Good ol' Spanky. We keep him around for our amusement.
I hunt animals, wreck bikes, eat weird things,
drink good beer and bitch about society
for your entertainment pleasure.
Wednesday, February 26, 2014
Tuesday, February 25, 2014
Sunrise to Sunset Insanity
I've been enjoyin' long-distance motorcycle ridin' for almost a decade now. I can safely say that I've done some crazy shit on the back of a bike in regards to distance vs. time, but I don't know that I'll ever have the combination of time, money and ability to tackle anythin' like the Sunrise to Sunset Insanity.
My long-distance ridin' is accomplished primarily with Hoagy's Heroes, out of West By-God Virginia, and that's where I found out about this story. Gwen "Shoganai" Jordan has ridden with Hoagy's Heroes before, although I can't recall if I was involved with any rides with her. She was severely injured in a wreck back in 2007 durin' one of Hoagy's 50CC Coast-to-Coast rides (which I desperately wanted to do, but time and funds didn't allow for it).
To make a long story short, she not only recovered, but she then clocked one of the least sane rides in the Iron Butt world. Better still, she took a ton of pictures and took the time to write one heck of a story about her experience.
It's way too long to post all of it here... that said, if you have a few cold beers and an hour on your hands, I urge you to head on over to this thread on the BMW MOA forums, where she took the time to post everythin'. I thoroughly enjoyed her story, and if y'all enjoy motorcyclin' or travel in general, I think you will too.
My long-distance ridin' is accomplished primarily with Hoagy's Heroes, out of West By-God Virginia, and that's where I found out about this story. Gwen "Shoganai" Jordan has ridden with Hoagy's Heroes before, although I can't recall if I was involved with any rides with her. She was severely injured in a wreck back in 2007 durin' one of Hoagy's 50CC Coast-to-Coast rides (which I desperately wanted to do, but time and funds didn't allow for it).
To make a long story short, she not only recovered, but she then clocked one of the least sane rides in the Iron Butt world. Better still, she took a ton of pictures and took the time to write one heck of a story about her experience.
It's way too long to post all of it here... that said, if you have a few cold beers and an hour on your hands, I urge you to head on over to this thread on the BMW MOA forums, where she took the time to post everythin'. I thoroughly enjoyed her story, and if y'all enjoy motorcyclin' or travel in general, I think you will too.
Friday, February 21, 2014
Charger
Those of y'all that know me or follow my posts know that I have an affinity for auctions. For me, it's not just a good way to get some great deals. I'm an avid people-watcher (not the creepy kind), and I love the musical rhythm of a good auctioneer. It's good, cheap entertainment, and it's amazin' how much stuff I've gotten at auctions for next to nothin' that I use purty frequently.
Norm's Auction in Hanover was right up the road from where we used to live, so I'd go there often. Now that we've moved, it's a bit more of a hassle to go, but occasionally I'll take the long way home after the mornin' milkin' and check it out.
I stopped in last week on the way home from the farm. I not only grabbed a few things we could use around the house, I also had a few fun purchases.
Jesse and I would spend hours at a pop on Grandma Reinhart's version of Charger, which she still has in her basement. So, when this one went untouched all the way down to 50 cents, I figured it was time to grab somethin' for the niece and nephew to play on when they come over.
The best part was watchin' him buck around in the bed of the truck the whole way home. Can't even imagine what was goin' through the heads of the folks that followed me. I drove the whole way home gigglin' like a schoolboy that just discovered armpit farts...
Norm's Auction in Hanover was right up the road from where we used to live, so I'd go there often. Now that we've moved, it's a bit more of a hassle to go, but occasionally I'll take the long way home after the mornin' milkin' and check it out.
I stopped in last week on the way home from the farm. I not only grabbed a few things we could use around the house, I also had a few fun purchases.
The best part was watchin' him buck around in the bed of the truck the whole way home. Can't even imagine what was goin' through the heads of the folks that followed me. I drove the whole way home gigglin' like a schoolboy that just discovered armpit farts...
Thursday, February 20, 2014
Slowly gettin' there
One good thing about the new house is the fact that it has two livin' rooms, which means one of them is more or less at my disposal. The girl maintains veto power, but thankfully she's purty open-minded thus far.
So, in between shovelin' snow, work, and the million other things I manage to pile on my plate, I've been slowly gettin' stuff hung up. The big challenge about doin' it now is tryin' to plan around furniture that hasn't yet been built or bought.
But until that stuff comes, I'll do the best I can. So far, so good.
So, in between shovelin' snow, work, and the million other things I manage to pile on my plate, I've been slowly gettin' stuff hung up. The big challenge about doin' it now is tryin' to plan around furniture that hasn't yet been built or bought.
But until that stuff comes, I'll do the best I can. So far, so good.
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| Ned Smith's "Timber Baron", Ron's beard board, and some creeper lady. |
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| I removed the snow goose from his former wooden base and got crazy with the 10-lb test and eye hooks. |
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| This was the second, but prolly not the last, attempt at this wall. Off to a good start, anyway. |
Thursday, February 13, 2014
The latest storm
We had just under a foot of the white stuff at the house today, with more comin' tonight and tomorrow. Oh, joy.
We got shoveled out and skipped town en route to Ron's annual Winterfest party, but with more snow on the way, who knows if we'll make it back up the driveway when we get back...
The Great American Outdoor Show
I hadn't been to the former Eastern Sports and Outdoor Show for four or five years, and I was really lookin' forward to goin' last year.
Then, the shit hit the fan.
For y'all who aren't in the general area, here's a quick summary. Basically, the old show was run by a British outfit (how the hell that happened in the first place is beyond me, but I digress). After that dipshit shot up the school in Connecticut, said British outfit decided that "military-style weapons" had no place in their show. Sponsors and vendors started droppin' out left and right, and a boycott was organized among potential attendees. It was a strong showin' by the Pro-2A crowd, and within days, the show was cancelled.
The National Rifle Association quickly swooped in and grabbed the reigns, hopin' to bring the show back to life this year, better than ever.
By all accounts, nobody really knew what to expect after last year's snafu. Essentially, they had the target market secured but were startin' from scratch. But based on what I've read, and what Uncle John and I saw on Sunday when we went up, most of the changes that were made were great. The new feature of the show was the Guns and Shooting Hall, which lived up to the hype. Most major manufacturers were there, and had their wares on display for everyone to handle. I coulda spent the entire day in just that room, handlin' all the firearms, parts and accessories on display.
The rest of the show was reminiscent of years past, with plenty of huntin', fishin' and campin' gear and outfitters on display. I tried to browse as much as possible, but I spent most of my time runnin' turkey calls, tryin' to find a nice one to add to the collection. I never did make that purchase, but I did manage to score a great deal on a spool of paracord, some fancy gun-cleanin' stuff called Froglube that I've been wantin' to try, and a couple cheapo turkey calls to play with. I also managed to score a few free PMAGs from the Magpul booth, which made my day. Now, to get the gun to go with 'em....
Perhaps best of all, the legions of Shamwow pushers and snake-oil salesman that had made up a substantial portion of the vendors at the old show were, for the most part, non-existent. Talk about a breath of fresh air.
It did have the appearance of bein' slightly smaller than the old show. I personally believe that some vendors were leery after the show got cancelled last year, and decided to stay home. I think once word gets around about the good attendance and how good the show really is with the NRA in charge, more vendors will jump on board.
All in all, it was a fantastic day away, and I'm already lookin' forward to next year's show. It's definitely worth the trip if you live anywhere in the region.
I did remember to snap a few pictures while I was there, when I was able to get my hands off the guns and turkey calls.....
Then, the shit hit the fan.
For y'all who aren't in the general area, here's a quick summary. Basically, the old show was run by a British outfit (how the hell that happened in the first place is beyond me, but I digress). After that dipshit shot up the school in Connecticut, said British outfit decided that "military-style weapons" had no place in their show. Sponsors and vendors started droppin' out left and right, and a boycott was organized among potential attendees. It was a strong showin' by the Pro-2A crowd, and within days, the show was cancelled.
The National Rifle Association quickly swooped in and grabbed the reigns, hopin' to bring the show back to life this year, better than ever.
By all accounts, nobody really knew what to expect after last year's snafu. Essentially, they had the target market secured but were startin' from scratch. But based on what I've read, and what Uncle John and I saw on Sunday when we went up, most of the changes that were made were great. The new feature of the show was the Guns and Shooting Hall, which lived up to the hype. Most major manufacturers were there, and had their wares on display for everyone to handle. I coulda spent the entire day in just that room, handlin' all the firearms, parts and accessories on display.
The rest of the show was reminiscent of years past, with plenty of huntin', fishin' and campin' gear and outfitters on display. I tried to browse as much as possible, but I spent most of my time runnin' turkey calls, tryin' to find a nice one to add to the collection. I never did make that purchase, but I did manage to score a great deal on a spool of paracord, some fancy gun-cleanin' stuff called Froglube that I've been wantin' to try, and a couple cheapo turkey calls to play with. I also managed to score a few free PMAGs from the Magpul booth, which made my day. Now, to get the gun to go with 'em....
Perhaps best of all, the legions of Shamwow pushers and snake-oil salesman that had made up a substantial portion of the vendors at the old show were, for the most part, non-existent. Talk about a breath of fresh air.
It did have the appearance of bein' slightly smaller than the old show. I personally believe that some vendors were leery after the show got cancelled last year, and decided to stay home. I think once word gets around about the good attendance and how good the show really is with the NRA in charge, more vendors will jump on board.
All in all, it was a fantastic day away, and I'm already lookin' forward to next year's show. It's definitely worth the trip if you live anywhere in the region.
I did remember to snap a few pictures while I was there, when I was able to get my hands off the guns and turkey calls.....
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| The NRA Wall of Guns... all were raffled off at the show. |
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| When Jesse and I were kids, we'd always run to the fish tank first. |
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| The Guns and Shooting Hall |
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| Beretta's selection of fun guns. |
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| The graphic artist in me got a little tingly when I saw this booth. Bein' run a badass gun manufaturer helps. |
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| Smith & Wesson's M&P selections, in long and short guns. |
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| And my freebie mags. Purty happy about that. |
Wednesday, February 12, 2014
T'was a cold one in the parlor yesterday...
I'm cheatin'. I actually took the first picture two weeks ago, when it was a whoppin' two degrees outside. I never got around to postin' it, so I'll do it now. It was purty much the same yesterday anyway.
This picture was indeed from yesterday. If you look closely, my cousin is less than four feet in front of me, and you can barely see the milk tank, a mere five feet away. It was a whoppin' five degrees there yesterday.
It ain't too bad in the parlor when the portable 104-degree heaters cows are in there. Sprayin' up afterwards is a bitch though. Frozen shit don't wash away easily.
This picture was indeed from yesterday. If you look closely, my cousin is less than four feet in front of me, and you can barely see the milk tank, a mere five feet away. It was a whoppin' five degrees there yesterday.
Tuesday, February 4, 2014
Cedar Ridge by the flood light
I just spent the last hour and a half luggin' wood up to the back porch before more snow and freezin' rain hit us overnight. Figgered I'd take a few minutes and smell the roses before I called it a night...
Monday, February 3, 2014
More snow. Fantastic.
We sure ain't had a shortage of snow in the northeast this winter, but to date, it's been mostly light, easy to move stuff in small quantities.
That changed this mornin'.
We got about eight inches of wet, heavy snow... the kinda shit we dreamed about as kids. Perfect snow for a badass snowball battle. Sure was purty to look at too.
It ain't much fun to shovel though, and with our new driveway bein' steep and paved, not shovelin' ain't exactly an option.
The girl and I got the lower steep part done with the shovels, and Schlongie showed up with a snowblower to take care of the rest of it. Thank goodness, since my back was already aching.
Next winter, we'll definitely be better prepared. Either an ATV with a blade or a snowblower attachment on a mower is real high on the list after all the shovelin' we've done.
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