Grandma Passed Away

My other Grandmother passed away last Saturday and her funeral was Monday. She was 96 years old. She was a Baptist through and through ... that's why my uncle and I had to hide our drinking beer from her. She was a fantastic cook and could be quite the joker when she wanted to be. Fishing? Man could she fish. She'd stay out there just as long as anyone whether it was hot or the fish weren't biting. Tough as a steel I-beam she was too. When I was only five she and my Grandfather were broad sided by a run-a-way dump truck coming off the mountain in Alabama; it pushed them a long ways and crushed their 1965 Ford Galaxie on from the passenger side. The car was crushed in so badly that the car became only half as wide as it was supposed to be. I can still remember visiting them in the Hospital and she was all smiles and just took it all in stride. They had a room together and everything seemed fine to a youngster like me but that was when they found out my Grandfather had bone cancer. I think he already knew but just hadn't told anyone so the gig was up. He died not long afterwards but Grandma left everything as it was and kept on plugging away. Grandpa had already taken care of everything legal wise to make sure Grandma had no worries with that. Magazines and mail and everything was left intact as if he were alive. She use to stave off salesmen and the like when they'd call asking to speak to the man of the house. 'Oh! He's not here right now" or "He's unable to come to the phone, can I have him call you?" She even would leave his work boots by the back door on the steps just like he always did. My uncles gave her their worn out pairs to keep things current through the years.
Grandma stayed busy with her church teaching Sunday school and helping out the families in times of trouble. As far as the elders of our family, she cared for them all. Cooking meals for them and doing what ever was needed for each. Two of my aunts and uncles lived on the same street so she would walk to their homes to visit.
I could go on and on about her but she didn't like people boasting about her. She just did what needed to be done and that was that in her mind. She missed Grandpa a lot and never remarried in all those years.
I'll miss her.

Motorcycle Swap Meet in Burlington North Carolina


Sometime in April 2009 should be a swap meet to buy sell and browse motorcycles and related wares in Burlington North Carolina. You'll be able to sell those extra take off pieces and parts you don't need and maybe find something you do need. Have a motorcycle to sell? Bring it and have a good deal of exposure to lots of people looking to purchase a new spring ride.

Oiling up Your Motorcycle Drive Chain.

This same information applies to bicycle, go-cart, mopeds, scooters, mini bikes, golf carts ATV's and most all chain driven applications.

The drive chain on your motorcycle takes a lot of abuse and is a very reliable link in the drive train. It is also one of the most overlooked pieces of the drive system until failure has occurred. To prolong the life of your chain it needs a good cleaning and lube to get the most reliability from them. Just putting oil on it or giving it a shot of WD-40 won't do the trick for long. In-between lubing or in service lubing should be done with a product such as Gunk chain lube pn# ML-25N for example. This product is specially formulated for chains and won't sling off like regular oil will.

Take the chain off of the bike and clean it with Bar sol or an equally equivalent cleaner. You can obtain Bar sol - or another heavy duty cleaner such as Gunk carburetor and small parts cleaner pn# CC- 3K -- from auto parts stores. I like to use Gunk because it comes in a three quart size can that makes it easy to put the chain into, seal up the can, and leave it overnight. There is less waste of the product and being able to seal the can lessons evaporation. Gunk also makes a heavy duty engine degreaser in aerosol form to get rid of caked on grime but don't spray it on the chain with it on the bike ; this stuff eats away at rubber components too if allowed to sit long. Using an bristle brush (not a wire brush) for cleaning engine parts to get most road grit and old grease off before soaking the chain in the solvent. Remove the chain after it has soaked for either several hours or overnight and hang it to drip dry.
Once dry, wipe it off with a rag and check the chain for damaged rollers, loose pins, rusted plates, kinked or bent plates or any abnormal looking wear. When laid on it's side and picked up from a midpoint, the chain should have very little side flop. If you know what the chains new length should be (your dealer can tell you) now is the time to measure it for stretch. A chain that has stretched an inch or more should be discarded and a new chain obtained.
After inspection, put the chain in one of those small cheap roasting pans containing a mixture of 5 ounces of petroleum jelly and 1 pint of 10w-40 engine oil. Heat the pan to 150 degrees to 250 degrees for about ten minutes or so.
Remove the pan from the heat and carefully agitate it around with a screw driver to get the lubricant into all the bushings. Set the pan aside with the chain still soaking until it cools. After cooling, hang the chain above the pan and let it drain off the extra lube. When the chain has quit draining wipe it off with a clean lint free cloth (those blue throw away shop towels work great) and re-install the chain. When installing the master link clip make sure the closed end faces forward.



Next: Adjusting the Drive Chain.

Rascal the Sportster lives!!!

It's Wednesday and a few days later than when I charged up the Ironheads new battery. On Sunday, after having charged the battery for seven hours on Saturday, it was time to go back out to the shop and voltage meter that sucker again. As I suspected, it lost a few over night but that's no real surprise. Checking the acid level to bring levels up as needed, I hooked up the charger cables for just under an hour. After getting the voltage up to 12.65 volts, it was time to install it into "Rascal" and try it out. Just to be sure that not to much strain was put on the battery, the charger was hooked up and ready to assist. Good thing to as the carb was not wanting to cooperate making for mucho cranking. No fuel was getting through the jets, nary a drop so the carb stayed dry. The bike had last run a couple of months ago so some of the fuel had already varnished. The previous owner told me it needed a good cleaning for it had been sitting for some while. Not to fret, grabbed a can of ether and kept trying for thirty minutes until the bike decided to run on it's own. It spit and popped and shot flames out in defiance of being summoned from a long slumber like a dragon. The choke had to be continuously feathered until things cleared out and fuel began to flow through the carb. Though running clearer, all the choking made fuel collect in the front pipe at first and it turned cherry, cherry red at the cylinder. Letting the bike settle at an idle for a few minutes everything came to normal. Throttle response was right there with no backfire, or cutting out. But, the breather tube was dispensing with extra oil in the crankcase and forming a puddle in the driveway. Being that the bike was on reserve, it cut off with no fuel getting delivered while on the kickstand. Grabbing my helmet the bike was taken off the stand and when I hit the button it fired up quick. Ahhh, those neighbors are loving me about now revving up those un-baffled pipes on a Sunday afternoon. Looking both ways we pulled into the street making a right ... well, attempting to make a right anyway. Oil was on the tire which made for a slippery wide angled oh shit I'm gonna lose it right here. Letting off the gas it came back up fine and away we went round the neighborhood. A couple of rounds just to check things out to see how it felt. It felt good.
Back on my street and up the drive feeling like a kid again and then seeing my son standing in the garage watching me.
We observed that the oil trail followed me the whole route I'd just been on including back in the garage. Checking the oil level and seeing it's still full makes me wonder just how much is in that bottom end. What other way is there to drain the oil from a dry sump system that collects oil in the sump? ( these older bikes do that) A few hot laps perhaps.
Need to get a battery tender now so's not to kill this expensive battery in the cold.

Harley Motorcycle Battery at Sears?

After having a crappy week with things going wrong at every turn, finally a stroke of luck. But will it last? The battery in my Sportster was dead and wouldn't take a charge. Even trying to jump start it off of my truck it gave nothing back. To top that off, the power window in my truck quit working with it half way down. This made for a cold drive to work and we had a threat of rain in the next couple of days.
Searching for a new replacement battery for the bike was getting to be as tough as the search for a master link in a yard of scrap metal shavings. Oh! there were batteries to be had but they all had to be ordered from somewhere far off. Nobody had the size or type needed for this old Iron headed ride in stock. Now if the bike was a kicker, it'd be retrofitted with a magneto set up super fast to avoid this hassle. No kicker on this one though but there just might be a search for a kicker kit again pretty soon.
The window in the truck wouldn't go up and a battery couldn't be found - and there were other crappy things going wrong to in other areas - but a friend and owner of Super Fly Cycles in Burlington NC decided to lend a hand on the window. Plus while there we could see about that battery problem too. Well, we pulled the door panels from both doors on the truck and got that sucker window to work again. That saved me a hundred bucks for a new switch from Ford. Then we turned our attention to the battery. Nope! Not that size in stock so he called around to find one but the prices to get it shipped without a bulk parts order put the price over the top. Snuffed again on getting the juice box for the Sporty. He tried though with his suppliers and cross referenced back and forth trying to find one at a decent price. I really didn't want to go the mail order route for the battery. I'd much rather support a local shop whom I know will give service after the sale. You know, face to face service instead of voice to voice service over a phone with someone I'll never see. They could tell me anything but once they've got my money I just don't think the service part will be there. Who cares if they offer up a one year warranty. That would mean shipping the battery back (plus shipping charges but you can't send a battery once it's had acid in it. I'm guessing you'd have to empty the acid out and pour baking soda solution in it and recap?) waiting for them to send another one (plus shipping charges) and hope it's the right one. What a frigging hassle that'd be.
Well, another guy at work has a newer Sportster and he told me to check with Sears. Seems they have gotten together with H-D and now will have Harley Batteries. I go on line but can't find the one I need. I'm all ready to go back to the motorcycle shop and just bite the bullet and get him to order me a battery, when on the way I decide to stop at Sears automotive and see. What the heck, if they don't have it I'll just go on over to the shop. I walk in and a salesman comes right up and I give him the info. Nope! We look on the shelf and he cross references it in the book but not the one I need is there. Then he says to wait as he goes and checks in the back. Hooray! He comes out with just what I need. And, it's the only single one that he has. There it is HD-12 part# 28-44357 DieHard; it's like winning the lottery. I pay him - call the local Sheriffs office to get an escorted ride home with my treasure - wringing my hands and laughing like Dr. Frankenstein as I walk into my little shop. Just as I get set to add the acid it's noticed that the fill lines on the side will do me no good. What! The dog gone battery case is all black and you can't see inside to even see the liquid level inside. Not even with a very bright light. How am I to know when I'm at the correct level as you just can't see anything? Okay. I'm not letting this piss me off as I've been pissed off about one thing or another all week. I look at the old clear case battery I took out and see the upper level comes just below the fill caps. So I go by that information and fill it that way. It just means that whenever I need to check my levels I'll have to remove the battery from the bike but so-be-it. Now I have to charge it at 2 amps for 3-7 hours and should have at least 12.70 volts. After the seven hours I give her a check again as I did every hour while charging to see what it's holding. Still hooked up and charging the reading on my meter is 13.07 and after taking it off charge and checking again it's at 12.93 volts. I breath a sigh of relief, tighten up the fill caps and turn off the shop lights. We'll see what tomorrow holds and put that elusive rascal in the bike.

401 K Sucks


I've said it before and I'll say it again - the 401 K sucks. My statement came yesterday and within ten months the value has dropped back to what I had in it in 2004. It gets tiring when people say to leave it in and keep contributing because it will come back. How about the fact that penalties and taxes on top of taxes will take a large chunk if I take it out? Well, I'd have some of it rather than none of it. What of people who are already retired and depend on their 401 K payout to survive. What are they going to do now? We are told to save and invest because social security won't be there for us at retirement. Guess what, your 401 K won't be there either. Here's one more thing, I've been told in the past that if I got savings bonds that I would not make nearly as much as the 401 K. Hm mmm, make a little less on interest but be able to get it if your in dire straights such as making a mortgage payment because it's there or risk it all in 401 K, lose it all and not being able to use it to survive today. So these huge companies screw up and we have to bail them out while they, like Richard Fuld of Lehman brothers, walk away with millions while we foot the bill and sink.

Another suit trying to look like the victim.

Dear Mr and Mrs Tax Payer

Dear Mr and Mrs tax payer, we, the executives of AIG wish to thank you for your kind donation to help us fulfill our greedy intentions. We know that you work hard and long for your money and we have been so grateful that we loved our $400,000 dollar vacation retreat paid for by you. Each and everyone of you should be happy to know that we enjoyed ourselves very much on your dime. While you were hard at work at your job and worrying about paying the bills, we were relaxing by the pool, eating extremely well, oh!, and the massages helped to relieve the tensions. The group of us had been sick worrying that we would not be able to afford this extravagant vacation/retreat this year but ... you all came through for us in perfect timing. There just wasn't anyway possible that we could have enjoyed ourselves without each and every one of your generous donation. Sitting around our table eating fine food and drinking we gave a toast to all of you, and a laughing great time too, with hopes that each of you can now work that second or third job into your seventies and beyond. It is also with great hope that any of you working out there who may get fired from your job that you, like Mr. Sullivan, gets a multi-million dollar severance package to award you for a poor job done.
Thank you once again one and all. Oh, and don't forget to buy more insurance from us as we still have our huge mortgages and more vacations to take. You can be proud of the fact that you helped us have such a wonderful time with your tax dollars. Don't worry about our retirement as we have put away millions to make sure we will be perfectly comfortable.


(This is just another reason as to why I, Wooleybugger, do not trust people wearing suits, who have short hair and are clean shaven in the executive big company world. These people are playing with our lives and lively hoods and screwing us everyday and yet they still get away with it. Don't you think that we all now own a piece of AIG and as such owners collectively should be able to seize these executives property? These people are nothing more than thieves and shysters who should be made to pay back, out of their own pockets to us, all of the retreat monies plus penalties. We should be able to take them each to court and fine them all 5 million dollars each for mis-appropriation of funds. I just bet they are all laughing so hard at us that their stomachs hurt).

Ahhhh, Montana, Gotta love it.



This is where I want to spend my Christmas. Sitting in my cabin with the fireplace a glow with firelight dancing on the hearth. Looking out the window at the snow falling and covering everything with the peacefulness only snow covered trees and ground can produce. So serene, the beauty of it all, a place to enjoy nature, a place to relax and just kick back with a good cup of coffee or Jack&Coke with nary a care in the world. Squirrels with snow on their tails, birds dancing and ducking darting around and flittering about for seed falling to the ground from the breeze blown feeders.

Artist Wanted for Patch Logo


I'm looking for someone to draw up motorcycle Patch logo's. Send me an email at wooleybugger1@gmail.com for more info and a chance to win a $50 gas card.

Chris Neal Farm/ Camp Hope & ("Vittles and Veterans" Bike Run)

Camp Hope is dedicated to providing the resources for our veterans to again enjoy outdoor activities. There are over 2.3 million disabled veterans in the United States. Each of these soldiers sacrificed more than we will ever know. They should not have to sacrifice their dreams.

Here at CHRIS NEAL FARM we have dedicated a 5-acre tract of land were we will be constructing a handicapped accessible lodge to accommodate our veterans. We have named this parcel of land CAMP HOPE. Once constructed it will accommodate up to 6 veterans per week and allow them to enjoy outdoor activities once again.

We need help in supporting your men and women in uniform. Your donations will help create cherished moments and help them to a full and speedy recovery.

Thank you,

William White

Read more www.chrisnealfarm.com


"Vittles and Veterans" Bike Run

Start: 11/09/2008 - 10:00am

Timezone: Etc/GMT-6

The VVR is an effort to bring our lodge members, our community, our local veterans and our biker friends together for a weekend of fun at the Oak Island Moose Lodge. Our overall objective is to collect non-perishable food items to be distributed to needy families during the Thanksgiving Holiday and to honor our brave veterans and their families both past and present for their service, sacrifice and loyalty to our country.

More information on this run can also be found at www.chrisnealfarm.com

Vietnam Memorial and Carowinds

My son had couple of tickets for Carowinds park Saturday and he asked me to go with him. What he was wanting to see the most was a band called Skillet and another called Casting Crowns. So. we went. We had a great time at the park from two o' clock to close to eleven. At night the park changed over to spooktacular with all kinds of creepy stuff and ton's and ton's of man made fog. We had tried to ride a couple particular of rides but the lines were so long we gave up on them. The way the bands were going we would have missed the music groups he wanted to see and hear had we stayed in those ride lines. One thing he did want to do was ride a roller coaster because he never has. The lines for the two coasters we had tried for were over an hour and a half long. One lady we spoke with told us her son and his friend waited that long in the line and then they timed the ride ... it was over in a couple of minutes. So we passed on those rides and weren't going to do the coaster thing but I saw how disappointed, or aggravated, my son was so I took another look at the map. Over in the back of the park was the biggest old style coaster in the park. So I turned to him and said lets check it out. I decided that we were going to wait in the line as long as it took. I also told him "well, if your going to ride a coaster no since starting small. Let's just go all out and ride the biggest derned one here." So we went up to Thunder Road and the line was short, real short. There was only a three cycle wait on our side and although he was nervous and maybe having second thoughts, well, we didn't wait long enough for him to back out. When we hit that first hill and began the climb up I looked over the side and said "Oh crap! I wonder how long those bolts have been broken." I know what your all thinking. But it was only to help with his excitement of the whole thing. He figured out that I was messing with him and said ' Dad! Don't say that." When we cranked it on down that first hill I looked over at him and couldn't help but start laughing at the terrified look on his face. It was classic. I laughed my ass off the rest of the ride each time I looked over st him. When the ride was over he had the biggest grin on his face and told me his hands where tingling and numb. He'd held on so tight to the bar with a death grip that he was numb. He remarked at how glad he was he hadn't eaten before the ride too. He wanted to ride it after dark when the concerts were over but by then he was just to tired and wanted to go home. He zonked out on me in the truck on the way home.
"Let's go all out and ride the biggest thing in the park. If your going to do this thing let's just go for it. It's not much different then being in a top fuel dragster." I told him.
"I wouldn't know about that Dad. I've never been in a top fuel dragster."
(Hm mm, Really now. Imagine that, me neither.)
I Had a blast with him the whole day. And what a day it was.

On our way to the Carowinds Park I wanted to stop at the rest stop on the I-85 between Greensboro and Charlotte that has the Vietnam memorial. We arrived and took the walk down the brick lined walkway, down the steps and into the memorial. Out of the 250,000 sent to war - 1619 North Carolinian's were killed and their names are all on the brick wall. Around the perimeter are yellow ribbons on trees and crosses in the ground marking names of veterans who have died in more recent times. I was almost overwhelmed when seeing all the names up there of men who were cut down in the beginnings of life. The memorial is very nicely done and laid out. Being down in a bottom area surrounded by the man made hills makes for a peaceful quiet spot to reflect. Another man came down to the memorial whilst we were there and he kept to himself as did we. It's just ... a private thing, I feel, when your there and a place to respect another visitors space.
I want to do more. Something. I'm not sure what exactly. Maybe a run and, dare I say it, a prayer service at that memorial. Perhaps a reading of every name on that wall out loud. How many years has it been since those names were called out and permeate the air?
Maybe, even perhaps, I'm just a goof who dreams to much of wanting to do something meaningful.

I'm Looking for Something

I don't know what it is that I've lost but I keep looking for it anyway. A major part of me died when I was ten years old and with it something else. Many were the times that I traveled back to that house on the hill not knowing why. Something, a key perhaps, is waiting there in that place and I know not where to look. It troubles my mind like a dripping faucette in the darkness of the night and keeps you awake. Trying to retrace my steps and thinking about what I went through just makes more foggy mist. Trying to understand it all or even trying to explain it falls on deaf ears mostly.