to register your Motorcycle.
• You don't have to take a shower before riding your Motorcycle.
• You only need to get a new chain or belt for your Motorcycle when the old one is worn.
• Your Motorcycle never wants a night out alone with the other Motorcycles.
• Your parents don't remain in touch with your old Motorcycle after you dump it.
• Your Motorcycle doesn't care what you're wearing when you take it out.
• Wearing two fresh rubbers makes riding a bike MORE enjoyable.
• The rashes you get from motorcycles go away without those painful IM Penicillin shots.
• One gets in no trouble for storing disassembled pieces of the motorcycle in the basement.
• Disassembling the motorcycle is done out of pleasure rather than need.
• Motorcycles always sound pleasant.
• Unlike women FAT motorcycles aren't cheap dates

Thought for the day

Thought for the day

The day after a ride, some thoughts

I do not want to go quietly into the night, yet that is a possibility for us all.  I want to lead an interesting life.  I vow to embrace and enjoy the ride.  I will try most things once.  My comfort zone is pretty wide.

I took Vanessa on a motorcycle ride.  It was a beautiful day. 

She later told me that she never thought that she would ever ride on a motorcycle and that she would not expect to enjoy it. 

She told me she enjoyed the ride and my company.  It was well out of her comfort zone. 

I did feel a bit guilty afterwards.  Perhaps I am overthinking.

Most women I have dated were anxious to go for a ride.  This seems a bit different. An obligation to me? Perhaps she was overthinking.

My conundrum for today; do I want to push someone out of their comfort zone?  Safety is not assured.  Or search for that woman who longs for the ride?

I liked this quote:

“The world breaks everyone and afterward many are strong in the broken places. But those that will not break it kills. It kills the very good and the very gentle and the very brave impartially. If you are none of these you can be sure it will kill you too but there will be no special hurry.”

Ernest Hemingway, A Farewell to Arms, 1929

 

Another thought:  Regret lives in the past.  Worry and anxiety live in future.  Sometimes it takes a divorce to figure these thing out.

Day 10 continued, Blurry eyed and missing my shoe

I am on a mission to see my mom.  I focus and ride.  I pass through the badlands but do not see much and do not stop.  I pass right on by Wall Drug. 

80 MPH speed limit is South Dakota.  The powers that be appreciate that this is a boring stretch of highway.    The weather remains good, a little warm but comfortable.  The tunes are playing but difficult to listen to at 85 MPH.  I try to get off every couple of hours to stretch my legs or refuel.

Tangent warning:  Sometime I get impatient.  I am doing better with this as I age but when I get frustrated, tired and hungry I get careless.  I have the bike packed to the gills and on the back is a red waterproof bag with a drawstring type opening.  It is over-packed.  The right thing to do would to repack.  In that bag I cram some drinks, some jerky and by beloved, officially licensed, Margaritaville boat shoes. 


I loved those shoes. Casual, cool and comfortable.  I would wear them at camp or in the hotel.  I am not a particularly stylish guy, but I felt pretty stylish wearing them.  They replaced another beloved pair and are not easy to find.  They were the last item in the bag.

I do make a stop at the Corn Palace in Mitchell South Dakota. Fueled the bike, the body, and took a picture.


Haste makes waste.  Because of my haste, and my cramming, I am now missing my shoe.  Somewhere on I-90 in South Dakota is one size 9.5 stylish boat shoe bounced out of my bag and is now decomposing in some ditch.

I finally hit the border to Minnesota.  The speed limit drops and more road construction greats me.  I consider passing through Fairmont Minnesota.  My parents grew up there.  It reminds me of the small town and some of the people described by Garrison Keillor in his wonderful stories of Lake Wobegon.  My grandparents are buried there along with some of the ashes of my father. 

It is getting late and I decide I will not make that trip today and chose a more direct route.  I feel some remorse, when will I make that trip? 

I head NW on Highway 60.  I am used to a ground speed of 85 MPH.  The speed limit is 55 MPH.  60 MPH seems slow.  55 MPH seems ridiculous.  I hope I do not get a ticket.

Around sunset I find myself in St. James Minnesota.  I am exhausted.   I call my mom and tell her where I am.  She plans to wait up for me because I guess that is what mothers do. 

It is dark as I head into Mankato.  I know the way home but am exhausted.  I stop at a McDonalds to regroup.  I am really not too hungry but do need a break. 

I think I know the route home but my eyes are not cooperating.  The roads are dark, curvy and unlit .  I start seeing double on the reflectors that line part of the road. I am scared and unable to drive the speed limit because I cannot see the road. I am sad that my eyes are behaving this poorly.  My body is tired and my mind wanders.  My mission continues.    I am taking my time as I really do not and cannot see the curves in the road very far ahead.  I am getting passed, something that does not happen to me often, and use the car ahead of me as a target.  The car goes too fast and I again struggle in the dark.  A semi passes me, it is a bigger target  and I follow it to Shakopee.  I get my second, third or fourth wind.  From there the roads are better lit and there is more traffic to follow. 


Getting old with glaucoma sucks!

I rolled into Mom’s driveway around 11:30.  It is good to be home.  Mission accomplished. 

Day 10 Homeward bound

It is time to head home.  It is nice to go home.  It is nice to have a home to go home to.  My destination is my boyhood home.  I left home at 18 and have not lived there since except for a couple of months after college.  I usually visit at least once a year.

It was a pretty idyllic home to be raised in. It is on the water, Medicine Lake.  My best friend lived down the street.  A woods to play in.  A gang of other kids to play with.  Boating, fishing, skiing, sliding, and amateur sports like wiffle ball, touch football and pickup hockey kept us occupied.  It was there when I first rode a mini bike then a motorcycle.  Brilliant!  You turn the throttle and you go.  You turn it farther and you go faster.  The gateway drug.

Thanks mom, thanks dad.

Home is different since my dad died.  His presence is still everywhere.  I see it in his post it notes which lists projects and tasks which will never be completed.  His parts bins all labeled and organized. 

Mom is there and is holding it all together.  Her gardens are beautiful.  I know she is lonely.

I have people to see and to talk to.  Something I have not done much of this trip.

But I digress…..

I did not have the most restful night.  I came “home” a bit late but there was still music playing off in the distance.  As I am in my tent I hear other bikers with their loud exhausts announce their arrival back into camp.  This goes on until the early morning. 

In the very early morning we have the early risers, who also have incredibly loud exhausts, announcing their departure from the camp.  They are off to their own adventure.

I pack up my tent, and sleeping bag.  I compress my air mattress.  I am ready to roll.  I head east out of the Sturgis circus. 

I am surprised at the number of compounds lining I-90 filled with motorcycles.  Every exit for the next 40 miles has something to attract bikers.  It is really incredible how many ride motorcycles and how many of those converge on Sturgis the first week of August. 

Today will be long and boring.  Most of it will be on freeways.  There is not a lot to see in South Dakota.  The rider is a bit tired from the adventure and not quite as willing as the machine.  This bike is made to munch the miles.  Reasons why I bought it:

1. Because I could, it is an expensive extravagance (I have pulled the plow for many years)
2. Because I like to plan and knew this machine would do the job
3. I wanted to take the trip, ride the roads before I die
4. Six cylinders and uses them all!
5. You cannot buy happiness but you can buy horsepower and that is pretty satisfying

Minneapolis is 600 miles away. 

Another Tricky Day

https://www.dvidshub.net/image/2583569/itx-3-16







Some pictures as  my son is involved in training at 29 Palms California.  I would like to think that he is in one of these photos.


"You want me on that wall. You need me on that wall. We use words like "honor", "code", "loyalty". We use these words as the backbone of a life spent defending something."


I am grateful for the service.  I am quite sure that I want my son on that wall.  But he made the choice and he serves with honor.


Tough duty.  Not nearly as nice as the name implies. I would prefer that my son stay far away from desert training.  Yet I want him trained for the job he may have to perform.


I am fond of saying I had another tricky day.  Juggling personnel, making calls on trials, trying to keep current on my files and emails. 


Another tricky day for him but his involves high explosives and now nice bed at the end of the day.    Perhaps my days are not so tricky. 


One more deployment and he may be out.

Thought for the day

Another blog

This guy is pretty interesting.  Vijayraj Kamat


https://favans.quora.com/


I am following his blog. 


He is an INTJ and deals with such mundane topics such as the meaning of life.  He also posts on being an INTJ. 


He has a pretty good TED talk about lies we tell ourselves which can be self-destructive.


Good stuff

INTJ dating guide

Checking my list....


Damn, I like this list.  A related quality.  Don't be boring.  I promise to try not to be boring.

Some quotes I like

The reasonable man adapts himself to the world; the unreasonable one persists in trying to adapt the world to himself. Therefore, all progress depends on the unreasonable man. George Bernard Shaw

“He had delusions of adequacy”  Walter Kerr

“He has all the virtues I dislike and none of the Vices I admire”  Winston Churchill

I have never killed a man, but I have read many obituaries with great pleasure.”  Clarence Darrow

Diamonds are nothing more than chunks of coal that stuck to their jobs. -- Malcolm Forbes

A night in Sturgis

Sturgis is its own reality.  Kind of the nation’s biggest R rated state fair.  I am sure there are some X rated or illegal activities available if you were to look real hard but in general it is pretty harmless.  It is a huge commercial enterprise.  A way to separate a fool from his money?

 

 

They estimated over 700,000 people attended.  Short of the 1 million some had hoped for.

I headed downtown after getting set up at Hog Heaven. 

Traffic!  I have fucking traffic.  I ride across the country, through fantastic scenery, to get caught in wheel to wheel motorcycle traffic.  It is loud and crowded.  It takes me a half hour to get into the center of town.  Stop go, stop go.  The cops put up a stop sign on almost every block.  It is a battle to get into downtown.

Vendor after vendor is set up in every storefront and empty space.  Harley and Indian have huge areas and facilities to show off their products.  The car companies are also represented.

Most of the vendors are small.  I enjoy a gyro from one vendor. 

Lots of bars.  Some have nearly naked women to lure you in.  I was especially enticed by the topless women wearing only body paint.  Some of the bars are quite impressive.  Multiple stories, racy bartenders, and live music. 

 

I stop in and have a beer. 

I consider fighting the traffic and heading out to the bars on the outskirts like The Buffalo Chip or the Full Throttle Saloon.  Huge complexes. 

I am tired and decide it is not worth it.

 

Lost a Minnesotan

Went for a ride

And though of this quote:

It was a beautiful day.  I had the ipod plugged in and any problems disappeared.  I was caught in that fragment of time...


I do think a lot while riding but the motorcycle always brings me back to the present.  The present is a good place to be.


I treated myself to a Sue's Sinful Sunday.  It was a good day!

Thought for the day

Political thought for the day

Hog Heaven

$40 will get you into heaven for a night.  There is a discount if you stay for a week.  After a couple of weeks heaven closes and you must go to---somewhere else.  It is controlled access.  If you do not pay you do not get in. 

Hog Heaven is a compound for motorcyclists.  There are other bigger and more famous compounds such as the Buffalo Chip or Full Throttle Saloon.  They even made a reality TV show on the Full Throttle Saloon.  Those places have women dressed like the women in Hooters.  Hog Heaven does not.  You have to bring your own. 

There are hundreds of acres fields which have been converted to a camp ground.  There are areas for trailers, RVs and bike/tent  camping.  In the tent camping area it is essentially a free for all.  Find a spot and pitch your tent.  Park your bike next to the tent or somewhere close.    There are thousands of folks camping.

Everything you need is at Hog Heaven.  They have a main bar area with a band that plays until midnight.  They serve alcohol and food at the main bar. 

They have a couple of satellite bars with food.  A couple of shower houses with modern plumbing and portable toilets strategically placed around the camp. 

It is quite a sight.  Thousands of tents, trailers and motorcycles.

I feel like an outlier.  I ride a Honda.  95% of the bikes are Harleys.  Most folks come in a group of at least two.  I ride alone.  I have earned some respect.  When people hear how far I have traveled and the places I rode to, they realize that I am a bit serious about this riding thing.   

I pick a flat spot near another Goldwing with a Minnesota license plate and set up camp. 

I chat with the man from Minnesota.  He has brought his eleven year old son along.  He has towed a small camping trailer behind his Honda.  He is here for the week.  We have a beer with another couple.

It will be an interesting night.  I get my scouting report and head off to Sturgis. 

The Walk of Shame completed, the adventure continues

The Ranchester Wyoming walk of shame has been completed.  The adventure must continue.

Next on the adventure is the famous or infamous Sturgis Motorcycle Rally and the Black Hills.

Sturgis is a small town on I-90 that has been having a motorcycle rally for 75 years.  It happens the first week of August every year.  The expectation is that anywhere between 600,000 and 1 million motorcyclists would attend the 75^th anniversary rally. 

I have never been to a giant motorcycle rally.  As a kid I recall seeing packs of motorcycles heading west on I-90.  I have seen packs and riders along my trip.  I have been through Sturgis on non-bike week.  It is on many a bucket list.

Reviews are somewhat mixed.  It is known as a wild and decadent place.  Some people go every year. It is their vacation.   Others have attended and suggest that I ride right on by. I need to make my own evaluation. 

So I cross the great plains of Wyoming and South Dakota.  I head for the Deadwood exit.  I need gas again.  I am a bit more sensitive to this whole gas thing.  Thousands of bikes on the road.  Many more bikes than cars.  It is crawling with motorcycles.  Nice roads, but it is ridiculously congested. 

I want to explore but now it is time for my next trick, I need a place to lay my head down.  It has been a long day.  I motel is out of the question.  I do not intend to pitch my tent in the dark. 

I head for Sturgis, a short ride from Deadwood.  I see people camped out along the way in people’s lawns and some smaller campgrounds.  I do not find what I am looking for.

On the South side of I-90 I see a sign for Hog Heaven.  I have found a home for the night.

12 seconds

12 seconds can put you in an entirely different place.




I like that new place!

Telecommuting

The internet thing.  I think it could get big ;-)

It is a beautiful thing to be able to work remotely. 

I like the beach, sun and water.  Not bad duty.

2016 Minnesota State High School All Hockey Hair Team

Back to my roots.  Funny stuff

Thought for the day

Sitting and thinking

Simple pleasures are still the best.  Yet that make me somewhat of a hypocrite.   I work hard and chase the money and sometimes need to be reminded of simple pleasures. One of life's contradictions. 

I enjoy the road less traveled. I search the wild places for peaceful discoveries. I avoid highways when possible. I have been to 49 states and am still missing Hawaii

I have seen and climbed mountains.  I have paddled through remote Canadian lakes.  I have dug my toes into the sand and dived in the ocean.

I believe we are each responsible for our own happiness. I would like to leave the world a better place than I found it. 

I like mechanical things. They excite me. I want to know what makes them tick.

I love my dog and hope I can be half the man he thinks I am. He does not try to change me and forgives me when I fail.

I like most food, a little spice is good.

I grew up in Minnesota near Lake Wobegon, and did a 12 year tour for work in Houston.  

I am smart and pretty independent.  Last summer I rode a Honda motorcycle to Colorado and Yellowstone solo.

My sons are great and pretty well launched.  The oldest in an accountant and the youngest is a Marine.   I did alright with them.

I love music and great lyrics.

I have been lied to and cheated on.

I am a romantic. I won’t sit at home and wait for luck to find me. I will chase it down.

I like to cook.

“I am convinced that Adrenaline is an essential nutrient and that we take risk not to escape life but rather to prevent life from escaping us.” Author unknown.

I like to think, talk and read. I try to learn, always.

I am an over achiever. “That which doesn’t kill me only makes me stronger”. 

Travel and discovery are important to me.

It is a pretty good start.