I [do not] heart California

I had a few 2 stroke triple 500's and they were a blast..

Yomama wrote:I saw gas at several stations going over toward Mobile and the price was $3.50 or so. It is around $3.70 in Pensacola, I believe.

Gas prices give me gas so I buy Gas-X.

MY first bike was in Hawaii ..a Honda 50 which almost got me run over often...so I learned on it and then brought a brand new two stroke Bridgestone 175 which I rode all over that Island. I went a lot of places a car couldn't think about going...loved it.

TEOTWAWKI wrote:Sorry Rice but bikes may be the transpo of the future. Right now I have an old Honda Shadow VLX. I had a couple others but I gave one to a girl friend and another, a Kawasaki 500 still in my garage is slated to go to the helping hands mission. By this time next year I want a brand new Iron 883 Harley...a buddy of mine got one and now I am smitten....

Here's me and my little Honda....

https://www.youtube

I am a walking video camera..so I got video of everything...

As I've mentioned to Lurch on several occasions, no matter how many Harley-owners I know and love, I know nothing of street bikes unless it's a dual-sport, leaning very heavily toward the "dirt" part in the word "dual." However, I looked up your Honda and your Kawi and they both look like pretty sweet rides! I am particularly partial to the Honda, although that could just be the picture and model I read about online. I'm a huge fan of both Kawasaki and Honda dirtbikes, and I've no doubt they both also make very fine street bikes.

Geez, you GAVE one of your bikes to a girlfriend and your Kawi is going to the mission?? Talk about Mister Generosity! Whooee!

Lurch wrote:I had a few 2 stroke triple 500's and they were a blast..

I cannot think of a better rush than riding one... even on the back of the KX with an extremely skilled rider operating, of course.

I found while living in FL (and then KS) that people out there didn't have much respect for quad-riders, which prompted us to fire-up our custom-built quad and open it up on the straight-away a couple blocks from our house, making the turns back into our neighborhood at ~60 (w/full visibility). Neighbors surely did not appreciate it, but... who cares. We were otherwise great neighbors.

As mentioned, it was bored-out, so it was truly a monster among monsters... weighed over 450-lbs, but a monster nonetheless. Don't ask me for the bore dimensions, because I have since forgotten.

riceme wrote:

TEOTWAWKI wrote:Sorry Rice but bikes may be the transpo of the future. Right now I have an old Honda Shadow VLX. I had a couple others but I gave one to a girl friend and another, a Kawasaki 500 still in my garage is slated to go to the helping hands mission. By this time next year I want a brand new Iron 883 Harley...a buddy of mine got one and now I am smitten....

Here's me and my little Honda....

https://www.youtube

I am a walking video camera..so I got video of everything...

As I've mentioned to Lurch on several occasions, no matter how many Harley-owners I know and love, I know nothing of street bikes unless it's a dual-sport, leaning very heavily toward the "dirt" part in the word "dual." However, I looked up your Honda and your Kawi and they both look like pretty sweet rides! I am particularly partial to the Honda, although that could just be the picture and model I read about online. I'm a huge fan of both Kawasaki and Honda dirtbikes, and I've no doubt they both also make very fine street bikes.

Geez, you GAVE one of your bikes to a girlfriend and your Kawi is going to the mission?? Talk about Mister Generosity! Whooee!

As I get older stuff becomes more of a weight hanging around my neck. In these unpromised years I may have left I intend to get rid of everything down to what I just need to live and enjoy my life as simply and uncluttered as possible...I have never missed a thing I have given away. Fact is the freedom and savings of not having to pay licenses and maintenance is well worth it...I used up half a day of life cleaning the carbs on the Vulcan and getting it running. That is time lost.

TEOTWAWKI wrote:MY first bike was in Hawaii ..a Honda 50 which almost got me run over often...so I learned on it and then brought a brand new two stroke Bridgestone 175 which I rode all over that Island. I went a lot of places a car couldn't think about going...loved it.

HOLY SMOKES! When we were kids our first bike was a Honda 50 that we all (my siblings and cousins) shared. We rode that thing into the ground! Great memories...

When I was seven I got lost in the Mojave Desert and my Uncle Bart came and found me in the dark. The coyotes were howling and there was a large party that was shooting near me, so I'd laid-down the 50 in the sand, left it running so the dim little headlight would stay on, and hit the deck, hoping it wouldn't run out of fuel. Never been so happy to see someone in all my life!

TEOTWAWKI wrote:

As I get older stuff becomes more of a weight hanging around my neck. In these unpromised years I may have left I intend to get rid of everything down to what I just need to live and enjoy my life as simply and uncluttered as possible...I have never missed a thing I have given away. Fact is the freedom and savings of not having to pay licenses and maintenance is well worth it...I used up half a day of life cleaning the carbs on the Vulcan and getting it running. That is time lost.

No time is ever lost. Hell, I could say that my time and money put into maintenance and spending on premium fluids and parts for my pickup is all lost, but it pays me back in returns. You're paying it forward, T. I don't generally call it "karma" but I believe that what comes around goes around. In the end, people get what they give. Sounds like you're a giver.

Regarding "stuff": I do not like or have "chotchkies" (or "bullshit," as I refer to it) cluttering-up my home. I do, however, own WAY too many books, and what decorates my home are old rusty tools and parts that I have found in the mountains and the deserts. I have some pretty neat pieces. I also have some pretty neat paintings including some commissioned pieces (one from my sweet and very talented friend Az). I have tons of music, too many boots and shoes , tons of cast iron cookware, and aside from all of that, I am clutter-free.

For many years (until I was in my early 30s), I could fit everything I owned into the back of my Toyota pickup. I would like very much to get back there, but it would be so difficult for me to get rid of all of my books!

TEOTWAWKI wrote:

OH! God, no... ours was more like so, but beat all to hell:


http://www.bikepics.com/honda/z50/72/?dur=215

riceme wrote:Of course, the flip-side is putting it in neutral and getting ~10+ on the down-grade (empty, of course)... provided you've got confidence in your brakes and a solid manual transmission.

Your truck is gasoline, I take it... What year?

I never go down a hill in neutral. It is hard on the brakes and on some models, the fuel pump will turn off when you are coasting in gear. You run the risk of burning out your brakes cruising down a mountain, then, whatcha going to do??? Look for a runaway truck ramp? Not fun.

Yomama wrote:

riceme wrote:Of course, the flip-side is putting it in neutral and getting ~10+ on the down-grade (empty, of course)... provided you've got confidence in your brakes and a solid manual transmission.

Your truck is gasoline, I take it... What year?

I never go down a hill in neutral. It is hard on the brakes and on some models, the fuel pump will turn off when you are coasting in gear. You run the risk of burning out your brakes cruising down a mountain, then, whatcha going to do??? Look for a runaway truck ramp? Not fun.

Ehh, I would never, ever do it on a steep grade, but on the real mild grades most folks full-sized pickups w/manual transmissions do around here. I'd never do it in an automatic but then I don't know how to drive one, not to mention, I don't understand automatic transmissions (entirely too complicated for me). That's why I said "and a solid manual transmission." I don't get bad enough mileage to GENERALLY make it worth it, and my 5th is geared high, plus I don't drive that fast... not owning a hotrod and all

First rule of driving in the mountains is to never ride your brakes, so I'm completely with you on your first point. That was one of the first things Dad taught us when we learned to drive. Should have clarified that and "not on steep grades" I guess. Have never heard of a rig whose fuel pump will turn off when coasting in neutral... Will have to research that!! YIKES!

Riceme, we have old friends who live in your town. When our friends first moved there, the wife started crying on the drive up, right up until they got into town, because there were no trees and it was so desolate looking. Then as they got near or into town, they finally saw trees! They now like it and said it's a nice place to raise a family. But the husband was here visiting with us earlier this year and he seemed amazed at all the trees in our north Alabama yard.
Gas is around $3.45 here in Huntsville, at the inexpensive stations.

Nekochan wrote:Riceme, we have old friends who live in your town. When our friends first moved there, the wife started crying on the drive up, right up until they got into town, because there were no trees and it was so desolate looking. Then as they got near or into town, they finally saw trees! They now like it and said it's a nice place to raise a family. But the husband was here visiting with us earlier this year and he seemed amazed at all the trees in our north Alabama yard.
Gas is around $3.45 here in Huntsville, at the inexpensive stations.

Oh, I didn't even catch that was in the picture... LOL. Big dummy!

Yes, it DOES look very desolate (unless you love the desert, as most old locals do) as you drive into town on what we refer to as "the desert side" until you get through town, into the valley. Sounds as if they came in from the East. I can imagine why she may have been so upset... nothing but many hundreds of miles of desert and wind farms out there. Is one of them working out at Edwards? Many families commute from here to there, as this is probably the most desirable community within commuting distance. North Edwards has long been referred to as The Ghetto Desert, and is no good place to live or raise a family, sadly.

There used to be a lot of test pilots who lived here (could still be, but I'm not so much up on such matters any longer) and Bill Dana and his family had the neighboring property to ours when I was growing up. What an amazing man and career. Chuck Yeager used to come into my Granny's dept store all the time.... Burt Rutan is right down the road... this is a really neat place to live and to have grown up!

It is a wonderful place to raise a family, and I am grateful that I was raised here (although I wasn't always when I was a teenager!). Were I so lucky to have had children of my own, I can think of few other places I would have rather raised them.

Ooo... Your $3.45/GAL makes me long for Kansas gasoline prices!

Riceme I would like to openly thank you and hallmarkgrad for your efforts in being good forum posters that are both civil and entertaining in your posts.

The husband is a test engineer at Edwards. He said that it's a long drive into work but he takes a commuter van of some sort.

TEOTWAWKI wrote:Riceme I would like to openly thank you and hallmarkgrad for your efforts in being good forum posters that are both civil and entertaining in your posts.

Aww, thank you, T! I always try my level-best to be civil, but lose my head every so often. I do the best I can, but when I do go off the rails I always apologize in the end.

Nekochan wrote:The husband is a test engineer at Edwards. He said that it's a long drive into work but he takes a commuter van of some sort.

Oh, my cousin's husband is a test engineer out there as well. Well, there are gajillions of them. But still.

Ja, there are commuter vans that go out to Edwards from here, that come here from Bakersfield, Lancaster and Palmdale up to the supermax, and... I think I'm forgetting another commuter van. California is full of them. My tax dollars hard at work. LOL.

A lot of guys used to drive personal vehicles and speed, shortening the drive, but they diverted the roadway and it's no longer as easy to do so. However, my experience has been that the CAL-Vans (commuter vans) drive faster than most of the personal vehicles anyways, so...

ZVUGKTUBM wrote:I don't miss California at all, even though my very aged (and sickly) father lives in Fresno, and my three sibblings are living in Fresno, Bakersfield, and Cherry Valley.

The cost of living out there is not worth any of the pleasantry that might be available there.

My bones will one day be buried right here (likely in Barrancas Cemetery).

For all the times we've discussed "home" I don't blame you one bit, man. But you've got to admit that you miss the drive-in movie show, right?? Didn't there used to be one right off the 58, sorta near Chester?? I've been wracking my brain trying to remember where that was, and I guess I just need to ask my dad.

riceme wrote:

ZVUGKTUBM wrote:I don't miss California at all, even though my very aged (and sickly) father lives in Fresno, and my three sibblings are living in Fresno, Bakersfield, and Cherry Valley.

The cost of living out there is not worth any of the pleasantry that might be available there.

My bones will one day be buried right here (likely in Barrancas Cemetery).

For all the times we've discussed "home" I don't blame you one bit, man. But you've got to admit that you miss the drive-in movie show, right?? Didn't there used to be one right off the 58, sorta near Chester?? I've been wracking my brain trying to remember where that was, and I guess I just need to ask my dad.

California is like a lot of places..great place to visit but not so great to live. I will never forget the drive along the Pacific Coast Highway. Beautiful. Still wished we had stopped at the Hearst Castle...but maybe someday.

Nekochan wrote:
California is like a lot of places..great place to visit but not so great to live. I will never forget the drive along the Pacific Coast Highway. Beautiful. Still wished we had stopped at the Hearst Castle...but maybe someday.

Hearst Castle is one of the many, many AMAZING places in California that should be visited, if that sort of thing is up your alley. My laundry-list is very long and varied, and after living and traveling here my whole life, I still have many places on my bucket list. I have to admit that I get irritated when people think that California is like one big giant Los Angeles / Hollywood. Most of the state is mountains, deserts, lakes, rivers, forests, valleys, rolling hills, beaches, etc... It is a truly gorgeous and amazing state, geologically speaking, and one can simply not grasp its size unless you have driven its length.

I know I've been bitching today about the price of gas and the politics here, but I really am very fortunate to live where I do. It is unbelievably beautiful, quiet, private... Herds of deer in my yard several times a day, coveys of quail in my yard nearly all day, a resident bobcat who comes through on a regular basis, a herd of elk who's down in the valley at the moment, but who are usually up on the mountain which is my primary view. Hell, I've got the life... aside from the price of gas and dumbass California politics. LOL Ahh, it ain't all that bad, I guess.

riceme wrote:

Nekochan wrote:
California is like a lot of places..great place to visit but not so great to live. I will never forget the drive along the Pacific Coast Highway. Beautiful. Still wished we had stopped at the Hearst Castle...but maybe someday.

Hearst Castle is one of the many, many AMAZING places in California that should be visited, if that sort of thing is up your alley. My laundry-list is very long and varied, and after living and traveling here my whole life, I still have many places on my bucket list. I have to admit that I get irritated when people think that California is like one big giant Los Angeles / Hollywood. Most of the state is mountains, deserts, lakes, rivers, forests, valleys, rolling hills, beaches, etc... It is a truly gorgeous and amazing state, geologically speaking, and one can simply not grasp its size unless you have driven its length.

I know I've been bitching today about the price of gas and the politics here, but I really am very fortunate to live where I do. It is unbelievably beautiful, quiet, private... Herds of deer in my yard several times a day, coveys of quail in my yard nearly all day, a resident bobcat who comes through on a regular basis, a herd of elk who's down in the valley at the moment, but who are usually up on the mountain which is my primary view. Hell, I've got the life... aside from the price of gas and dumbass California politics. LOL Ahh, it ain't all that bad, I guess.

so your all the way in california now. oh and you havnt been bitchin. like teo said, your very entertaining and calming. This possibly couldnt be bitchin. I dont want to find out either.

just wanted to say I do agree with you about cali having some beautiful landscape. ive gone to santa barbabra a few times. very pretty. ive watched it change over the last 15 years, but its still very nice.

It sounds like you are at home with family now. and in a nice mello surrounding. enjoy these days, they are your future memories.

I have a number of friends who live in California or who are from California. They say the same things as you, Riceme---they get tired of all of the wacky news coming out of their state and hate that so many people think that what we we read in the news about something crazy going on in LA or San Francisco is representative of the entire state or its people. CA is so much more than that. It is a beautiful state with a lot of good people.
The taxes mainly, would keep us away. Plus lack of a job for hubby in places that we would want to live. I cannot see us living anywhere near Edwards. We talked about it, because our friends live there. But I like a place with rain and trees....and hubby hates commuting more than 20 minutes to work. So I can't see us doing what our friends are doing, although they are happy with where they're at. They have said that they would not want to raise their kids in a place like San Diego, but they have family in CA and are Californians at heart.
I think the Redwoods in CA are are so beautiful--I would love to live someplace like that. But again, there is the distance, commute, etc...and the taxes
I am just a southerner at heart and I am lucky that hubby (who is from Alaska) is happy pretty much wherever I'm happy, he likes the south a lot, and he does not mind always looking for jobs in places that he thinks I'll be happy in.

riceme wrote:

Nekochan wrote:
California is like a lot of places..great place to visit but not so great to live. I will never forget the drive along the Pacific Coast Highway. Beautiful. Still wished we had stopped at the Hearst Castle...but maybe someday.

Hearst Castle is one of the many, many AMAZING places in California that should be visited, if that sort of thing is up your alley. My laundry-list is very long and varied, and after living and traveling here my whole life, I still have many places on my bucket list. I have to admit that I get irritated when people think that California is like one big giant Los Angeles / Hollywood. Most of the state is mountains, deserts, lakes, rivers, forests, valleys, rolling hills, beaches, etc... It is a truly gorgeous and amazing state, geologically speaking, and one can simply not grasp its size unless you have driven its length.

I know I've been bitching today about the price of gas and the politics here, but I really am very fortunate to live where I do. It is unbelievably beautiful, quiet, private... Herds of deer in my yard several times a day, coveys of quail in my yard nearly all day, a resident bobcat who comes through on a regular basis, a herd of elk who's down in the valley at the moment, but who are usually up on the mountain which is my primary view. Hell, I've got the life... aside from the price of gas and dumbass California politics. LOL Ahh, it ain't all that bad, I guess.

You need to write a book. Start with a children's book. Get Az to illustrate it, As I was reading your post it carried me to an ideal place in my mind I am sure children would love to visit in their thoughts...thanks.