Sunday, August 31.
I have yard sale almost everything I own pretty much cashing in my chips. I had planned to leave this morning but someone called yesterday about the greenhouse so will stay one more night and then pack it in.
All of my yard sale ads to show that everything today is free with the exception of us a few things that have not been picked up by the buyers yet.
Forecast today is for thundershowers so it will be a good day for sausage and onions on the grill will take on the departure challenge tomorrow.
Enjoy your day travel safe.
Jeff
Sunday, August 31, 2014
Wednesday, August 27, 2014
Hello Stranger.
Hello, stranger, put your loving hand in mine
Hello, stranger, put your loving hand in mine
You are a stranger and you're a pal of mine
Get up, rounder, let a working man lay down
Get up, rounder, let a working man lay down
You are a rounder, but you're all out and down
Every time I ride the 6th and 4th streetcar
Every time I ride the 6th and 4th streetcar
I can see my baby peeping through the bars
She bowed her head, she waved both hands at me
She bowed her head, she waved both hands at me
I'm prison bound, I'm longing to be free
Oh, I'll see you when your troubles are like mine
Oh, I'll see you when your troubles are like mine
Oh, I'll see you when you haven't got a dime
Weeping like a willow, mourning like a dove
Weeping like a willow, mourning like a dove
There's a girl up the country that I really love
Hello, stranger, put your loving hand in mine
Hello, stranger, put your loving hand in mine
You are a stranger and you're a pal of mine
Hello, stranger, put your loving hand in mine
You are a stranger and you're a pal of mine
Get up, rounder, let a working man lay down
Get up, rounder, let a working man lay down
You are a rounder, but you're all out and down
Every time I ride the 6th and 4th streetcar
Every time I ride the 6th and 4th streetcar
I can see my baby peeping through the bars
She bowed her head, she waved both hands at me
She bowed her head, she waved both hands at me
I'm prison bound, I'm longing to be free
Oh, I'll see you when your troubles are like mine
Oh, I'll see you when your troubles are like mine
Oh, I'll see you when you haven't got a dime
Weeping like a willow, mourning like a dove
Weeping like a willow, mourning like a dove
There's a girl up the country that I really love
Hello, stranger, put your loving hand in mine
Hello, stranger, put your loving hand in mine
You are a stranger and you're a pal of mine
Tuesday, August 26, 2014
Moving memories into the future.
Star date August 26, 2014
I think I'll been leaving on Sunday, drive over to West Virginia to meet Donna for a few days, and then head down to the Horizons Unlimited rally. This presentation of "Life on Two Wheels" will include the final chapter of "The Three-Bedroom House"
Note... I drafted this post using Dragon Dictation Software and discovered something very interesting... Verbalizing these thoughts, out loud, is much more emotional than even feeling the cold tears fall on my wrists as I type the corrections.
Things here at the house a wrapping up quickly, and spending too much time here is going to become depressing. It's been a great place to live, that being the Northeastern Pennsylvania and the Ringtown Valley , but it's time to shrug off the overhead of a house and household belongings and get back on the road
I've been running a yard sale, mostly advertised in social media, since last Wednesday and, although I haven't run the numbers, I'm approaching $2,500 which includes the sale of the trailer. The truck went for $750 and the boat should go today for $250. Somehow the twenty-dollar bills seem to bring closure to the experiences that were shared with the belongings and vehicles. Watching the teller at the bank count the bills and bout it in my account for me is like investing all those adventures and emotions into my future. What is left of the furniture can go to the curb on Friday with the "free" sign posted.
I think I'll been leaving on Sunday, drive over to West Virginia to meet Donna for a few days, and then head down to the Horizons Unlimited rally. This presentation of "Life on Two Wheels" will include the final chapter of "The Three-Bedroom House"
Note... I drafted this post using Dragon Dictation Software and discovered something very interesting... Verbalizing these thoughts, out loud, is much more emotional than even feeling the cold tears fall on my wrists as I type the corrections.
Things here at the house a wrapping up quickly, and spending too much time here is going to become depressing. It's been a great place to live, that being the Northeastern Pennsylvania and the Ringtown Valley , but it's time to shrug off the overhead of a house and household belongings and get back on the road
I've been running a yard sale, mostly advertised in social media, since last Wednesday and, although I haven't run the numbers, I'm approaching $2,500 which includes the sale of the trailer. The truck went for $750 and the boat should go today for $250. Somehow the twenty-dollar bills seem to bring closure to the experiences that were shared with the belongings and vehicles. Watching the teller at the bank count the bills and bout it in my account for me is like investing all those adventures and emotions into my future. What is left of the furniture can go to the curb on Friday with the "free" sign posted.
Travel Save, today, my friends.
Jeff
Monday, August 25, 2014
Anticipating changes
Sold 90% of household belongings in the last week. Daughter Laura picked up family archive furniture last week. Brother Kevin took some boxes of archives. Shipped 6 or 7 boxes of belongings ahead. Bike maintenance Friday and then I leave PA behind... no alternate wheels. No fall back options.
New Release/relief... life.
We can never know about the days to come
But we think about them anyway
And I wonder if I'm really with you now
Or just chasing after some finer day.
Anticipation, Anticipation
Is making me late
Is keeping me waiting
And I tell you how easy it is to be with you
And how right your arms feel around me.
Bit I rehearsed those words just late last night
When I was thinking about how right tonight might be.
Anticipation, Anticipation
Is making me late
Is keeping me waiting
And tomorrow we might not be together
I'm no prophet, I don't know natures way
So I'll try to see into your eyes right now
And stay right here, 'cause these are the good old days.
New Release/relief... life.
We can never know about the days to come
But we think about them anyway
And I wonder if I'm really with you now
Or just chasing after some finer day.
Anticipation, Anticipation
Is making me late
Is keeping me waiting
And I tell you how easy it is to be with you
And how right your arms feel around me.
Bit I rehearsed those words just late last night
When I was thinking about how right tonight might be.
Anticipation, Anticipation
Is making me late
Is keeping me waiting
And tomorrow we might not be together
I'm no prophet, I don't know natures way
So I'll try to see into your eyes right now
And stay right here, 'cause these are the good old days.
Sunday, August 24, 2014
Drop off the map...
OK, so I get so easily distracted... Pulled up to the gas pumps in Buckhorn on the way home from the 4-Winds Rally and heard this CLUNK sorta noise. I looked down and realized the chain was trying to jump the front sprocket... Guess things like front sprockets just can't be ignored... So I parked the bike and made appt for replacement at Hermy's... 10-days out. ugh.
Meanwhile I launched the plan to unload everything that's not moving to IL with me. Have I talked about that yet at all? hmmm... just read my notes and I don't see anything about my relocation plans... Go figure.
So for two years traveling on the bike I move my dating profile with me from state to state, fully disclosing that I'm only in town for a month or whatever. Usually I can meet someone interested in dinner or sharing some scenic afternoons, but always the question, "How are you ever going to meet anyone living the lifestyle that you do?"
My response has been that When I meet someone I can either park the bike or adjust my plans to something that would meet the needs of having a serious relationship. Well,,, wouldn't you know... back in May in Southern Illinois (where I grew up) a woman clicks on my profile and the conversation begins.
Without all the details, we hit it off and I changed my July plans to return to her place for July, instead of home (where I would have wasted for a month...)
July went by fast, but with lots of social stuff together in the community. Turns out that we have at least 5 friends in common from either BMW or grade school connections. Two weekends in a row we hosted a get-to-gether, one at her place and one at the local Veteran's park. That one was nice because three of us were able to ride the bikes right up to the picnic table! That's the group pic on the post that's two down from this one.
July goes so well that we decide to continue into the fall. I canceled my FL volunteer assignment at Stephen Foster Cultural Center and decide to do the MOA rally in Minneapolis and then home to start packing.
Today is August 24th and there's plenty in the works. Both of my neighbors are interested in buying the house so I'm not going to fret much about that happening... Getting rid of years and years of belongings looked like the overwhelming challenge... Craigs-list and Facebook turned out to be the solution to massive unloading for fun and profit! Truck (needs head gasket) sold in 24 hours. Utility trailer did the same. Now the household stuff.
Here's the link to photos of what was for sale... actually I have already deleted several hundred items from the roster that I began with. Schuylkill County has a bunch of Facebook pages about selling stuff. Yard sale pages, garage sale pages and even a barter page. I posted the roster with updates on five of the pages. Sold over $1,500 in four days, two of which were the all day sale days. Today I posted my "I DON'T WANT TO BE HERE NEXT WEEKEND" sale notice <<<link on FB. What doesn't go today is going to the salvage guys tomorrow. How about that? Completely liquidated in less than 7 days and $'s in my pocket.
That will leave about 10-days to clean things out, take care of some other bike maintenance issues and get packed for Horizons Unlimited on the 4th thru 7th of Sept. Will be speaking there with an updated routine about live on 2-wheels, soon to be WITHOUT the 3-bedroom house!
Live is good!
Meanwhile I launched the plan to unload everything that's not moving to IL with me. Have I talked about that yet at all? hmmm... just read my notes and I don't see anything about my relocation plans... Go figure.
So for two years traveling on the bike I move my dating profile with me from state to state, fully disclosing that I'm only in town for a month or whatever. Usually I can meet someone interested in dinner or sharing some scenic afternoons, but always the question, "How are you ever going to meet anyone living the lifestyle that you do?"
My response has been that When I meet someone I can either park the bike or adjust my plans to something that would meet the needs of having a serious relationship. Well,,, wouldn't you know... back in May in Southern Illinois (where I grew up) a woman clicks on my profile and the conversation begins.
Without all the details, we hit it off and I changed my July plans to return to her place for July, instead of home (where I would have wasted for a month...)
July went by fast, but with lots of social stuff together in the community. Turns out that we have at least 5 friends in common from either BMW or grade school connections. Two weekends in a row we hosted a get-to-gether, one at her place and one at the local Veteran's park. That one was nice because three of us were able to ride the bikes right up to the picnic table! That's the group pic on the post that's two down from this one.
July goes so well that we decide to continue into the fall. I canceled my FL volunteer assignment at Stephen Foster Cultural Center and decide to do the MOA rally in Minneapolis and then home to start packing.
Today is August 24th and there's plenty in the works. Both of my neighbors are interested in buying the house so I'm not going to fret much about that happening... Getting rid of years and years of belongings looked like the overwhelming challenge... Craigs-list and Facebook turned out to be the solution to massive unloading for fun and profit! Truck (needs head gasket) sold in 24 hours. Utility trailer did the same. Now the household stuff.
Here's the link to photos of what was for sale... actually I have already deleted several hundred items from the roster that I began with. Schuylkill County has a bunch of Facebook pages about selling stuff. Yard sale pages, garage sale pages and even a barter page. I posted the roster with updates on five of the pages. Sold over $1,500 in four days, two of which were the all day sale days. Today I posted my "I DON'T WANT TO BE HERE NEXT WEEKEND" sale notice <<<link on FB. What doesn't go today is going to the salvage guys tomorrow. How about that? Completely liquidated in less than 7 days and $'s in my pocket.
That will leave about 10-days to clean things out, take care of some other bike maintenance issues and get packed for Horizons Unlimited on the 4th thru 7th of Sept. Will be speaking there with an updated routine about live on 2-wheels, soon to be WITHOUT the 3-bedroom house!
Live is good!
Thursday, August 14, 2014
Pre-ride thoughts... overnight.
4:16 AM. Awake for no reason... other than imagining going about 200 miles west with only the thought of staying south of I 80. Not taking a map. GPS packed away.
An easy drive. Small town PA. Allegheny Forest. Pre-harvest cornfields lush from a good year. 70 degree PA summer morning... Listening to the brrrrrapppp of the bike melting into the canopy of green between the jade of bean fields.
crap... no wonder I can't sleep.
Will load the bike after dawn. Did maintenance checks last night... My mind is clear... no thoughts of bills or commitments... packing light... maybe two sleeping bags, two bags of rice and two pouches of oatmeal... oh... and ya... two socks.
Travel safe my friend... and often.
Jeff
An easy drive. Small town PA. Allegheny Forest. Pre-harvest cornfields lush from a good year. 70 degree PA summer morning... Listening to the brrrrrapppp of the bike melting into the canopy of green between the jade of bean fields.
crap... no wonder I can't sleep.
Will load the bike after dawn. Did maintenance checks last night... My mind is clear... no thoughts of bills or commitments... packing light... maybe two sleeping bags, two bags of rice and two pouches of oatmeal... oh... and ya... two socks.
Travel safe my friend... and often.
Jeff
Sunday, August 10, 2014
4 shoes vs. two wheels...
Happy Weekend! Am just working on notes from a great weekend with 4-legged athletes carrying 2-legged athletes!!! Lendon Gray's 2014 Youth Dressage Festival!! What great sport, and great friends.
I know many riders may find this post so I need to come back and tell the story... all in good time.
There is a time when even a life of adventure gets into s rut... sort of feel like you are droning on from event to event, highway to back road... it's still enjoyable, but an interruption or diversion can be a good thing. (as shown in the movie In Search of Bobby Fisher...) This weekend I returned to Saugerties, NY and the HITS horse show grounds to announce one last time at Lendon Gray's Youth Dressage Festival.
D4K Video:
Daughter Mackenzie's riding got us involved with the show long ago.. perhaps 10 years. Then we heard that Lendon needed a new Website Guy and I volunteered and pulled it from disrepair into an (at the time) more interactive and current status. She also agreed that year to start doing an email newsletter. That put the WEP (Weekend Educational Program) over 2,00 in attendance for the first time.
Not long after that I read the minutes of a committee meeting and discovered that they did not have a permanent announcer... My antennae went right up!!! My favorite social thing to do!! This year, even though Mackenzie didn't attend, was about the 5th time that I ran the rings from the announcer's booth and have a wonderful time of it. Struggling with names of horses that are somewhere between mythical, cartoon characters (like I haven't seen kids TV in 10 years...) and now a biblical name that I completely missed!!! Malaki. I looked at the word and guessed that it was some person out of Harry Potter... ma-LA-ki... Sunday the owner's mom came by and pointed to the page and said, "Biblical name, MA-la-ki" duhhh... It always brings chuckles from the grand stand... at least.
Nothing is more exciting for me than to watch a young rider (some as young as 4 years old) head down the center-line on their chosen pony into the dressage ring with a look on their face of determination in the eye of the public and trembling hands as they fret of a mistake... but they all hear their name announced over the arena sound system every time they begin. At the HUGE world-famous show grounds, just as the top riders of the world were announced many weekend in the past. So personally rewarding to be able to provide that moment for them.
(more pics to be added as I find them)
With more than 200 riders and associated families, between 5 to 7 show rings going for two days... and wine with friends at the end of each day... Was a great way to break my string of travels with something completely different.
Sunday when I finished good-byes and headed down Kraut Road toward town I put on my motorcycle mind and let the day fade into the distance for a few hours. Not being in a rush to miss a perfect 80-degree-sunny-skies afternoon, I turned right instead of left and headed toward Woodstock and Hunter Mountain instead of the traditional (mindless bumper-to-bumper traffic) trip south on the NY Thruway.
My thought was to met the Where-Does-That-Road-Go mind set guide me west and south until I reached something that looked like PA. Rt 28A filled the bill with winding wooded roads, a careening firetruck (do those guys every get any driving practice?) and the occasional local car show. My mind went from the non-stop "#421, Susie Smith is entering ring 5 riding Tinkerbell" to smelling the pines, feeling the pockets of cold air in the valleys and vigilantly scanning the road sides for deer, dogs and distracted drivers. I eventually welcomed the last 100 miles on Rts 84 and 81 to crank the Beamer up to 75 and rocket into PA, Scranton and finally 924 into sleepy little Brandonville. Beer instead of wine, rice instead of whatever and reflections of the weekend experience... all good.
I hope you horse friends that may now find the blog also find a world without horse shoes nor judges. Come follow me any time!
In the words of Mackenzie Kurtz from her early high school comments on Facebook, "Comming soon to a town near you!:
Meanwhile, ride safe, and smile often~!
Jeff
Thursday, August 7, 2014
Avoiding after-travels depression!
Last year, when I returned from my 6-month travels, I went into about 6 weeks of some sort of depression. Sat around the house, didn't do much of anything for all those weeks. Became frustrated at the complexity of life in three bedrooms vs life on two wheels (hence my publishes article by similar name). Misplaced tools, burnt dinners, un-shared sunsets and dawns.
This year at the end of one week I have already been thru a bit of the same (repairing broken pipes, cutting down over-grown bushes/tree, figuring out how to organize a household of stuff that I visit for a month...) but today will end that sensation!! The travels have made me realize that while this house and valley are lovely for the view and atmosphere, the area is so depressed that it's depressing... Will hang onto the house for fall-back plans, but am getting back into the world that has been so rich for the last two years.
In the course of the last two months I spent time in Southern Illinois where I was raised... enjoyed the weather, terrain, community and friends that remind me so much of my happy childhood years. At this point I am planning to return there to spend time with a friend and make that my "base-of-oprations" for the time to come. (Much of this is coming from a sweetly developing relationship!!)
I decided on day three not to obsess with getting everything done overnight and to just do a couple hours work each day and get back on the road as soon as possible. Every day I talk to family and friends (one in particular, Donna) and check up on what my mind is doing.
This week I have had vivid dreams (in full color with surround sound)which have been evolving from finding my way through corridors in old buildings to floating on an iceburg and camping in a sunlit ice cave. That last one had very positive vibes and no tension... no frustration. Here's what I see on the agenda for the next few weeks... and this includes several events that just come up in the last few days:
On the Agenda:
(note: Somehwere the blogger lost the next para... having to re-enter... Where's that Dragon Dictation software I wanted???)
Already this week I posted a ton of unused household stuff (tools, kitchen stuff, collected gadgets) on local FB yardsale pages (sample). At this point a few extra bucks in the pocket carry a lot less overhead that even knowing that this stuff is all sitting here gathering dust and being useless. Some happy people can put the gadgets to use in their house for their own entertainment... I'll buy a new chain and sprocket set with the proceeds.
As for the house... All it costs are the taxes and lawn maintenance. It can sit here as a someday-when-I-can't-ride backup place... Maybe then I will just turn the pavilion out back on the hill into a yurt and rent the house out as a B&B. (That almost sounds like fun!
For not I need to pack the Wolfman Expedition bag for the weekend (one shirt, one sock and one beer) and head north to the hourse show. Will do a mid-week 3-hour interstate up to Saugerties (Woodstock reunion site) NY and make the return trip on Sunday on back roads past Hunter Mountain and west to just north of Scranton and home.
Will expound on this a bit more one of these days...
Get out of the house, Friend!!! and Travel Safe!
Jeff
(off to figure out where That road goes!)
This year at the end of one week I have already been thru a bit of the same (repairing broken pipes, cutting down over-grown bushes/tree, figuring out how to organize a household of stuff that I visit for a month...) but today will end that sensation!! The travels have made me realize that while this house and valley are lovely for the view and atmosphere, the area is so depressed that it's depressing... Will hang onto the house for fall-back plans, but am getting back into the world that has been so rich for the last two years.
I decided on day three not to obsess with getting everything done overnight and to just do a couple hours work each day and get back on the road as soon as possible. Every day I talk to family and friends (one in particular, Donna) and check up on what my mind is doing.
This week I have had vivid dreams (in full color with surround sound)which have been evolving from finding my way through corridors in old buildings to floating on an iceburg and camping in a sunlit ice cave. That last one had very positive vibes and no tension... no frustration. Here's what I see on the agenda for the next few weeks... and this includes several events that just come up in the last few days:
On the Agenda:
- This weekend announcing: Lendon Gray and Dressage4kids Youth Festival, Saugerties, NY
- Next weekend: 4 Winds BMW Riders, New Bethlehem, PA (speaker) >http://www.4windsbmw.org/four-winds-rally-info/rally-information
- Aug 26 - 29 TN Curve Cowboys Rally, Chatanooga, TN http://www.curvecowboyreunion.com/index.html (Maybe)
- Sept 4 - 7th Horizons Unlimited Motorcycle Travel, Ironhorse MV lodge, NC (Speaker)
- Sept 9th Cannonball MC Endurance Run http://www.motorcyclecannonball.com/ at Grass Roots Bmw, Cape Giradeu, MO
- Oct 10-12th Gateway Riders Falling Leaf Rally, Petosi, MO http://www.gatewayriders.com/frmGeneral/b1FallingLeafRally.php
- Oct 16-19th BMW Riders Nashville Ribfest Centerville, TN http://www.bmwmcon.org/ribfest.php
(note: Somehwere the blogger lost the next para... having to re-enter... Where's that Dragon Dictation software I wanted???)
Already this week I posted a ton of unused household stuff (tools, kitchen stuff, collected gadgets) on local FB yardsale pages (sample). At this point a few extra bucks in the pocket carry a lot less overhead that even knowing that this stuff is all sitting here gathering dust and being useless. Some happy people can put the gadgets to use in their house for their own entertainment... I'll buy a new chain and sprocket set with the proceeds.
As for the house... All it costs are the taxes and lawn maintenance. It can sit here as a someday-when-I-can't-ride backup place... Maybe then I will just turn the pavilion out back on the hill into a yurt and rent the house out as a B&B. (That almost sounds like fun!
For not I need to pack the Wolfman Expedition bag for the weekend (one shirt, one sock and one beer) and head north to the hourse show. Will do a mid-week 3-hour interstate up to Saugerties (Woodstock reunion site) NY and make the return trip on Sunday on back roads past Hunter Mountain and west to just north of Scranton and home.
Will expound on this a bit more one of these days...
Get out of the house, Friend!!! and Travel Safe!
Jeff
(off to figure out where That road goes!)
Sunday, August 3, 2014
History repeats itself... home life sux.
Arrived home a few days ago... hard to renember which... Picked up box of wine and family pack of chicken.
Whose job was it to drain the pipes back in September? Somehow I missed the cold water pipe and came home to lots of freeze breaks. I counted to 7 and went for parts. Then found shutoff for dishwasher had split. Then found leak in laundry. today I invested in Shark Bite plumbing supplies and got most of it fixed. At least enough to use the toilet, shower and laundry. Two pin-hole leaks are down there guzzling gallons, but they can wait for tomorrow.
Remind me why I haven't sold the house? Oh, ya... When I fall down and break both my lege I can retire here... as a plumber? Go figure.
On the better side of the page... Horizons Unlimited will be hosting at Iron Horse in Sept. Registered as a speaker there.
Do I hear water running? BRB...
Found it. Laundry was belching onto bathroom floor... lawn guy hacked off grey water hose and stuck it into the ground for safe keeping... Will invigte him back and stuff it somewhere mor useful
Always something...
Is that beer cold yet? Back tomorrow... travel safe.
Jeff
Saturday, August 2, 2014
Happy Weekend!
Google took the font option away... grrr...
Arrived home on Thursday, I think... it's all sort of a blur.
House needs work. Broken (froze) pipes. clutter... normal stuff... bike battery is dead again... seems to cook out water when I travel distances... maybe time for an upgrade.
Next venue is Horizons Unlimited in North Carolina in Sept. Meanwhile I will be announcing at a horse show (www.Dressage4kids.com) in NY next weekend and taking it easy.
Am trying to sell off personal belongings to clear the house and leave less behind. Will keep the PA house as a back-up plan.
Have a great weekend, and I will try to get back to writing soon!
Jeff
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