Sunday Morning

Only in the great state of Texas can you rise on a fine Sunday morning, get in 50 or so mile and STILL make to church on time. That was just what Rainman & I did this morning. After a pot of coffee and some home made sausage and egg tacos, we put on our Sunday best jeans and T-shirts. We headed over to the gas station and topped off the tank. All the stars were alined and we were on our way.

Like I said before, only in Texas can you head down a couple of Farm to Market roads and enjoy some of Gods work. Even though we are still in a severe drought, the field and trees were still beautiful. Riding early in the morning brings all types of sounds, and smells to tickle your senses. We headed out south on FM 1518. there were the smells campfires and coffee even a hint or two of breakfast cooking.

But Like I said before, only in Texas can you ride down the road and see proud American still fly the flag from their gate posts. As the sun fills the sky, we rode past peoples homesteads with the wind in our hair. The previous weeks stress is released allowing your spirit to fly.

Only in Texas, the land where legends are born. Where men are strong and women are goddesses, strength and courage run abundant. We pulled into the Deer Crossing Saloon for church. The band was warming up as bikers of all kind were pulling in. The brotherhood exchanged heartfelt greetings with each other. Our relaxed state from the road allowed us to enter into his gates with thanksgiving as we enjoyed a truly wonderful service. One thing I have learned today that I would like to share with you: “God Bless Texas!”

What's Wrong

The other day, one of Ray's employees was having a real bad day. He was scheduled to be in for work at 7:30 AM. At 8:00 he texted in that he was having a headache and would be there at 9:00. 9:30 came around before he finally showed up. When he came out into the shop he was on one of his typical rants from waking up in a bad mood. I want you to see if what I describe sounds like anything you may have heard of or experienced in the past.

He complained of the following:

• His body and lower back hurt
• Headache
• Needs a different job
• Broke and doesn't make enough money to live on
• Everyone else have what they want while he and his family does without
• Wife finished her degree and hasn't gotten the high paying job she should have automatically gotten with her degree
• Wonders why they ever had kids – Can't afford to do anything
• Wife is always bitching at him and the kids
• Kids are always brats
• Owner of company goes on $10,000 vacation and he can't understand why he hasn't gotten a raise
• Hasn't gotten anything he was promised when he hired on
• Boss always owes him something
• Hates his job, hates his life
• ECT, ECT,ECT
• Yada, yada, yada

Does any of this sound familiar to you? Well as the story goes he said all of these things in just under 10 minutes of ranting. With an elevated voice he was not worried but who might have heard him speaking. Ray was busy trying to repair a piece of equipment they needed on the jobsite in about an hour from then. So Ray just let him vent it out of his system. That was until he started to say how much he hated everything and everybody and for someone to just put a F ing bullet in his head. Ray knew this was not true but that the employee was just in a very bad mood. So Ray countered with a “That's not true, because I know for a fact that you do not hate me. You always look forward to me kicking you when you are down.” Ray then began to berate the guy with all types of insults that showed him just how ridiculous he was behaving and got him laughing at the situation.

I can understand the pain the young man was feeling and the problems he was going through. I feel it all the time. Just try being 14” tall and pink. Have you ever tried to type on a computer with hooves instead of fingers? It's not very easy. Ever been told you can't go into a restaurant because you are not the same as everyone else. (They keep saying its because I smell, which is not true) I know the pain, been there, done that, bought the t-shirt. You just feel deflated almost like your life is over. You feel like there is no way out.

I have something to say to the people who feel this way. Stop wasting my time, I don't care how you feel. WOW, Sounds cold doesn't it? Look, here's the deal. The only person who can change your situation is you. Only you have that power. Blaming someone else for your own troubles makes you lose and they win. I learned at a young piglet age that “One must accept responsibility for ones own action. The only person who allows these thing to happen to you is you. That's right, you are the master of your own destiny. When you allow these types of problems to build up without resolution you create your own quagmire.

Am I claiming to be perfect – oh hell no, I'm so far from perfect I know that I never could be. But I do have a piece of advice for those of you who don't know what to do. Want to make your life better? Then try this: turn off the cell phone. That's right turn that piece of shit off. You don't need it as much as you think you do. Don't live your life by their rules, you don't have to be in constant communication with the whole world. One of the biggest problems getting work done out on the jobsites is people talking on personal cell phone instead of working. The only things being discussed is problems not associated with work.

Next thing to fix is turn off the facebook or at least cut back on the amount your are on there. Stop worrying about who is saying what about what they are doing. Next, turn off the TV. That bullshit they keep pedaling with all of the stupid shows just sucks any and all intelligence right out of your head. There is nothing real about reality shows or much else on TV. BTW the same goes for your kids. Get them off of there and get them outside to play.

Next: SLOW DOWN. Life is not lived in the fast lane, don't be in such a rush to go nowhere. Take time to appreciate what you have and not what you want. Don't try to keep up with the Jones family, it only gets you deeper in debit. And if you are in debit, then you need to work on getting out of debit. Debit causes more stress in your life thus creating a vicious cycle of trouble that you don't need. You say you can't get by without using credit, well guess what your living beyond your means and you will never achieve what you truly need in this life.

I know that by now I may have a few of you out there rather upset with me. That's OK since I am a pig and don't really care if the truth hurts you. Stop wasting my time on the job when I am trying to make a living with all of your bullshit about your problems. You created them yourself and I don't have time to listen to them all day long.

I love you all, call me so we can go have a beer together.

Ride Hard or Stay Home

Pig.

Just Another Saturday

Hey everybody, thanks for stopping by today. I know it has been awhile since my last blog so I figured it was time to write once again. It has been a very hot, dry summer this year (If you live in Texas, you already knew this.) The temperatures have been in the triple digits for all of July and August. Here in South Texas, we are in a full blown drought. The grass is brown and dead, bushes are turning brown and the trees are looking the same. It has been so hot that when you ride the bike, you need to ride it in the morning and be done by noon. The heat like that just takes all the fun out of cruising. Hell, its been so hot, that Ray & I haven't even felt like brewing any homemade beer.

 Of course, some of us have more important things to do with our day!

Last weekend of course was the Labor Day weekend. We finally caught a break from the heat. The tropical storm in the Gulf brought us some cooler temps and winds. Ray & I were planning on taking a ride Sunday, when the bike started to act up. Something wasn't just right on it. We were lacking power in the engine as we were having a hard time getting the bike to roll from a stop. We were also having trouble with acceleration on the road.

Looking things over, we felt it would be better that we didn't chance things on the road, instead we started to do a full tune up on the bike. Now I say “started” because that was just what we did, we “started” to do a tune up. Ray and I went to the parts house, got oil & filter, plugs, ECT. We returned to the house and began our work. The seat and tank were pulled, then we went for the air cleaner. And that's when we found the trouble. An oil breather tube attached to the air cleaner housing had leaked oil and coated the air filter until the air flow of the filter was reduced. Thus causing our reduction in power.

With the bike torn down, Ray pulled the carburetor off the bike to clean it and check all the ports on it too. When he open it up, he found the bowl had dirt and grit in it from dirty gasoline. We spent some time on cleaning all the parts and got the carburetor ready to bolt back on the bike. By that time, we had to shut down for the day and tend to family time.

Well as the rest of the weekend went, we never got to finish putting the bike back together. We were sidelined by the needs of the family and the household. That really sucked cause I for one, really, really, REALLY wanted to go ride. Tuesday came around and Ray went back to work. When he came home that night he was too tired from work to want to mess with the bike. Each morning of the week brought cool mornings and nice bearable afternoons. Perfect for a day of riding the roads. And each evening, ray came home too tired to mess with the bike.

Some would say that it was a mixed blessing that we didn't ride that weekend. With the cooler temps and winds a blowing, wildfires broke in the Bastrop area in and around the state park there. If we were to go riding that day like we planned, that was were we would have headed to. The Bastrop area is one of our favorite places to ride to. Right into the middle of all that. I guess its like the old saying goes: “Be careful what you wish for, you just might get it.”

Its hard to decide, should I sleep on the left or on the right

To the people who lost everything in those wildfires, I'm so sorry for your loss. I would like to wish you the best of luck on rebuilding your lives. The Bastrop area has always been so beautiful with the pine trees and the hills. A real pleasure and joy to ride in this area.

Till we meet again

Ride Hard or Stay Home

Pig.