• @$$hole driving

    I often flow with traffic keeping a low key, and cluck-cluck people who do dumb a-hole driving stunts around me. Phoenix (and SE Phoenix) drivers rarely fail to amuse me. But once in a while, I get an itch, and to scratch it, I need to drive like an a-hole. Honestly, it can be fun,…

  • Growing up “Gifted”

    In a prior post, I discussed how a pretty big familial change greatly affected me during a critical period of development. Now I would like to discuss another, somewhat related, topic. In the third grade, I was identified as “gifted”. This means that I scored high on the standardized tests, and consequently, I was “invited”…

  • Weight Loss Update

    Two weeks ago, I lamented the need to get back on the horse and lose some weight. Of course, I know the formula, and I have tools to help me with my endeavor. But it is difficult to train the body to accept the new status quo. For the stats: Starting Weight: 232# Today’s weigh…

  • Where have all the UFO pictures gone?

    Lately I have been grooving to the X-Files episodes over on Netflix streaming. I remember waiting with baited breath each week for the next episode, and cursing the creators when they used a cliffhanger at the end of the season. If you haven’t watched the show, it has a fairly large portion of its episodes…

  • Garage Sale Culture

    On this morning of our neighborhood’s “community yard sale”, I am reminded of something that appears to be a uniquely American cultural phenomenon, the “Garage Sale” culture. Simply put, it is people who are clearing out unused items by putting them in their yard, or their garage, putting prices on them, and then having people…

  • Things I don’t need to be told

    Number 1: I weigh too much and should lose some weight. Duh. Number 2: I drink too much. Time to do something about #1. #2 follows from #1. But first, why am I in condition #1? Well, simply, I like food, and I like to eat. Add to that that I am a stress eater…

  • Customer support followup – Bose Headphones

    Last Thursday, my Bose Quiet Comfort 2 headphones broke. I was bummed, but hey, they were almost 10 years old, so I couldn’t complain about the life. I tweeted about it, and somebody (not Bose) said that I should call their support line, as they often offer smoking prices to exchange your broken headset with…

  • Growing up Poor

    Perhaps I should clarify this provocative intro. My early childhood was well taken care of. Late 60’s, Sunnyvale California, father worked at a defense contractor (and made a good salary). I was too young to know that this made us solidly middle class. There weren’t many worries about money, and the essentials. Then, when I…

  • My first Street Bike – 1978 Honda CX500

    Not long after I started riding off road motorcycles, I came of age to get a learner’s permit. At the time, with a simple test, I could ride a motorcycle on the street (with surprisingly less restrictions than driving a car). So I was on the prowl for a good ride. I didn’t need a…

  • The first motorcycle I owned – 1979 Yamaha YZ125F

    I have had a string of bikes during my riding career, but the first one I actually bought with my own hard earned money is still something I recall fondly.  I had been riding a couple of years, being a roaring hellion on the Xl125, but I was beginning to hit the limits of what…