| Author | Message | ||
     Ourdee |
This vicarious life is pretty good when I am not going out to the garage to put my new plugs in the Scg because it is too cold. Thank you! Hey, one of those home coming key chains you made just went for $10.00 in the classifieds. Still using mine. I didn't see the ad in time to have a second one. Thanks again for that too! | ||
| Zac4mac |
My only key for Loretta is on the one you gave me - Thanks again John. Z | ||
| Crusty |
A Day (And Evening) At The Races It's been an interesting few days. We got ready and headed out to Kristyn's on Friday morning. We didn't stop at the Commonwealth Bank ATM in Gatton, as it was in the wrong direction from the way we were going. That was a mistake. I prefer That ATM as they give a much better exchange rate than the other banks do. We figured that there would be plenty of other Com. Banks along the way. Maybe there were, but we didn't find them. We got down to Ocean Shores and we decided to hit the local Supermarket and buy the ingredients to make spaghetti and meatballs, as well as drinks for the trip down to Taree. The spaghetti was a hit; we ate our fill then kicked back for a while talking, then we all went to bed early since we were getting up really early to be at the race on time. It took us from 5:00 AM to 10:30 AM to get to the track. I'd been watching the weather forecast all week long, and the prediction was that while there might be showers in the morning, they were supposed to quit before noon, and the races should be run without any problem. The Weather Forecasters in Australia are no more accurate than the Forecasters in the States. Although it rained a few times during the afternoon, I have to say that they know how to get the track in raceable condition in short order. Being an oiled dirt track, it was fairly easy to get the track back into rideable shape quickly, and the track crew knew their business. There was some good racing happening on the track. New track records were set; not just being broken but being shattered.There were many different classes, from kids, and women and various amateur classes to the current top Dirt Track Racers. A few notable changes from US Flat Track is the bikes all had front brakes, and the starts were all motocross type starts. All the bikes would line up in a row at the beginning of the front straight at the exit from the pits. It made for some interesting turn one lines and encounters. Another change from AMA Flat Track is that there’s no White Flag. Instead, the Flagman holds up a bright green sign that says LAST LAP on it. The heats were all very short races, most being only 4 laps long. We saw something like 43 different races, between Practice sessions and qualifying heats and such. We saw quite a few mains for the lesser classes during the afternoon. It all moved quickly and efficiently, which was evident from the fact that it was all happening on schedule despite a couple of breaks to get the water off the track after a couple of showers passed through. Troy Bayliss himself was racing, and he is fast on dirt as well as on pavement. However, I'm am American, and I was rooting for the Home Team. In one of the Qualifyers, Bayliss was leading for the first couple of laps, but Sammy Halbert (a Yank) caught and passed him a couple of laps before the checkers. Things were shaping up for some really good racing in the Main Events. Then more rain came. Another shower that lasted only a few minutes, and the track crew got things worked out fairly quickly as they had done during the afternoon. Then, just before the start of all the Finals, a deluge hit. It poured heavily. The sun was also setting at the same time, and despite the efforts of the track crew, the water wouldn’t go away. The evening cool did nothing to help evaporate the water. We sat for a couple of hours watching the track crew do their best, but it became obvious that there would be no more racing that evening, so we left and made the long drive back to Ocean Shores and Kristyn’s house; arriving just after 3:30 AM. I do have a couple of complaints. First, everything at the track, from race tickets to food and t-shirts and such was Cash Only. I was willing to spend a lot more than I did, but couldn’t because I had a limited amount of cash on me. If I could have used my credit card for the big items, we would easily have eaten more food and bought more commemorative items (T-shirts, hats, etc) Troy Bayliss Enterprises need to work on that for next year. Of course, next year, I’ll know a bit more about the race, and I’ll be prepared with a lot more cash on my person. Second, my complaint has nothing to do with the Race, but with the New South Wales Department of Transportation. We must have passed 50 (yes, Fifty) Speed Cameras between Byron Bay and Taree on Highway M1 (officially, 464 Kms which is 288 Miles). They even have Speed Cameras to check your average speed over a long distance so that they can catch those horrible miscreants who slow down for the Cameras, then speed back up. Do you really need the Revenue that badly? Revenue generation is the only reason I can come up with for most of the Speed Cameras. They sure as hell weren’t making the roads any safer. Maybe the NSW DOT should spend their money on road maintenance instead of revenue generators. There were more patches on the pavement than on the blue jeans worn at Woodstock in 1969. I, spite of my complaints, it was a good event. If Mother Nature had been a little more kindly inclined, I think it would have been a great event. I would go back. I hope to go on a motorcycle next year, instead of in a car. (Message edited by Crusty on January 17, 2016) | ||
| Crusty |
Fb1; That particular photo was taken by Leslie Prevish on New Year's Day, 1999. I had gone out for my annual New Year's Day ride and went to Redbones BBQ in Davis Square in Somerville, Mass. My bike was parked right across the street from Redbones. I met up with Leslie and Leigh Hudson (who she was dating at the time) for lunch. After we ate, she insisted on taking the picture of me with my bike. As far as not changing, well... I weigh about 25 pounds more and my hair is a bit thinner and it's a lot more grey. | ||
| Pwnzor |
I weigh about 25 pounds more and my hair is a bit thinner and it's a lot more grey. I hope I age as gracefully as you have, sir. | ||
| Fb1 |
Crusty, I weigh about 50 pounds more, my hair is a LOT thinner, and what's left is almost TOTALLY grey!! I had the pleasure of working with Leslie several times over the years. She did a great job, and always had a smile on her face.  | ||
| Crusty |
A Shot Of Bitters Coastal Australia is very different from even just a few miles inland. There are mountains right along the coast or just inland, and they scrub most of the moisture from the incoming air. It’s noticeably more humid along the coast, and the plants and trees are much different. We saw quite a few Cane fields and sugar refineries and Banana plantations on our trip down to Taree. The weather was cooler along the coast, as well. Because of the modifying effect of the South Pacific, temperatures don’t vary as much as they do inland. Where it may be 30 degrees (F) warmer at noon than at 5:00 AM here, the variation will be much less along the coast. It won’t get as cold at night, nor will it get as hot mid day. (This is a generalization. there are days when the opposite is true) Another difference between being here as opposed to the Coast is that there is a lot more wildlife here. That, however, is more likely because of population density. There are a lot more people living along the coast. Out here, people are a lot more spread out.That mean much quieter nights. At Kristyn’s house, I could hear the traffic going up and down the M1. Still; there really is an attraction to living less than a mile from the South Pacific Ocean. If I ever hit the Lottery, I’ll probably buy a house on the Coast and Winter there (Dream along with me…  ) I’ve pretty much resigned myself to the fact that I won’t have a rideable motorcycle here on this trip. I will when I return next year. While I could get a bike now, it would take all my money, it wouldn’t be a Sportster and I wouldn’t have the money to go anywhere on it. Besides, there are things I want to do to the Roadster back home to make it more of my idea of a really good Traveler. I want to put a set of Hepco & Becker Junior bags on it, which means finding a good welder to modify a set of mounts to fit my bike. I bought a set of mounts for a Honda VTX off FleaBay, they just need to be cut and welded so that they’ll fit my bike. That’ll cost a bit; they’ll also have to be powdercoated which will add to the cost. I bought a used 4 1/2 gallon tank, but I still need to buy an old style front fender (to keep more rain water off me) and they will need to be painted. And I need to get a Sundowner seat that fits with the bigger tank. My present seat is tank specific. All of this costs money, so if I spend all my dough getting a bike I can’t ride anywhere, then I won’t be able to get the Roadster sorted out. If I’m really frugal this summer, then maybe I’ll be able to save up a little bit and I’ll have enough to either go through the Iron Motor or get something else to ride while I slowly rebuild the ’79. If I buy the things the Iron Motor needs for short money over the summer, then I’ll just be able to bring them with me when I return, and save a bundle on shipping. I haven’t quite decided what I’m going to do, but those options sure give me something to think about. In the meantime, today might be a good day to start reorganizing the shed to make better use of the available space. | ||
| 86129squids |
Rent or borrow a bike? Go in halvsies with your friends?  | ||
| Crusty |
Money, Money, Money I’m living on a fixed income and I get paid on the fourth Wednesday of the month; which means that every few months, I have to live for five weeks on the same money as on the four week months. On those 5 week months, I have to get by pretty cheaply on the last week, as I’m usually pretty low on cash. This month is a five week month. I have enough to survive until next week when the Eagle sh*ts again, but I won’t be living extravagantly. Such is retired life. Since I am in foreign country, I keep an eye on the current exchange rate between US Dollars and Australian Dollars, which fluctuates constantly. The Australian Dollar has been hovering around .69 and .70 USD. I just looked at a Currency Converter and $150 AUD is $103.63. Now, I have to add in Bank fees, and ATM fees, so I think it’ll work out to about $110, roughly. Maybe a little less. I also have to be careful which ATM I use. For instance, Westpac only gives me an exchange rate of .75, where Commonwealth Bank gives me closer to the actual exchange rate. So; if you add in the fact that I have to squeeze my pennies to get by this week with the fact that one bank gives a much better exchange rate on my money, I’ll be going to the Commonwealth Bank to draw out my cash today. Most things are more expensive here than they are in the States. Gas (Petrol) is a lot higher. It’s been coming down, but it’s currently at $1.16/Litre at the cheaper stations. I just did the math, converting Liters to gallons and USD to AUD and it works out to $3.89/ gallon in US dollars. It was a lot higher in early December. When I first got here, I saw several gas stations at $1.29 or more. Vehicles are a lot more expensive here. Motorcycles are notably more. A used Sportster that runs for about $4 to 5 Grand at home goes for $10 or 11 Grand. A 20 year old Yamaha 900 that I was looking at was $3350. That same bike back home would be half as much, even with the dollar conversion. Cars are just as bad. $500.00 sh*tboxes at home cost three or four thousand here. Food is generally the same price or maybe slightly more expensive here and sometimes it’s cheaper. A quarter Pounder Meal at Maccas (McDonald’s) runs just under 10 bucks. After conversion that’s about the same price as back home. One thing that the Australians do that I really approve of is that all sales taxes are incorporated into the price of an item. In other words, if something has a price of, say $1.25 you pay $1.25 they don’t add on 6 or 8 percent for meal tax or sales tax or anything else; it’s already included in the price. I wish they’d do that in the States; it makes life a lot simpler. Well, it’s time to get ready to go into town. I’ll get some cash and buy milk, toothpaste and Pepsi; maybe, If the Pepsi’s on sale, I’ll stop at the Cafe 133 and get a large mug of Flat White coffee. | ||
| Crusty |
Here To There, Or Back Again? Yesterday, the morons at msn.com were predicting a major snowstorm for the East Coast of the US. Heavy snow from Washington to Boston. It was 96º (F) and sunny here. I hate cold weather and I hate Winter; so why do I want to go back and have to shovel snow? I mean, it’s beautiful here. It’s in the low 70s right now at 7:30 in the morning, there are a few wispy clouds, but nothing heavy and it’s supposed to be very similar to yesterday, weather wise. Yet I have a very strong urge to call Air New Zealand and move my departure date up. I’ve got many reasons why I shouldn’t; while I could stay at Ernie and Candy’s for a little while, I’d need to find an apartment. Between the security deposit and first and last month’s rent,it would shoot the hell out of all the money I’ve set aside to transform the Roadster. Plus, I’d have to sign a lease. That would stop my traveling for at least a year. While I’m starting to want to settle down, I’m not there yet. Plus, I’m not real sure about where I want to settle down. Montrose has the climate I prefer, but Cincinnati has affordable housing and Fitchburg is where most of my friends are. To be honest, I really like New England. If it wasn’t for the Winters there, it’s where I’d pick. But I really hate winter. I hate the cold and the snow and ice and everything else that comes along with it. So I’m back to my original question; why do I want to go back? Back in the 70s and early 80s, I would go away during the summer, and return to Massachusetts in the fall. I’d usually migrate to some hotter location, then return to face winter. Even a duck has better sense. I’ve found the Endless Summer, and now I want to exchange it for Icy Misery? As I’ve gotten older (and having spent a lot of time with numerous Shrinks), I thought I was getting a handle on who and what I am. This itch though, has me baffled. Ah; maybe it’s just a desire for change. I don’t really want to deal with Winter; I just want to do something different. Well; I’ll see how I feel tomorrow. | ||
| Damnut |
John don't know if these bags work for you but they seemed like a good deal. http://www.badweatherbikers.com/buell/messages/21/ 777613.html?1453398420 | ||
| Crusty |
Birds Of A Feather Australia is definitely a Different World from what I’m used to. I mean, yesterday, I was sitting here at the dining room table and looking out at Kangaroos grazing about 100 yards away. You sure as hell don’t see that in the Boston Metrowest area. To be fair, though; there have been Moose sightings as close to the city as Natick and you won’t see that here. There’s a white bird that hangs around cattle here. It’s a Cattle Egret, and it eats bugs and worms and even Cane Toads. It’s a bit bigger than a pigeon and it will sit on the backs of cows, or stand right by their feet picking up whatever insects and worms the cows hooves dig up as they move. The cattle don’t seem to mind them a bit. I think they also pick bugs off the cattle themselves, so it’s a Symbiotic relationship. I see them all the time, and they’re pretty neat looking birds, being a very pure white with a golden orange beak; so I just thought I’d mention them. Another bird that I see frequently is the Ibis. I looked it up, and the ones I’ve been seeing are Australian White Ibis, even though their bodies have more black than white on them. They’re bigger than a duck, but not quite as big as a Canadian Goose. They have a long, narrow beak that curves downward. They almost look like something from a cartoon. If one was drawn into the background of Porky in Wackyland, it would blend in seamlessly. There was one in the paddock outside the window, and it looked odd enough that it inspired this Snippet. Speaking of paddocks, many of the horses here wear blankets. They’re not blankets to keep them warm, they’re to keep the sun from bleaching their coats. The blankets also help to keep insects off the horses. It just looks strange to see so many horses wearing blankets when the temperatures are close to or over 38º C (100º F). And speaking of temps well into the hot zone; lately, I’ve been noticing that my ankle starts aching when the temps get above the mid ’90s (F). I’m used to it bothering me when it’s cold, but it’s usually been fine when it’s hot. I hope this is just a fluke and not a trend. Since it’s supposed to hit 38º (100º) today, I’ll see how it feels. I hope that tomorrow morning I realize that the day went by and I never noticed any discomfort. One last thing. In the US, you see the sign, No shoes, No shirts, No Service on stores and restaurants nearly everywhere. Here, people would laugh at them. Barefoot and shirtless is perfectly acceptable; especially in areas close to the beach. | ||
| Crusty |
Jim; I'm pretty much locked into getting a set of 30 L Juniors. I had the Journey's on both my '06 Uly and my '08 XT. I put Juniors on Terri's Ss, and they are a better bag, in my opinion. While it might be foolish to wait, I'm not going to buy any bags until I have the mounting brackets fabricated. Right now, I've only got 40 something bucks into the project. If there should be some reason that I can't adapt the mounts to my Roadster, I won't be out the money for the bags. I'm pretty sure that the mounts can be altered to fit, though. | ||
| Greg_e |
I can't really see how any decent welder could screw up welding new mounting arms onto the frames, the frame shape is the only important part. Cut, grind, bend, weld, drill, paint seems like the only really actions needed with 1/8 thick by about 1 inch wide steel flat stock as the resource. Maybe need to go with wider stock or a couple of tubes, but even I think I could weld that up and be successful. Mine wouldn't be pretty though, my welding is primitive at best. I did see that they list a C shaped mount for the Sportsters, but I have a feeling this is the wrong one for the cases you want to use. I don't suppose you can get bolt up mounts for Harley touring side cases can you? Those are all over for not much money around here lately, thinking I should pick up a spare set for my Ultra Classic to make paint easier. | ||
| Crusty |
Sum Pitchahs The track at the Troy Bayliss Classic in Taree  A weird looking tree, just outside Downtown Gatton  In Case Of Fire CALL GOD  } | ||
| Crusty |
It’s Not The Heat… …It’s the Humidity. It’s 6:20 in the afternoon/evening, the temperature is 33.7º C (93º F), which is hot, but not brutal. However, the humidity has been fairly high all day, and I’ve been sweating nonstop since about 6:00 AM. Days like this make Montrose, CO look like the best place for me to settle down. Low humidity and dry climate are very appealing to me. One good note is that my ankle hasn’t been bothering me since I wrote about it in that Snippet. I guess I was just being a bit apprehensive. We had a pretty large pod of Kangaroos come by this afternoon. There were 15 in all. Somebody in a 4x4 was driving through the paddocks bordering Melia’s and they came bouncing our way to get away from it. I still enjoy watching them hopping along at a good pace as they cruise through the property. MSN is really hyped up about the Snow storm that’s hitting Washington, DC, but I checked Intellicast, and Hudson is only supposed to get 1 to 3 “. They’re blathering how DC could get as much as 30 inches; if they’re as accurate in that forecast as they usually are, DC will get a dusting. That’s not to pick on MSN per se; all the prognosticators are usually more about hype than accuracy. Anyhow, I’m sitting in front of the fan and sweating and trying to conserve energy and not move too much. Somebody on Moto Campers posted a map of a trip he’s planning to take next year. I saw the route and decided to incorporate it into part of my travels this coming Summer. (It’s Summer here now. When I return to the States, it’ll be Spring into Summer. Sometimes it’s confusing living in Endless Summer) To be more specific, this coming June or July. I plan to head out to the San Francisco area to visit Tony. When I leave there, I’ll head north through Oregon and Washington and go into British Columbia. Then I’ll turn kind of northeast and head into the Canadian Rockies. I’d like to see Banff and Jasper National Parks then head south into Montana and ride the Going-To-The-Sun Road in its entirety. When I was there last June, the Road was open only to the top of Logan Pass. It impressed me enough that I really want to return and ride the whole thing. We’re looking at possible (but not probable) showers every day for the next week. I hope we do get some rain here; we need it. | ||
| Crusty |
A Crazy Thunderstorm It stormed here last night. When we get thunderstorms here, they’re more intense than back in the Northeast US. The lightning is a lot more frequent, and it doesn’t always have accompanying thunder. Sometimes, I can see the bolt of lightning clearly, but I never hear even a mild rumble of thunder. Of course, sometimes there is a very loud blast of sound, which is what I would normally expect. So last night, we sat out on the veranda and watched the storm in the south as it approached us. It was just at sunset, and there was a hole in the clouds. we could see the edges of the white Thunderheads billowing up through the hole, even though it was dark here on the ground. It really looked, um, bizarre but neat. As the storm got closer and the night fell, the frequency and intensity of the lightning increased. It was quite a fascinating show that Mother Nature was putting on for us. After a while, Melia noticed that she could see the shadow of the house on the lawn. We went out to the north side of the house, and the sky was cloudless with an almost full moon shining down. The moon was bright enough that it was causing the shadow of the house. That was really unusual, to say the least. An intense thunderstorm to the south of us and a cloudless sky with a full moon to the north. Eventually, we did get some rain, but it wasn’t heavy, nor did it last for long. By the time the rain started, I was back in the house because the mosquitos were really hungry and I was the Blue Plate Special. This morning, I need to do a load of laundry. One thing about doing laundry here is that the sun is so intense that it bleaches the clothes when they’re drying on the clothesline. My blue jeans and T shirts are fading pretty rapidly. When I first got here, Roni Ann told me to turn my jeans and shirts inside out when I put them on the line. I do that, but they’re still fading rapidly. Well, when I get back to the States, I’ll have to order a bunch of Beefy Ts from Hanes. I’ve lost enough weight that I need to drop down a size as well. I haven’t dropped another size down on my waist yet, so I’ll just have to buy the same size Wranglers. Give me time, the weight loss is ongoing even if it’s slow. My Cardiologist wanted me to lose 20 pounds before my next visit which is in May. I don’t think I’ll make that goal, but I will show some loss. Hey; I didn’t get this round by not enjoying my food. I don’t drink and I don’t smoke. I need to have some outlet for Vice. OK, I’ve finished my first cup of coffee for the day. Time to start washing clothes. | ||
| Ourdee |
Still cold out here. Thanks for the escape, R.D. | ||
| Etennuly |
Hey John call me about your welding and painting. I believe i can help. | ||
| Crusty |
And The Beat Goes On Yesterday was one of those days when no matter what I looked for online, I wasn’t going to find it. I went to E bay and looked for a specific set of saddlebags, and they weren’t there. There were other, similar bags, but not the bags I was looking for. That’s OK, I’m not ready to buy, right now. But it was just that kind of day. I spent a good part of the day trying to find cheap flights out of Australia, and struck out. Now, my Visa is good for three months, but then I have to leave the country. Once I leave, I can come back and stay for another three months, but I have to leave before three months are up. I can even return the same day, so long as I leave. (I can do this for up to a year; then I have to get another Visa). My three months will be up in a few weeks, so I was looking for a cheap flight to a neighboring country like Bali or Papua New Guinea or even New Zealand. It’s funny, I’d see an ad for a flight to Bali for $119 round trip, click on it and find that the cheapest flight was $549 or something similar. I looked at flights to all kinds of places Thailand, Fiji, Hawaii, it didn’t matter. I couldn’t find a cheap flight. Melia put a call in to a Travel agent she knows and left him a voice mail, so we’ll see what happens. One thing is certain, I will be out of the country before the 19th of February. I overstayed my visa in Kenya, back in 1980. They were going to put me in jail for it. (The Official relented, and let me leave, but I learned my lesson.) If push comes to shove, I’ll return to winter rather than go to jail. I have a severe allergy to being in places where they lock the doors behind me once I’m inside. The humidity is up this morning. I went over to Weather.com.au and found that the relative humidity in Gatton was 86%. The temp was right around 70 (F) or so, yet I was sweating. I sweat easily, especially if the air is humid. It’s a semi overcast day, right now. I think it’s supposed to be like this all day. Hopefully, the air will dry out a bit, though. Well; we’re out of milk. I guess we’ll just have to go into town and get some. While we’re there, we can stop at the Cafe 33 and I’ll get a Large Flat White. I really like their coffee. | ||
| Greg_e |
What about a boat trip to somewhere? | ||
| Alfau |
Australia day tomorrow, 26th. The Abbos love it. Watch the news. | ||
| 86129squids |
What Vern said. He does good work. | ||
| Crusty |
Vern does great work! I'll be calling him when I get back to the States. I'll be able to send the gas tank down to him, but for the welding and fab work, I think he'll need the bike there. Oh, gosh; That means that I'll have to ride down to Tennesee. I don't know if I can handle such a long ride. Are there any good BBQ joints nearby? | ||
| Etennuly |
 you know that we healthy beasts cannot live without the bbq! My wife and i make a bbq spare rib to die for if it doesn't kill you by making you over eat. We can make that and a room at the inn happen for you. Just give me a date! Crap! Now I'm drooling! | ||
| Pwnzor |
I might have to show up for some of those ribs buddy... pal... friend o' mine... | ||
| Zac4mac |
Hey Crusty - watch out for Funnel Spiders - BBC Australia 25JAN15 "A deadly funnel-web spider with a leg span of 10cm (4in) is the largest specimen ever handed in to Australia's only venom-milking programme. The spider, which has been named Big Boy, was caught in bushland in Newcastle, NSW, last week and handed over to the Australia Reptile Park." | ||
| Crusty |
The Answer, My Friend… I’m feeling the winds of change blowing, this morning. I have a strong suspicion that my life is about to get busier and more interesting in the not too distant future. I’m restless and feeling trapped. I’m thinking that when I planned to be here for six months, I was being unrealistic. My nature is such that it’s hard for me to sit still for very long. The previous two visits were only for two months apiece; why did I think I would stay for six months? At least, that’s what I feel today. Maybe I should give the airline a call and see what I need to do to change my return date. But if I do, then what? I’ll be returning to Massachusetts in the dead of winter. That’s not the brightest thing for a Motorcycle Tramp to do. Of course, there are things that I can do to the Sportster, like get the new tank painted and put it on the bike along with a new seat. I could get the cast wheels powder coated and put them on the bike, along with the new belt and sprocket. (Thanks again, Sam; whoever you are) The wheels will also be getting new bearings and new brake rotors; the calipers get new pads. If I’m going to do it, I want to do it right. I have a friend on Badweb who has offered to help with the painting and welding. Vern does really good work. He painted some panels for Terri’s saddlebags back in 2010, and has painted a few other bikes for Badwebbers, as well. Of course, for the fabrication of the saddle bag mounts, he’ll need the bike there in Tennessee, so that’s a road trip in itself. It really would be sweet to have hard bags on the Roadster and this looks like it’s really going to happen. I just need to question whether I should be making a long ride during the coldest part of the winter. It would be a lot smarter to wait until at least Spring. (Um; when’s the last time I made the “Smarter” choice about anything?) Also; something to consider is that I’d need to find a fairly cheap place to live while I’m back in Mass.. Not just cheap, but someplace that doesn’t require a lease. That’s the tough part. I have limited funds. If I spend them all on housing, then I won’t have any for the bike. And if I spend them all on the bike, I’ll be camping in a tent in sub freezing temperatures. Neither situation is desirable. However, I don’t think it’ll come to either of those extremes. I’m just trying to sort out all the possible scenarios. The toughest part of sorting all this out is that I can’t talk to people on the phone about it. I have no phone here, and even if I did, Phone rates from Australia to the US are a lot higher than rates the other way. Ernie suggested that I do the “Snowbird” thing. Set up a home base in Massachusetts, then escape to a warmer place for the winter. There’s an appeal to that. I have my Medical stuff (Doctors, hospitals, pharmacies, etc.) all set up there; and I’m both familiar and comfortable with them. Getting by on Medicare, I need to know where to go and and who to see. My friends and “Support System” are there. Plus, I like New England. It’s a really beautiful part of the country. I won’t go into all the other possible places to live again. Each has its advantages and disadvantages. So; today being Australia Day, (The 4th of July equivalent here), I’m not going to make any decisions. I’m going to go into town and enjoy the day. Tomorrow, I’ll see how I feel and what I want to do. | ||
| Greg_e |
How much to put you and the bike on a train south? Just a thought. | ||
| Etennuly |
Crusty, it could make sense to come to Tennessee a few days before March badness(ya know Glitchbadness) . Then with some favorable weather i may just ride down to Georgia with you. Just tossing that out there, who knows what can happen. |
