Give Me a Break!

No cycle talk this time...I'm pissed.
From the Senate, Majority Leader Harry Reid of Nevada issued a statement saying, "We realize the strong will for reform that exists, and we are energized that we stand closer than ever to reforming our broken health insurance system."
What rock is he living under?
After promising the moon to some and strong-arming others (in their own party), the House Dems barely eeked out enough votes for passage of the single worst bill in the history of our nation. The vote was 220-215, does that sound like a "strong will for reform"?
I am disgusted by their actions, specifically Nancy Pelosi. I mean you freakin' idiots in California, how can you keep voting her in? Oh yeah, San Francisco, say no more.
The so called 1.2 trillion dollar price tag will explode 4 times that I promise you.
Forcing all Americans to get health care or pay fines?? I thought this was a free country?
Cutting billions from Medicare, the very program that most seniors rely on?
These are just a few of the bad parts of this bill. This administration will forever ruin this great country, if it succeeds in its social agenda.
All the young people who voted for Obama for "change", or because they thought it was "time" for a president of color, you are the very people who will pay out your arse for the rest of your lives. You should really vote on issues, not emotions.
Next up....cap and trade. Oh yeah, they might as well double the utility bills for EVERY American family!
Give me a break.

Where's the Snow?

I've been quiet lately, a little under the weather. Feeling much better now and ready to chat.
Where is the snow? Halloween came and went, and usually we have some white stuff. Last year it snowed on Oct. 6, but the annual average first snow is Oct. 23. Not that I'm complaining, I don't care if it waits until December to snow. It's just weird how Denver got 3 feet the other day and we are still bare.
Glancing through the local craigslist the other day, I saw this little gem. An '08 Electraglide for sale here locally. Damn I'd love to own one like this, except for the color. I mean, white kinda sucks.

Besides, I'm still paying off my FJR. Look at that thing though, it's like the Cadillac of touring machines. The only advantages my FJR has over the
Harley is it's faster, lighter, gets better mileage, and
costs far less. Otherwise, the Harley is the touring
King.
Just got me a book on motorcycle elecrical systems,
so I can learn how to properly add some electronics
to my bike. A fuzz buster for sure, and maybe some
additional lighting.
I fired up both bikes yesterday and ran them to
operating temp. Didn't ride though, haven't got
my Doc's medical ok yet.
I have more, but it can wait.
Later

Junk For Sale

As many of you do, I habitually view the motorcycles list on Craigslist. Always hoping to come across that gem that has my name written all over it. I bought my FJR from a Craigslist posting. It is an excellent bike that I am really happy with.
But lately, I can't believe all the junk people are trying to unload on the Alaska Craigslist. I realize that the snow will be falling any day, but geesh!
In mid September I actually posted my V-Star on there to see if I'd stir any interest, but I don't consider it as junk. Some folks might, but I don't
It's really not even the bikes themselves, rather the inflated prices people are posting. I mean come on! I've seen the same guy repeatedly post a '82 Yamaha Maxim for 1500 bucks for over a month. Doesn't say how many miles it has or if it's even licensed. There are many other examples I won't bore you with.
I guess the message is buyer beware! Me, I'll wait 'til spring before I get too serious about any prospects.
Later

New Hog

A friend of mine just purchased an '04 Electricglide Classic a couple days ago, so yesterday I stopped by to have a look. Beautiful is the word that comes to mind. The previous owner not only took very good care of this bike, he also spent a butt load of $'s on accessories.
It's painted a two tone blue and has tons of after market chrome from head to toe. The most impressive additions are the lights. This bike has so many add-on lights that it almost seems like a freightliner cruising down the road. Both fenders, both passenger floor boards, and the entire saddlebag wrap around all light up. And don't forget the Screaming Eagle pipes that sound tougher than hell when you goose the throttle. Someone has truly invested well over 23k or 24k on this bike, but it was done very tastefully. It doesn't come across as gawdy or over done. My buddy got a primo price on it to boot.
Checking this thing out really got my juices flowing. Damn, I'd love to own a similar bike, but not this year. The soonest I'd even consider one is next spring. Being as conservative as I am, I have to wait and see what Alaska's economic climate is in 2010 before I'd ever pull the trigger. Typically, we run several months or more behind the national trends. So our worst may still be in front of us. That being said, I'm content for now just having the Yamaha sisters. But I know one day I'll actually own and ride a Harley, meanwhile I'll just remain patient.
Congrats to my buddy on his new addition. His big challenge now is to convince his wife to let him keep his Sportster as well! Hahaha, good luck with that. This time I certainly can't use my usual saying "it sucks to be you"!
Later.

Leaves are Falling

The sun was out yesterday so I decided to take a casual ride after work. Just a run down the inlet, my normal route for a mid-week ride.
The trees and shrubs are all turning fall colors, and my yard is starting to fill up with leaves. And as the leaves fall and clutter the streets, it serves as fair warning, at least in my neighborhood, to be on alert at even the most casual corners. Those harmless looking leaves on the pavement can wash you and your bike right through a corner and dump you on your arse. The main streets stay pretty clear, but the slower side streets can surprise you.
Anyway, as I rode south down the inlet, the temp fell from 63 degrees at my house to 57 degrees as I approached Indian. The further south I rode, the more the wind kicked up and the temp fell. Soon after I passed Beluga Point, the rain started falling. This was not what I intended for a casual after work ride.
So, I spun around and headed back before I got very wet. Heading back into Anchorage the temp rose back up and the winds died down. So I road the long way home, running up the east side of town before cutting back over to my house in midtown.
Only about forty miles, but better than nothing.
Then I watched a show on the tube about the new models Harley is putting out for 2010. I sure would like a Road King or a Road Glide, but damn...both my bikes together didn't cost me what a new HD would. How can they get those prices?
And don't suggest a used one, up here in Alaska everyone thinks their bike never depreciates. Hahaha
Oh well, the leaves keep falling, no reason to get a new bike and park it in the garage for 7 months.
Later

Rainy and dreary out last weekend, so the only seat time I got was in the tattoo chair.

Biker Joke

I don't usually post jokes, but this one has a Harley in it......enjoy.


HER DIARY ENTRY:

Tonight, I thought my husband was acting weird. We had made plans

to meet at a bar to have a drink. I was shopping with my friends all day

long, so I thought he was upset at the fact that I was a bit late, but he

made no comment on it. Conversation wasn't flowing, so I suggested

that we go somewhere quiet so we could talk.. He agreed, but he didn't

say much. I asked him what was wrong; He said, 'Nothing.' I asked him

if it was my fault that he was upset.. He said he wasn't upset, that it had

nothing to do with me, and not to worry about it.

On the way home, I told him that I loved him. He smiled slightly, and

kept driving. I can't explain his behavior I don't know why he didn't say,

'I love you, too.' When we got home, I felt as if I had lost him completely,

as if he wanted nothing to do with me anymore. He just sat there quietly,

and watched TV.

He continued to seem distant and absent. Finally, with silence all

around us, I decided to go to bed. About 15 minutes later, he came

to bed. To my surprise, he responded to my caress, and we made

love. But I still felt that he was distracted, and his thoughts were

somewhere else. He fell asleep - I cried. I don't know what to do.

I'm almost sure that his thoughts are with someone else. My life is a disaster!




HIS DIARY ENTRY:

Harley wouldn't start today, can't figure it out, but at least I got laid..

End of Summer

What a nice ending to a pretty great summer! Labor Day weekend was in the low 60's and basked in the sun. But, now that Labor Day is past, the fair is over, and school is in session, I guess summer is officially over.
Sunday I took a ride on my V-Star up to Talkeetna, Ak., back down through Big Lake, Ak., then back home to Anchorage. It was about 220 miles and four hours of riding. When I started around 10:45 am, traffic was still pretty light. As the day progressed I could literally watch the highways fatten up with vehicles. By the time I mad it home around 3 pm, I was happy to be off the streets and out of the holiday traffic.
I only took a couple of pics that maybe I'll post later, after I see if they came out right. The bike ran well and I had no issues. Just a nice long ride on what may be one of our last warm weekends for the year.
I'm sure I'll be riding some all the way into October, but I'll have to start wearing my heated vest prett soon. I just hope we get as good a summer next year as we have had this year! I'm still planning on running the Alcan all the way to Oregon and back next summer, starting around my B-Day in late June and finishing around the 10nth of July. That seems to be the sweet spot for weather at this end at least.
My Air Force daughter visits me tomorrow for a few days! Yeah!
Later

Dems Are Lost

12th straight month of declining sales for retailers. Hurray for Obama's stimulus plan! (or should I say election reimbursement plan?)

Her First Ride

My daughter finished her AMA mortorcycle class and got her motorcycle endorsement. So, while she is here visiting we took advantage of the sunshine last Saturday and went on a ride to Girdwood and back.  I let her ride my V-Star, while I rode the FJR1300. We started by riding around the neighborhood a few times so she could get the feel of the weight, the brakes, and the clutch.  We then took a short 10 mile ride around town and got the bikes up to highway speed.  Upon returning home she told ne that her windbreaker was a poor choice of attire 'cause it flaps too much at speed. So after she changed into a better jacket I asked her if she was ready for the longer ride to Girdwood. She said she was, so we headed out.  She did really well and kept up with me at highway speeds. I had warned her about the heavy traffic on that highway, but it wasn't as bad as I had expected. We were only gone about an hour and a half, but it was the perfect length and conditions for her first ride.  She leaves his week, so I don't know if we'll get out again on this visit, but I got a feeling we'll ride again probably next summer.. Later

Mopping Up

Just a few more pics from my Canada trip. I'm already planning to run the Alcan all the way to Portland next summer.

Wildfire smoke up ahead. Tok Cutoff between Tok and Glennallen.

Lot's of smoke.

Glenn Highway heading home.

Stop and stretch just this side of Caribou Creek.


About 2000 miles in 5 days. It was interesting and fun. I learned that next year I need to be in better physical shape to run the whole thing both south and north.
Later

A Few More

A few more from my Canada trip.
Leaving Canada I rode through about 150 miles of pouring rain.
How'd I snap this one?


Waiting for road construction near Haines Junction.

A cry for a safer highway

The following adn.com article was sent by:

RL (rlindsay@omnialaska.com)

And RL had this to say:

Check out this story from the Anchorage daily Newspaper.

---------------------------------------------------------------

A cry for a safer highway

By JAMES HALPIN<br />jhalpin@adn.com

Published: 08/08/09 13:01:10

The stretch of Seward Highway from Potter Marsh to just south of Girdwood has killed 98 people since 1977.

Passing lanes have been added, troopers' presence has increased and the stretch was named a safety corridor in 2006. But still the death toll rises, including a rash of deaths this summer.

That fact was a central topic at the Girdwood Community Center on Friday night, where fire chief William Chadwick called a meeting to discuss the mounting body count on the scenic byway this summer and how to stop it. There was no shortage of ideas.

You can read the full story online at:

http://www.adn.com/kenai/story/890055.html?story_link=email_msg

---------------------------------------------------------------
This article is protected by copyright and should not be
printed or distributed for anything except personal use.
For information on reprinting this article or placing it
on your Web site, please contact the Daily News marketing
department at (907) 257-4429 or marketing@adn.com.

Enemy #1

I guess I'm partly lucky and partly a damn alert rider. I like to think it's more alertness than luck, but who knows. I haven't wrecked a car or truck in about 30 years. In fact, the last vehicle I wrecked was my old 1981 Yamaha Seca, and that was in '84. And it was a solo accident, I laid it down while scraping pegs around a corner. At any rate, back then there were no cell phones. And that is what I call the motorcyclist's Enemy #1.
I see them all the time, idiot drivers who even without their phones are average drivers at best. Toss in a cell phone and a drive up mocha and you have a recipe for disaster.
I used to say it was always a woman at fault, but I honestly believe it is 70% men who yack on their cells while driving.
So on Saturday, while riding Rosie through town trying to get to the freeway heading north, I had a close call. I was driving through an intersection in the left lane since the cars in the right lane were backed up waiting to turn right. Cruising along at about 35mph I noticed a pickup in the intersection signaling to turn left (across my lane). I was almost right on him (middle of the intersection) and was trying to make eye contact so I could be sure he saw me. His eyes told me he was looking beyond me trying to pick a hole to turn through. But, did he see me? I don't know, how could he not? It was a beautiful day and Rosie has twin head lamps. Could it be the cell phone the idiot had jammed in his ear diverted his attention? Maybe the moron isn't as good at driving with one hand as he thought.
Well, he started to turn right (cuss words!) in front of me! Then the dumb ass finally saw me and hit the brakes leaving about a quarter of his rig encroached into my lane.
Needless to say I had already reacted by swerving into the right lane, missing his rig by just a few feet.
For the next few miles, all I could think about was turning around, finding that guy, and shoving that phone up his ass. But, finally cooled down and actually had a very enjoyable ride after that.
That is now my mantra, cell phones are Enemy #1 to motorcyclists! Besides, no one can read my texts, my gloves are too thick.
Later

A Couple More From Canada

Destruction Bay along the Alaska highway.


The Yukon River at Whitehorse.

Canada Ride Pics

Check out the bugs on my visor, and a shot of 'Millionaire Falls'.






More Later

Back Home

What a fun trip, however I came back a day early.
Where did I leave off? I had ridden to Haines, Alaska and once again had to go through customs. No biggy, except for the passport, it's easier than airport security.
Rode back to Beaver Creek, YT on Tuesday. I'd say it was about 330 miles or so. Picked a Hotel called Ida's. Like maybe a local owned it? Nope, it was some guys from India. Clean and comfortable, but there was an odd feeling I had while there. Can't put my finger on it, but I was very cautious.
Wednesday morning I was bounced out of bed a 5:39 am to the guy above me cranking Pink Floyd. There were a few construction workers staying there. Well, since I was up, I packed my shit and hit the road. It was raining off and on and the temp was in the low 50's.
After going through the security gate the weather started to unleash. It started pouring rain, and the winds really picked up. It made fore miserable riding conditions and poor visibility. I did the 120 mile or so to Tok and stopped at the restaurant to eat and dry out somewhat.
It doesn't matter how well you prepare, in that wind and rain, for that many miles, you will get wet. And I did too. I finished my meal and hit the road. The next leg was about 140. I continued on in the storm for about 50 more miles until it finally settled down.
Well, I finally got to the junction where I had to commit one way or the other. If I stayed on the Richardson Highway I'd be in Valdez in two hours, but turning right onto the Glenn Highway would put me home in 3 hours. I thought about it for two seconds and turned right. Let's face it, I'm tired and soaked, might as well head home.
So by coming home a day early, I only got 1775 miles for the trip. That kinda bugged me since I was thinking about 2k miles. I rested a day at home and on Friday decided to ride to Seward, Alaska for just a day trip. Weather was overcast and cool, but it never rained on me. That trip put me over 2k miles for the week. Allin all it was a great trip, and I'll have pictures back soon.
I did learn that I need to be a little more fit before doing it again. I'm still kinda sore.
Later

On To Haines

Day 3 I planned on spending the day in Whitehorse when I got up this morning, but the weather begged me to ride. The rain that came through the night before had blown over and to the north. By nine AM the temp was 60 degrees and I couldn't sit still. I was on the road by ten and heading for Haines.
Boy am I glad I did! The 160 mile leg from Haines Junction to Haines, Alaska was by far the best of the trip! Maybe the best ride since I started riding again in '05.
I'll describe it later when I'm not typing on an Ipod.
Tuesday I'm heading back to Beaver Creek, Wed to Valdez, and Thurs back to Anchorage.
So far it's been a blast!
Later

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Insert movie times and more without leaving Hotmail®. See how.

Staying Put

Day 3 I&#39;ve decided to spend a day in Whitehorse and hit the road on Tuesday instead. I want to have a look around town, plus give my body a day to recuperate. Yeah, I&#39;m a little sore. I could ride today if I had to, but that&#39;s the point... I don&#39;t have to.
Plus, there is a tour of the local brewery today at 2!
Later

Beaver Creek

Day 1 took me from Anchorage to Beaver Creek, Yukon Territory, about 440 miles. The 3 things that welcomed me to Canada were 20 miles of gravel highway, no cell coverage, and no Internet. I just wanted to text or email my kids to tell them all was good, but the only contact would have been a pay phone. No thanks.
I did meet some other riders who were heading to Ak., and warned me of the road to com.
Day 2 I found out they weren&#39;t joking. The road down past Destruction Bay and on to Haines Junction is pure crap! After HJ the road to Whitehorse is back to normal.
Later

On My Way

Vacation is finally here, and I'm using my week to ride from Anchorage to Whitehorse, YT, Canada. From there I might head up to Dawson City or southwest to Haines. I really don't have an agenda, just calling it on the fly.
I wish I'd have gone this week, since we had one of the nicest weeks of weather since I lived here. It hit 80+ on three days, and in the 70's on the others.
Well, it's going to be a combination of camping and hotels. Hotels when available and camping when they aren't.
Basically its a prelude to next summer's ride from Anchorage to Portland. I figure I'll learn some good pointers on this trip that will make next year's even better.
So I'm off in the morning and not bringing a laptop, but I can send some short progress reports from my Itouch.
Later

Eklutna Lake Road

On Saturday, the 4th of July, I took a ride on my V-Star and headed towards Palmer, Alaska. I was kinda thinking that everyone who went camping would have already left anf the freeway wouldn't be too crowded. Boy was I wrong. It was packed, and I hate riding in bumper to bumper traffic. I put up with it for about twenty miles and finally decided to turn back. I mean, it was nice and quiet at home, why did I leave?
I took the very next exit intending on reversing directions and heading home. it just happened to be the road to Eklutna Lake. I have been by that exit at least a hundred times, but never have taken it and explored the lake. So I figured...what the heck, let's have a look.
I'm glad I did. The road back to the lake is a really twisty, winding, hilly ten miles or so. Then you reach the booth where you have to pay to enter the park. Actually, the park is free, you have to pay to park. I told the kid I was just passing through, and he waved me through.
Being a holiday, the park and lake were just packed with people. And I'm glad I didn't have to pay because I never saw any open spaces.
The only drawback to the ten miles in and back out was the fact that there was a lot of loose dirt and fine gravel on some of the corners. Thus keeping me (and several other bikers I saw) from driving it too aggressively.
I will definitely return to that lake for another visit.
Meanwhile, this week I've been messing around with how to pack everything I'm taking on my Canada run next week. I have not yet found a way that I'm happy with. It's a work in progress. But time is flying by, I plan on leaving Saturday morning.
Sure hope the weather holds. Oh, and I think I'll take my I touch and type some occasional updates, like where I am, weather, food, camping, whether I meet any biker babes, etc..
For anyone who is interested, my twitter is http://twitter.com/dlgbomber. But that's mostly political, this site is best for motorcycle news. I wonder if my daughter has started her class yet?
Later

Sportin' Ink

Getting ready for my ride into Canada in a couple weeks. I waterproofed my boots, made a list of essentials to pack, and I'm sportin' new ink!
It's a customization of our family crest. I'm very happy with the work and would recommend the guys at Hole Look in Anchorage.
I need to get a one man tent and a couple co2 cartridges, and I'm almost ready. I'll keep you posted. Oh yeah, I'm gonna pack the bike and go on a practice ride this weekend. Just making sure I get everything situated properly.
Later

Deer in a Headlight!

Ever been driving late at night when suddenly, around a corner, there is a deer standing in the road staring straight at you? That 'deer in a headlight' look is the best way I can describe Representative Nancy Pelosi. I swear her eyes are always as wide open as humanly possible. I've tried to hold my eyes open like that and my face gets tired. I can't decide if she's on some amphetamine prescription, or is a frequent customer of Starbucks.
Anyway, she does not represent me or anyone in my state, so I have kinda looked the other way from her partisan antics. I try not to dwell on the 1.5 million she took from the stimulus to fund research on some endangered mouse in San Fran. Come on...endangered and mouse should not be in the same sentence. Nor have I complained loudly about the millions of dollars worth of defense contracts she has funneled to her husband's engineering firm. It's not really my business that her city has a gay loving Mayor who opposes the military recruiting in their high schools. And what about her and her family commuting to and from Washington DC in military jets?
I don't have any confidence in the voters of San Francisco ever holding her accountable for those things, but when she endangers our service men and women, I have to speak out.
I have a daughter who was in the navy, another who is in the Air Force, and a son contemplating the Navy. I also have many friends who have served or their family is currently serving our country. These fine people deserve leadership in DC that is not only concerned about our freedom, but also our safety.
Pelosi is insisting on the release of so called torture pictures to be released as a condition of the current funding bill (I don't consider them torture, but I'm in the minority on this). Never mind that the Senate voted 98-2 to approve the spending without the pics being released, saying they would endanger our troops. Forget what the Generals in theater have said, the release of photos would be fuel for recruiting for Bin Laden.
No, Pelosi is saying that the safety of our troops is trumped by freedom of information.
Can you actually believe that this idiot is third in line to be President, should the unthinkable ever happen? If it did happen, we should just freakin' surrender. Raise a white flag and plead for mercy. Start wearing turbans.
Women in politics is bad enough, but a woman like Pelosi holding a high level position is scary and insane.
It also seems as if there is some kind of power contest between her and Obama. To which I'm sure Obama will win, he is much smarter than her.
I can only hope that the stimulus works in San Fran and the endangered mouse population explodes. In fact, I hope you guys have a huge explosion of rodents in your city, it would serve you right for sending such a retard to represent you in DC.
Oh and the motorcycle angle to my commentary is....add California to the list of states I will never tour in.
Later

Hatcher Pass...I Thought

At ten this morning it was already 64 degrees at my house. Time to ride!
I have been wanting to explore Hatcher Pass, and I assumed I knew where I was going, so without checking any maps I was off. As usual, the boring part of the ride is actually getting out of the Anchorage area. For me that means cranking some Bon Scott on my ipod and racing down the highway towards Palmer/Wasilla. I feel I've left Anchorage when I cross the Knik bridge, and not a second sooner.
I rode my FJR (Rosie) for one specific reason...range. Yeah, she has a six gallon tank, and who knows where I'll find gas up there. The tank was about 3/4 when I left, and I stopped in Wasilla and topped her off.
I rode out past Willow, out to approx milepost 60, to where the Hatcher Pass sign signalled me off the highway. I know there is a Hatcher Pass sign on the Glenn highway as well, and I assumed I could start on one end and finish at the other. Apparently, I was mistaken.
After ten miles of blacktop, the road turns to gravel. OK, this has to be temporary, so I kept riding. There was some very nice scenery, and quite a few people camping up there. Lots of tents, RVs, and ATVs running around everywhere, but no other street bikes.
I road about twenty miles (of gravel road) and gained some extensive elevation until the road ended at a mine. At this point I was confused and decided to backtrack out the way I came in.
I got several pics, but I was using a regular camera (not digital) and the roll isn't used up yet. I 'll post them when the roll is full.
Back at the highway I was starting to get hungry and needing the facilities. So I rode back to Big Lake and sopped at their little mall. Walked around while chomping a sandwich and an energy drink, used their bano, then I was off again.
By now the temp was 73 degrees! Woo hoo! Maybe this is just a taste of the rest of our summer!
I cruised down to the Palmer/Wasilla Highway and turned towards Palmer. My plan was to ride the old highway back to Anchorage. It has a lot of slow sweeping corners that are fun to ride. I did as planned, but there was so much traffic over there that it wasn't as fun as it usually is. I guess everyone else had the same idea.
Got home just before 4pm for a total of 245 miles. Not a lot of miles for almost 6 hours of riding... because the gravel road portion of the trip I could only average about 25 mph.
I had a couple performance issues with the bike, but I'll discuss those at a later date.
See Ya.