The Color of Time

I get all sorts of giddy inside when the colors start coming out.  I just cannot get enough of the reds yellows even some purples here and there.  So just for giggles, here are a few pics from my Friday bike ride to the Mississippi Palisades State Park north of Savanna, Illinois.  This is a wonderful park with a number of scenic viewpoints along the Mississippi River where you can see for miles.  It is also a very popular route for us motorcyclists to see the fall colors, so I took this trip on Friday so as to avoid the traffic which seems to really clog up the place on weekends.

There will be more to follow.  After all - ITS FALL!!!  Oh thats right, did I mention that the Quack Attack is back???  Woo Hoo!!!

See what riding a Harley does to me?  Puts a big ol' SMILE on my face!

This is from a viewpoint looking north.  What an incredible view!

The train moving north from Savanna, Illinois along the river.

Planes Trains Automobiles and Color!

Leaving the park ran into more color.

This is from my office at the Department of Transportation today.

This tree is almost in full bloom at my office.

Same tree, just a different angle.

Ok - I couldn't get enough of this tree.  Its really colorfull from inside the office too.

This is looking at the Flag thru the fall colors in the front of the office.

This is a tree just west of my office.

Melissa during my ride along the Mississippi River

Peace and Love everybody - Enjoy!

Gettin' the Gloves Off



You know, there are some things in life that chaff my ass.  Yes I am going to be downright blunt.  There are some things that just irritate me like bird crap on my Harley.  I am a pretty patient guy, but lately I have been getting some signals that I am not welcome in certain places.  Take, for instance, the attorney's office I visited recently.  I went in all dressed up (hey - Levis and a sport shirt is dressed up to me!), checked in with the secretary, only to discover my appointment was canceled.  "Excuse me - why?" and the response "I don't know".  After a bit of wrangling we got it straight, met with the attorney for a couple hours, and left with some information I needed to resolve a dispute.  I don't care if you are personal assistant to Billy Gates or Mr. Barack H. Obama, if I make an appointment, my time is just as valuable, if not more so than yours.

Melissa - after a nice long bubble bath

This particular rant begins in another place.  Let it never be said that I am not one that narrows his vision on one thing.  Take my Harley (Melissa!).  I have wanted a Harley since before Gerald Ford was president.  That being said, you never know what might come at you, and I actually looked over a couple other non Harley models a few weeks back.  It is amazing to see what different manufacturers come up with, and its neat just to study them.  Unfortunately, there are a few select individuals who seriously need some Ex Lax in their feedbag.  Take, for instance, the guy at the drug store the other day who began staring at me while I was mounting up to go home. "You Harley guys are too obnoxious".  Excuse me?  Where did THAT come from?  Whatever - then I must be obnoxious because I ride a Harley, right?

Chrome.  Gotta have lots and lots of Chrome!!

Then there was the two younger "ladies" and I use that term loosely, who decided to walk right in front of me while I was trying to pull out of a gas station after I had gassed up Melissa.  They kept walking right in front of me and kept glancing back knowing I wanted around them.  When they got to the end of the entrance they stopped effectively blocking me from leaving.  They didn't look a day over about 20 (I got an ingrown toenail that's older than that!) and I am not sure if it was the Harley or my leather jacket, but after I got around them, they decided to give me the "Hawaiian Peace" sign. 

A few days ago I went to the bank to deposit a check I had been waiting for awhile.  Another one of those "private" surveys I had drawn up for a business associate had been completed, and all I wanted to do was put my money in the bank.  I filled out the deposit slip, walked up to the teller, leather jacket on, and she asks if I was on that "noisy Harley" she heard pull up.  "Well, yes now that you mention it I did"....to which she responded "Why can't you Harley guys tone it down".  Tone what down? "Every Harley I hear is so darn loud and those guys are all tattooed and obnoxious".  HUH?  About that time the head teller took over, handed me my receipt, and thanked me for the business.  Not sure I heard the last part ma'am!

My personal message about Breast Cancer Awareness
For my Aunt Barb who survived that horrible disease!

The more I ride my Heritage, the more I get the "impression" that just because I ride a Harley, just because I OWN A HARLEY, means I MUST be one of "those" guys. Lets set the record straight.  I ride a Harley because its what I like.  It fits me and my lifestyle.  It holds fond memories of looking through all those biker mags every time I came home from sea.  It wasn't the "Playboy" mag I took with me on that submarine - it was a stack of bike mags.  I tried other models, and some of them seemed ok, but for my riding experience, nothing beats a Harley.  I work two jobs to make a living to pay for the things I love, Now I am guilty by association just because I own a Harley.  BAH HUMBUG! 





Anyone who is narrow minded enough to believe that ALL Harley guys are rabble rousing law breaking obnoxious one percenters have never been on a Patriot Guard ride.  Never attended a military funeral on a bike.  Never sent off young men and women to war.  I have met teachers, engineers, police officers, firefighters, doctors, some of the most hard working honest decent people on those Harley's who give their time freely to such causes as breast cancer awareness, Toys for Tots, and Coats for Kids.  It is so amazing to see someone pull up behind you on the side of the road just to ask if everything was ok.  Some of the friendliest folks you want to ever meet can be found on a Harley.  How anyone can make the assumption that a guy on a Harley must be up to no good needs to remember one thing "Judge Not - Lest YE BE JUDGED".

That sure felt good.  Peace and Love everybody!

Signs of the Season



Figaro just loves to sit on top of anyone who will let him
Including ME!

Welcome to Fall!  Wheee!  I love this time of year.  College football everywhere.  Food coming out in pails and buckets.  The horizon chock full of so many colors as if angels had painted the landscape in joyous celebration of the harvest.  Neighbors passing blessings to each other in the street.  There is that fall 'nip' in the air, so very fresh and delightful.  Wind blowing the trees around as if the trees were waving goodnight until spring.  Riding the Harley is wonderful this time of year.  Wearing the full gear is easier now, unlike mid July when even looking at a leather jacket makes you sweat in agony.  And Halloween is almost upon us - BOO!



Cheyenne before Homecoming



Our youngest Cheyenne finally went to the homecoming dance this year.  She was almost giddy with excitement.  She went with a friend from school.  Right now the only "boys" she looks at are the Jonas Brothers.  Boys at school are 'obnoxious' which is actually kind of nice for a change.  Dad doesn't worry about her as much, in part because any boy who wants to take Cheyenne out is going to have his hands full.  Maybe all that grilling is finally paying off.  She is doing well in school, particularly in Algebra.  Unfortunately teachers at school don't like Dad helping with the algebra homework.  If we do it Dads way we miss some of the important lessons, so Dad refrains from helping much.  We get a lot of help from school, and she does quite well to get her studies in order, although we do slip on occasion.  Its those slips that help me step in to teach a bit, and teaching is cool!



Cheyenne (left) Jesse(center) and Katelyn



Jesse, our oldest, is having a bit more of a struggle.  Her boyfriend had some "personal" issues and has left for Ohio.  Consequently there will be no wedding, but as with Cheyenne, it has served Jesse well to remind her of some of life's lessons and how to learn from her mistakes.  She is looking for new work, and hoping to go back to college (Dad WAS right!) and work into paralegal studies at some point.  She has remained quite positive and resilient, and I have seen a definite positive change in her attitude. She has a big heart, and I know she will make it.  Its one of life's negatives she is working into a positive .

As for Mary and I.  Work work work, and when you are done working, work some more! Mary has outperformed most of her management goals by far, but she works a bit more than her body can handle.  I pick up where she can't (my mommy taught me!) and step up the house where I can.  She enjoys being a supervisor, but sometimes it gets a bit hard to work 60 hours and only get paid for forty.  Salaried folks do not apparently get the same overtime perks.  My consulting work has been all but nill, until I got a call last week that work was coming.  Things have been plenty tight with lack of that extra work and all the furloughs I have suffered through, so maybe just MAYBE this will help.  I love what I do, enjoy it immensely!  I think my biggest joy comes from driving through a neighborhood I helped to design.  That's just neat! 



The 2009 Road King Custom at Cedar River Harley in Charles City.
What a beauty and that includes the pricetag.



Riding time has been at a bit of a premium.  Not much time to ride when you are busily tending to the herd.  I did get in about a 400 mile day two weeks ago.  Made a big circle of sorts riding west to Ames, then north to Mason City, on through Waterloo to home.  On the way I stopped at Cedar River Harley.  Found a gorgeous Road King, and they even have one of the newer Electraglide Limiteds on display.  I hope I can figure out how to get my hands on one of those Limiteds soon.  My goal, at least for the riding portion, is to get to Alaska on the Harley by the time I turn 50.  I read an article in a motorcycle magazine many years ago about a guy that rode his Harley from Florida to Alaska, then down along the Pacific Coast Highway to the top of Baha California, then back home.  Not sure I have those kinds of lofty goals, but even if I can get to Calgary, Alberta, what an awesome ride that would be!!!

Peace and Love everybody!!!

Potayto Potahto Tomayto Tomahto

Weather outside is beautimus today!  Where am I?  Working my fingers to the washing machine and cleaning the house.  Mary is at work, the kids are - doing whatever kids do these days.  Bowling started last night - I won't be setting any scoring records again this year.  The Harley is running much better, although longer rides are giving me a sore bum.  A new seat would cure that, but that budget was eaten in the repair bill I had to fork out last month.  Its Labor Day weekend, and the firemen are out in drogues with their annual drive for Jerry Lewis and his kids.  Fall is a coming, and its one of my favorite times of the year to be out and about, seeing the natural beauty before the doldrums of winter.

Our trip last weekend to Minneapolis - WOW! What a wonderful time.  Mary and I have never allowed ourselves to do much outside of the workplace or home.  We always felt compelled to work hard to earn our keep, although THAT lesson took awhile to sink in.  This trip was a reminder and a breath of fresh air.  First the concert.  The setting could not have been more perfect.  80 degrees, a bit of a breeze but not too bad.  The band - Rush - far exceeded my every hope.  Even new material from any band can be a surprise, but these guys have almost 40 years together, and I have never seen a tighter, or better sounding band.  The best part was the venue.  It is an outdoor arena, the weather was perfect, and the last half of the show was illuminating from none other than a waxing gibbous moonrise!  How cool is that?  The only bad side was some idiot, and I say this with utter disgust, had to be chased down by 6 police officers and several security teams right in front of me as the last number was being played.  It took 8 people to get this person under control, and by then the band was already thru most of the encore.  That put aside, the band left me a great memory and a renewed spirit.

On our return trip, Mary and I stopped at a local diner called Mickeys.  Its one of those diners ran from the confines of a tram car.  Located in downtown St. Paul, it appears to have a sizeable customer base.  While the food was good, I did watch the cook in his preparations.  I noticed a large metallic pitcher that he was using, but didn't quite know what it was for, until he pulled a large container of lard out and began spooning the lard into this pitcher.  Now - I ordinarily don't have much issue with lard, if its used in moderation, but this was different.  The pitcher was used to melt the lard, and then he poured the entire contents of lard into the hash browns, causing my stomach to flutter and my gout to scream!  I paid the price for my meal, both literally and figuratively.  It took the better part of three days to recover, and I can honestly say lard does NOT sit well with my stomach.

We did see a couple of "sights" so to speak.  Downtown St. Paul is literally loaded with attractions, but the ones that really struck me were the churches.  One in particular is the Cathedral of St. Paul, whose foundation began in June 1907.  It is the highest structure in St. Paul, and is located very close to downtown. On October 14, 1958, it was consecrated by Archbishop William O'Brady, securing its place among the premier houses of worship in the United States.  This is a wonderful testament of faith that stands within just a few blocks of downtown.  I highly recommend a visit to this place, and I will make it a regular stop on my return trips to that city.  All in all we counted six different churches standing in their architectural grace, not to mention the various spires and statues that grace the landscape.  St. Paul reminds me a bit of another town, but that's another story.

Of course, upon our return, things just seem to not be going as well.  I may be forced to close my consulting business because there is simply no work.  We received a "you owe us" gram for some company I have never heard of (oh Mr. Attorney!). Mary went thru another pain procedure on her back.  Its been 9 months since her last one, but these procedures always make me nervous.  I have also been reading about faith in the morning.  Something about starting the day off right by first praying and then moving to the routine of the day.  I can honestly say in three weeks of doing that, things have only gotten worse, not better.  Work at the office is not going well, either.  Sometimes you can tell who your supporters are just by how they greet you in the morning, and lately only a couple of the brass are even saying anything at all.  Whine as I may, I suppose things could be worse.  Certainly if you asked those miners in Chile they might sober us all up a bit!

So - maybe its time to ride.  Have a great weekend everyone.

Peace!!!

Positives and Negatives

I have been thinking a lot lately.  For me just getting up in the morning and navigating the 1.5 mile trek to my office can be adventure on the high plains.  Thinking, well, that's just not my forte.  I like to get things done, right, the first time. " I do one thing at a time, I do it well, and then I move on" as Dr. CE Winchester put it on MASH years ago.  Riding the Harley gives me time to get those bad negative thoughts out of my head, and focus more on prayer and reinforcing those positives which seem so distant at times.  Riding a Harley gives me time to focus on me, getting my mind right, keeping those important things in focus and letting the bad vibes just float away.  Some people meditate, some knit, I ride a Harley.  Seems easy enough, right???

For instance, last month my bike broke down.  I didn't just hit a bad vibe, I almost had a massive coronary!  Check out my last post, but I was pretty panicked.  There is a sound that metal makes when banging on metal.  I have heard that sound twice before.  Both times ended in utter disaster, with connecting rods hanging out of the side of the engine block, oil and antifreeze everywhere, and no horseys making power.  The clanging I heard from Melissa sounded almost identical.  I had all sorts of engine replacement visions and nightmares, but after the repair shop picked up the bike and gave it a once over, it turned out to be just a failed compensator cover.  The negative turning into a positive.

Of course, there is also the vice versa.  At work we have had several retirements.  There are several positions that really need to be filled, and one of them is for the professional land surveyor position.  While I don't have my full license yet, in anyone else's mind, this would be a prime opportunity to finish up my licensure, right?  Not so fast says my supervisor.  In his words "...even if you DID have your license we will not hire YOU as our PLS...".  The explanation defies belief, but it seems that the higher brass want someone with years of full licensure experience now.  In effect, even when I DO pass the final exam, the department simply will not hire me as a fully licensed surveyor.  After 10 years of effort to be shot down like that  was pretty discouraging.  While I still have a job, I had hoped I would be in line to be promoted, to take on those new challenges, instead, a positive went to a negative.  In all fairness they do have a point.  Our office needs that experience now, but it certainly was demoralizing to say the least.

Then there is the up and down circus I have been playing with a certain rock concert I have been wanting to attend since puberty.  For those that don't know who I am referring to, the band is called RUSH.  A rather odd progressive rock band from Toronto, Canada who has been putting out quality music since 1974 and continue to do so with the same three members to this day.  Granted they aren't a Led Zeppelin, but Led Zeppelin isn't making new music any more.  The short of it is I have been trying since I was 16 years old to see this band.  I distinctly remember being reminded that " you aren't going downtown by yourself to see that concert" in 11th grade.  Probably had a point, but since then I could tell all sorts of tales about failed attempts to see this band.  One year my wife was giving birth to our second daughter.  One year my truck broke down and I was forced to expedite repairs.  The list goes on and on and on and on.

Their last tour, "Snakes and Arrows" tour, I actually HAD a ticket.  I was all set.  I purchased some atypical concert tshirts online just for the show.  I had a ball cap all ready.  We had made plans to stay in a hotel that night.  Everything was perfect, until.  Two days before the concert, my wife was hospitalized with an injury to the ciatic nerve.  To her credit, she actually begged me to go without her.  She knew I had looked so forward to this concert, but my duties as husband and father are simply more important than some concert.  So, I ate a ticket.  Fast forward to April of this year.  Another tour, and another chance.  Again, we purchased my ticket.  Plans were made, changed, rearranged, dropped, then re planned.  For awhile I didn't think I would go this year after repairs to the truck in Atlanta on our vacation changed our vacation plans.  I have flipped from positive to negative so many times on whether I should go because things are a bit tight.  But, I am happy to announce that Friday night I will be in attendance at their Minneapolis show.  Thank GOODNESS!

Life has its positives and negatives.  Up and down, ever changing.  Riding the Harley is a lot like that.  Last weekend, feeling a bit frustrated at life, I was riding over by the Mississippi River, and ended up finding a hot rod show.  I don't know that I could ever afford a car like the little '64 Vette I was drooling over, or the Mustang Boss 302, or maybe even the '74 Dodge Charger, but just seeing those cars reminded me that no matter what happens in life, ya gotta take the positives with the negatives.

Peace!

Sometimes You 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!

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!

The New Path Ahead

Well, after 17 years of whining and complaining at each other, Mary and I FINALLY took a much needed way too long overdue vacation.  Since we are both NASCAR nuts, we decided Daytona Beach looked good.  After all - it is NOT a cornfield!  I know some of my Iowa friends might take exception to that, but the hard reality is I am used to seeing trees, mountains, oceans, scenery.  I mean, a cornfield smells pretty sweet in the summer (almost nauseatingly sweet!) but to a farmer that's just the smell of money, and I am not a farmer.  Same goes for the smell of hog lots, cattle ranches, and chicken lots.  To farmers its all about the smell of money.  ME?  I'd much rather smell the fresh ocean air, or the smell of lilacs in the spring, or maybe even the smell of roses in June in Oregon.

We learned a lot of lessons on this trip.  The hotel was not exactly stellar.  In fact, it was about the worst one I have been in.  We stayed in Jacksonville to stay away from the race crowds, but in the end even that turned out to be a mistake.  Our truck started having some brake issues coming into Atlanta from the Cumberland Mountains, and trying to find an english speaking mechanic was next to impossible.  By the time we made it home, my patience with car dealerships and mechanics was all but gone.  In the end a faulty seal on the fluid reservoir seems to be the culprit, but it took some time to locate the problem.  We did have fun, particularly seeing Dale Jr. win, but looking back, we found a lot of problems we did not anticipate.  We are starting to plot a trip for next year, just not sure where we are headed.  Plenty of time to plan those nightmares!

Took some time on the bike after we got back.  Needed a little ME time, after all, I had been with my wife for a week, and my bike had been safely tucked away in the garage 1200 miles away.  Ran up to LaCrosse, Wisconsin, then over to Rochester, Minnesota.  It was a beautiful ride, well over 400 miles in a day.  My biggest issue:  the seat on the bike is getting, well, bad.  I had about the worst case of saddle sore on my tukus!  Well, after using up our savings on the trip, I guess a new seat will have to wait until next riding season as will the motorcycle luggage bag I wanted.  The trip to Florida was immensely important and I put off some things to help pay for it.  I guess maybe I should find a pillow for my tail end for now?

Life, as it seems, has a funny and often peculiar way of reminding us that we are just not in charge of our lives.  No matter how much we want to control the direction we go, it just never seems to work out the way we planned.  This year is no different.  During our trip to Florida, Mary and I discussed our future and what direction we want to go, and after some wrestling with finances and trying to figure out this that and Melissa, I decided the next step for me was to get some idea of how far I am towards my Bachelors Degree.  With the housing market slowing more than expected, and not getting any contract work I am used to seeing, it seems the right time to at least apply and see where I stand.  Stay tuned for further details, but if it works out, maybe that goal I set in 1993 might get put on the front burner!

In the words of Ringo - Peace and Love everyone!