01-SEP-2010
Day 244 - Parts
(975/365)
Worked late (again) & had to scramble around with mortgage company to find a better deal (11th hour issues). Tomorrow I will be registering the KLX and will be able to do more than simply photograph the damn thing. About time I start riding it. Not sure it will be riding on I95 though.
31-AUG-2010
Day 243 - 83
(974/365)
Since I haven't registered it yet, I can only take pictures of it. Tomorrow our Town Offices are closed, so I will have to wait until Thursday morning. I get one commute then we are off camping for the long weekend. I'd bring the KLX with me if I could (there's no place to transport it though).
This is a shot of the handlebars (Center). No idea what the '83 is, its not the year.
30-AUG-2010
Day 243 - Dad said something
(973/365)
Technically I said "Smile this time". The kids see me take the camera out and they flee. I either need a smaller camera or a new set of kids.
Last night before school. Five Thirty AM is going to come up pretty fast. I think my oldest will be hit the hardest as she's been doing that normal Teenager thing and sleeping in really late all summer.
These two will be fine, they are early risers.
29-AUG-2010
Day 242 - Rough
(972/365)
I don't know where this day went. I had big plans to work on insulating the garage. Those fell through when I found out it was going to be in the 90's today. I've got enough cool fall days coming to work on the garage ;-)
I spent a good amount of time researching all the potential mods for the new KLX. I also decided to wait until Thursday to register it. It is the end of the month, there is no sense in getting a sticker in August when there are a couple of days left. My other bike's registration is up in September so I'd have both bikes with the same registration and inpsection dates which would be easier to remember now that I getting old and senile.
Technically, the 1st of September is Wednesday, but our Town Hall is closed on Wednesdays so that's out of the question. Busy day Thursday as we are leaving for the long Labor Day weekend Thursday evening after work. Where has the summer gone?
28-AUG-2010
Day 240 - New Arrival
(971/365)
I finally ended my search for a new toy. A few months back I'd all but settled on a DR650 (2007ish to be exact). Compared to the DL1000, it is a "light and nimble" bike. Even up until last week, I was set on the DR. Then I started looking at the DR-Z 400 which got me to ask the question "what else is there?".
I didn't think I'd like a 250, even though that is my suggestion to all new riders, go with the smallest displacement while you are learning. I didn't think I'd like it until I tried one that is. I tried one last night, a 2009 KLX that looked so beat up that it could have passed for a '96.
This is an '06 KLX250S with 3,800 miles on the Odi. However, you'd swear it just came off the showroom floor. I tried my best to locate bikes in my search that were well maintained and garaged. I did a good job, save for the '09 I saw yesterday.
I was pretty torn between an '05 DR-Z with only 1,600 miles on it and in showroom condition and this KLX. Better judgement won out. I've never owned a dirtbike, so I am playing it safe.
It is a true Dual Sport, unlike my primary ride which is a Dual Sport in marketing classification only. This is the kind of bike that you can commute on (at least I can) and shoot down a few power lines on the way to work (or back home from work).
The V-Strom is going nowhere, selling or trading is not an option at this time. I will continue to ride it as my primary (it is a hell of a lot more comfier) but will take out my new 'mistress' from time to time to indulge in some other pleasures ;-)
27-AUG-2010
Day 239 - Blue Angels
(970/365)
The military got a special air show today. Since my wife is in the military, she chose to invite me (and other family members). We were in the wrong place for decent photos of the Blue Angels, but managed a few. The sun was pretty much directly in front of us and played havoc with exposures.
The Blue Angels were up for about an hour, it was a great show. The weather was perfect (anytime there is no rain for an Air Show, it is perfect).
26-AUG-2010
Day 238 - Pre Show Peek
(969/365)
This is what I get for not thinking ahead and only packing my LX3 today. While other Flickr Contacts have beautiful shots of the Blue Angels, I have only memories and a shot of some T-34[ish] planes behind a gate at dusk.
25-AUG-2010
Day 237 - Hanging Out
(968/365)
KC really has it easy around here, she's always getting held. She is perfectly able to jump up to the bathroom sink where we feed her, but in the mornings this week, while Kala was away, she would look up at me and cry so I would wind up picking her up.
Here my son is holding her, then completely forgetting about her as he stares into the TV.
24-AUG-2010
Day 237 - Partial Smile
(967/365)
My son caught on the computer with his lizard. He had an eventful day, walked to the playground near the fire station for daycare, then rode his bicycle home with his older sister.
23-AUG-2010
Day 236 - He sure can sleep
(966/365)
Fox was doing his normal thing upstairs today (sleeping). I was popping the flash (white walls & ceiling) and he never blinked. I wish I could sleep like that.
22-AUG-2010
Day 235 - Got Dirt?
(965/365)
I was looking at a dirtbike yesterday on my way to The Home Depot and wound up talking about a local Trail Club and the fact that there was a 2010 AMA Enduro going on today (Sunday) in Berwick, ME (about 7 miles from my house).
I took my son this morning to catch the start (I've posted a number of photos). We soon bored of the start, I mean it was great to see all the bikes and people, but they are DIRT bikes and we were in a High School parking lot. I figured we'd go swing by one of the checkpoints.
This is the first checkpoint, it's right off Turkey Rd, about a 1/2 mile or so from the Five Corners (yes, a 5 way intersection). I've commuted this route before (not the dirt part, well part of the dirt part, but not this dirt part) so I know the roads out here well (commuting = This is the complete opposite way for me to get to work, it's a Bike Thing).
When the 400CC guys came tear-assing out of the woods, they were spitting these big ass rocks out about 50 feet or so. There was so much dust, my Canon was covered in it within 15 minutes. Somehow the lens made it through unscathed.
So I have renewed my search for a dirtbike (actually a more Dirt-oriented Dual Sport) with a passion now.
21-AUG-2010
Day 234 - KC Attacks
(964/365)
KC was mental this evening. An evening when those of us who are here (Wife & Daughter #2 are in Milwuakee) are very tired from all the work we did today, KC was on fire. She was attacking everything in the Family Room while we were watching "Where the Wild Things Are" (relevant). Her fun and our enjoyment of this event ended shortly after when she jumped up on a sofa table and knocked over a picture frame of the girls. The frame shot apart, dismantling itself in a split second, yet the glass didn't break. We were able to clean up the glass and put it all back together, but KC knew she was in trouble.
In this photo, she is attacking a pair of cardboard 3-D glasses (most likely from Spy Kids).