rentalguy1

http://www2.tricities.com/news/2011/jun/06/bikers-riding-good-cause-ar-1087473/

Speaking from the son's side of things, he missed you just as badly at first. Now he is just too busy to think of anything besides the current task at hand. At night he is too tired to think of anything except sleep. You may not hear from him much for the first several weeks, and unless things have drastically changed since I did basic training, he will not get any mail from home for another week or two. They do this to separate the soldier to be from his old life. Be assured that he is in very capable hands, and is undergoing a major life transition right now. He went in as your baby, but when he comes out the other side he will be a part of a very small fraternity. Be proud, because no matter how insignificant things may seem to him, he is changing the world with his decision.

Last July we buried my mother in law. About a week later, some old friends of ours lost their 14 year old son to a gun accident. He was a good kid, and had many friends. The funeral was huge. Fast forward to April 27th of this year, and we had roughly a dozen tornadoes touch down in our area in a single night, including two EF-4's. Everybody here knows someone that was affected. Chad and Edwienna, Logan's parents, and Billy Jack, a long time local tattoo artist, came up with the idea of a poker run to both memorialize Logan and benefit a family that lost everything in the Glade Spring, VA EF-4 tornado. They did it on short notice, only two weeks, and were able to get over 100 bikes to come out for the ride. At the end of the day they were able to present the benefit family with over $2000 in much needed cash. Everybody had a good time, and all bikes made the ride with both wheels down (except for one parking lot drop when a divot in the asphalt caught a front tire - no damage, though). http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e330/rentalguy1/Logans%20Run%202011/DSC00501.jpg (some of the bikes gathering at Billy Jack's Tattoos before the ride) http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e330/rentalguy1/Logans%20Run%202011/DSC00507.jpg (Panoramic shot of the first stop. We lost 15 Patriot Guard riders here. They had to attend a brother's funeral) http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e330/rentalguy1/Logans%20Run%202011/DSC00508.jpg (Second stop) http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e330/rentalguy1/Logans%20Run%202011/DSC00511.jpg (Pic of the third stop at the local biker bar - this ended up being the longest stop... http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e330/rentalguy1/Logans%20Run%202011/DSC00502.jpg (Just really liked this bike. Rider's son is disabled and in a wheel chair. He had a rack for the chair on the other side.) The wife has always been against motorcycles, and has always pretty much hated that I ride. I'm not sure how, but Edwienna talked her into making this run with us. We went out last week and picked out a helmet for her, and I took her for a short ride on Saturday to let her get a feel for it. Then she made the entire ride with me yesterday. She had a blast! She was amazed by the number of bikes, and really liked it when she realized that bikers make their own damn rules. She thought that it was awesome that we had road guards who would fall out and block traffic at intersections, and the looks on peoples faces when over 100 Harleys rode past. If you think one HD is loud, try 100+ in a line a half a mile long! http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e330/rentalguy1/Logans%20Run%202011/DSC00503.jpg (The wife waiting for the ride to begin. See her pretty pink-flamed helmet on the seat? She insists on calling it a "bucket.") I think she is hooked http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e330/rentalguy1/Logans%20Run%202011/DSC00512.jpg (Had to include a pic of my bike for good measure)

Best of luck! I know where you're coming from. Herniated discs at L3-4, L4-5, L5-S1, severe central canal stenosis at L5-S1, mild central canal stenosis at L4-5, severe facet joint hypertrophy (arthritis which has caused the little wing bones to grow together) and severe disc dessication (dehydration and hardening) at all three levels. I toughed it out and soldiered on when I should have gotten help, now it is inoperable, and I am left with a partially paralyzed right leg and a right foot drop. I have a few other symptoms from the nerves that are involved at that level, too. Not fun, and I'm only 38. Get the surgery, do the therapy, and don't look back...

Nice RK! Love the Root Beer!

I've lived in extreme NE TN for almost all of my life (minus time given to Unlce Sam and a few stints for employers), and I never get bored where motorcycle riding is concerned. I never get bored where boating is concerned, either. If you are a history buff, there is more than enough here to keep you searching for a lifetime. While crime is on the rise in this area, it is still only a small fraction compared to most other places. Wages are low here, comparatively speaking, but then again, so is the cost of living. We have a over-abundence of true redneck hicks. You know, the kind that still throw candy bar wrappers out the car window, and can turn any beautiful spot into a trash dump in a matter of weeks. That said, these are the people that will watch out for their neighbors and give them the shirt off their back in hard times. They are also the kind that will stand up for their friends, family and neighbors in a fight. You don't mess with folks down here, because you end up messing with a entire clan. The weather in the spring, summer, and fall is typically beautiful, and the snow in the winter is awesome. We had our once in a lifetime anomaly the other night, though. Somewhere between 7 and 12 EF2-EF4 tornadoes in our area over a 3 hour period. It was exciting, but never want to go through it again.

cancel the appt with the orthoped ricky tick. You need a appt with a neurosurgeon. You have a pinched (probably sciatic) nerve. Do get to the doc, asap, though. I wish I had 15 years ago, but I tried to "soldier on," and ended up with a severed sciatic nerve and a foot drop on the right side. I also have all kinds of other "stuff" from the severed nerve. Don't become a paraplegic without the wheelchair, like me...

I bet it doesn't have a cassette player...

Very doubtful that it is a clogged up cat. That almost never happens on late model to newer vehicles. I'll go out on a limb and say the O2 sensors need to be replaced. They are likely sending bad signals to the ECU causing the engine to lean up in a attempt run "correctly." These days (and back to the late 80's) actual mechanical problems are scarce. Most problems are computer/sensor related.

sounds like one of two things to me: 1. Way too lean. Check the gasket under the carb/throttle body, and the intake gasket. OR (more likely) 2. a vacuum leak. Check ALL the vacuum hoses. Good luck.

Sorry to hear about your spill, and I hope your knee heals quickly. You gotta get right back on that horse, though. Find you a used 125-250cc FOUR STROKE dirt bike and beat the crap out of it in a nearby field. I bought my 14 year old son a 1994 Suzuki DR125E last summer and it took him several hours to get the clutch thing settled. He can go anywhere he wants in that field now, but every time he gets a little over confident the bike shows him that isn't appropriate behavior. He still overrevs, and hasn't started changing gears yet, but that's ok. Learning to ride for most folks, and especially folks older than their teenage years, is about baby steps. Stick with it, take it slow, and you'll get the hang of it.

Gave it a proper bath over the weekend http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e330/rentalguy1/DSC00332.jpg http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e330/rentalguy1/DSC00327.jpg Of course I used it as learning experience for my son. He did do good on it I let him wash the F150 afterward. Then I picked up some more bling for it yesterday. I got chrome bezels for the dash, new teardrop mirrors with the harley script on it that matches the rest of the bike, and the nostalgic footboards, brake pad and gear shifter pads. I only had time to get the dash stuff on it today. http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e330/rentalguy1/DSC00349.jpg http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e330/rentalguy1/DSC00352.jpg http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e330/rentalguy1/DSC00358.jpg http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e330/rentalguy1/DSC00360.jpg That takes care of about half my list of goodies to buy for it. I'll start getting into the expensive goodies next time,

The DAV, VFW, and all the other service organizations are a joke. If I had relied on them, I would still be at 30%, just like I was for over a decade. Instead, I learned how to do the stuff for myself, and got it taken care of. Check out http://www.hadit.com You'll get the answers you need there.

I'm in Bristol. Just a hop, skip and a jump from ya.

professional pics...finally http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e330/rentalguy1/0004.jpg http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e330/rentalguy1/0024.jpg http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e330/rentalguy1/0140.jpg http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e330/rentalguy1/0066.jpg can you tell I'm a proud papa?