The Grey Man Is Out!!

Most of you probably already know this but for the one or two that don't our friend and Writer El Supremo Number One, Old NFO,  has his book out. That is so awesome and as an aspiring writer myself I am jealous beyond description :)

Good on ya NFO. I'm going for the dead tree version just so I can get his signature. E-mail inbound NFO.

Six

Alternative Bicycle

I love my bikes. I'm always slavering over the latest and bestest new offerings and machinating over how to upgrade to something that costs approximately the same as an aircraft carrier. There's also some alternatives to the usual two wheels and one rider sitting atop combo most of us are familiar with. I know The MonkeyWrangler likes her recumbents though I have yet to try one.

But this is something new on me.



Talk about a bicycle built for two. I could totally see me and Lu on one of these. Maybe with a nice basket on back for Angus.

Ah, those wacky Poles.

Six

Maybe Not A Flying Car But Want Anyway

Man, it's been a hectic week. The sale of the California house continues apace. We didn't sign this week but we signed a few new documents the buyers needed and are a step closer. We have until the 29th but our agent is confident signing will take place next week. Knock on wood.

I caught this somewhere on the web and was fascinated. A one person flying 'Jetpack' for lack of a better word. There's a lot of companies out there at least toying with this stuff but it seems Martin Jetpack is at the point where they're ready to sell some. Price tag is a bit steep at an estimated $100,000 but hey, it's only money. It may not be a flying car but I'll take it.



It has a parachute safety device.



I love my motorcycles but I'd give them up in a hot second for one of these. I wonder if I have anything I can sell. How much for a lightly used kidney?

Six

It's Going To Be A Good Day

We need something light and cool today. Something to take the edge off all our troubles and remind us all that sometimes 'just because' is all the excuse we need.

Behold Alejandro Paz in all his glory.



I love my mountain bike and hold my own technical skills in no small esteem but this guy makes me look like a 5 year old on training wheels.

I think we need some more of that awesomeness. 



Wow. I counted approximately eleventy billion times where I would have wiped out and eaten a face full of dirt. At least.

Remember. It's good to be alive. It's good to live in America. It's good to have friends and family and those who are just so special to us. Ignore for a day your cares and woes and revel in life and love and just being free.

Lu and I send each of you our love and our prayers. May this day be a good one.

Six

Yes, We Are In Fact Awesome Grandparents

I have been remiss. I promised pics of the kids and haven't come through. It's been hectic but joyful. 

One of my favorite things is to give the kids a chance to try new and heretofore forbidden challenges. Luckily DO has raised the kids with the attitude that you can't protect them from everything and lets us all go do fun if maybe a little hazardous stuff. Nothing life threatening. More like skinned knees and elbows hazardous. I also am of the opinion that it's best to introduce them to new activities as gently as possible lest they scare themselves silly and never try anything new again.

One of the things I promised the kids was a mini bike. We have now satisfied that promise. Well, kinda.

Behold the Razor Electric Scooter.

It's not exactly a mini bike but as far as the kids are concerned it's close enough. Yeah, it's kinda girly in color but The Boy says that's just fine as long as he gets to ride it. It's actually big enough for Lu. Not that she's short or anything (she is). I can't decide who likes it more, her or the kids. I think it's a tie.

Plus he has another excuse to wear that awesome helmet.

We have a huge driveway area, big enough for the kids to have established a racetrack. Will there be contests? There has been talk. Scooter versus bicycle and winner take all.

How cute is this?

We're going to let them get their feet wet on the razor before moving eventually up to a real motorcycle. A year or two and they'll have the skills and confidence to tackle something with some real horsepower. Hey, it's just more incentive to spend Summers at Grandma and Papa's house. Yes, we are devious!

We've been having a ball in spite of the heat. Parties, swimming every day, hikes, trail rides and now the awesome scooter. It's been a blast.
Six



Oh, and we paid cold, hard cash for that scooter. $249.99 plus tax gouging at Wally World. A far better use of our money than anything the government could come up with, yes?

Trip

I'm back home in Utah and Car Guy is safely ensconced in his palatial villa in California. It was a great trip and we had a lot of fun. It was hot though. Man was it ever hot.

We got started bright and early on Thursday. Car Guy on his brand spankin' new black Suzuki V-Strom 1000 and me on the blue BMW R1100RT. Both bikes rode well and we ended up with almost identical 50 mpg averages. Not too bad at all. My tank holds 5.4 gallons and his 5.9 which gave us a lot more peace of mind on those long runs across deserted highways than the Big Bandido and V-Rod did from last year. We both had plenty of storage space with the saddlebags but I do need to add a trunk for next year.

On the run out to New Mexico we were under a time constraint so we pretty much put our heads down and motored for our destination in Albuquerque. The ride was over roads we both knew well and we limited stops to gas and the occasional leg stretching. We did run into a storm near the Arizona/New Mexico border. The wind was bad enough but it was the rain which sucked. Oh, not the getting wet part but the open faced helmet part. I decided to go with my hot weather open face Shoei. It was fine until the rain started pelting my face at 80 mph. Decidedly painful but fortunately short. There was one more issue with my helmet. I forgot sunscreen and by the time we got home my face was already starting to peel around my nose, cheeks and mouth.

We met with Car Guy's family and especially his beloved granddaughter who is recovering miraculously from her near fatal accident. On Friday we had the day to ourselves and dropped in on Instinct and his lovely bride. Good people both. After some show and tell from his grip workshop (he's working on a set for me) and viewing some paintings from the incredibly talented Mrs. Instinct we headed out for a very nice pizza at Dion's. Unfortunately we had to get back to visit with Car Guy's baby so didn't have the time for an in depth visit. Next time we should have a more flexible schedule. Thanks to Mr. and Mrs. Instinct for a lovely visit.

Whether or not to stay Saturday and leave Sunday or just head out Saturday morning was the prime topic of discussion Friday evening. We had dinner with the whole (almost) Car Guy clan and much frivolity and good times were had by all. Granddaughter is in astonishingly good spirits in spite of the still visible reminders of her harrowing ordeal. She still walks with a walker and has some pretty extensive scarring but she's alive and well on her way to recovery. Lu and I bought her a cross to remind her and everyone just exactly who was riding shotgun with her and worked his miracle on her life (indeed all our lives) by preserving her intact. She swears she'll never take it off and I believe her. She is one committed kid. Lu and I both got a bracelet from her that she's been wearing. Yeah, I'll take that charm. I need all the good vibes I can get.

We decided that we'd accomplished all we'd set out to do and as the mountain road we were considering extending our stay to ride was closed due to wild fires and fears in the area heading home was indicated. Saturday we got up early and hit the road for hearth and home. This time we were under no time issues so we took our time and some roads neither of us had ever seen. We started out taking 550 north out of Albuquerque with full tanks and adventure on our minds. We stopped in Cuba for a belated breakfast at Bobby and Margie's Cuban Cafe. The omelets were fantastic and the waitress admirably tolerant of our nonsense. We didn't get to see Fidel though. I was so disappointed.

This is high country. The road is wonderful and I recommend it to anyone driving through this area. Four lanes, well kept with rolling hills reaching ever up until it tops out at about 7000 feet. It crosses the Continental divide. As you go up it's full of trees and grasses and is cool, green and very pleasant. On the downside the country starts to change into the high desert that marks so much of this part of the country. This is Elk and wild horse country. We saw none of the former and many of the latter. I like it. A lot. There was one humorous note though. On all the uphills we encountered signs warning us that we couldn't see through the mountain. I thought that was kinda obvious but apparently NMDOT disagrees. There's gotta be a lowest common denominator story in there somewhere.

Car Guy posing provocatively at a little gas stop just past the Divide marker. He's so awesome, especially with that untucked shirt peeking out from under his jacket thing going on. Stylish.

Our route took us through Farmington New Mexico. I like the area. Hot without being OMG hot. Pleasant with good roads and plenty to do. As the name suggests it is farming country and we saw many farm supply businesses. Car Guy also spotted this sign and insisted we turn around for the picture. Skating carhops. I love small town USA.

Just a couple of guys on their motorcycles exploring America. I love these rides and I'm going to keep on doing them as long as I can convince Car Guy to put up with me. I can't explain it adequately. If you're into motorcycles but have never just saddled up and headed out for a long ride with a good friend I can't recommend the experience highly enough. Just go do it.

We turned more northwest and skirted the edge of Monument Valley. This is the Shiprock. The nearby town carries the same name.

This is Baby Rocks. Why Baby Rocks? I have no idea but the name tickled me. There is a home nestled in there between the outcrops. Seems like a pretty secure location but it is smack dab in the middle of nowhere. This is also part of the Navajo Reservation.

The road is lonely, high and long. We had one run of 126 miles between gas stations. Arguments in favor of both big tank capacities and frequent fill ups. Montana may be the Big Sky state but it's got nothing on this part of Utah/Arizona. You can see forever.

Church Rock. These sandstone spires are everywhere and are the 'monuments' that give Monument Valley it's name. I'm going to load Lu and Angus into the truck one of these days and do a more in depth visit. They really are very neat.

We ended up on Hwy 89 toward Page, Arizona. By that time my legs and butt hurt and we were both pretty much overheated and parched. It was decided to grab the first fast food joint we saw and sit in the air conditioning for a bit. Yeah, that's foreshadowing right there. I was leading at the time and it's been a long time since I was last in Page and I wasn't really trying to memorize the place way back then. We headed down the road and made a wide right turn and suddenly no more Page, Arizona!! We were on the Glen Canyon Dam bridge and on our way to Kanab, Utah 73 miles away. It was push on or turn back. I unilaterally decided to push on. I think Car Guy will forgive me some day. But not today. We got into Kanab about as fast as I dared to go and hit the McDonalds for a drink and some cool air time.We even found some shade for our trusty steeds.

 On Hwy 59, just up the road from home there is this.

Mavin the Martian either waving hello or goodbye, I can't decide. Hey Marvin, see you soon!

Finally we puled into Casa Six, sore, tired but content. 1174.2 miles over three days. Of course Car Guy had a 650 mile ride to get to my house and another 650 mile ride to get back to his but then he is smarter, handsomer and awesomer than I am.

This was a great ride. I always enjoy a chance to get in the wind on my motorcycle and when it's with a man I consider my brother from another mother it's just that much sweeter. I also was elated to get the chance to see his granddaughter who I love almost as much as my own. I've known Car Guy's kids since they were kids and to see them all alive and well made my heart soar with joy. The chance to finally meet up with someone out there in blog land was just icing on the cake.

The BMW rode without a hiccup. I was both happy and impressed, after all it is a 14 year old motorcycle. BMW builds them very well. If I ever update I will take a very long, hard look at the new version of this motorcycle, the R1200RT. Mine is a fabulous motorcycle, the best sport tourer I've ever ridden. It does need an upgraded seat though. I'm looking at Corbin and Sargent even as we speak.

A quick word on carrying on a motorcycle. You have a lot of options, everything from in a tank bag, to on person to saddlebag carry. It all depends. There are a few things to consider. How quickly can you get to it? How quickly to you want to get to it? What happens in an accident? What about weather or even changing conditions? Will you have to switch jackets and if so how and where?

I chose two methods. I started out carrying my Airweight on my left hip in a crossdraw holster. I eventually switched to a....wait for it....fanny pack. I know, I know. Man Purse, right? Well, it has definite advantages on a bike. Mine is large enough to carry all my crap, gun, phone, wallet, reloads, etc. I can carry it either on the front (crotch hold) or in the small of my back. I like crotch hold because it puts the bag where I can see and feel it easily and is more secure plus it has a quick release so I can access the gun pretty quickly (yes, I have practiced with it). In the event of an accident it's built well enough that I think (I don't really want to know) it'll stay relatively put. Most involved in a get off tend to slide on their backs where the holster part of the bag will drag and dig in to your body. Bad things. In a violent accident all bets are going to be off anyway and I don't think anyone has a holster that is guaranteed to hold up in that case. Just my two cents worth. If you have a better motorcycle carry option please post it in comments. I'll even try one out for you if you'd like.

So we're both home safe and sound after another epic trip. Car Guy is making noises about another, maybe in September. If so I'll be traveling out to him (for once). But I'm not nearly as insane as he is. I'll load up the BMW on my trailer and drive out to California. Yep, I am just a big ol' wuss.

Thanks to DO for minding the store while I was gone and thanks to you all for dropping by and keeping us in business. And a huge thank you again for your prayers. I've now seen her and she is our miracle child in truth.

Six

Big Bore Pistol. No, I Mean BIG BORE!

Just for fun today and to start the new year off on the right track.

I'm a proponent of the bigger is better theory of bullet delivery. I have a Redhawk in 44 magnum and a Blackhawk in 45LC. I have a 45-70 Marlin and a 300 Win Mag Ruger. When I reload I tend toward he heavier end of the bullet spectrum. If 150 grains is good then 400 must be 2 1/2 times better. See how that works? Anyway.  When I saw this particular Big Bore specimen my mouth got dry, my pants got tight and I quickly scanned my gun fund to see if there was an extra $14,000 in it. There wasn't. But that doesn't mean I can't appreciate awesomeness when I see it while dreaming of hitting the lottery. For all you Big Bore aficionado's out there I give you the 600 Nitro Freaking Express. Pistol version.



Isn't that awesome? Don't you wish you had one? If only just to scare liberals and ask them if revolvers should also be banned. I do. No Namby Pamby 30 pound rifle here that anyone with a functioning shoulder can shoot. No no no.  Just a gun, two hands and a prayer. Of course the goober did shoot it off a rest and was wearing a motorcycle helmet when he fired it. What a wuss. Still.  Here's a link so you can bask in it's Big Bore awesomey goodness. 13 pounds. Oof. Makes my Redhawk look like a cap pistol.

Of course there may be a perfectly good reason for all that weight. Here's the same cartridge fired from a 6 pound TC pistol.



Still, not being a sissy myself, I have to believe I could handle it better that that unfortunate shooter did. But then I think I'm still 25, able to wrestle bears, drink and wench all night, fight off hordes of Zombie Cannibals armed only with a Leatherman and a winning attitude and am incredibly handsome so I might be wrong.

Gives the term Hand Cannon a whole new meaning don't it?

Six

Gun Porn

I got nuthin' so how about a gun picture? 

A good old gal along with one of her younger siblings. Springfield M1A and a Remington 03A3.

That's Awesome times 2 right there.

Six

The Giants Win!!!!

The Giants swept the Tigers tonight, 4-3 in 10 innings in game 4. The Panda was the MVP.

It was a great series. Games 2 and 3 were nail biters but game 4 was torture. This makes the Giants World Champs 2 out of the last 3 years. I said it a while ago but the current Giants remind me strongly of the Braves of the 90s. A great core of young starting pitching and a very talented bullpen. Throw in a few good position players, a bunch of role players who only want to win and shake well. Add in a manager who must now be considered among the very best. Top it off with great clubhouse attitude and you've got a team that's going to be very hard to beat for years yet. 

To be fair the Giants went on an incredible run. They got hot at exactly the right time. After game 5 of the NLCS they put their foot on the gas and never let up.

My condolences to Murphy's Law. The only team I'd have accepted beating us with good grace would have been the Tigers. But I'm glad that didn't happen. The DO stayed up until midnight Florida time to watch. She called us afterward and we celebrated over the phone.

I know that in the great scheme of things what a certain sports team means very little but I love the game and I love my Giants. We've been fans as a family since 1982. They've frankly been pretty bad for the vast majority of those years so the last 3 years have been sweet indeed.

Now that the series is over I'll grin for a couple of days but then it's back to work. There's an election coming up and winning on that stage is orders of magnitude more important than even the G-Men winning it all.

But it's still a great day. Go Giants!

Six

He Might Be Better Than Me

Just a little.



That's Martyn Ashton on a $16,000 Pinarello Dogma 2. The fence ride was what impressed me. And I can't even jump a curb anymore.

Six

Jem Trail With The Kids

With the kids having a few weeks on two wheels to practice and hone their skills it was time for the next step. Trail ride. We chose the Jem Trail because there's a very nice section of double track/ fire road that's pretty flat (considering it in the actual mountains) with a little loop of single track that's as non-technical as you can get out here. The kids loved it. I am positively giddy with delight. They took to it immediately, flying down declines, swooping over whoops, standing up and taking on ruts head on and powering up inclines. It was a ball. Both of them even crashed a couple of times. No tears, just dusted themselves off and on to the next section of trail. No whines, no crying, no complaints. Just good old fashioned fun in the dirt and a couple of band-aids.

Warning: the word awesome will be used extensively in this post. 

The day was bright, hot and clear. As you can see here, The Boy jumped into the lead right out of the gate and stayed there the whole day. Angus spent most of the day running back and forth between the two groups. We guys were naturally way more awesome of course. "Hey, you guys coming or what?"

There was one climb that was just a bit beyond them and they ended up pushing. It was all good as Angus promptly went back to show them how it was done.

This is where you turn off the double track and pick up the single. It was also where we had the endos that I was afraid was going to screw up the entire day. Biker chicks are so awesome.

Aftermath of the endo. Ok, here's Lu and The Princess at the endo site. Here's what happened. If you look closely you can see there's a small drop off just behind the girls. It's probably 6 feet down, not too steep, then flattens out and goes into a great little berm. At the bottom of the drop there's some soft dirt. I explained how to traverse the obstacle and then demonstrated it. The Boy sailed through but The Princess hit the soft dirt and promptly went right over the handlebars. It wasn't serious, just a slightly skinned knee, though it was awesome (sorry, it just was). I freaked thinking this was going to be it. She'd walk back to the truck and never ride again. Nope. She made the pain face, checked herself out, then remounted and rode on. This pic was just after the crash. The Princess and Lu were still discussing the spectacular endo and how to get around the berm. Have I mentioned how cool biker chicks are?

Both of the girls decided that discretion was the better part of valor and walked the berm. Of course they did have the benefit of watching The Boy make the attempt. I did mention two endos? Well this was where The Boy ate it. He got about halfway through the berm but didn't have enough speed and augured in at the mid point. It wasn't so much an endo as a get off but it was pretty cool. The Boy is getting to the point where he truly appreciates a really spectacular crash. Even his own.

The end of a really great day. The kids are now certified mountain bikers. Next year we'll be upgrading from those cheap big box bikes to something much better with suspension and good hand brakes. At this age the first thing that flies out of their heads in a braking situation is the ability to actually brake. Good hand brakes will go a long way toward alleviating that. We ended the day with ice cream at the local DQ. Nothing tastes better than after ride soft serve with a side of good, clean dirt.

Since these pictures were taken I took The boy out to the trail for another run. He fell heavily twice but both times popped right back up, dusted himself off and took off again. He also made the berm. The Boy is really learning how to ride. The great thing is that both of them love to ride. They've made approximately a million laps of the circular driveway and are now riding to school, which they seem to think is awesomely awesome beans.

Hey, only a few more days before they have to go home to Florida. We need at least one more good Jem Trail ride. See you guys later. We're going for a ride.

Six

Video Interlude

I'm working on a post but my muse is goofing off again. She's so lazy. Instead how about something cool and fun on a Saturday?
As you watch this bear in mind it's a simulation. A computer game. An awesome computer game complete with nomex racing gloves.
Six

Yeah, He Might Be Better Than Me. Just A Little.

I've been riding powered two wheelers for about 45 years now. I've been to police motorcycle school, spent better than 10 years enforcement riding, even have 22 laps at Laguna Seca at speed on a ZX6. I have skills.

This guy? He makes me feel bad about myself. As though I've suddenly discovered that those streamers coming from the handlebar grips of my Barbie Princess bicycle don't actually make me cool.



Yeah, I can't do that. Don't ask.

Six

Video Of The Week

I know you're all reading Ras regularly but if you happened to miss this you must go there and watch it. Now. I'm going to be singing that all week.

"I'm going in for guns". Awesome. Now I either need to grab some shootin' irons and exercise my inner gunfighter or I just need to use the bathroom. Either way.

Six

Canine Prosthetics

I've been spending a lot of time getting ready for the new puppy, some of which has been internet searches. I ran across this during my surfing.



How can something be so sad and yet so uplifting at the same time? Dogs and the people who love them. It's a beautiful thing. Spirit, it can't be measured but you know it when you see it. You can read the whole story about Naki'o and his owner, Christie Tomlinson here.

Six

Borepatch Is Smarter Than Your Average Scientist

We interrupt this garage build with breaking news. Borepatch is a wicked smart man. What's that? You already knew? If there were a Brain off BP would win.

He's my go to guy for all things sciency and here he brings the Anthropogenic Global Warming smackdown. Again. After you've digested this latest bit of Truth As Beauty dig into his archives for more logical goodness. He's left more bruises on more Global Warmer asses than a Willow forest.

Yep, I am a denier.

Six

Building A Big 50

The Redneck Engineer (his site is over in my blog roll) is currently posting about a .50 caliber rifle he's building. That's right, except for the barrel and some small parts he could fabricate if he wanted to, he's building the entire thing from scratch. I've been following along, mightily impressed with both his skills and ingenuity.

I've always been impressed with those folks who can take some basic materials such as steel, leather and wood and create beautiful and useful items. The Reluctant Paladin and Og are others who can create things that blow my mind.

If you've got a few minutes (and haven't already) hop over to Redneck Engineers site and read the build from the beginning. It's fascinating and gives me ideas for projects I'd like to do. I'll probably never build a rifle from scratch but the techniques and tools he talks about are transferable to many other things. His knowledge, ingenuity, precision and sheer talent are awe inspiring. He is the spirit of our American forefathers in present day.

Brother, thanks for posting this build and sharing your experience and knowledge with me. I'm looking forward to the finish of this project and the next (and the next, etc.) one you do.

Six