| Author | Message | ||
     Crusty |
Sun Nov 29 4:57 AM It’s been a hot couple of days for me. I’m not used to these temperatures, especially in late November. And it isn’t even summer yet. Summer doesn’t officially begin until the Solstice, and that’s on December 21. I’m getting used to the daylight hours, sunrise around 4:30 AM and sunset around 6:30 PM. I’m OK with the early sunrise, but I do wish it would stay light later in the evening. We’re too far north for that here in Queensland. I was talking with Melia, who was born and raised in the northern Idaho panhandle, and she agreed with me; she then informed me that the times don’t change much during the winter months. We may go to Melbourne for Christmas; if we do, there will be much more daylight since it’s a lot farther south. Melia has been putting the decorations up around the house, and she really loves doing it. I used to love covering my house with lights, and doing all the traditional Christmas rituals; but with the daytime highs in the mid 90s, it just doesn’t feel like Christmas to me. I hope I catch the Spirit soon, though. Losing that might be too high a price for enjoying an endless summer. We’re not sure where we’re going to be at Christmas just yet. There are a lot of variables that could change things. We don’t know if Ron will be able to get time off for the Holidays, or what Kristyn, Adam and their kids are doing, or , for that matter, what Roni Ann, Simplice and their kids are doing. Melia wants a big Christmas with Family; she loves Christmas as much as I do. It’s just that this year, there’s a lot of confusion surrounding the Holiday. It will all get sorted. We went into Gatton last night for pizza. All I’ll say about the pizza that I’ve had in Australia is that New York has nothing to worry about. However, I will say that Aussies know how to make the finest steak sandwiches I’ve ever eaten, though. It isn’t just any one location; Australia does for steak sandwiches what the US does for cheeseburgers. Both are the best anywhere I’ve eaten. The other day, we were out shopping, and we grabbed lunch at a Hardware/Farm Supply store. Some local Ladies’ group was having a Sausage Sizzle. They cook locally made sausages on a BBQ grill. The sausages were about the diameter of hot dogs; just not quite as long. They were served on a piece of white bread with fried onions. I had mine with a little Sauce, and it was really tasty. I was very surprised. I washed it down with a Solo lemon soda and it was a delightful meal. Next time I see a Sausage Sizzle, I’ll try it again and see if it’s as good as the first one. Last night, I had another Solo with the pizza. I’m starting to really enjoy it. It’s not too sweet, and seems to cut right through my thirst. In another day or two, we’re going to go pick up the Sportster. Part of me wants to get excited about it, but the other part of me doesn’t want to get my hopes up too high. Hell; it’s an Iron Motor. Even if it’s a Rat, it should still run. I hope. We’ll see. | ||
| Crusty |
A very interesting read (especially for me)...... 1. Australia is as wide as the distance between London to Moscow. 2. The biggest property in Australia is bigger than Belgium. 3. More than 85% of Australians live within 50km of the coast. 4. In 1880, Melbourne was the richest city in the world. 5. Gina Rinehart, Australia's richest woman, earns $1 million every half hour, or $598 every second. 6. In 1892, a group of 200 Australians unhappy with the government tried to start an offshoot colony in Paraguay to be called 'New Australia'. 7. The first photos from the 1969 moon landing were beamed to the rest of the world from Honeysuckle Tracking Station, near Canberra. 8. Australia was the second country in the world to allow women to vote (New Zealand was first). 9. Each week, 70 tourists overstay their visas. 10. In 1856, stonemasons took action to ensure a standard of 8-hour working days, which then became recognised worldwide. 11. Former Prime Minister Bob Hawke set a world record for sculling 2.5 pints of beer in 11 seconds. Hawke later suggested that this was the reason for his great political success. 12. The world's oldest fossil, which is about 3.4 billion years old, was found in Australia. 13. Australia is very sparsely populated: The UK has 248.25 persons per square kilometre, while Australia has only 2.66 persons per square kilometre. 14. Australia's first police force was made up of the most well-behaved convicts. 15. Australia has the highest electricity prices in the world. 16. There were over one million feral camels in outback Australia, until the government launched the $19m Feral Camel Management Program, which aims to keep the pest problem under control. 17. Saudi Arabia imports camels from Australia (mostly for meat production). 18. Qantas once powered an interstate flight with cooking oil. 19. Per capita, Australians spend more money on gambling than any other nation. 20. In 1832, 300 female convicts mooned the governor of Tasmania. It was said that in a "rare moment of collusion with the Convict women, the ladies in the Governor's party could not control their laughter." 21. Australia is home to the longest fence in the world. It is 5,614 km long, and was originally built to keep dingoes away from fertile land. 22. Australia was one of the founding members of the United Nations. 23. Melbourne is considered the sporting capital of the world, as it has more top level sport available for its citizens than anywhere else. 24. Before the arrival of humans, Australia was home to megafauna: three metre tall kangaroos, seven metre long goannas, horse-sized ducks, and a marsupial lion the size of a leopard. 25. Kangaroos and emus cannot walk backward, one of the reasons that they're on the Australian coat of arms. 26. Speaking of, Australia is one of the only countries where we eat the animals on our coat of arms. 27. If you visited one new beach in Australia every day, it would take over 27 years to see them all. 28. Melbourne has the world's largest Greek population outside of Athens. 29. The Great Barrier Reef is the planet's largest living structure. 30. And it has it's own postbox! 31. The male platypus has strong enough venom to kill a small dog. 32. And when the platypus was first sent to England, it was believed the Australians had played a joke by sewing the bill of a duck onto a rat. 33. Before 1902, it was illegal to swim at the beach during the day. 34. A retired cavalry officer, Francis De Grootstole the show when the Sydney Harbour Bridge officially opened. Just as the Premier was about to cut the ribbon, De Groot charged forward on his horse and cut it himself, with his sword. The ribbon had to be retied, and De Groot was carted off to a mental hospital. He was later charged for the cost of one ribbon. 35. Australia has 3.3x more sheep than people. 36. Prime Minister Harold Holt went for a swim at Cheviot Beach, and was never seen again. 37. Australia's national anthem was 'God Save The King/Queen' until 1984. 38. Wombat poop is cube shaped! This helps it mark its territory. 39. European settlers in Australia drank more alcohol per capita than any other society in history. 40. The Australian Alps receive more snowfall than Switzerland. 41. A kangaroo is only one centimetre long when it is born. 42. Sir John Robertson, a five-time premier of NSW in the 1800s, began every morning with half a pint of rum. He said: "None of the men who in this country have left footprints behind them have been cold water men." 43. The Box jellyfish has killed more people in Australia than stonefish, sharks and crocodiles combined. 44. Tasmania has the cleanest air in the world. 45. The average Aussie drinks 96 litres of beer per year. 46. 63% of Australians are overweight. 47. Australia is ranked second on the Human Development Index (based on life expectancy, income and education). 48. In 2005, security guards at Canberra's Parliament House were banned from calling people 'mate'. It lasted one day. 49. In Australia, it is illegal to walk on the right-hand side of a footpath. 50. Australia is the only continent in the world without an active volcano. 51. Aussie Rules footy was originally designed to help cricketers to keep fit in the off-season. 52. The name 'Kylie' came from an Aboriginal hunting stick, similar to the boomerang. 53. 91% of the country is covered by native vegetation. 54. The largest-ever victory in an international football match was when Australia beat American Samoa 31-0 in 2001. 55. There are 60 designated wine regions in Australia. 56. Melbourne has been ranked the world's most liveable city for the past three years. 57. If all the sails of the Opera House roof were combined, they would create a perfect sphere. The architect was inspired while eating an orange. 58. Australia is home to 20% of the world's poker machines. 59. Half of these are found in New South Wales. 60. Moomba, Australia's largest free festival, held in Melbourne, means 'up your bum' in many Aboriginal languages. 61. No native Australian animals have hooves. 62. The performance by the Sydney Symphony Orchestra at the 2000 Olympics opening ceremony was actually a prerecording- of the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra. 63. The wine cask (goon sack) is an Australian invention 64. So is the selfie. 65. Durack, Australia's biggest electorate, is larger in size than Mongolia. 66. The world's first compulsory seat belt law was put into place in Victoria in 1970. 67. Each year, Brisbane hosts the world championships of cockroach racing. 68. In 1932, the Australian military waged war on the emu population of Western Australia. Embarrassingly, they lost. 69. Canberra was created in 1908 as a compromise when Sydney and Melbourne both wanted to be the capital city. 70. A gay bar in Melbourne won the right to ban women from the premises, because they made the men uncomfortable. 71. In 1992, an Australian gambling syndicatebought almost all the number combinations in a Virginia lottery, and won. They turned a $5m purchase into a $27m win. 72. Eucalyptus oil is highly flammable, meaning gum trees may explode if ignited, or in bushfires. 73. In 1975, Australia had a government shutdown, which ended with the Queen firing everyone and the government starting again. 74. A bearded Australian was removed from a darts match in the UK, after the audience started chanting 'Jesus!' at him, distracting the players. 75. There have been instances of wallabiesgetting high after breaking into opium crops, then running around and making what look like crop circles. 76. An Australian man once tried to sell New Zealand on eBay. 77. In 1940, two aircraft collided in midair, in NSW. Instead of crashing, the two planes became stuck together and made a safe landing. 78. The male lyrebird, which is native to Australia, can mimic the calls of over 20 other birds. If that's not impressive enough, he can also perfectly imitate the sound of a camera, chainsaw and car alarm. 79. Some shopping centres and restaurants play classical music in their car park to deter teenagers from loitering at night. 80. Despite sharing the same verbal language, Australian, British and American sign languageare all completely different languages. 81. In 1979, debris from NASA's space station 'Skylab' crashed in Esperance, WA. The town then fined NASA $400 for littering. 82. There have been no deaths in Australia from a spider bite since 1979. 83. There currently a chlamydia outbreak among koala species, which has led to a 15% drop in koala populations. 84. In NSW, there is a coal fire beneath the ground which has been burning for 5,500 years. 85. An Australian election TV debate was rescheduled so it didn't conflict with the finale of reality cooking show Masterchef. 86. Chinese explorers travelled to Australia long before Europeans arrived. As early as the 1400s, sailors and fisherman came to Australia for sea-cucumbers and to trade with Indigenous peoples. 87. The first European to visit Australia was Dutch explorer Willem Janszoon, in 1606. More Dutch explorers visited the country over the next hundred years, plotting maps and naming it 'New Holland'. 88. Captain James Cook first landed on Australia's east coast in 1770. In 1788, the British returned with eleven ships to establish a penal colony. Within days of The First Fleet's arrival and the raising of the British flag, two French ships arrived, just too late to claim Australia for France. | ||
| Crusty |
It’s A Beautiful Day I’ve been writing these Snippets from the dining room since I got here, but this morning I’m out on the veranda. It’s hard to write while sitting out here; the view is so beautiful it pulls my eyes away from the laptop. As soon as I start to look at the screen, a bird or two will fly by and draw my attention to it (or them) There’s a family of Galahs that live in the big gum tree out front, Galahs are grey and bright pink with some white on the tops of their heads, they’re about the size of a Cockatoo, and they’re the clowns of the Australian bird world. They will hang upside down from power lines, just for kicks, and they enjoy making a racket. The younger birds are not as brightly colored as the adults, but they make more of a racket. Or so it seems to me. Since I mentioned Cockatoos, there are a few of them here, too. White birds with a very non-melodic squawk. but they’re pretty to watch as they peck around out in the field. I mention that because there were a couple of Cockatoos in the field with a half dozen Galahs last night. I saw a Rainbow Lorikeet yesterday. It was red, green and yellow, a bit larger than a pigeon, but ten times prettier. I’m not a bird watcher (some consider me a bird brain, but we won’t go into that now), but it’s hard to not be amazed by the very colorful and diverse birds here. I couldn’t tell you the names of most of them, but there are enough variations to constantly catch my eye. It makes it tough for an Old Tramp to concentrate on writing. Speaking of writing, it’s getting harder to come up with ideas on what to write about. I’ve been pretty sedentary the past few days. While it’s exciting for me to see another Koala up in the tree by the cow’s paddock, the people who read this will soon get tired of it if it happened on a regular basis. I could talk about the lady at the Post Office who was fascinated by my tale of last winter’s snow in Massachusetts, but that’s not especially interesting to others. How about if I talk about money? I was worried that I wouldn’t be able to use my debit card here; or that there would so many fees that it would be cost prohibitive. This fear was compounded at the Post Office when I tried to use my debit card to pay for postage and the card reader wouldn’t accept it. However, I had no trouble getting cash out from a major bank’s (WestPac) ATM, and it even told me what the current exchange rate was. The bank here had reasonable fees for using their ATM, but now I have to see how much my Credit Union charges me. I won’t know until probably tomorrow. It may be Monday morning here, but it’s still Sunday evening back in Massachusetts. The exchange rate between Australian Dollars and US Dollars is very favorable, but prices are higher here for nearly everything, so it offsets the exchange rate. It’s actually more expensive to live here than back in the States. Then again, I’m offsetting that by trying to be as frugal as I possibly can. That, of course is offset by the fact that I’ve been trying to be a cheapskate since I started on this journey, etc, ad nauseum. Anyhow, I was trying to come up with a humorous way to make a reference to White birds in a golden cage, but my brain is a bit too addled this morning. Hopefully I’ll be a bit sharper once I get the Iron Motor here and try to get it up and running. | ||
| Ourdee |
You won't be so hesitant to go to Canada after this will you? | ||
| 86129squids |
Crustigideroo- PLEASE take pics of the flora/fauna/birdies! It's pretty unlikely most of us will be able to do what you're doing in this lifetime... through your "snippets" and your pictures, we live vicariously, AND frugally...  I used to have a couple of cockatiels- they were great companions. (FEMALES both, beware of males, they get testosterone poisoned and can/will revert back to wild/feral even if raised tame.) My GF had a green conure, IIRC, loved it before she met me. We miss our birds- they'd be snacks with the two dogs we love now. I for one am looking forward to hearing about you getting back on two wheels! BE SAFE- when Graham was here, I marveled at his skill riding on US roads after leaving his native ones. I don't doubt you're up to the challenge, friend.  | ||
| Crusty |
I will post pictures when I can. Internet access here is dependent on how much gets downloaded. It's getting close to the limit for the month, so I won't be posting pictures until the new month starts; which is, I think on the 10th. In the meantime, I'll try to get some pictures of the plants and animals I describe, then I'll post them when there's lots of bites or bytes or bits or gazorps available. | ||
| 86129squids |
Looking forward to grokkin' it. | ||
| Tootal |
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ylMaRaYc6mM | ||
| 86129squids |
Here ya go Tootal- I haven't heard this for a LONG time, thanks! | ||
| Crusty |
Fun In The Sun Yesterday, the weather was beautiful, as usual. The day started out on a kind of sour note, though. The kids woke up really fussy, and that affected everybody else’s mood. Melia dragged out the Christmas decorations and soon everybody was putting up all kinds of ornaments. I had retreated to the veranda to write a Snippet, then read some Heinlein, when Roni Ann noticed me and drafted me into untangling and sorting about a bazillion pieces of tinsel garland. It wasn’t a bad job, the pieces were many different colors and I just took my time and wound up with twenty or twenty five different lengths of glittery, fluffy metallic stuff. which I sorted bt draping over the veranda railing. Then I was handed the strings of Christmas lights to do the same with. That was a little more challenging. It took a bit more effort, but when I was done I had two 1,000 bulb strings of lights. Christmas lights here are different in that the bulbs are only a couple of inches apart on the strings, not a foot apart like they are back home. At any rate, once I got the strings separated out and un-knotted, one string had a broken wire right at the plug, so it was useless, and when I plugged in the other string, only 8 bulbs lit up (out of 1,000). I guess that last year, Ron was in a bad mood when they were taking the lights down, and just stuffed all the lights together in a hurry. I had noticed that there were a couple of areas in the yard that needed trimming, so I told Melia I’d like to run the weed whacker. It got me away from hyper kids who were running around and screaming and it made me feel like I was accomplishing something I went out and started trimming around the Flame tree (which is just now starting to flower) . Then the throttle quit working. So I took a good look at it and discovered that the lock nuts on the throttle cable had come loose. Out came the Leatherman and 4” crescent that I keep on my key ring, and it was as good as new in a couple of minutes. I explained to Melia what had happened and what I’d done and she was very happy. I’s saved her a bundle, as the shop would have charged her $85.00 just to look at it, then charged a minimum of 1 hour labor to fix it (another $85.00). Plus a new throttle cable as the threads were buggered. (I fixed that by running the second nut up from behind the damaged threads, which straightened them out). Feeling like I had accomplished something, I returned to my weed trimming. The area around the tree was cleared as was the fence along side for a ways. I went through a tank of gas and was using up the last of the gas that was in the gas can and having a good old time. I cleared all around the fire pit, and I heard Roni Ann ask if I wanted a glass of cold water. I told her, “In a few minutes; I just want to run out this tank of gas.” Which I did. I put the weed whacker away in the shed, and started toward the house, when I suddenly realized that I was about to faint. I made it the 100 feet or so to a chair in the shade under the veranda, and just collapsed into it for about 15 or 20 minutes or so. Then Tylana, Melia’s granddaughter who’s visiting for a couple of days, brought me a glass of cold water, After I drank that, I made my way into the house and just sat in a chair in front of the fan for a while and drank cold liquids. When I got a bit of strength back, I went and took a cool shower. Then I sat in a chair and slept for a couple of hours. I was ill pretty much for the rest of the day. I was surprised by how fast it snuck up on me. I was feeling fine right up until I put the weed whacker away. I was hot and sweaty, but that’s normal when I work outside in the sun. I got sick and weak literally within seconds. That’s something I’m just going to have to be aware of in the future. Heat exhaustion really sucks, and I still have a bit of a lingering headache this morning. (Message edited by Crusty on November 30, 2015) | ||
| 86129squids |
Yeesh! You were probably low on calories and electrolytes... surely they have Gatorade or the like down there! Hope you get to feeling better dude! | ||
| Finmars |
Hi Crusty, regarding number 36 on your list. After Harold Holt disappeared, presumed drowned, they built a public swimming and named it for him.  | ||
| Pwnzor |
I heard Vegemite has ten times the beneficial effects of Gatorade... John, try not to hurt yourself brother. | ||
| Crusty |
I heard Vegemite has ten times the beneficial effects of Gatorade... You've never tasted Vegemite, have you? I understand that some people like it. My grandmother used to pour black coffee over her Raisin Bran in the morning for breakfast and chased it down with a tall glass of Cranberry juice. She loved it. She also loved Moxie. I think Vegemite is in the same category as the things Nana used to enjoy. | ||
| Zac4mac |
I'm sure I had some Vegemite in the early 80s, but don't remember anything. I spent 3 days with a couple and their 5yr old daughter in Sydney in 1981. I do remember drinking Aussie wine and eating cheese while watching the TV.. so different and 6 months behind USA. Some of my favorite Navy memories... Cool folks and a magical little girl in a beautiful city. I liked John's list about he Sydney Concert Hall's sails together make a sphere. Such a beautiful building, I stood on the edge of our flight deck in my "dress uniform" with 1000 other sailors and marines as we pulled in to port at Sydney. Pictures just don't do it justice. Z | ||
| 86129squids |
"You've never tasted Vegemite, have you? I understand that some people like it. My grandmother used to pour black coffee over her Raisin Bran in the morning for breakfast and chased it down with a tall glass of Cranberry juice. She loved it. She also loved Moxie. I think Vegemite is in the same category as the things Nana used to enjoy."  What age did your Nana make it to? | ||
| Crusty |
Nana lived to be 89. She was born in Sicily in 1889 and came to the USA with my Grandfather in the late 1920s. They were legal immigrants and never took one cent as a handout. They earned their way. I still remember her in the 1960s. She loved to watch Mitch Miller and drink a bottle of Moxie while doing it. She never learned much English, but she sure knew how to show her grandchildren love. (Message edited by Crusty on December 01, 2015) | ||
| Crusty |
Truckin’ Trucks in Australia tend to be big. Yesterday afternoon, I saw a tandem Semi rig hauling three shipping containers and I counted 12 axles. Eleven of them had four wheels per axle and the twelfth was the front, so it only had two. Most Semis here (but not all) have at least 22 wheels. They tend to have three axles under the trailer instead of the usual two rear axles common in the US. I’m looking forward to when I get to see a Truck Train when I start traveling around. There are a few vehicles here that I’ve never seen in the States. On our way here when Melia and Ronnie Ann picked me up at the airport in Brisbane, I saw a pretty big 4 wheel drive Nissan that I’ve never seen in the US. I’ve forgotten the name of the model, but it was totally unfamiliar. Utes are pretty popular. A Ute is like a flat bed truck that has aluminum sides on the bed that are only about a foot high. There’s usually a bar across the bed, like a roll bar, right behind the cab. The sides of the Ute body are hinged, so they can be dropped down for easy loading and unloading. They’re a functional and practical farm or other type of work truck. I’m surprised that they’ve never caught on in the US. Last night, I saw a modern Ford Ranchero. It was low and wide and looked pretty good to me. Melia said that Holden also makes something similar. Holden is, I think, GM’s brand here. I’ve always liked Rancheros and El Caminos, even though I’ve never owned one. One would be ideal for someone like me who only wants one four wheeled vehicle. The bed is lower than the bed in a pickup, and I would only use it as a truck occasionally (usually to haul motorcycles or motorcycle parts). I’d mostly use it as a car to get around in during the winter months, or to buy groceries when it’s raining. I’m getting used to vehicles having the steering wheel on the right; I’ve gotten better about which side of the car or truck to walk around when I’m getting back in after opening the gate to the drive. For the first few days, I’d automatically walk up the right side to get in, then have to walk around the front to get in the passenger side. I think I’ll be starting to drive soon. I’ve gotten more used to things being opposite than back in the States. It’s quite a bit tougher than you’d think. It’s the little things that really throw you , like having to look up to the left to use the rear view mirror, or going clockwise in a roundabout, or expecting oncoming traffic approaching from the right, instead of the left. I know that I can do it; I’ve logged thousands of miles driving on the left. I just have to reawaken those reflexes. | ||
| Crusty |
BBQ Chips As I’ve made clear in past Snippets, I have a real thing for BBQ potato chips. I tried every new brand that I came across in the US. Some I really liked and some I didn’t care for but most were in between. The interesting thing was that my favorite remained my favorite, even after sampling chips from all over, (It’s Ute’s Smoking’ Sweet Kettle Chips) However, Grippo’s BBQ chips were pretty damn’ tasty and I also liked Golden Flake BBQ chips quite a bit. Anyhow, here I am in Australia, and there’s a whole country full of new Potato Chip makers. I anticipated finding lots of interesting flavors (flavours?) The first chips I tried were Kettle brand Chili chips. I liked them. They tasted like chili pepper with a bit of heat, but not excessive. The next chips were the same brand, but they were BBQ Rib flavor chips with real Angus Beef. They tasted like burnt beef ribs. Ugh. Yesterday, when I drove into town to get Christmas Cards (yeah; I’ve started driving), I got a bag of National brand Flame Grilled Barbecue Chips. To be blunt, they sucked. I tried to tell myself that I just had to get used to the taste, but no. Screw that. They taste like dung. I couldn’t eat half the bag. I was talking to Melia about them, and she told me that, while she rather likes most BBQ chips back in the States, she hasn’t found any here that she enjoys. That’s depressing news. However, being the obstinate independent thinker that I am, I’ll continue to sample the different BBQ chips. Who knows, maybe I’ll find one that I like. If I do, I promise to report it here. I’m going to keep this short today, as I have to write some more Christmas Cards. | ||
| Alfau |
http://www.foodstandards.gov.au/consumer/additives/msg/Pages/default.aspx (Message edited by alfau on December 03, 2015) | ||
| Pwnzor |
I just discovered Grippo's myself the other day, one of my drivers came back from Ohio with a bag. I have since ordered a 1.5 pound BOX of them directly from the manufacturer... should be delivered in another day or two... | ||
| Alfau |
http://www.foodstandards.gov.au/consumer/additives /msg/Pages/default.aspx | ||
| Crusty |
A Few Photos. A Pointsettia bush growing beside the shed  A Koala that was very close to the house  My now Internationally famous Roasted Potatoes (they went well with Melia's BBQ ribs)  The nearest neighbor (a few hundred yards away)  A Frangipangi bush  I don't know what these flowers are called, and the photo doesn't do them justice; they're extremely beautiful  A Galah  | ||
| Crusty |
Tylana (my Grand niece) showing how close the bulbs are on a Christmas light string  | ||
| Pwnzor |
Is a Galah some type of parrot? Great pictures, keep them coming! | ||
| Crusty |
Is a Galah some type of parrot? I really don't know. They look like a pink, grey and white colored Cockatoo, and are about the same size as one. I have seen parrots here, so it's possible, but I think they're a separate species. | ||
| Crusty |
My friends still have their American accents, but the kids and grandkids definitely have Australian accents. I wanted to move here back in 1994, but Australia has closed their borders to immigration; unless you have a job skill that is needed and can't be performed by a resident. Since I'm now retired, I am welcome to come here and spend my money for 3 months at a time, then I have to leave. I can leave and return after one day and stay for another three months, but then, I have to leave again. I can do this for up to a year before I have to get another visa. Since I'm planning to stay for just under 6 months, I plan to leave in mid-February for a day, then return until early May. Today we're going to go pick up the Sportster. I'm torn between excitement and dread. The more I've heard about how it fared since I left here in 1997, the lower my expectations are. I haven't given up hope, though it has gotten pretty dim. | ||
| Crusty |
I’m Tired Back in 1995, a guy pushed a rolling basket case Sportster into Guido’s shop. The carb wasn’t even attached to the manifold; it was hanging by the throttle cable. All of the sheet metal was bent and it was painted a color I can only describe as regurgitated wine. Guido bought it for a song, which was more than it was worth. he went through the engine and transmission, then sold it to me at a break even price. I had worked for Guido while I was laid off from my regular job; I was a Sandhog in Boston. I was planning to take another trip to Australia (I’d gone there for a couple of months in January of ’94) and I wanted a Harley to ride. I had to put a lot of money and work into the bike. I replaced both fenders, and I got a Superglide tank for it. There was a lot of other work that went into building it, but after a year and a half, I had a Sportster that was set up as good as I could get it for a traveling bike. I shipped it over to Ron and Melia in January of ’97, and followed a month later. I rode that bike to Launceston, Tasmania for the 8th Australian National HOG Rally. When I left Australia to return to the States, I gave the bike to Roni Ann. Both Ron and Melia had Softails, I figured she deserved a Harley to ride with Mom and Dad. Over the years, the bike developed a problem with its clutch. Ron is a good Helicopter mechanic, but he didn’t want to work on the Sportster. Melia didn’t know how to fix the problem, so the bike just sat for a few years. At some point, Melia gave the bike to Ben, a close family friend who had some mechanical ability, who said he would find the problem and fix it. He never did. Supposedly, the bike was sitting in a shop. Nothing was being done, but at least it was out of the weather. Today, Roni Ann and I went to Ben’s place of business to pick up the bike. The bike that I put so much work into 20 years ago is now a complete rag. It wasn’t stored in a shop at all. In fact, it looks like it was just parked on a beach and left to let the salt air do its work, though Ben said it was in a shed. It’s in worse shape than when it rolled into Guido’s shop in ’95. The part that scares me is that I’m pretty sure the primary cover has been off for a few years. The clutch is disassembled and some parts are in a box. I didn’t take a complete inventory, but I’m pretty positive that there are missing parts. The Primary cover is partly put back on, but there’s a gap of about half an inch, and I can see rust on the Primary chain and on the ring gear on the clutch basket. Anyway, we got the bike back to the farm after sunset. Tomorrow, we’ll unload it and push it into the shed. Then I’ll be able to evaluate the chances of getting it running a bit better. I don’t know how many hours I put into building that bike. Back then, I had a key to the shop, and would go over on Sundays and spend an afternoon by myself just working on it. When it was done, it was a real thing of beauty to my eyes. I searched for a Superglide tank, a stock exhaust from a ’78 Sportster and an undamaged oil tank and side cover at swap meets. I had a truly skillful Painter put a magnificent paint job on the sheet metal. When I got the parts back from Derek (the painter), I left them in my apartment for weeks so I could just admire their beauty in my living room. It was nothing fancy, just one solid color (Banzai Blue, used by Chrysler); but it was so well done that I wouldn’t detract from its beauty by putting a decal on the tank. On the way home, after picking up the bike, we stopped at a Costco. I bought a 3 pack of WD-40 and a bundle of terrycloth rag towels. Tomorrow, I’ll start on cleaning up some of the rust and corrosion. Maybe I can breathe some life back into it. I’m sure as hell going to try. I took four pictures of it. here they are:     | ||
| Tootal |
0000 steel wool and WD40 with some elbow grease for the chrome. That aluminum is horrible!  You could try some aluminum jelly and see if it will eat the corrosion off. Anything you can remove could be bead blasted at low pressure, like 30 psi. Then be polished out. The plugs are still in so hopefully the cylinder walls are still ok. Definitely going to keep you from being bored! | ||
| Damnut |
you don't need cosmetics to ride.  As long as the internals are ok I wouldn't waste any time getting it to look pretty. Just get it running and ride the shit out of it. Who cares what it looks like............. |
