censport

Happy Thanksgiving

2009-11-25T22:56:54Z

Just wanted to wish everyone a Happy Thanksgiving. I'll post more soon; have a lot to share.

Summertime blues

2009-07-17T22:42:16Z

Not as much to update this time; I just wanted to get some thoughts down.

Wednesday marked the third year that has passed since I lost my favorite pet ever, Maxwell von Bunny. Yes, I still miss him and think of him often.

Trucking Update

Got some bad news from a trucking company yesterday. They said because I got a speeding ticket in my personal car for going more than 15mph over a posted speed limit (71 in a 55 on I-440, which used to be rated 65 or 70), they couldn't hire me. They also said that even without that, they would have to wait until a year had passed since my motorocycle accident. Never mind that I had a clean record when I used to drive trucks, and that I've got 20 years of racing and track experience, not to mention 15 years of being a track instructor. Never mind that it's too dangerous to drive 55 on I-440 because of all the speeding SUV drivers on their cellphones (I know, I've tried going that slow). But that's the world of insurance for you: When you look at everything as just stats with no context, it's too easy to be judgmental. Some of those insurance folks need to join me at the track for a little enlightenment.

Maybe the Internet is good for something after all...

While surfing recently, I found where someone had scanned and uploaded a bunch of old Adventures of Tintin comics from the 40's, 50's and later. I used to read them at the local library when I was a kid. They were written and drawn by a Belgian by the pen-name of Herge'. The story behind them on Wikipedia is quite interesting, especially considering everything that was going on in Europe then. It was great fun to read those old comics again, and seeing panels and stories I could only remember pieces of three decades or so later. Tintin, his dog Snowy, Captain Haddock, and the detectives Thomson and Thompson (yes, I did get the spelling correct, and yes, that's where the 80's pop group The Thompson Twins got their name) got in all sorts of scrapes while busting up international opium smuggling rings and the like. They even went to the moon! There's nothing quite like rediscovering a bit of your childhood.

Passages

I noted in my last update that my girlfriend and I broke up for a week from the stress of the bad economy and the sacrifices we've had to make because of it. And that's a side of this economic downturn you might not see on the evening news. Money is this biggest stress factor on relationships, so it's likely that breakups and other such tough decisions will be on the increase. My girlfriend is seriously considering moving to her youngest sister's place in Destin, and working in her nail salon. Or continue to cut hair. Or wait tables. Sure, she could work in her other sister's nail salon here in Nashville, or wait tables here, but she thinks the economy might be better in Florida. I doubt it, since their housing market collapsed before ours, and I suspect people will be vacationing in Florida less once the current administration and congress gets their "cap-and-trade" legislation passed into law, forcing energy costs back to 2008 rates and higher. But this economy is getting her down, and her allergies don't like the "pollen basin" Nashville sits in.

I don't blame her. I can remember when I felt like I needed a change and the ocean was calling me. That was way back in 1990, when I moved to Ft. Lauderdale. That didn't last long, and I don't think I ever recovered from the culture shock. And mind you, I've traveled a bit!

My girlfriend once said that she would follow me if I relocated for a job, but I doubt she expects me to follow her. For one thing, she said that back when her ex-husband had custody of her son. Now that she has him back, the judge won't let us live together unmarried with the kid around (if you don't live in the South, that may surprise you), and my girlfriend is apprehensive of getting married again. So I suspect if we wanted to live together in another state, she would have to appear before another family services judge. Besides, I don't like Florida. There are no hills, there is no shade, there is no autumn, and all you do is drive in straight lines from one stoplight to the next. Sure, there is the ocean, but I spent plenty of family vacations in Gulf Shores as a kid getting stung by jellyfish and coughing up seawater. And I've already had two skin cancer scares in the past ten years.

Besides, I got her mad at me again this past weekend. And yes, I deserve it. I don't blame her a bit.

Toronto calling

I'm definitely in the mood to visit my old school chum in Toronto, however. I've even looked at the prices for flights. I can't take my girlfriend though, as her immigration paperwork is screwed up and she can't leave the country. I keep reminding myself that I need to save my money since I don't know when I'll have a good job again, but I that pull is getting stronger...

Avatars

In a fit of boredom, I tried out some free avatar makers. It didn't take long to realize the market for these is a bit younger than me: None of the free makers had options for graying hair.

So here are the ones I made with Yahoo:

Nope, not enough beard.

And here are two I made with Illustrator:

And one I made at faceyourmanga.com:

The hair is pretty close, but too much beard this time.

With that done, I made a couple of my girlfriend, both long- and short-haired versions:

Repairs

My dad's truck has been repaired. Beautifully, I might add. But then, I knew my buddy would get it right. And Mom's van window has been replaced. Dad and I did that one ourselves, with the glass supplied by the neighbor's lawn guy. He actually tried to weasel out of it ("Well, nobody saw it happen..."), but being the no-B.S. jerk that I can be at times, I stopped him dead in his tracks on that. In any case, the damage has been repaired, and our neighbor now calls to warn us when the guy is on his way to do his lawn.

Now I need to finish the motorcycle and get some health insurance. Of course, I could wait until this "universal health care" junk gets passed in D.C., and then you, my taxpaying friends, will be paying for my health care. Oh, that makes you feel better, doesn't it? ;)

Upgrading

I'm thinking of stimulating the economy a bit, in the same way so many Americans have been stimulating the economy since this past fall. That's right, I'm thinking of buying a new gun. Since November, most common ammo has been almost completely unavailable. Part of this is the domestic demand - people stocking up for a possible civil war or revolution - and part of this is because we're supplying the ammunition needs of the Iraqi police forces. They use 9mm in their handguns, so all the ammo manufacturers have all of their lines cranking out 9mm ammo, and nothing else. Which means I can't get target ammo for my .45ACP or .380 handguns (it's a good thing I still have several boxes of .45ACP). The only 9mm I have is this old Browning Hi-Power:

Since my other guns are Sig Sauers, I'm thinking of selling this Hi-Power and buying a new Sig P226. You see, this is my second Hi-Power, as I nearly wore out my first one before selling it to my dad over a decade ago. It's an older design, isn't easy to conceal (thanks to the fat 13-round magazine), and is SAO (single action only). I'd like to upgrade to a newer, more reliable gun, something that uses ammo I might be able to find between now and whenever we get a Republican president again.

On guns and self defense

I'm sure you've heard about retired NFL player and former Tennessee Titans quarterback Steve McNair being shot to death by his girlfriend. It's a tragedy, and a preventable one at that. It does make the argument about guns being too easily accessible in American society, except that they're actually less accessible than ever. We have laws that should prevent someone under 21 from buying a handgun, but the lack of enforcement didn't prevent McNair's girlfriend from buying the gun she used to kill him and herself.

Bad things happen in every society, and preventing good people from being able to defend themselves is not the answer. The same people who claim they're for equality overlook the greatest equalizer between potential victims and their aggressors, and I'm not talking about Edward Woodward driving around in an XJ6.

Compare these two stories of ugly divorces and restraining orders, and see if you can spot the difference: Story 1. Story 2. And if a picture is worth a thousand words...

So you see, if your opinion of gun owners and guns rights advocates are a bunch of testosterone-drunk men wanted to shoot everything or everyone that moves until they don't, then think again. Guns are not evil, they don't turn good people evil, they are simply another tool which can only be used for the intentions of the person who has it. Sure, I would rather live in a society where they're not needed too, but we couldn't find that place even if we went to Japan.

I'm off to enjoy a lovely cool summer evening in Nashville with my girlfriend. Perhaps I'll post again soon.

Recovery.

2009-06-22T18:22:25Z

I know some folks update their journals or blogs almost everyday, but you probably have favorite sites you like to check daily, and don't need another on your list. Hopefully it works out that I only update once in a while, and you can read all you can stand of my long ramblings when you have time. Oh, and a big welcome to all my former co-workers from my old engineering firm. Don't worry, I never talked about y'all on here. No bad-mouthing or anything. Also, this is as close as I'll get to Facebook, so stop with the invites already!

CRUNCH.

I know my recent entires have revolved around motorcycles and how much I've enjoyed riding again. Any form of transportation comes with inherent risks, and motorcycles have more inherent risks than most other forms, mainly because of the designs of those other forms (cars are designed to be so easy to operate that a child can drive them and text on a phone while changing CDs all at the same time, more or less successfully). Well, after 41 years, 10 months and 4 days, those risks finally caught up with me. I was out riding with strange men I met on the internet, and entered a curve with a bad "line". I tried to correct my entry but accidently locked up the back brake, which caused the bike to fall and caused me to hit the asphalt. Even though I was wearing my full set of motorcycle "battle gear", my big toe was cracked and my ankle was sprained. My left wrist was also sprained. But that's not the worst of it. No, the worst is that my upper tibia was broken just below the knee. It was a compression fracture which broke the corner off the end of the bone. My strangers/friends stayed with me until a farmer came by and loaded me into his pickup for a ride to the hospital. This same farmer also let us keep my bike at his house for safe keeping.

Someone, I have no idea who, called for police and an ambulance. The emergency crew arrived and offered me a ride to a hospital, but by that time I was already in the farmer's pickup and didn't want to be moved again. Besides, I wasn't bleeding, nothing was poking out, and I was certain I had simply twisted my knee badly and just needed to get it wrapped. A state trooper came out and wrote up a report, being very careful to make sure that I actually owned the bike and that I hadn't been drinking - that early in the day.

The farmer drove me to a hospital 45 minutes away, and my strangers/friends followed. My mother and neighbor were already there when we arrived. To shorten this story a bit, my girlfriend came out that night to see me, surgery was the next day, and I had a metal plate and six screws installed to put that errant corner back in place and hold it while I recovered at home.

The pain was unlike anything I had ever felt or imagined before.

I've never had a broken bone before, but I have had pleurisy, and I have experienced cardiac arrest. The pain and recovery from those two combined can't hold a candle to what I experienced with this crash. And I have crashed a bike before. Four-and-a-half years ago, my trusty old 1985 Honda CB650 Nighthawk was knocked out from under me by an uninsured car driver on a cellphone. But I didn't get injured that time.

The first week after the surgery was the worst. In the hospital, they switched me back and forth between Loritab and morphine. When I was discharged, the surgeon gave me a prescription for a painkiller that wasn't available, so I had to get a new prescription. That took a few hours, and during that window I got a peek of what life would be like without painkillers. It was SCARY! The prescription I ended up with only took the edge off the worst of the pain, and the surgeon's promises of the drugs making me sleep the next couple of weeks away never came true. In fact, I didn't sleep at all. So not only did I have near-madness-inducing pain, but I also suffered from sleep deprivation. And if you think that's bad, imagine what my parents went through having me in the house!

At least my physical therapists were nice. It felt like torture, but they were very nice about it. With the radio going, and the therapists talking with other patients, I found it hard to keep track of my repetitions. Especially as the reps were increased. Then I remembered I can count in other languages. So I started switching between English, Japanese and French. But I can't count past twelve in French, so as the reps increased I just switched to Japanese and kept counting in that language. That way, I could keep track of my exercises without the music or other talking breaking my concentration. ありがと　みさと　せんせい。

Three months after the accident, the surgeon looked at my x-rays and said I could finally start putting weight on my left leg again. From two wheels to a wheelchair, to a pair of crutches, to one crutch, and now I'm walking again unaided. Next, it's back to two wheels.

Yes, I'll ride again. I knew the risks before I ever started riding as a kid, same as I knew the risks of racing cars and flying small airplanes and helicopters. My motorcycle wasn't totaled and I'm getting close to finishing the repairs. I will, however, wait until I have health insurance before I ride again, as I'm making payments on my medical bills from February's crash. And will be for a while.

FIGHT.

I don't usually write about work, unless it's to say things are busy, or I've been laid off. But there is something I want to share.

In my last entry, I mentioned that work at the limo company died off, and I had filed for unemployment again. Well, it got interesting. The limo company is owned by the wife of the wealthy old Brit who bought it for her. He runs the shop, she runs the office. He laid me off because work died off and the cars weren't moving, and she told the state I was fired for not showing up for work and "leaving without authorization". It took ten weeks of findings, disputes, appeals and challenges before a phone hearing was held and the state found in my favor. The old Brit might be deaf, short-tempered and a racist, but those are almost virtues compared to his wife. Man, does she play dirty!

ECONOMY CLASS.

It was almost cathartic to work on those old British cars after years in the design/engineering world, but I can't do that for the rest of my life. The design/engineering field is so dead, there probably won't be any jobs there for a couple of years, even if the nation starts its economic recovery next week. Tennessee is averaging 9.1% unemployment, one of the higher "red" states. My old firm had 37 people in the Nashville office this time last year, now it has 21. That works out to a 43% unemployment rate! All the local firms are in the same boat. So I'm thinking about going back to another old job I did in my youth: Trucking. In fact, I found myself missing driving the big rigs when I was still gainfully employed at the firm. Yes, I know that industry is slow too, but I figure it will rebound faster than any other industry, or at least the ones I have experience in.

It doesn't help that I found four episodes of BJ & the Bear uploaded on YouTube. Man, that was a fun show. I didn't have adventures quite like Billie Joe McKay, but then I didn't have to change a diaper on a chimp either.

I have to say this is frustrating though. I've never been out of work this long before. It used to be that when the economy got bad and a fellow lost a good job, he could find 2-3 crappy jobs and work 12 hours a day/7 days a week to make ends meet until the economy picked back up. Not anymore. Simply put, there are no crappy jobs to be had either.

A big part of the reason for that can be found in the illegal alien community. They've been working the "jobs Americans just won't do", and they're still working them. The people that hire them won't hire out-of-work Americans from higher up in the job market, because they know those people will be gone as soon as they can return to their respective fields. So they hang on to their illegal work force because they can be had cheaper and are more loyal. The same goes for people who don't employ illegals. They don't want to plan around having a certain size staff, only to have to hire again when the economy picks up and those desperate people are gone back to their old jobs. There's only so much an out-of-work person can do, even one with a variety of work experiences like me.

COUCH POTATO.

Speaking of old TV shows, with the cable service gone, my girlfriend and I have been digging through my DVD collection for stuff to watch. I only have the first season of The Rockford Files, but I have the first five seasons of Magnum P.I. My girlfriend is now "addicted" to Magnum. Maybe it's the chest hair?

One of the dangers of nostalgia is that our favorite shows when we were kids get better the longer it's been since we've seen them. When I was a kid, Speed Racer was the coolest cartoon ever. But when I watched an episode on a late-night cable cartoon channel, I discovered that my standards were very low when I was six. It was terrible! That turned out good for the movie, because although the movie was bad, it could've been worse: It could've been just like the original show. Rockford and Magnum, however, are still great. BJ & the Bear can get a bit cheesy, but it's still fun. And how long has it been since a fun show was on television?

EGGS TO ALBUQUERQUE.

To help me get back in the trucking mood, I got a game out of the bargain bin titled 18 Wheels of Steel: American Long Haul. Not the most exciting game, and not the most realistic simulator, but a great time-killer while waiting for your leg to heal. You make runs, win contracts, buy trucks and trailers, hire drivers, and assign them to contracts while you make more runs to win more contracts. You manage the drivers and contracts, weeding out the contracts that don't pay well and the drivers who tear up your trucks. I started out a few weeks ago hauling eggs to Albuqerque and "retired" the other day with over $50,000,000 and a fleet of customized trucks. Another driving game mastered!

With that one conquered, I picked up Euro Truck Simulator, a similar game by the same company. The differences being that ETS is set in Western Europe, you can only own one truck at a time, and you can't hire other drivers. The game is divided into levels (Beginner, Amatuer, Experienced, Veteran, Master). You meet a set of goals for each level, such as driving so many kilometers loaded without having accidents or getting caught by the speed camers, carrying certain hazardous materials, etc. I've made it to the Master level, but haven't completed it.

LOSS.

Just a few weeks ago another old school friend passed away. Jimmy was with me at Forrest's funeral a few years ago, and usually called to tell me when yet another classmate had passed on. He had health problems of his own, possibly aggravated by his drinking. He had such a gentle soul, but he carried a burden of shame and guilt which fed his depression, which inspired his drinking, which didn't make things any better. Some of his burden was a sense of outside pressure and some of it was Jimmy beating up on himself. That was all lifted from his shoulders when he came home late from work one night, made a plate of dinner, and died in his chair. His mother found him the next morning. Rest in peace, Jimmy.

I became friends with Howard when I worked at the local Jaguar/Porsche/Audi/Saab dealership back in the mid-90's. A fellow car racer and motorcyclist, we kept in touch when we could. Before I crashed my Yamaha, we were planning on going for a ride together. I stopped by the dealership where he still worked on Jags just a few weeks ago to show off my scar and tell him my war story. On a recent Monday night, I got an email from another motorcyclist buddy that Howard died the previous Friday of a massive heart attack. He was only 46. To say the least, I didn't see that coming. I'll never forget his big voice, ripe with laughter, or his contagious smile.

ROUGH MOVE.

Finally moved out of the expensive apartment in Brentwood. It was very convenient for work, being only 1.5 miles from the office, with my girlfriend's salon halfway in between on the same road. But only four months after moving in, I was laid off. Things got tight, having to use my unemployment checks and even the insurance money for my bike repairs to pay the rent, but we finished out the contract and moved out. And back to our respective parents' houses until we can afford to do better. Actually, I moved out back in November, when my girlfriend got custody of her son returned to her. The judge said we couldn't live together since we weren't married. But I left my recliner, sofa, DVD collection, a bunch of clothes and whatnot. Plus, I had a car, some Miata race car parts, and a neighbor's Harley in the garage. Well everything is out and the keys have been handed back in. Having that big rent note not over our heads anymore is a huge relief. Unfortunately, in the stress of moving and all that, my girlfriend got mad at me and broke up. I had been fearing something like that was going to happen.

Fortunately, she and I have had a week to cool off. She invited me out to the local park Saturday, where I hiked for the first time since my accident. She apologized and asked if we could reconcile, and I told her I needed some time to think about it, and explained my frustration with recent events. I've been waiting for the apartment to be done and over with, so we could have that pressure off of us and focus on our relationship again. Looks like we'll have that chance now. So if I called you recently and told you she dumped me, sorry... false alarm. Go back to sleep.

WANDERING.

Listening to old Billy Joel songs gets me in the mood to visit New York. After thinking about it though, I miss my friend in Toronto. Besides, what am I going to do in New York besides drop $200-$300 in Kinokuniya? Well sure, I could visit my former sensei, and my sister and brother-in-law (who has a great political blog). Don't worry about getting the BMW out of storage just yet, Chris, as I can't really afford to travel right now anyway. And if I did, I would save you the trouble and drive my own car, and then I would have to drive through -gasp- Detroit.

FINALLY...

Found this on YouTube today. Someone having dinner at sushi bar in Tokyo put their video camera on a sushi conveyor belt and let it ride around. Neat idea, but I wouldn't recommend it for the U.S. It would be the last you ever saw of your camera!

じゃ、またね！

UPDATE:

The day after posting my latest entry, my father had his first car accident in over twenty years. A "foreign woman" who "didn't speak English" (Dad's words) was driving someone else's car and pulled in front of Dad this morning in Belle Meade. Most likely someone's maid. In any case, it was a minor accident, nobody was hurt, and I've got a friend with a body shop who will fix it. In the meantime, Dad's truck looks like this:

I guess he'll have to ride his motorcycle everywhere now, unless he can borrow the Jag from me. I know, I'll let him drive the Corvair! Hahaha!

UPDATE #2:

I can't believe it. My bad luck is rubbing off on my parents! The day after I post about my bike crash, my dad has an accident in his truck. The day after that, the neighbor's lawn guy is out mowing their yard, and his mower chunks a rock at my mom's van, shattering the side glass. My Jaguar is usually parked there, and has been hit before. All I got was a tiny dent. Mom's van, however, looks like this:

Dad is ticked. Mom is ticked. I'm ticked. Dad's had enough of this, and will start on an eight-foot high fence, made of solid wood. I'll help. Of course, I want to electrify the opposite side, so we can zap the neighbor's barking mini-Dobermans at the push of a button.

It's a good thing I've got so many cars. I can loan them out to my parents and still have something left over for me to drive.

UPDATE #3: BUH-BYE.

Okay, maybe I don't have so many cars. After advertising the Miata since February on the two closest SCCA regional websites, the local Miata club website, and craigslist, the car went to a new owner yesterday. Financially, I'm relieved. Heart-wise, I'm sad. That was one of my favorite toys ever and I'll miss it. So will my girlfriend, who enjoyed going out at night with the top down. But, the economy being the way it is...

So goodbye, little Miata. It was a fun four years.

Super what? Super Guzzi Bowl?

2009-02-02T01:52:31Z

Ah, Super Bowl Sunday. A day that has never meant anything to me. Well, that's not completely true. I do like the commercials. But I'm one of those rare heterosexual men who does not follow football. That didn't keep me from predicting last year's outcome (Giants by 3, wish I had placed a bet), however. Still, it feels a bit odd being an American who doesn't follow American football.

Anyway, here I sit, typing away on the laptop while my girlfriend's son watches The Big Game. For weeks, he has been asking me things like "who is your favorite quarterback/linebacker/etc?" He's hasn't been able to wrap his mind around the idea that I have no clue who plays what position for what team. I've asked him "Do you know who Danny Sullivan is? Derek Bell? Tom Walkinshaw? Anthony Gobert? Wayne Rainey?" to prove my point, and I think he's starting to catch on.

I still need a job. The limo business has fallen off since the first of the year, and I've re-applied for unemployment benefits while trying to find another job. I take few breaks from calling contacts, sending emails, and scoping online job ads, and in those breaks I lose myself in Goggle Maps. How geeky is that? I noticed that bits of Italy have been added, most notably around Lake Como. Moto Guzzi is located in Mandello del Lario, Lombardia, on the eastern side of Lake Como, so I had to see if the Google Maps car drove past the factory or main offices. Not only did it drive by, I got a geeky bonus.

Here's the main office. Notice the white V7 Classic under the "M" in Moto Guzzi. Mmmmm, I want one. But more on that in a minute...

Just up from the offices is an intersection and a railroad crossing. On the corners of the intersection are a pair of convex mirrors. In one of the mirrors you can see the Google Maps camera on top of the car. Liking cool motorcycles isn't enough to keep me from being a geek.

Oh yeah, and here's the factory, like a time warp:

Had a great ride today, if a bit chilly towards the end. Took the twisty backroads through Pegram, Fairview, Pineville and Centerville. Took it easy coming back, riding the Natchez Trace Parkway. While resting at a scenic overlook, I met a super nice couple on a silver Honda Goldwing (the RV of motorcycles). The husband was asking all about my FZ6, as he had recently bought a Suzuki V-Strom for a commuter bike, and overlooked the FZ6. I test-rode a new V-Strom when I bought my FZ6. I can see why folks like them, but it was a bit tall for me and my girlfriend. Anyway, we had a nice chat and then parted ways. The guy on the Suzuki SV650 only said "hey", and the guy on the homebuilt-looking ratbike didn't even do that. As I rode off, I remembered the ad from when I was a kid:

So if you're a nice person, get a Honda and ride it. Me, I'm thinking about Moto Guzzis. I bought a Breva 750, in silver, when they came out in 2004. It looked just like this:

The only new motorcycle I've ever bought, and the only time I've bought the first-year-production of any vehicle. It was great, except for the transmission. That was addressed in subsequent models, and an 1100cc version was added. So I've been wanting another Guzzi. Then they came out with this:

That's the V7 Classic. Looks dead-up like the original V7 Sport. The dealer here closed a few years ago, I don't have a job, and Guzzi is making their best bikes ever. Man, these guys are killing me!

Just what I needed, more bikes to add to my Dream List. Right with the "early Hinckley" Triumph Thunderbird, Yamaha FJR1300, restored Honda CB650 Nighthawk, etc., etc. Better find work soon...

Winter Series - とても寒いです！

2009-01-27T05:14:22Z

Winter has settled upon us, and we have settled into winter. The motorcycle - after a brief journey I'll describe later - has been parked in the garage until spring (or the first sunny and over-45-degree day). Since my income has decreased, my girlfriend and I haven't been going out for meals. Not that we did much, but it was nice to get out once in a while. Now, between the tightening of the purse-strings and the cold weather, we're practically hermits.

I do want to see the new Clint Eastwood movie, Gran Torino. My previous place of employment gave out gift cards for Regal Cinemas as bonuses last year, and my Dad & I used up half of mine to see a Western (we always go see Westerns together). I found the card recently, so I hope it's still good.

When my girlfriend and I aren't watching Japanese TV dramas, we're enjoying that time-honored winter hobby of reading. For not being a native English speaker, she reads quite a bit. I'm catching up on my novels. I was never a fan of Bernard Cornwell's Sharpe series, but his Arthurian trilogy (which he calls "The Arthur Series", Wikipedia calls "The Warlord Chronicles", and most people call "The Winter King Trilogy") was fantastic. I'm now working on The Pale Horseman, the second book from "The Saxon Stories", an ongoing series. I've got Robert B. Parker's Rough Weather, the latest in the Spenser series, waiting to be read next. Too bad his latest in the Jesse Stone series, Night and Day, isn't out yet. Lucky for me Nashville has a good library system!

We had a couple of days of nice weather late last week, probably the last for a few months. I connected with three guys from an online motorcycle forum, and we met in Smyrna for a group ride. We had a great time, and I was introduced to some roads I'd never seen before. Our group of four was led by the local guy, and he knew every spot of trouble to point out. The local guy was riding an older Honda CBR600F3 from 1998, while the rest of us were riding Yamaha FZ6's. My red '06, a blue '06 and a blue '07. I thought the guy riding the blue '07 FZ6 looked familiar, and sure enough, he works in the same building where I used to work, and we had parked our bikes in the same parking spot a few times (motorcyclists often park 2-into-1). We had never met before, but we had seen each other in the building.

Now here is a disturbing look at how my mind works: While riding with the group, I recalled a Law & Order episode I watched with my girlfriend. It was about the homicide (what else) of a married man who led a secret life of meeting homosexual men he didn't know for quickies. In this one scene, the detectives have snared a "person of interest" who had met the deceased for sex through a website, and are interrogating him at the station. He nonchalantly tells them "Hey, I'm just a normal guy with a wife and kids who likes to meet strange men for sex on the side". My girlfriend freaked a bit when she heard that. So I'm riding along with these guys I didn't know after agreeing to "meet for a ride tomorrow" on a website. I guess you could say I'm a normal guy with a girlfriend who likes to meet strange men for afternoon motorcycle rides in the countryside. Hey sweetie, it could be worse, right? Sweetie?

There comes a time in a man's life when all he wants to do is ride his motorcycle. Just ask Ewan McGregor. After watching both Long Way Round and Long Way Down, I've wondered what would be my epic motorcycle trip. I don't want to fight the Road of Bones, nor do I want to get kidnapped and murdered in Central America. The Top Gear guys have already ridden from Saigon (Ho Chi Minh City) to Hong Gai (and Hanoi by mistake), and I've heard that touring in China is an adventure, if you're really careful. So a tour of Japan is in order (you saw this coming, right?). The four main islands, and all the smaller ones I can reach by bridge. One of the smaller islands that would be a must-see is Shiraishi Island, home to Amy Chavez, whose humorous columns in the Japan Times I've enjoyed for years. I'll just have to settle for a 400cc motorcycle, considering how expensive insurance is, and the fact that anything bigger requires a special license. But I can worry about all that when I have a good job again.

The only thing I miss from my usual winter spells is a good drink. Typically, this is the time of year I enjoy a hearty ale with my supper, or a single-malt Scotch afterwards. But alcohol is expensive, and so I must do without. If you're reading this and still have your job, take me out for a drink!

"Change"

2008-12-20T20:30:34Z

After three years of presidential campaigns, I'm sick of that word. But change is happening, and will continue to do so.

Since my last post, I was caught in a round of layoffs at my engineering firm. I spent a couple of months on unemployment benefits (which amounted to less than 45% of my usual income, not the 85%-95% enjoyed by UAW workers) while I did job interviews. Two of them. One may turn into a job sometime next year, if the market picks back up. Since I was laid off, four more co-workers at my old firm have been released as well. That's not good.

So one interview went well, but the other did not. It didn't go bad, but the guy asked me what my high school GPA was. Nobody has asked me that in 23 years! I told him I couldn't remember (true), and that I considered myself lucky to make it out of (school name) alive. He responded, "I didn't know it was so rough that long ago. I mean, not that it was that long ago, but... you know what I mean." I said it was okay, that I know my high school era was indeed a long time ago, and that the race riot during my sophomore year was more memorable than my GPA. Anyway, he seemed disappointed that I had not pursued mechanical engineering my entire adult life, but said my history as an automotive mechanic was a plus.

And that history has come in handy, as I found a job at a local limousine service. As a mechanic. They have 20 vehicles of different sizes and vintage to maintain, so I bust my knuckles, bang my elbows, and come home smelling like the underside of an old British car. But there are downsides... ;)

For one thing, the pay is only 75% of what I was making before. For another, I have no health insurance. And my lower back and knees are even less fond of this type of work than when I was fifteen years younger. But I have lost seven pounds in just over a month! And I have a job, which is good. I know several engineers who have never done anything but what they're doing now. The ones that have been laid off don't have other skills to fall back on, and honestly don't know what they're going to do.

The moral of the story? Sometimes what seems like a mis-spent youth can be a blessing.

My girlfriend's work has been slow too, so money is tight for both of us. We each got her son something for Christmas, but we're not getting each other anything. And my parents have already said we shouldn't exchange gifts this year. So it looks like a dinner together will be our mutual present this year.

One Christmas, many years ago, my parents were young and didn't have money for presents. My mom made a little stuffed lion out of cordouroy cloth and yarn. That was my Christmas present.

I'll be selling the Miata after Christmas. Not to buy more motorcycles, but just to have a financial cushion in case things get even worse. The Corvair is for sale too, but nobody is interested in it. The poor little thing...

Since we haven't been going out lately, I've been trying to find cheap ways of staying entertained. I found a forum for fans of Japanese TV dramas (aka dorama), and my girlfriend and I watched Bus Stop, a love story from 2000. Very charming. It's a shame that American TV writers can't write with such freedom. It seems they have too many formulas and stereotypes to adhere to when writing plots. The next series we'll watch together is Koshonin (The Negotiator), a police drama from earlier in 2008. I've also found an old favorite of mine, Kira Kira Hikaru, but I'll watch that by myself, as the subtitles are in Chinese. I can understand Japanese well enough to get the gist of the show, but my girlfriend only understands English and Vietnamese.

And that's about it for now. I hope all of you are doing well (better than me, at least), and will have a good holiday season. If you haven't emailed me lately, please drop me a line and let me know how you're doing.

Been too long - お元気ですか？

2008-09-08T04:20:41Z

But hey, if I'm not posting, it just means I'm either busy or dead, right?

Too much has happened since my update to list everything, so I'll just cover recent stuff. First, I've been in a terrific relationship with a wonderful woman for 10 months now, and we've been living together since May. She is gainfully employed, doesn't mind my race car (has even ridden on a couple of tracks with me) or my guns, likes motorcycles, runs marathons, and is a great cook.

We were sitting in my Miata at a stoplight once, when I saw a motorcyclist ride through the intersection. I must have let out a sigh or something, because she asked me what was wrong. "Oh nothing, I just miss having a bike." What I heard next stunned me: "Well go buy one then." What?!?

I didn't wait for her to change her mind.

Good thing I still had all my old gear. I bought her a helmet and jacket (made in Vietnam, like her) and we go on weekend rides, or sometimes just visit my folks.

These things are contagious, and my 72-year-old father got his bike license and bought a used Suzuki cruiser. So now he brings back saddlebags full of corn, squash, green beans, tomatoes, etc. from the farm while getting 60 mpg. And this weekend, my girlfriend will be getting her bike license.

Dad will be selling his share of the old Cessna, which will be quite sad for me. It's been a while since we've flown together, and I miss that time we would spend in the air. But we have gone riding together a couple of times, and that's special.

I've also been following the election, being a political junkie. I grew up reading Dad's National Review magazines, and I was only 8 or 9 when Jimmy Carter was running for president. I figured out on my own that he was going to useless as Leader of the Free World. And unless you're a fascist dictator looking to be a pain in America's neck or kill some Jews, Carter is still useless.

I'm also pretty sick and tired of seeing innocent American citizens being killed by illegal aliens, whether by DUI, gang activity or old-fashioned murder. My first pick was Duncan Hunter, even though I knew he wouldn't make it to the general. Then it was down to Romney or Thompson, but since most of the early primaries were held in left-leaning states with open primaries, Democrats signed up to vote for McCain while Republicans were signing up to vote for either Hillary or Obama to drag the DNC primary out. The result was that the stauchest conservatives were out by Super Tuesday (when I finally got to vote). Romney was still in, so I voted for him (still don't trust Huckabee), but he dropped out and the only reason I could bring myself to vote for McCain was to keep a Marxist out of the White House.

Until the conventions.

McCain did a good job spelling out what he plans on doing, and he does have a record of living up to his word. I don't agree with everything he's done (McCain-Feingold, amnesty-for-illegals proposal), but I agree with none of what Obama wants to do, even if he's only saying what's politically expedient to get him in office. And Palin has a record as a reformer, so if she can get the Republicans on Capital Hill to start acting like Republicans again (the Reagan kind, not the Rockefeller kind), more power to her.

The Jaguar is still doing great; we took a trip to Virginia, D.C. and New Jersey this summer, then I washed the car and put it in the annual Jag show. Another first place trophy, woohoo! Kinda surprised I beat the XJ40 in my class, it was a beauty. I've got one track event left this year, then I'll think about selling the Miata. Why? To buy more motorcycles, of course!

Sorry it's been so long since I've updated. Just busy enjoying life. I hope you are too.

Little update about little things.

2007-07-16T02:36:42Z

Finally doing a little better after a doctor talked me into taking something for the pain (after a second set of x-rays). Non-narcotic, naturally. Just trying to take it easy, or as easy as life will allow.

It was a year ago today that Max passed on. I still miss the little guy and visited his site today. The little concrete bunny had fallen over on the plaque, and the top of one of the ears had broken. I don't know what to use for glue, but I'll come up with something.

Family can be a real pain in the butt, y'know? Of all the people in my family, I seem to be the only one capable of realizing when I've been an ---hole. The others have spent their whole lives saying "Why should I apologize? I've done nothing wrong!" So when there is a conflict, it never heals because everybody is convinced they're the ones who are in the right. The truth, of course, is that they're all ---holes. Frickin' family. But what are ya gonna do?

Ow.

2007-07-08T22:43:35Z

It's a good thing I don't have a real blog, or I would have had to fire myself by now. It's just hard for me to sit down and write about myself very often. Anyway, it's time for a big update and an even bigger cleaning.

At the end of March, there was a death in the family. My aunt Margaret, who was three months shy of her 71st birthday, was driving home and less than two miles away when she crossed the center line. She really shouldn't have been driving at all with her health problems, but the woman was so strong (read: stubborn) that nobody in her immediate family dared take her keys away. Three days before her fatal accident, she swiped a guardrail and kept going. We just consider ourselves fortunate that it wasn't a motorcyclist or minivan full of kids coming the other way. It was a cement truck.

Which meant I spent my 40th birthday as a pallbearer at her funeral. I remember my 30th birthday, when I was in the last days of a relationship with this truly horrible girlfriend. (I don't usually say that, but I'm not kidding. She was a deadly cocktail of narcissism, drama, terror, and entitlement complex all wrapped into one petite bundle.) We were getting ready to go out when my sister called to wish me happy birthday. Then she told me that she and her first husband were getting divorced. The night went downhill from there. No sympathy from The Creature, and -at her insistence- we spent the night hanging out with her bossy (and even more narcissistic) girlfriend, doing whatever that delusional train-wreck of self-serving trailer trash wanted to do. God, am I ever glad to be out of Alabama! After all that, turning 40 with mortality literally in front of me was rather tame (for me; I'm quite sure it wasn't for my uncle and cousins). I wonder where I'm going to hide on my 50th birthday...

The rest of April was okay, just worked and raced the Miata (which is looking mighty spiffy as I just had the hail damage worked out by a paintless dent repair genius). Same for May. Just work and race, work and race. Went to some of the Vanderbilt baseball games with Dad and his friends. Vandy had its best season ever, and we saw some awesome baseball. Nice and up close, too.

In June, I visited an old school chum in Toronto. We've been friends since 7th grade and it's always good to see him. Toronto is a very fun city, at least from May to October. No shortage of clubs and restaurants, and certainly no shortage of attractive single women. Lots of sidewalks, a small subway system, nice shores, great neighborhoods... but it wasn't until I got back that I realized what was missing: thousands of drunken illegal aliens driving around in pickups and SUVs, causing accidents and killing the citizens. You may think I'm exaggerating, but it's become something of a real problem in the U.S. Anyway, it was great to have a weekend with no work, no racing, no chores, nothing but having fun and hanging out. The only thing is that there's just one direct flight (Air Canada) from Nashville to Toronto, and it ain't cheap. But it is worth the money if you don't like flying over half the U.S. Next time I may be up for more than a weekend, so I'm considering driving the Jag.

Speaking of the Jag (or the "Shaggin' Wagon", as one of my co-workers calls it), I had several hundred dollars' worth of interior work done. I had a new headliner installed and a new panel made for the driver's seat. The car looks brand-new now! Next week it'll get a super-duper $200 detail job at a friend's shop, then enter it in the concourse at the local Jaguar car show. Naturally, I'll have pictures to post!

Let's see, what else... Oh yeah. A friend was in town from Chicago the other day and I had dinner with him and his wife. We're talking about a trip to Japan together (she's from Hamamatsu), and we're having to postpone from our original target of September. I don't care what time of year it is, as long as I go. I love the thought of getting away and having a big vacation like that. Probably because I haven't taken one in so long...

September looks like it'll be a full month anyway, with the film festival in Toronto and the SmartCar tour coming through Nashville. Yes, I'm actually considering getting one of the SmartCars. I'd be more inclined if something was done about all the illegal alien drivers on the road, but if they were gone, the demand for gasoline would plummet and the price would drop along with it, and then why would I want a 60-MPG car? No, ironies rarely escape me.

For Father's Day, I drove my parents over to Lane Motor Museum, where they were giving free rides in a few of the cars. We managed to get rides in the 1932 Lancia Dilambda (former Pebble Beach show car and Mom's favorite) and the 1959 Citroen ID19. The Citroen was amazingly smooth, better even than my Jaguar! In each of these pictures, Jeff Lane (the museum founder) is doing the driving. It's a very unusual gesture by a car museum, and a great opportunity to experience cars most museums keep behind a set of ropes. I can't wait for them to do that again!

Last weekend, I was working on the Miata and slipped... fell and cracked two ribs. Holy smokes that HURTS! Can't do anything but wrap it and take pain meds. So I'm wrapped and avoiding pain meds. That's right, I hate to take them. In fact, I have to have a super nasty headache (like a can't-see-to-drive headache) before I'll even take aspirin. The last time I asked for something to ease pain, my heart completely stopped within an hour after the dosage was put in my I.V. I'm just taking it easy and getting caught up on my reading.

Sure wish I could go out to the range. A friend of mine recently got an Israeli Desert Eagle in .50 caliber. She keeps offering me the chance to shoot it, but so far we haven't been out to the range at the same time. And I don't think shooting large-caliber handguns with a weakened rib cage is a good idea. It's a double shame, as just a couple of weeks ago I finally got the sights dialed in on my Sig Sauer P220 Supermatch. It was shooting high and to the left, like this:

Now it's dead-on up to 50 feet. But I can't shoot it for another 5-8 weeks. Now that's frustrating!

So I'll spend a bit of time trying to do the things I've been putting aside lately. Such as catching up on old emails, cleaning up around here, etc. There's an old friend of mine out in California who was best friends with an exchange student I dated back in high school (she was a real sweetheart; I've never forgotten that one), and would like to contact her again. Since I haven't had any contact with her either, I have to try to find her twin brother who was living in the U.S. just a few years ago. Once I find him, it should be no problem for the ladies to reconnect. I hope.

And that, my dear friends, is that.

Max's site

2006-07-18T03:11:04Z

Goodnight, Forrest

2006-05-16T15:05:21Z

Just a quick note here. My childhood friend, Forrest, passed away at 8:25 last night from liver and kidney failure. Strong and resilient as a young boy, he battled MS during his later years. It finally won, as it often does.

Riding bikes with Forrest made up some of my fondest childhood memories. I'll never forget you, old friend.

link to a picture

2005-06-15T13:26:21Z

http://www.trekearth.com/gallery/North_America/United_States/South/Tennessee/photo195013.htm

A photo I took of my hometown this spring.