Friday, May 21, 2010
Thursday, May 20, 2010
What's the fascination lately...
With gay unicorn and rainbow shit? I got some stickers on a package a while back that were funny for a second, but c'mon.
Wednesday, May 19, 2010
Saturday, May 15, 2010
Does it ever end?
My brother-in-law just sent me these pics of a '67 he picked up for me in Colorado. I was supposed to get up there during the trip back here with my pops, but I guess I'll have to wait until next month to go pick her up. This was my steal of the year and an early birthday gift to my damn self! True garage find that somehow made it through multiple suitors and into my hands for a song. The mysterious Mike D and I plan on turning her into a dreamsickle. '67 heart in an '82 Sturgis swung frame. We'll see what else finds its way into the mix later on.
Friday, May 14, 2010
For Sale!
Friend Scotty is selling this beaut! It'll run you 12k and will be worth every penny. Great guy, great bike. Go get her! Contact Scotty directly at tmscott@surewest.net
Thursday, May 13, 2010
Arizona's all out of luck... literally!
You may ask "why, sir, is Arizona out of luck?"... First I'll tell you not to call me sir, then I'll explain to you that Arizona is out of luck, because my pops just stole it all. No joke. All of it. Gone. Nothing left for you.
As some of you know, my pops has been headed in a bad direction after his stroke 3 years back. Job's been tough to do and even harder making ends meet with all the disruption to life that a stroke can cause. I've been pushing him to move out to Cali and live with me for over a year so he could forget his worries and let me pick up the bill. You know, pay back for the years of grief I gave him growing up. Anyways, he finally accepted and I flew out to Texas to get him on Monday. The goal was to drive back to SoCal and live happily ever after. Well, somewhere right around Tucson, AZ, that plan went all to hell. He was driving his Nissan P/U with the Uhaul attached and the trailer started bucking a little rough coming up over a hill around 55Mph. It got all sideways and he went up under the semi in the right lane. Fucking tanker ran right over the cab and spit the truck out causing it to roll 4 times before coming to a stop in the middle of the freeway. I'm following right behind and just freaking out knowing I just saw my Dad die.
I jump out of the jeep I'm driving while it's still coming to a stop and run to the truck full tilt boogie. The cab has collapsed down to the steering wheel, and there's no more camper or passenger side to speak of. Everything that was in the cab is crushing my pops, but somehow, he's alert and alive. Unfuckingbelievable, but he didn't break a single bone. No concussion. Hardly any roadrash at all. He got a pretty bad arterial cut on his temple, but no bruising on the brain or anything. What the fuck? The dude is either indestructible, or as I say, he just sucked every last bit of luck out of the state of Arizona. One guy at the nearby truckstop rabbited over the highway fence and came to the rescue to put pressure on the bleeding artery while I pulled the windshield out. This little dude is a hero in my opinion. He jumped into the cab and wiggled into what little space there was to keep my pops from moving and keep the bleeding down. EMTs showed almost instantly and got my dad to the hospital pronto. Turns out my brother-in-law has a brother in Tucson. He and his family offered us rooms at their house to stay and his wife is even a doctor. Dad made it through the night with flying colors and we drove the rest of the way back to SoCal today. He's beat up pretty bad in the stiff-and-bruised department, and I'm probably still in shock, but if you were going to have something like this happen, this is the best way to have it turn out. Period. Glad to have you pops!
I jump out of the jeep I'm driving while it's still coming to a stop and run to the truck full tilt boogie. The cab has collapsed down to the steering wheel, and there's no more camper or passenger side to speak of. Everything that was in the cab is crushing my pops, but somehow, he's alert and alive. Unfuckingbelievable, but he didn't break a single bone. No concussion. Hardly any roadrash at all. He got a pretty bad arterial cut on his temple, but no bruising on the brain or anything. What the fuck? The dude is either indestructible, or as I say, he just sucked every last bit of luck out of the state of Arizona. One guy at the nearby truckstop rabbited over the highway fence and came to the rescue to put pressure on the bleeding artery while I pulled the windshield out. This little dude is a hero in my opinion. He jumped into the cab and wiggled into what little space there was to keep my pops from moving and keep the bleeding down. EMTs showed almost instantly and got my dad to the hospital pronto. Turns out my brother-in-law has a brother in Tucson. He and his family offered us rooms at their house to stay and his wife is even a doctor. Dad made it through the night with flying colors and we drove the rest of the way back to SoCal today. He's beat up pretty bad in the stiff-and-bruised department, and I'm probably still in shock, but if you were going to have something like this happen, this is the best way to have it turn out. Period. Glad to have you pops!
Truck after the pneumatic jaws cut the roof off -
Wednesday, May 12, 2010
Saturday, May 8, 2010
Remember When?
Remember when shit was so much simpler? When people did what they did because they loved it and didn't have to deal with the nonsense BS of everyone being "out for self"? Remember when what people said actually held true? You know, they actually meant it and weren't just saying what you wanted to hear. If you don't, I feel for you.
I journeyed out behind the Orange Curtain today and had lunch with my long-time friend Steve. You see, Steve and I met back in 1988 when everything seemed different. It was still filled with angst-ridden punk and hardcore, pushing hard for the next show to get on a bill with the bands you loved, but a bunch of us did what we did for reasons beyond the next dollar or getting over on people to reach some fabled "top" of a ladder.
Life didn't have rungs back then. We just did what we did to have some fun, make enough to eat and survive, and take care of those close to you. Printing t-shirts and selling them for break-even. Recording your buddy's band and not worrying about when they were going to pay you. You knew the friends you kept would come through for you exactly the same way you did for them. Helping every time you could with everything you had. When you said something, you fucking did it. No bullshit.
Well, Steve and I remember and it seems like we both still do things for pretty much the same reason. It might not be making 7"s or playing shows any more, but we still put our hearts out there to show people what we're made out of and what our intentions are. Not too long back, Steve, Rich and Bear from Insted did an album with Roger from Agnostic Front. The Alligators. It rules. Check 'em out. Guess what? They didn't do it for money. They didn't do it to "get the band back together and tour, because we're broke". They did it, because they love this shit. I love this shit too. I did the artwork for that album and there was never a conversation about money. Everyone knew that wasn't the purpose. The purpose was to make a bitchin' record and get it to people like us.
Too bad people these days are too stuck in a place of fear and insecurity to face the truth - not everyone is out to fuck you over. Some people still do what they do just for the fun and the love of it. Some people don't want a reality show. Some people don't give a fuck who's at the top. Hell, simply saying there's someone at the top, immediately places you below them. While I understand and admire proper humility, I also realize that I exist beneath no one. I'm just like you. Right there next to you and not trying to put my foot on your head. You do something better than me. I do something else better than you. Great! That could be twice as much good shit getting done. If everyone could realize this, and live like this, imagine what we could do.
Good way to spend lunch. Getting back to basics with those you started off with in the first place. Steve you rule. Thanks for the tacos.
Haha! I found this photo of Insted on the tour where I met them in 88. Good geebus, we've gotten old... and forgotten where we put our bleach.
I journeyed out behind the Orange Curtain today and had lunch with my long-time friend Steve. You see, Steve and I met back in 1988 when everything seemed different. It was still filled with angst-ridden punk and hardcore, pushing hard for the next show to get on a bill with the bands you loved, but a bunch of us did what we did for reasons beyond the next dollar or getting over on people to reach some fabled "top" of a ladder.
Life didn't have rungs back then. We just did what we did to have some fun, make enough to eat and survive, and take care of those close to you. Printing t-shirts and selling them for break-even. Recording your buddy's band and not worrying about when they were going to pay you. You knew the friends you kept would come through for you exactly the same way you did for them. Helping every time you could with everything you had. When you said something, you fucking did it. No bullshit.
Well, Steve and I remember and it seems like we both still do things for pretty much the same reason. It might not be making 7"s or playing shows any more, but we still put our hearts out there to show people what we're made out of and what our intentions are. Not too long back, Steve, Rich and Bear from Insted did an album with Roger from Agnostic Front. The Alligators. It rules. Check 'em out. Guess what? They didn't do it for money. They didn't do it to "get the band back together and tour, because we're broke". They did it, because they love this shit. I love this shit too. I did the artwork for that album and there was never a conversation about money. Everyone knew that wasn't the purpose. The purpose was to make a bitchin' record and get it to people like us.
Too bad people these days are too stuck in a place of fear and insecurity to face the truth - not everyone is out to fuck you over. Some people still do what they do just for the fun and the love of it. Some people don't want a reality show. Some people don't give a fuck who's at the top. Hell, simply saying there's someone at the top, immediately places you below them. While I understand and admire proper humility, I also realize that I exist beneath no one. I'm just like you. Right there next to you and not trying to put my foot on your head. You do something better than me. I do something else better than you. Great! That could be twice as much good shit getting done. If everyone could realize this, and live like this, imagine what we could do.
Good way to spend lunch. Getting back to basics with those you started off with in the first place. Steve you rule. Thanks for the tacos.
Haha! I found this photo of Insted on the tour where I met them in 88. Good geebus, we've gotten old... and forgotten where we put our bleach.
Now go listen to THIS
Friday, May 7, 2010
WTF? He's a puppet??
Local news just reported that x-rays of Kermit the Frog were leaked onto the net today... I can't believe it. It must be a hoax. This guy taught me the alphabet and shit... now it's all just a lie!!
Thursday, May 6, 2010
Another week gone by...
Geez, where does the time go?! Been spending a ton of time in the garage trying to get the '47 motor ready to go out to Rico's for reworking. Finally lugged that lump out yesterday and then tore down the front-end to start mocking up the frame with ideas. The magical Mike D stopped by and gave me a hand with some of the fun stuff. Good to have buddies in the shop. Keeps you goin! Still can't see where this one wants to be, but it will come. Hopefully sooner than later. I'm actually doing a pretty good job of just focusing on this one project even though there are so many others to do.
Mike D lending a hand... literally. This f'ing bearing was torn up on the bottom side and pretty much grafted onto the stem. We notched it and nada, so we busted out the big guns.
Empty bones
Mike D lending a hand... literally. This f'ing bearing was torn up on the bottom side and pretty much grafted onto the stem. We notched it and nada, so we busted out the big guns.
A little caressing with the sawzall and there you have it (or Bob's your uncle for you Brit bastards). A little off the top means a new neck for that glide, but all-in-all, not too bad a deal. Kept the stock neck cups good for cryin' out loud.
New 39mm front end and bars mocked. That tank's for the sporty, but gives me an idea how the one that's being done right now will look.
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