Motorcycles, my Wife Doesn't Understand It

My wife just does not get it about my motorcycle fetish and how it just won't die. That's okay, at least she does not try to stand in the way of me having one. She says she thinks they're pretty and she knows how fun they can be (She use to ride dirt bikes) but the street bikes leave her a bit unnerving. Although she won't help me with them she doesn't piss and moan about it either. She's just concerned I recon. And even though she has said she won't help me any she has with trouble shooting and asking if I've checked this or that. But she still says she don't get it. We have and she has women friends who ride even.

( Motorcycles, It's not just a guys thing anymore.)

Ahhh Screw It

The bike cranked right up today without a problem. But then it flooded out with to much choke so I should of known better than to use it. It stalled and then being so flooded it needed to sit a bit. I went back out to give her another shot and noticed raw fuel dripping from the exhaust pipes. That would have been one big fireball shooting out had I cranked it over. I'm guessing my float got stuck.
Wanting a new solo seat instead of the king and queen, the best thing was to turn my attention there for awhile. Going through catalogs and shopping on line found nothing that was affordable nore fit what I'm looking for. So I say: Ahhh screw it." I'll just try my hand at making my own the old fashioned way. Out came the paper, cardboard, marker and razor blade. Made some pretty good headway there I do believe and so far I'm happy with my first design. Hopefullythere will be a chance to work on the seat more after work tomorrow. We'll see.

First Annual Bike Week in New Orleans

Introducing Bike Week New Orleans at the Broken SpokeTM! We have put together an incredible event in the heart of New Orleans, with top-notch bike shows, captivating rides, authentic creole cuisine and entertainment you'd expcect from the Broken Spoke! For more information click here: Bike Week New Orleans Events

This is going to be one hell of a party that Karlene, friend of K.T. Did's, is working hard on for everyone. The dates are May6th - may 10th but being that there is already a great site choked full of information just go on over there and check it out. What are ya waitin for? An engraved invitation.

Gumption - I got None

Maybe I'll get over it, maybe Iwon't. The highlight of my day is seeing my son and having the dog get all excited when I get home from work. The dog is like my shadow when I'm home and has to be near me most all the time. I'm down on myself for the path I have taken and what had been envisioned when younger.
There are people out there who have it worse but I can't worry about them right now, I have my own to worry about. Tired of money issues, tired of the economy, tired of bad news, tired of having just enough to get by, tired of doing something extra to make some cash to put towards something then having something come up to take it, tired of being made to feel guilty for wanting, tired of not wanting to get up in the morning because I know it just means more of the same, And tired of being patient for what never comes. There is no gumption because life stinks right now and at the moment I'm just plain tired of it.

Bummed Out and Tired of the Cold


It wasn't that long ago that I enjoyed the winter time but felt it was a waste without some snow at least. Well, this year we did get some snow around these parts but it was gone in short time. The sight of snow covering everything has such a calming effect, at least for a little while. Then you get the trucks, cars and post carriers and the like leaving tracks everywhere which destroys the beauty of it all.
But I am ready for all this cold temperature mess to be over and done with. Funny how one changes as they get older. My Sporty needs some attention to those hand controls as well as some ideas I have for it but it's been either to cold or wet outside to get out there and enjoy tinkering with her. Gone for me are the days of turning a wrench, sniffling, wiping my nose then banging a finger or knuckle when a wrench slips. It all hurts worse when cold bones and flesh smack hard cold metal with brute force. The pain goes clear to the marrow. I think I'll go get a job with AIG. At least I'll be banging someones elses knuckles and having them say: "thank you. Can I give you more?" I don't know a thing about insurance but then who cares as long as I get the huge bonus/or retainer fee for just screwing up. I mean I can do that easy.

Things for most everyone is tight these days. Well that is except for big companies getting bailout money then being lavish with it while we tax payers foot the bill when we have a tough enough time hanging on ourselves with uncertainty. Being that we all own a piece of AIG for example, I think that if they want to play that game then we should all show up at all of their, I mean Our, places of business and take what we want to settle the debt to us. I've been wanting a big copy machine so perhaps I should go take inventory of all my assets there, decide which one I want, call a couple friends and bring it home. I mean, it is being paid for by me ... right? It's public property like a park or other public place like a library so I should have access to the properties anytime I please. Don't you think it stinks to own something and not have the ability to use it?
I'm sick of being in the cold and having to do without and less while bailout companies reap more rewards for being stupid, underhanded and filthy then walk away with million dollar bonuses for screwing up. It would be like someone you know telling you that they are about to go under, give a sad song and dance story about needing to pay off debt so you lone them money when your already tight yourself ; then while your still struggling and harder now cause you helped them, they up and take a nice big huge fancy vacation on your dime plus, give some of your money to their friends to go party too.

All that bailout money should be going to the people who need it now. The people who actually do something to keep this country going each and everyday. Not some huge conglomerate that's just going to dole it out to those who are already wealthy. Not those idiots who don't really produce or make a damn thing but smoke and mirror, slick fancy words snake oil on pages deals with other peoples money. What do these AIG type places really produce anyway? Nothing that's what. Not one damn thing that you can look at, hold onto or touch. I even heard that new home owners are going to get an eight thousand dollar tax break refund for buying a home. Where are these deals for those of us already in our homes paying our mortgages? OH! That's right, we get some little piddly assed four hundred dollar break, eight hundred if married, little dingle berry amount for the whole year. Whoop dee fricken doo. Kind of like getting a nice shiny new penny for a raise and job well done isn't it. But lets reward the screw ups like AIG with big sums of money to waste. I for one am sick of these fat cat rip off artists in their fancy suits and short hair cuts.
If we really truly want something done up THERE in the D.C congress we need people like Ted Nugent and Jesse Ventura. We need people like the most of us who have worked for a real living and actually keep the lights on, the roads paved, the farmers feeding us, the truck drivers on the road, the dock workers, electricians, teachers, police officers and etc. Get it! People who can look at what they have done at the end of the day and see it, touch it, feel it, hear it and know they really did something today

check out fast hair and read about frog the drag racer.
Don't forget to check out my friend K T Didwhile your at it.

Tax Help Advice

I've been seeing these commercials from companies that will help you with your tax problem; I can help some of you with this free advice.
This is from my own experience from many years ago but it will still work. This is not for the people who have a huge tax bill and make over the fifty thousand mark and above. This is for the masses of us who are the working backbone class who do not have huge paychecks every week.

I was working a full time job barely getting by when I first moved out of my parents house in the very early nineteen eighties. While I had a room mate my part of the bills where getting paid but there was not much left for anything else. It's tough to date when all that's left each week was fifty dollars ... maybe. So I got myself a part time janitorial job to supplement my full time job. I had to leave my day job at five to be at my second job by five thirty. This meant the traffic had to be just right and there was no time to stop and get a bite to eat either. The second job was until eleven at night and all outside work. My job was to push these huge trash collection carts around this large complex and collect and dispose of the trash bags. It was up hill and down hill pushing these heavy trash laden carts in winter and summer, rain or shine. Even had to have a guard with me the whole way because this company did not want anything taken that a competitor might want. Most trash went into a shredder, then compacted into sealed dumpsters.
The first few weeks working six days were tough, but as time went on I figured out my own system to minimise having to go back and forth.

That first year when I paid my taxes I got back a nice refund and felt pretty good about it all paying off. It had allowed me to pay cash for a nice little hot rod, DATE, and do some other things I'd otherwise been unable to do.
Early that second year the cleaning company came around and had us all sign these forms before starting our shifts. They told us that it was something they needed for us to fill out for the IRS, just a formality and we didn't have time to read over them. We did and we all went to work and truly being naive myself never even gave it a second thought. Just another form to fill out from the employer.

At the end of that year I filed my taxes as before and waited like the others for my tax refund check. Well, what came was not a refund check but rather a tax bill with penalties attached. The company had been doing some fancy foot work to avoid paying taxes and got into trouble. What they had us all fill out were subcontractor forms saying that we were subcontractors for them which made us responsible for ALL of our own taxes. Your not a subcontractor when you work for someone else and they set the hours and pay etc.
For me that meant that all the money I had earned had no taxes taken out on it (even though my stubs showed it did) so I owed it all. Actually I owed more than I earned because of the penalties and social security for self employed was twelve and a half percent. When you work for a company they pay half of SS and you the worker pay half. Lets not forget that I was already being charged interest too on top of all that.

I was all a panic after getting this letter and a bunch of others were to. A bunch of us quit and went to the main office to get our checks where the supervisors were having a meeting. Don't know about the others but they tried to talk me into staying on and with big friendly smiles on their faces too. One guy trying to collect his check got angry when they told him he could not have his check until he turned in his company hat which he had forgotten at home. Some choice words got exchanged and he got his check.

Now for paying the taxes I only had a few days to respond to the IRS letter so I did a lot of thinking. Turns out that if your upfront with them they will work it out with you. No need for any company to pay to do it for you or a lawyer, unless your big time in debt, but for many of us you can do it yourself.
I sat down and wrote them a one page letter with the facts and documentation that I could see I owed the money. (I didn't argue that the company had cheated us because the IRS was already going through all of their records). In the letter I showed what my monthly income was at my full time job and that I could afford to pay a certain amount each month, sometimes more if I got overtime. Plus, I attached the first payment amount to the letter and sent it off.
The response back was probably a week and they agreed and sent me a bill every month with the agreed upon amount just like any other creditor would do. To take the amount down faster I sold my hot rod ford at a loss and sent them the money from that as well. At the end of the year I had it paid down pretty far and my tax refund money from my full time job, they kept most of it and my IRS bill was paid in full.

Breast Cancer Relief,
Wicked Women Choppers

I've made my pledge to the Breast Cancer Relief Foundation,
got my ribbon, but before I give will check the BBB.


No relation to the above mentioned foundation but there was an article done a few years ago when I was with GarageChoppers. Our then lady staff member, Robin "MadRocka" Fox, did up a great article on a women who not only rode motorcycles but built them as well. The woman is Christine Vaughn and she is the CEO, designer, fabricator, builder and all around visionary plus owner of www.wickedwomenchoppers.com in Herrin, Il.
Why does all of this remind me of her and the motorcycle company that she fills so many boots with? Because she built a motorcycle that tours the U.S of A to bring this whole Breast Cancer awareness to the forefront to both men and women alike. Though I've never met her in person, Robin did a write up that gave insight into this driven lady with a knack for getting things done in the world of motorcycles and beyond. I only wish that the article was still available for you to read.
One thing is for sure though, this lady earns respect wherever she goes and you should check her out.