You pay one way or another

Yup. It's true.

We got a damned good deal on this house. And the value eeps going up.But it is an old place and has been owned by "Home Depot Retards" in the past.Ever so slowly I am improving the place. Last year it was a whole new septic system. Not much choice in that. Sorta a forced upgrade, you might say.

This year we got a couple new appliances. One of whic is a new fridge. Nice damned unit arriving Monday. double doors on top and the freezer on the bottom *where it fucking well belongs*

There is a small issue with it. It is 2" taller than the one we have. The PO (Home Depot Retard) fancied hisself a carpenter and cabinet maker. Everytime I dig into something, I curse his name. Well HDR put in a set of shelves on one side of the fridge that attach to the countertop. Across the top of the shelving unit is a longer shelf that spans the top of the fridge (today's issue) then it is braced and enclosed on the end and attached to a funny block/box on the ceiling and wall.

I figured on just knocking the endoff the shelf and then trimming it to fit the top of the shelving unit. This would give us close to 12" of room to the bottom of the odd block. So I hamer on the end peice. Jaysus, that is solid. Kind of odd when considering HDR's other work. After about 10 minutes of brute force and ignorance I bust the end off. This is when I discover he has used some sort of threaded insert and 1" bolt to assemble the fucking thing. C'mon dude, this isnt structural for fucks sake. I was glad to tear the shelf off the whole thing because the shelfe was made from particle board and HDR had only painted the edge. WTF? So I trim the shelf to the right size. Momma can paint it later.

So then I am standing there looing at this odd shaped box. Now I cant thin of a purpose for it to be there except to cover something like a duct. But it doesnt make sense because there is no duct work in that area. I suspect it is just there "because" like some sort of cubust style element. There is weird shit like that al through the kitchen. Dropped sections so an archway can be formed and crap like that.

Well since I am in the zone and have already made a big damned mess...lets mae a bigger one! I grab my drill and put the 2" hole saw on it. It took forever to cut through the end. I mean forever. Then I peer into the hole and see....nothing. The box is just for the hell of it. WTF? I mean this thing is 5' long and a foot square on the ends. So I start tearing it apart. This is one of the biggest fuckups I have ever seen. Basically he made the box from 2" square lumber, stuck it in the corner, screwed it in place with a plethora of 4" screws (both philips and flat,of course) then covered the bottom with 1/16 veneer wood, the end with (I sit you not) 2" thick dense particle board and the face with heavy sheetrock. This thing had 2" square braces every 10". And of course it was all assembled with heavy screws and a liberal dose of construction glue. Then a bit of paint and trim...viola! Look honey a...box...in the corner... This thing was constructed to withstand a bomb. I could have pared my truck on it. And behind it? nice intact sheetrock walls and ceiling.

So now I am lookng at all the other "elements" in the kitchen and my hammer hand is itching. The catspaw is calling me and momma is at work all night.

Preparations and Brass

The preparations of my old Guzzi Ambassador proceed apace.

Last night I picked up a collection of parts for a song. I needed some new front end parts because mine are suspect at best. This was a complete front end from the wheel up to the bars. And I got it for a price I am embarrassed to admit. A happy boy am I. The only catch was that I had to take the frame it was attached to. Small catch. I got far more than I needed. Not only do I have new forks, trees and such that I desparately needed; I also got stock cable controls. My current set up of modified Emgo bits works...but requires effort when it is time to put a new cable in place. Now I can just buy stuff off the shelf. Additionally I got a choke control. Granted I keep it in tune well enough that it doesnt really need a choke. But it does come in handy. And it is a nice little bit of aluminum farkle. I also got a wheel that I dont need, headlight ears/fork covers that will also come in handy one day. Also a good fender that is in better shape than the one I am getting painted. As a bonus the brake hub is carrying newish green shoes. The antique stockers will go several hundred thousand miles....but wont stop a wet fart. I can plunk those shows on the back and put new ones up front and actually be able to save expensive component wear by not using engine braking.

I have also been trying to find a paint solution. One recommended feller didnt return my calls. Another I went to with the parts in hand and he seemed to miss the scope of my project altogether. He started talking about reworking all the sheet metal and the price just kept climbing. He was a nice feller and all, but shit, I just want the stuff painted not remanufactured. The kind of price he was talking I could have just ordered all NOS in stock colors from a shop. Now I have been turned onto a guy who is doing a lot of the local race bikes. He seems to understand what I want. Looks decent, not a show bike and durable. As I told him "looks ok and wont rust". I think we understand eachother. We'll see, I go to his shop on Sunday morning.

Now for the brass.

I work as a software test engineer. This is also known under a variety of titles, but basically I am a software tester with nearly a decade of experience who can code somewhat and understands a wide variety of technologies. Now I have been contracting for a number of years. And with the current boom in tech in this here mecca of tech, my services are in demand. The phone rings almost daily even though my resume has been off the shelf for the last sx months while I work my current contract. I'm not bragging. Every tech worker with reasonable skills and experience is in demand and is experiencing the same. Now it is a fact of contracting that you have to network and your reputation matters a great deal. With that in mind I have held myself to a high degree of well 'morality' if you will, That is, I complete my contracts, I seek feedback on my work, I work to give more value than I am paid and I refuse to be lured into breaking a contract just for a few bucks. Simply because I know that doing any less will do me harm in the long run. I also return calls from recruiters during my contract. It is just good practice to keep the lines open and the network shiny. But I also make it clear that I am working currently and wont be available unil that contract is finished.

Now over the last year I have experienced periodic events of pure brass balls from recruiters. Some seeking to get me to jump my contract and others just plain being rude when I tell them what I will and will not do. Those are rarities and I just chalk it up to pricks existing in any given group of people. But today kinda tweaked my nipples. This cat from a large agency contacts me with the intent of promoting a gig at another large company in the area. As I lay out for him what my situation is, he notes that they have a 6 month no-compete with another local agency that places contractors at the same large company. I said "Doesnt matter. I dont sign no-competes" This set the recruiter cat on his heels. I expanded by saying "I complete my contracts. When my contract is completed to the satisfaction of both parties, I become a free agent again. A no-compete does me no good whatsoever unless yours provides compensation for that period where my work search is constrained" The conversation ended rather abruptly after that.

Since then I have done a fair bit of research on no-competes. ANd the more I read the more my nipples twisted. Basically a no-compete is supposed to protect a company from A) an former employee poaching staff B) a former employee poaching company intellectual property. Now as a contract resource I cannot do the latter. I simply dont have access to it and when you think about it the only property they have that I could poach would be violating other laws. As for the former, every contract agency I have ever worked for has had in place a policy to reward contractors who bring in new people. Conflict? Could be... So the net effect is that unless I work for them at their whim for six months...I'm barred from working for certain agencies and companies. Sorry folks, but I aint doing that. My ancestors fought damned hard to break free from indentured servitude.

So...how much you want to bet that certain large companies dont ever hear about or have an idea how many highly skilled resources they never get to evaluate because of this? I recall hearing in those halls many complaints about the poor quality of candidates they see from these agencies. I wonder if they are missing some seriously skilled workers because they wont do the no-compete? Frankly, the jobscape is fruitful enough that the skilled workers dont need to accept those positions. There are more positions than bodies. And those who do accept the no-cmpetes may well be drawing unemployment for long periods of time annually. And they say walmart is draining local resources. Please.

So what I have decided for myself is that the next time I am faced with a no-compete (and usually it is a sentence or two in the employment contract) I will require expanded details: Who I am specifically barred from working for. Which companies I cannot contract with. What compensation I am to be gven for having my skills shelved for that time.

Hawaii

In case you havent been looking at the news, yesterday Kauai had a couple large dams burst due to the heavy rains they have been having. My family and I vacationed there last August. Mere months ago. It is eery to see the places we so recently enjoyed being so affected by this; Lihue, Princeville.

Folks on Kauai, you made our family's stay on your island truly memorable and joyous. You are some of the nicest people I have met. My family is keeping good thoughts for you.

Today's Dose of Outrage

I really should stop reading the news and live in blissful ignorance. It seems as if every day gives me a reason to have my blood boiling.

From today's Seattle P-I
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/262691_retkrystal13.html

The P-I has been running a series of articles outlining abuses, lies and other wrongdoings by a small group of officers of the King County Sheriff's Department

Now let me preface this by saying that I do not believe that all police officers are bad. Some are good, some are bad, some are plain evil. I understand that the job is hell and what we ask of them for the pay they recieve is one hell of a return on that tax investment. On the flipside, it seems that those bad apples are really damned rotten and there are enough of them that any wise citizen would conduct themselves as if an officer is an adversary until proven otherwise. Sorry, but that is the nature of the world police operate in; two kinds of people: blue and not blue.

And so the P-I reinforces that opinion and requirement that a wise citizen uses caution when dealing with police officers. In this article it describes how a young lady was in an accident with a police officer who was driving an unmarked car. This Sheriff's Deputy claimed the accident to be the young lady's fault. Several witnesses and the lady claim otherwise. When the family decided to protest the accident report, a citation was issued. The investigator, another Sherrif's deputy altered facts in addition to issuing the Citation. When called upon to conduct an investigation of both the Deputy in the accident and the accident investigation, the King County Sheriff declined, saying that no investigation would be attempted until the citation went to court. The P-I has also outlined a series of abuse claims made against the Deputy involved in addition to disciplinary actions including pay fraud. Now today's article notes that the insurance company that covers the lady's car has to conduct an investigation.

I just have to ask..What. The. HELL??

What the hell possesses the KC Sheriff to NOT conduct an investigation? What the hell does it take to see that this officer is in need of some serious oversight? How much abuse do citizens have to take before the pitchforks and torches start getting dusted off?

I tell you one thing though...when dealing with an officer under even the most innocuous of circumstances, you had best be using the caution of one handling a pissed off rattlesnake. That nasty critter is gonna be looking hard for an oportunity to sink his fangs in and holler "gotcha!". Now understand, I am not advocating antagonism when dealing with a police officer. Remain polite, calm and do nothing that makes an officer nervous or angry. But also, admit nothing, say nothing. Name, rank and serial number only. Remember, the same set of laws that gives you the right to keep your yap shut, also gives them permission to lie to you.

And speaking of lying or otherwise obfuscating the truth from you...

http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/national/1110AP_Sunshine_Week.html

Hot on the heels of the federal government re-classifying information formerly available to the public, states are now doing the same thing. Throwing up over 1000 new laws that deny citizens access to information that is owned by those same citizens. Again I gotta say what the hell? The one thing that has kept the whores in government at least somewhat circumspect in their behavior has been the abilility of citizens to review the records they create. With these laws in place there will be an orgy of abuses unlike anyother seen before. All wrapped in the comfortable blanket of "public safety". Makes me wonder who is really conducting a terror campaign on the citizens of this country? If that is what it costs to be safe..I dont want to be safe. If anything I want the government to be even more open for me to inspect. Hell, any citizen should be able to monitor the exact behavior and communications of any tax paid employee during working hours or when any government equipment is used.
If it is security sensitive, then the records can be held in escrow for a maximum of 12 months. Thats it.

More Preparations

So I wrote about what the bike needs before we go...Now what if something does go wrong?

Motorcycle travel requires a different perspective that car or other modes of travel. Unlike a car, a motorcycle vagabond will run out of volume long before a car camper will. And unlike a plane or train traveler, more than just amenities and money are required. Sure many folks just go with a toothbrush and a credit card when they go on a bike ride; but in my opinion, that limits a bike traveler to where and when they can travel. Foot travelers will run out of weight before a bike tramp will.

Now a bike rider should not only be concerned with his own comfort. I hold a very strong opinion that a bike traveler must be able to handle the most basic care and feeding of his mount. of course one can just rely on the multitude of Service stations and select a mount that has a vast array of dealerships. But when the tire is flat and the sun is dropping, are you certain of rescue? And how many stories of trips ended, delayed or just plain ruined because a rider has to deal with an unknown shop which may be poorly run or even predatory? Now there is of course a limit. Dragging a trailer of spares and a full machine shop simply isnt practical. But a rider should be able to handle the most common issues well enough to get to a place better suited to repair.

The single most important tool you can take with you on a long ride is a clear, logical mind filled with some basic knowledge about the bike. How many riders out there could fix a flat tire? Or even fix a tubeless tire with a tube?

When a bad thing happens, that is when your brain becomes the first tool you unpack. Assuming the bike is stopped somewhere safely off the road, what next? The very first thing you do is stop. Halt. Alto. Look around. Drink some water. Smoke 'em if you got em. The first instinct is to start tearing into the bike and fix the problem. There are a multitude of reasons why this is wrong. Your adrenaline is high. Making you jittery qand panicky. Probably you just had to make some sort of emergency maneuver to get the bike stopped without harm. This is not a clear state of mind to start troubleshooting an unknown problem and still not a good state of mind to deal with a known problem. You are also probably dressed for moving in the weather at high speed. Typically this is too warm for physical activity. And your tools are still packed away. Not to mention the bike is going to be very hot. Singed skin not only hurts like hell, it feels stupid too.

Okay, so you have the bike sitting quietly. You are walking in circles, drinking some water eating a snack. While you do that, look at your surroundings. Is this a good spot to work on the bike? Do you have the option to move to a better spot? Find yourself a comfortable spot to do the task without risking getting hit by traffic and if possible, out of the weather. after pulling the rear wheel of is not the best time to figure out you are getting sunstroke or hypothermia.

Once you are calmed and in a safe spot, this is the time to evaluate. Before you do anything else. Examine the bike. It might be obvious like a flat tire. or it might be less obvious like an electrical issue. When you were riding you most likely had some initial impressions about the bike's behavior. Relive that. But stopping and looking at the bike now is something you couldnt do while riding. Put the memory and the examination together. Once you are sure you know what needs to be done...then is the time to unlimber physical tools and go to work. Make yourself comfortable. Take off the gear if it is hot out. Keep it on if it is cold.

There is more but that is a basics of what I have learned in riding old bikes of often a questionable state of maintenance. This applies just as much to brand new bikes. Panicking and tearing into an unknown problem by the side of the road can be as bad as performing an appendectomy on someone who has a simple case of trapped gas.

"What to bring" is one of the most commonly asked questions by riders when considering a toolkit.

Generally the toolkit that comes with the bike is pretty well stocked for handling basic maintenance and repair. The problem is that they are always poor quality tools. However, they all fit and often have specialty tools. And example is the odd shaped hex key in the kit for the honda VTR I used to own. It is designed to prop up the rear of the tank so that you can get to the rear cylinder for spark plug removal. So if there is an odd looking tool, chances are it has a purpose. Usually the owners manual will tell you what it is for. If not, the dealer better be able to.

Since neither of my Moto Guzzis came with a factory kit, I use a BMW airhead kit from the 70s. BMW kits are usually the best stocked kits for metric bikes.

I will supplement that kit with a bunch of tools from my shop. Typically I devote 1/3 to 1/2 of a saddlebag to items for taking care of my bike. I pack most of it in a small shaving kit sized canvas duffel that I got from a surplus store. The BMW tool roll takes up most of the room.

One great way to figure out what to take is to do the basic maintenance on the bike and note what tool you use. Then add those to your travel bag. I also take improvisation tools. Vise grips. Crescent wrench big enough to use on the biggest nuts on the bike. I also take a rack of sockets in the typical 6mm through 19mm. I also add adapters and extensions for getting into hard places and using the bigger sockets on a standard driver. For instance there are some larger sizes used on the guzzis; 22, 25, 27 and 30 (sometimes 36) So I bring an adaper to use on those. Fortunately I am stronmg enough to use those sizes with a standard driver. others might need to pack a larger driver as well. The poibnt being: examine your bike to make sure you have all the tools to do whatever job you might need to do. Now why on earth should you do that? Well having the ability to say adjust the fork tubes after a minor biff might be beneficial...no? by way of example, my Quota has an aftermarket oil
dipstick. Very convenient. It had a bolt that threads into the stock filler/dipstick hole. in the center is a hole for putting in a dipstick. much easier to check the oil than the stocker. But I have yet to find a funnel for filling that will will fit in that hole. What good will it do me to know that the oil level is low, if I cant do a thing about it? So I bring a 25mm socket.

Other aspects of the bike require different tools. Electrical systems and tires for example require whole other sets of tools.

All of my bikes run tubed tires. Not because it is better..just how it is. This means at the minimum I need tire irons, patch kit and a means if inflating the tube. I usually have a fresh patch kit with me. I dont trust the antique cement in an older kit. I also bring 3 irons. One long recurve style iron like the one made by Motion Pro. And 2 smaller ones. The latter because I simply havent replaced them with the MP versions yet. For airing up, I have a small comressor that I got at costco for 20 bucks. You can find these little guys all over the place. All you have to do is add a cigarette lighter plg somewhere on the bike that allows the cord enough reach to get to the tires. In fact, I no longer use the gas station pumps for air. Simply because just about all have a straight air chuck that gets jammed on the tube type air nipple and often mangles it. Sucks. The mini compressor has a bicycle style 90 degree chuck. Much mo bettah. And finally I always carry a spare rear tube.
Bulky. But there are some punctures that cant be repaired. And only a rear because damned near all flats happen on the rear. I dont see a need to carry the bulk of a front tube as well. And on my Ambassador, the same sized wheels are on both the front and the rear.

For tubeless tires, a good plug kit and air is about all you need. The more paranoide might bring a tube, rim strip and irons in case the plugs arent working, You can pulll the tubeless nipple out and put in the tubed tire. Be warned though...This is a very temporary fix. I wouldnt want to do high speeds for long in that fashion. And finding a shop with the right new nipple as well as a tire might be difficult.

I wont go into a tutorial on how to do the repairs. There are plenty on the net. All I will say about this is to practice. When you are ready to replace tubeless tires, punch a hole in one and then plug it. Test your skills and gear. For tubed wheels, buy tires online and replace them yourself. Do it in the grass in your yard. When you take the old tube out, puncture it, leave it in a corner for a week. Now go back...find the hole and patch it. Leave it inflated for a week to check your work.

Electrical systems are largely a black art to most people, suitable only for practice by voodoo priests. But many things can be solved just by having a few tools and supplies. First off, unless you are able to use it and are troubleshooting a charging system...a voltmeter wont do much good. BUT they do make tiny ones that take up just about no room. Instead I prefer a troubleshooting light. You can make one or buy one for 5 bucks at any auto parts store. All it does is clip to a ground (engine block/frame) and let you probe wires and such to confirm that there is juice flowing. This will help you decide if it is a bad bulb or something else. Other things... Fuses. Plenty of them. When you are trying to figure out why a fuse keeps blowing...one spare isnt enough. And a blowing fuse means there is a problem. It wont stop blowing until that problem is fixed. Heed that warning. Relays. Most bikes have at least one and usually several relays. having one die is relatively seldom...but it
happens. Have one spare of each type of relay. Wire. I take a length of 12g wire that will spanthe length of the bike. Crimps. I take a small assortment of crimp connectors as well as a tool for crimping. Yes sloldering is better. But we are talking about getting Moving while on the road. I do have one of those cold solder tools, but as infrequently as I would need it, it is too bulky.

And finally...improvisation supplies and other items. Having items that will let you finish the task and maybe rig a fix to get you to the next town is invaluable. A couple feet of solid wire. Zip ties of varying sizes. A small roll of duct or other strong tape. Steel putty or JB Qwik (weld). A small tube of hand cleaner and a handful of disposable shoptowels is very helpful. Scrubbing grease and dirt off the bike with grass sucks. Also the towels are useful to lay small parts on so they dont get lost in the dirt. Scrabling around in the dirt with a flashlight trying to find that critical 6mm nut sucks in ways that cannot be imagined.

This all sounds like a lot to take. But really it can pack small if you pack with care. Additionally you can stash small parts in creative ways. A spare clutch cable can be ziptied to the current one, allowing a quick end swap. A bundle of zip ties and wire can be ziptied to a frame member. Fuses can be stored inside the headlight bucket or ductaped under a sidecover.

And finally...In my own case, the bike I take is 30 years old despite rebuild. There are components that can fail and I cannot do anything about it without having replacement parts. Parts that are not easy to get a hold on in the best of times. To that end I am packing up spare parts in boxes that I might need. Bearings, U-joint, final drive. Major items that will leave me screwed. Then if the worst happens like say my U-joint fails, i can call up my beloved bride or a close friend and have them put Box #2 in the mail and overnight it to me.

So...think it through and prepare yourself and the bike for long travels by practicing at home, taking note of what is needed and learning as much as you can about the bike.