Ok ok - I know, it sounds like I may be a bit upset. Maybe a little angry. Ok - a lot angry. You know those days - you go home after a day of nothing going your way and nothing working right, only to discover the dog has just crapped in your walking shoes and the cat has hacked up a hairball in your underwear drawer, the kids wont have nothing to do with you, and your spouse has this funny idea that you are now a fashion expert, no matter how thin that dress may make her look, nothing you are going to say will convince them, and you end up sleeping in the neighbors doghouse because your in laws arrived unexpectedly at your doorstep leaving YOU with nowhere else TO sleep. We all have them, we all get frustrated tired just plain sick of those feelings, and for awhile I have been avoiding those pent up frustrations. Until today.
Hear me out. This is not really a life or death issue, but rather one of those "challenges" that we get dropped in our laps that will work out, at some point, but it just was not the right time for this to happen. And, while this is not anything super critical (like an organ transplant!) or even one of those life altering things (like your wife kicking you out of the house wanting a divorce for that "magazine" on your desk) but in my world, this is one of those things that I could have just as soon done without for the next 10 years!
In a word - my Harley has died. Yes - the one possession that I value more than some of my vital organs, more than both of my legs, heck even more than my left brain! I went to an Iowa National Guard Send Off Ride with the Patriot Guard this morning. Everything was going smoothly, even God blessed us with cooler temps and milder weather. Some of us decided to escort the buses loaded with soldiers partway to the edge of town. We pulled aside, let the buses continue their journey to St Louis. Everything was fine UNTIL. Its always UNTIL isn't it. I had gotten to the end of the ramp, turned right, headed towards home, and about halfway to the next light I felt the bike shudder a bit. As I turned north, I began to hear noises I do not normally hear out of the engine. Loud clanking banging noises of metal to metal. The bike was still running, and I was only a mile from home, so I gingerly made my way home on the side of the street just barely cracking the throttle enough to maintain some speed. I looked for traces of oil on the driveway, but no clues were there.
There are two thoughts that come to mind. I am glad I was very close to home, or else getting the bike home at all would have been impossible. Two - after spending money on vacations, dentists, and truck repairs, I have little resources left to effect a major repair of this sort. In short - I will be making payments for a bike that won't run. I have lost a large portion of the contract work I normally do, and have suffered thru several other lost income situations that are making things a bit tight. Its almost as if Old Man Murphy was using me for a Beta Tester. Anything that CAN go wrong has gone wrong and will continue to do so until morale improves or the Second Coming is at hand!
I guess I could look on the bright side - at least I was not on one of those buses with those soldiers. Sometimes though, you just feel like screaming!
Ok ok - I know, it sounds like I may be a bit upset. Maybe a little angry. Ok - a lot angry. You know those days - you go home after a day of nothing going your way and nothing working right, only to discover the dog has just crapped in your walking shoes and the cat has hacked up a hairball in your underwear drawer, the kids wont have nothing to do with you, and your spouse has this funny idea that you are now a fashion expert, no matter how thin that dress may make her look, nothing you are going to say will convince them, and you end up sleeping in the neighbors doghouse because your in laws arrived unexpectedly at your doorstep leaving YOU with nowhere else TO sleep. We all have them, we all get frustrated tired just plain sick of those feelings, and for awhile I have been avoiding those pent up frustrations. Until today.
Hear me out. This is not really a life or death issue, but rather one of those "challenges" that we get dropped in our laps that will work out, at some point, but it just was not the right time for this to happen. And, while this is not anything super critical (like an organ transplant!) or even one of those life altering things (like your wife kicking you out of the house wanting a divorce for that "magazine" on your desk) but in my world, this is one of those things that I could have just as soon done without for the next 10 years!
In a word - my Harley has died. Yes - the one possession that I value more than some of my vital organs, more than both of my legs, heck even more than my left brain! I went to an Iowa National Guard Send Off Ride with the Patriot Guard this morning. Everything was going smoothly, even God blessed us with cooler temps and milder weather. Some of us decided to escort the buses loaded with soldiers partway to the edge of town. We pulled aside, let the buses continue their journey to St Louis. Everything was fine UNTIL. Its always UNTIL isn't it. I had gotten to the end of the ramp, turned right, headed towards home, and about halfway to the next light I felt the bike shudder a bit. As I turned north, I began to hear noises I do not normally hear out of the engine. Loud clanking banging noises of metal to metal. The bike was still running, and I was only a mile from home, so I gingerly made my way home on the side of the street just barely cracking the throttle enough to maintain some speed. I looked for traces of oil on the driveway, but no clues were there.
There are two thoughts that come to mind. I am glad I was very close to home, or else getting the bike home at all would have been impossible. Two - after spending money on vacations, dentists, and truck repairs, I have little resources left to effect a major repair of this sort. In short - I will be making payments for a bike that won't run. I have lost a large portion of the contract work I normally do, and have suffered thru several other lost income situations that are making things a bit tight. Its almost as if Old Man Murphy was using me for a Beta Tester. Anything that CAN go wrong has gone wrong and will continue to do so until morale improves or the Second Coming is at hand!
Keep your head up there Boomer! I know this sounds completely silly but keep thinking of money flowing your way and maybe something good will come from it. Not sure if you believe in prayer but just keep on praying and life will turn around. I've made it out of a bad financial situation and as difficult as it is just keep believing and don't give up.
ReplyDeleteThank you! Had the cycle shop come to the house and pick up my baby. We'll see what the estimate is, but its sooooo lonely in the garage right now. Almost like someone took one of my kids to Australia and I can't see them or talk to them.
ReplyDelete