The Story of Adam & Eve's Pets

Adam and Eve said, 'Lord, when we were in the garden, you walked with us every day. Now we do not see you any more. We are lonesome here, and it is difficult for us to remember how much you love us.'

And God said, 'I will create a companion for you that will be with you and who will be a reflection of my love for you, so that you will love me even when you cannot see me. Regardless of how selfish or childish or unlovable you may be, this new companion will accept you as you are and will love you as I do, in spite of yourselves.'

And God created a new animal to be a companion for Adam and Eve.

And it was a good animal.
And God was pleased.
And the new animal was pleased to be with Adam and Eve and he wagged his tail .

And Adam said, 'Lord, I have already named all the animals in the Kingdom and I cannot think of a name for this new animal.'

And God said, 'I have created this new animal to be a reflection of my love for you, his name will be a reflection of my own name, and you will call him DOG.'

And Dog lived with Adam and Eve and was a companion to them and loved them.

And they were comforted.
And God was pleased.

And Dog was content and wagged his tail.

After a while, it came to pass that an angel came to the Lord and said, 'Lord, Adam and Eve have become filled with pride. They strut and preen like peacocks and they believe they are worthy of adoration. Dog has indeed taught them that they are loved, but perhaps too well.'

And God said, I will create for them a companion who will be with them and who will see them as they are. The companion will remind them of their limitations, so they will know that they are not always worthy of adoration.'

And God created CAT to be a companion to Adam and Eve

And Cat would not obey them. And when Adam and Eve gazed into Cat's eyes, they were reminded that they were not the supreme beings.

And Adam and Eve learned humility.
And they were greatly improved.

And God was pleased . . . .. . ..

And Dog was happy. . . . ..

And Cat didn't care one way or other....

0% of the time, it works everytime!

Hold on guys.. Just let me start my bike..

BMW

Radial engine motorcycle

No one is gonna kick start this beast... nice work though...

Check this out...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GUx35zuI5GI&feature=related

Why bother having an election...

No offense to my lawyer friends or their wife intended...

Why bother having an election?

On one side, you have a bitch who is a lawyer, married to another lawyer; and a lawyer who is married to a bitch who is also a lawyer.

On the other side, you have a true war hero married to a woman with a huge chest who owns a beer distributorship.

Is there really a contest here?' -GDW

Gun safety class goes very wrong

Tuesday, May 20, 2008

In the news story which follows, this "instructor" was wrong on so many levels that I simply won't even bother to comment.

-------------------------------

(UPI)
TAUNTON, Mass., May 20,2008

A firearms instructor in southern Massachusetts has been assigned to other duties after his gun accidentally went off while he was teaching a class on weapons safety.

Officials say the Glock handgun discharged while Maj. Donald Lamar was demonstrating to Bristol County deputy sheriffs how to safely holster the weapon.

The bullet ripped a hole in Lamar's pants but missed his leg and foot.

Sheriff Thomas Hodgson says the officer made a "gross error in judgment" by not emptying the weapon before the class last week.

Lamar, a certified firearms instructor since 2005, was transferred to another division and will not carry a firearm while the incident is being investigated.

Progress....

Went to the doc today.. He seems pleased with the progress so far.. I got him to write a note to the rehab folks... The note says they should be more aggressive with the range of motion with my right arm. Will see if that works out... Got the OK to drive again as well.. Need to work on bending of wrist, as that seems to be second in difficulty to rotation of forearm.

Got a device to force that rotation, (here's a pic link)

http://s301.photobucket.com/albums/nn48/GaryDWoodworth/Torture%20Devices/?action=view&current=DSCF0141.jpg

but Nancy, the "splint lady" seems to want to be conservative with it.. maybe docs letter will change that some.. Right hand grip strength sucks.. been squeezing a ball and some clay to try to get that back..

Been trying to get out more.. make Monday night e-board, members meetings and Friday nights at the club.. Good to get back there, but sick of everyone asking how I feel, how long recovery is going to be, and questions about what happened... Those who ask all mean well but they don't stop to think that there are 2800 members, and I have met most of them.. so I end up repeating the same response to questions at least a dozen times a visit. Suppose that will get better with time..

This week, probably Wednesday, I need to get to the storage area and clear some room for the bike.. It comes home Sunday.. plenty to move there.. may have to get some help.

Looking on line at riding gear, got serious sticker shock on some of this stuff.. doubt I'll be getting the same quality riding gear I had in the past,.. I'll find something that will work though..

Going to feel good to ride again.. I think the first long ride will just be South.. where to,, I'm not sure.. maybe just another Iron Butt "saddle-sore" ride.. It's been too long since I did one of those..

Rules for this ride are found here> http://www.ironbutt.com/ridecerts/getdocument.cfm?DocID=1

This would be a1000 mile run down I-95 just to find out where that 1000 mile spot would be.. I think Savanna maybe?.. A quick run out to accomplish the 1000/1, and then a leisurely return.. perhaps up over the Blue Ridge and Skyline Drive.. nothing too tough.. The Blue Ridge is a nice bike road with plenty to photograph along the way.. I appreciate that the accident didn't screw me up to the point where doing this sort of thing would be impossible. Lot of preparation to do before this ride though.. I'm working to get my body in shape... Once I get past a saddle sore, the next logical challenge would be the 50cc (50 hours coast to coast)... even if I fail it would be a fun trip...

Think I'll go study the maps again...

Be well all - GDW

Photos added...

Not much to say tonight , so I just added some photos... Under "places".. Pop out the player above, listen to some music, and enjoy the pics... Maybe look at a few of the other links as well..

I have also added a guestbook If you wish to sign it, it is found as the last item in the yellow side block on the right.

Sprinter wreck pics are posted...

,Pics of my destroyed truck are posted... see "Sprinter" on the "links to photos" on the right sidebar or just use the link below...

http://s301.photobucket.com/albums/nn48/GaryDWoodworth/Sprinter/

This is why there are seat belts in your cars... It's up to you to use them... I am very glad that I did!

Why do it.....

It's hard to explain to people who have never toured on a motorcycle, why you chose to do it.... Many think your crazy... Not so... Maybe this story of a trip I had (one of many) can shed light on it some... but I expect (know) there are those who will simply never understand...

I think it was 1982... I had ridden to the Indy 500, and after the race I decided to head to the worlds fair in Knoxville, Tenn... I followed I-65 south from Indy to just outside Louisville, where I spent the night in a small clean but run down motel I found maybe 15 miles off the interstate.. I was tired and needed to find fuel, a laundromat and some decent food....

I checked in and asked a tired looking old woman at the desk for her recommendations.. She directed me a few miles further down the road to a little one stop sign, half-quaint, half-homely river town with the lethargic quality of a fighter who's taken too many blows.... Found what I needed to wash clothing, and a fried chicken in a basket dinner...While I was waiting for the dryer to stop, I wiped down the bike with an old towel... I felt relaxed and glad to be away from the race crowd of the past two days... Indy crowds can be stressful...Imagine 400,000 people at a four day party and then throw in too much beer and too much hot sun for many of them... top it off with noisy all night celebration... Adds up to two nights of little sleep... I love the race, the party is fun, but I had had enough of all the people.. next year was soon enough for that again...

I had plenty of time,..Tomorrow was the Memorial day holiday.. so I had that, plus four days of vacation time, and then a weekend to hustle back home.. no rush to be home and back to work.. The weather was great, and I was inclined to just drift unhurriedly toward Knoxville... Relax and take in the sights along the way.

The next day it only took maybe three hours on secondary roads to get totally lost in Kentucky... I followed those secondary roads in a general south-easterly direction... Asked directions when I stopped for gas.. after a few colorful exhortations from the tolerant gas station owner at my fuel stop.. (something about turning left at the holler, right past the crick), I somehow got it correct and was back on my twisted path south, relieved to find out that I hadn't strayed very far off the mark....

Part of northern Kentucky is covered with lush, pristine forests, but this was not that part. For a dozen miles or so along US 68, I was in the down-on-its-luck, strip-mall-on-every-corner, already hot-at-10-in-the-morning part of the State.

The scenery changed as I rode along... By the time I rolled into Lexington, my head was spinning with postcard scenes of Bluegrass Country... antebellum architecture faded against fields stocked with powerful thoroughbreds. I would like to ride there again... Lexington isn't just a bed of southern gentility -- it's also a diverse city whose university population lends a cosmopolitan edge. I spent the night there in a much nicer motel... Rested well..

I couldn't dawdle there long though.. Well, suppose I could have, but the demands of urbanity were already wearing on me... I just wanted to get back to the riding.... I wanted to see the Terracotta Warriors exhibit which I knew was at the fair..

East out of Lexington along US 60, the roadside tapestry of horses, bluegrass hills, white board fences, and hay bales blurred into a rural kaleidoscope, and I remember thinking, wow... bluegrass really is blue...at least from far away.... I chose my route to parallel Interstate 75, a few miles to the east... If I decided I needed to make better time, I merely had to ride a couple of miles over and blast down the super slab.

Cruising through the Bluegrass State here was the height of freewheeling... Was nice being a solitary rider with just the smooth purr of a 900cc bike engine in your ears and the heavy air of the South on your face...

On a bike tour it's easy to meet people.. all manner of people... Often interesting people who have a story to tell you and questions to ask... Talk of motorcycles usually get the ice broken.. Seems everyone has owned or has a relative who had or has a Honda, Yamaha, Harley. or some other make of bike.. Often they will tell you of rides they have made... those vivid memories that they want to share with another understanding rider....

On this ride, in talking to people at food and gas stops, I learned Kentucky has more running water than any state except Alaska.... Scattered in the forest amongst the sugar maples and white oaks were pools of impossibly green water... (it's true)..... they are pure sweet eye candy...

The Cumberland Falls are the second-largest waterfalls east of the Mississippi, and are known as the Niagara of the South. That's an ambitious description, but the 125-foot-wide curtain of water was an impressive sight nonetheless .. I was told that if you go during a full moon on a clear night, you'll be rewarded with a rare "moon bow" -- created when the mist morphs into a multicolored hologram, a phenomenon visible nowhere else in the Western Hemisphere.

Eventually I got to the worlds fair, and did see the "Terracotta Army" from China, (That is a whole other story) but this ride through rural Kentucky, and the things I learned doing it are still vivid in my mind... These memories are the reason I chose to ride then, and the desire for more of them is why I want to ride again..and again, as long as I am able...

“Never trade the thrills and joys of living for the security of simple existence”.

Sadly, there are those who will never understand...

GDW

Sunday...

The Rabid Transit fairing I lost out on was re-listed. I bid on it again, and re-bid minutes before the auction ended, but I didn't win it.. Guess that just wasn't meant to be.. again I am disappointed.. Plan was to remove and sell the fairing that came on the R100 RT (Big money for fairing parts) and install the Transit fairing... would have made money in the end, and ended up with what was more in line with what I had originally.. oh well.. There is a fairing on the bike, and maybe another Transit will turn up some day..

I have to figure out how to list things for sale on e Bay. Need to thin out the storage area.. damn little room left in there..

I am somewhat troubled by the stuff that was in my truck.. Think there was plenty of stuff in there that I will never see again.. video cam, my survival kit, gps (with all my way points), tools, and no doubt hundreds of other things which I have yet to think about.. I try not to think about it much.. just upsetting when I do..

Next Doctor appointment is just a few days away.. 19th. I think.. I am doing better with walking.. I still carry a cane, and am limping some, but that should pass with doing more walking and exercise.. I think it is time to ask him about driving.. I think there should not be a problem there, but who knows.. I miss driving.. always liked doing it, and I sure don't make a good passenger..

Been over the road where this nightmare began numerous times in the past months and have kinda re-evaluated my theory of what happened.. I thought that perhaps the other driver had fallen asleep, but after looking at both vehicles and the damage to them I don't think that was the case.. It appears to me that some last ditch attempt at evading the impact was made by him.. Looks to me, by the damage to the front end of my truck, he tried to do a hard right turn (his right) at the last second..

I am certainly no professional accident investigator, but there are some things I think are very obvious..

He was going way too fast for the road he was on. I have no way to guess how fast that was.. I am sure though, that from the time I saw him until the impact was probably much less than a second. I think a reasonable speed for him on that section of road may have been 30 mph. From where I would have been sitting in my truck, watching cars now driving that road at a reasonable safe speed, they are in sight for about 2 seconds. To me that suggests he was way over his head and just ran out of street space.. maybe 50 mph or better? Guess will never know for sure.. Was he just out there doing some "spirited driving" or on the darker side, was he attempting suicide... sometimes I can't help but ponder that..

My truck was as far to the right in my lane as possible.. sidewalls of my tires against the 8" curb. That I think was a good thing.. had the curb been lower my truck may have been able to pop up over it.. had that happened he would have hit me in the left front corner instead of squarely across the entire front of my truck. Less impact area = more penetration into the driver area. As it was, I was wedged in there pretty tightly.. I remember I couldn't turn my head to the right as my face was against the windshield. I would have been screwed if the airbags not functioned. I am so glad there was no fire.. there was a lot of fuel, oil and paint everywhere.. I could never have gotten out on my own.. not much of my body was functioning with ribs, arm, foot, and legs busted up..

Had I not been driving where I was, I think his speed would have caused an impact with the high curbstone hard enough to take out the tires on his left side, and he would have crashed anyway. Maybe have flipped it.. he may have faired better than hitting me, or maybe not.. Just happened that I was in the wrong place at a bad time.

I still have no word as to his condition.. Have heard so many versions of stories, I got no idea as to the truth of the matter.. I do know he has been charged with some driving offenses, has been scheduled for some court appearances, and that he failed to appear at them. I don't know if that is because he is hurt bad and can't be there, or if there is some other reason.. I guess time will tell.. sooner or later the story will come out...

Went to a mall today to get some exercise walking.. Mothers day, so it was crowded.. didn't stay too long, but walked enough to be tired. It's frustrating to tire so quickly.. I want my pre-accident life back.. I want to go back to work.. feel productive instead of a burden..

This whole episode has cost me dearly on so many levels... I have learned much from it as well.. People have been kind, with few exceptions..

Guess should stop this right here.. sorry if this has been a bummer to read.. Just trying to work things out mentally.. next post will be better,,, I promise..

Be well all- GDW

Friday again...

Feeling a little disturbed today.. not sure why or what is the cause of it.. It's raining lightly, and the weather is causing pain some.. not real bad pain, but enough to be annoying..

Been waiting for a package delivery by UPS. Have ordered a special tool for removing and installing the BMW exhaust system. Not very impressed by the UPS package tracking service. Claimed they were here yesterday at 6 something pm.. I was here with the door open.. Sitting just inside the door, I couldn't have missed them.. Draw your own conclusion.

I need to do some work to my utility trailer in preparation of retrieving the bike. It isn't much.. just bolt in a new sheet of 3/4" plywood, and add a couple of lengths of 2x4 for wheel tracks.. maybe some paint (maybe not). Problem there though, is most of my tools are still in the wreck. Think I might have got on that today had it not rained. Tomorrow is not looking good weather-wise ether.. I hate that such a simple task is so hard for me to do right now.. suspect I'll need to enlist the help of a friend to get it done... no way can I handle a 4x8 sheet of plywood yet...

Maybe that is what is so unsettling today.. I feel like I am spread all over.. Disconcerting that everything is miles apart with no good way to get it without being a pain in the ass to others.. Sort of a not being in control thing.. I'll be glad when I can drive again.. I sure miss it.. Janel is great in always getting me where I need to be, but how much can I ask of her?... She is so good.. really has gone above and beyond.. wasting hours of her time waiting in hospitals a few days a week while I do rehab.. Is awful unfair that she has to endure all that loss of time because of events that certainly she is not responsible for.. Think can say she surely has other things she would rather be doing.. I try not to be, but have got to be a big time pain in her ass by now.. but she never complains..

The other day while we were out (buying motorcycles) we returned to a little airport cafe I had found some time ago.. Outstanding food (really!), and your sitting maybe 75 yards off the active runway.. Cool for watching take-offs and landings. With the high price off fuel, few aircraft were flying that day.. maybe one take-off and two landings.. Still, it was nice to look at all the parked aircraft, and I think Janel enjoyed her lunch.

Four PM and UPS just dropped my package.. got the right tool, which is good as there is no substitute for it.. I was lucky to find this on eBay. It appears to be a well made tool.

Thinking about the luggage bags on the R100... They lock shut, but do not lock on to the motorcycle. I have the set which I got in Kittery which does both, and hope they will interchange easy.. The un-used set will go back on e-Bay.. Have to wait and see I guess...one or the other will need to go..

New torture device to twist wrist will be in my hands on Monday.. Will post photos of it soon.. impressive looking machine.. Still using all the other devices as well..

Alex being great company today.. Lying next to me and purring loudly.. More later tonight perhaps

GDW

YES... YES,.... OH F#@# YES!, YES!

Made a trip to Lexington today.. Found an ad for a bike on Craigs List yesterday.. Here are the specs on my new (to me) low miles 81 BMW R100 RT machine--- (Pics of bike are linked under BMW on right).. I always wanted an RT...

Tonight I'll be dreaming of rides to come on sweeping curves along the top of mountain ridges, scenic overlooks, and warm summer night rides... Maybe the smooth exhaust note of a well tuned engine cruising on the interstate highway.. or perhaps the aroma of wildflowers along a long forgotten secondary road... Tomorrow will bring three more sessions of therapy... Somehow I suspect they won't hurt quite as much...

Needless to say, I am a very, very happy guy! Thank you Janel for being so understanding... I love you!

Here are the specs...

Engine
Motor Type - Four-stroke two cylinder horizontally opposed "Boxer" engine, air cooled
Bore x Stroke - 94 x 70.6 mm (3.70 x 2.78 in)
Displacement - 980 cc
Max Power - 70 hp (51 KW) at 7,250 rpm
Max Torque - 77 Nm / 56 ft lb at 5,500 rpm
Compression Ratio - 9.5 : 1
Valves Per Cylinder - 2
Valve Control - OHV, using push rod and rocker arm
Carburation System - 2 constant depression carburettors, Bing 94/40/105 - 94/40/106
Engine Lubricating System - Wet sump

Power Transmission
Clutch - Dry single plate, with diaphragm spring
Number of Gears - 5
Gear Selection - Dog type gearbox (ratchet foot lever)
Gearbox Ratios - 4.4 / 2.86 / 2.07 / 1.67 / 1.50 : 1
Rear Wheel Ratio - 1 : 3.0 or 1 : 2.91
Bevel/Crownwheel - 11 / 33 teeth or 11 / 32 teeth

Electrical System
Ignition System - contact free electronic ignition (Bosch)
Alternator - Bosch 12V/240 W
Starter - Bosch 0.7 Kw
Spark Plugs - Bosch W 225 T 30 / Beru 230/14/3 A / Champion N6Y

Chassis
Type of Frame - Double loop tubular frame with bolt on rear section
Front wheel suspension - Telescopic fork with hydraulic shock absorber
Rear wheel suspension - Long swinging arm with adjustable strut
Spring Travel Front/Rear - 200 / 125 mm (7.87 x 4.92 in)
Wheel Rims, Front - 2.85 B 19
Wheel Rims, Rear - 2.75 C 18
Tyres, Front - 3.25 H 19
Tyres, Rear - 4.00 H 18
Brakes, Front - Dual disc brake 260 mm / 10.23 in diameter. Brembo 2 piston caliper
Brakes, Rear - Single disc brake 260 mm / 10.23 in diameter

Dimensions/Weights
Length x Width x Height - 2210 x 746 x 1465 mm (87 x 29.37 x 57.67 in)
Wheel Base - 1465 mm / 57.67 in
Fuel Tank Capacity - 24 litres / 5.27 gal / 6.34 gal US
Unladen Weight with Full Tank - 234 Kg / 515 lb to 1980. 1981 on 238 Kg / 525 lb
Max. Permissible Weight - 398 Kg / 876 lb
Ground Clearance - 165 mm / 6.49 in
Seat Height (Unladen) - 820 mm (32.3 inches)
Fuel Consumption (at constant 90 Kph)
5.75 litres 100 Km / 49 mpg / 40 mpg US
Top Speed - 190 Kph / 118 mph
Acceleration 0 - 100 Kph / 62 mph - 5.0 seconds

Errr... No comment yet...

Don't want to jinx anything..
I'm excited though...
Just wish me luck....

http://s301.photobucket.com/albums/nn48/GaryDWoodworth/R%20100%20RT/

More of this story later....

Funny stuff.. (not for kids)

I got a kick out of this... well done!

(mute music player and turn up sound first, then hit link)

Hitler likes Honda..

Major..., No.... "Mega Major" disappointment...

Read the previous post, then read the rest of this one..

--------------------------------

... Just got this crushing message five minutes ago... guess I got no luck. ..

Dear eBay Community Member,
The bid that you entered for the item --------------- has been cancelled. You can view the reason provided for the cancellation by selecting the (bid history) link from the individual item page.

The seller ended this listing early because the item is no longer available for sale.

for 3 hours I was high bidder at the top of the world... now I feel ill, and could (and may) just cry... life is cruel at times..

Going to bed... night all...

Fingers crossed,,,,

Oh man.. This is unbelievable...
I got the mentioned Krauser luggage bags, for the bike project.. picked em up in Kittery yesterday.. It was a tiring ride, but worth the pain... feels like progress on a few levels..

Best news yet though.. Tonight I have found a e-bay auction for a used Rabid Transit fairing exactly like I had 30 years ago!! (see pics in photo section) This fairing is in Florida, and has been out of production for at least 25 years.. Complete too.. no need to fabricate mounting hardware.. Just clean it up, repaint in my colors and mount it to the bike... too good to be true.. been looking for one of these for 15 years... I'll be holding my breath for next 3 days hoping I don't get out bid.. Feels like God is helping me out on this project.. GDW