The Hospital

I don't know how coherent this is going to be, I haven't gotten very much sleep in the last few days, and I'm kind of medicated right now - more heavily than normal, but you'll note more or less proper spelling and grammar - and that is what you get when you combine narcotic pain killers with someone who is actually in pain. God know I should be asleep, I had a hell of a day yesterday.

I guess you could say it started Wed sometime, thats when I began to feel pretty hammered, couldn't get much sleep, couldn't move around all that much. That persisted through Thursday night. Then Friday morning came along and I was doing a little better, which worked because a friend needed a ride to work at 7:30am - which I provided, that is after all what friends are for, and he had no one else he could call. Then I picked him up from work at 4:30pm, and while doing so discovered some serious changes in the school I once knew (he's a teacher at my old high school). I also got to see a couple of guys I've known these last 3 years, and got to see his sister in law, who was picking up his nephew who just started as a freshman, I sort of think of him as the little brother I never had - so that was nice.

That also drained me pretty good, it used up my replenished reserves as it were. So Friday night sucked. I decided to go to bed around 2am, but the pain was up and I couldn't sleep. The pain spiked to a 10 at about 3am, temporarily knocking me out for a while (I pass out at a 10). The pain oddly was focusing more on the left side of my body than anywhere else. So I came back round about 4am, but couldn't move much, and couldn't get to my cell phone to wake anyone up. So I rode it out till 4:45ish and then got myself up and dressed.

I went across the hall to mom's room and woke her up telling her we had to go to the hospital. This was about 5am Saturday morning. Mom in true style got right up, dressed, and was collecting the last couple things she needed to go when the pain spiked again, this time (as it had already happened once earlier) I had absolutely nothing left, as it was I had barely been mobile, so I crumpled right there in the hallway. Told mom to call an ambulance. She handled it quite well, this stuff always flips her out a bit. I lay there curled up in a ball on my left side, face down on the floor waiting for the ambulance.

Fire department showed up first, they tried to prop me up but I ended up collapsing to my right, but they put down some pillows to wedge me up and gave me oxogen which was a new experience for me. Thats when the paramedics arrived, and they had to use a rolling chair to get me out of the house, so I got hauled into that, couldn't support myself, and they strapped me into this chair. Now mind you I am normally very adversed to being touched, lifted, or strapped down. But at this point I was in too much pain to care. The ride down the stairs in this chair scared the shit out of me.

But they got me out of the house, onto a gurney and into the ambulance. I happily live basically a straight shot to Memorial which is where they took me. I got a shot of some relief on the ride to Memorial, but even with it, the pain overrode the drug for a while and I was sobbing pretty good even when they had me in the room at the ER. But eventually the drug took full effect and I went all tingly and it dropped the pain down to about a 7 on my left and a 6 on my right. I promptly IV in arm turned over and passed out for a couple hours.

Around noon or a little after Brent showed up and kept mom and I company. Just prior to his showing up the pain killer they'd given me wore off and they had to inject me with something else, I have no idea what it was, but it sure as hell took the edge off (its getting hard to type). After maybe an hour or so they ran some more tests, and then discharged me with two scripts for pills, one an anti-inflamatory drug, and the other a narcotic pain killer. Brent went his way (after a handshake) and mom led me back to our car.

It was a 9 hour day at the ER and then another hour to get home including picking up the meds at Walgreens. Promptly went up to bed, and have been here more or less ever since.

OK the pain killer is kicking in, and no matter how much I like the song Shelter from the STorm by Dylan I am about to pass out. Peace fellas, really hard to type now.

House, Pepsi, Pipe Tobacco, Pills, and Boots?

Watching House MD, one of my favorite episodes from last season. This is the episode with one of the best death scenes I have ever seen on a TV show, and the music for the scene is Funkadelic's Maggot Brain, an excellent instramental piece.

So I got some new tobacco stuffs:

The Tobaccos are the favorite blends that I can't get from the Owl Shop.

Vintage Syrian which I discovered in California when I was living out in Phoenix:


Bombay Extra which was my father's favorite blend.


Presbyterian which I discovered IN Phoenix and just flat out enjoy.



I also got a "new" pipe which isn't all that new, but was in fact made in London. For $40, not a bad deal.


Pills are fucking with my head. Hasn't been a pleasant last few days. New boots are nice, same style as the old boots but I miss my old boots.

Anyways, more later I guess. I'm too fucked up to think that far ahead.

Life

So it's been a solid last few days. The Ural is now totally legal. We mounted (we being Brent and I) the Windjammer II fairing on her a couple days ago, which gives it an interesting look. I have also begun to make Lowers. When you ask why didn't you buy the Ural fairing and Ural lowers, well fairing = $180+ and lowers = $40+ and I = Broke. So you get what you get. I need to paint the fairing red, and re-adjust the mounting bracket a little as it tilts to the right.


I am listening to what I would call an Amazing version of Josh Ritter's Thin Blue Flame at the moment:


I was looking through my cell phone earlier, and checking the "note pad" and the list reads as follows:
1. Its Complicated.
2. Wet dog. Vampire. Werewolf. Wizard. Warlock. Witch.
3. Methadone
4. Smart Water
5. Don't Stop Believing
6. Social Network

Now 1 is a total loss on me. 2 is as well, but I have a theory behind it. 3... I have no idea why thats in there, but the irony of having a Hunter S Thompson biography next to me right now isn't lost on me. 4 was a recommendation from a friend who knows I don't have an appetite due to the pills I take. 5 is a song that I actually kinda like but Totally forgot existed till I heard it last night. 6 is a movie I want to watch because I have a crush on Jesse Eisenburg hahaha.

Speaking of crushes, I am looking at the most adorable picture of this guy I like which I saw tagged on FB the other day. Good god... Its almost cruel, because he is another guy I can't have, so looking at the picture makes me both smile and it actually hurts a bit.

Anyways. I got new boots today, and I have sent my old Redwing's off to get repaired, The boots I got are the same style as the Redwings, but the leather isn't as nice, they were $70 cheeper than what a new pair of my old boots would cost, and I am getting my old boots rebuilt for $70. So for the price of one pair of new Redwings I am getting these H&H boots that are made in Tenn, and also getting back the Redwing boots I have been wearing for over 10 years, including to Mexico with Dad, and I rode cross country by myself wearing them - they'll get new soles, a couple holes patched, and leather toe covers to repair the split open seam on the front left toe. They'll also be oiled and saddle soaped.

I think I'll wear my Redwings in the winter time, and wear these H&H boots the nicer seasons, mostly because they do look Good right now, but also because they aren't as well made as the Redwings (they are still VERY well made) but I know what the Redwings can take, and I don't know what these can take.

I just took a short break to look up heated hunting socks which I will have to wear in the winter. I found a pair of cheap chinese ones that will work and only cost $30. I also just found a pair of slip on ice cleats for $14. I'll water proof the boots the regular way, and that will help quite a bit.

The Lowers I'm making (one down one to go) will protect my legs from the wind & wet. The Windjammer of course protects ME from the wind & wet, and you can get neoprene covers to go around your hands to protect THEM from the wind & wet. So all things considered, plus my brother's full face helmet, and I will be good to ride year round. Only thing left is to outfit the bike with Kenda Ice Racing tires - studded of course, and I'm solid.

Anyways, I'm gonna go take a shower, sitting down cause I'm like an 80 year old man hahaha. Peace!

Adventures

Come Saturday another full fledged motorcycle flight is in the planning stages. Its odd, up until last year I haven't been in NH more than twice in the last 5 years. Now I am planning my 3rd excursion into the state in 4 weeks.

I spoke to Liam today, who is quite possibly one of my favorite people. He had a couple days ago commented on my FB that he would be happy to be the guy in the sidecar when ever time chose it. Well it seems we have a time to test this theory come Saturday. His motorcycle is back in Richmond NH, and he is currently at UNH. He has no other means of transportation beyond that motorcycle. So getting it from Richmond is a bit of an issue for him. He offered me a free meal, which in my eyes is plenty. When I think of all the hours I put into sets at Saint John's in the name of a free t-shirt, 6 hours on a bike is simple work for a free meal.

So early(ish) Saturday morning I will set out heading North on state highways that will bring me up to UNH, and then from there I will collect Liam, probably stop for some Pepsi and a smoke, then he'll hop in the sidecar and off we'll go west. Once we reach Richmond we'll collect his bike, he'll buy me dinner - or rather lunch - then I'll split South East and arrive back in Worcester around 2pm.

My trip in this order will take me through: Clinton MA, Townsend MA, Nashua NH, Londonberry NH, Derry NH, Raymond NH, Lee NH, Durham NH, Concord NH, Henniker NH, Stoddard NH, Keene NH, West Swanzey NH, Richmond NH, Royalston MA, Athol MA, Barre MA, Rutland MA, Worcester MA.

There is a minor temptation to double back the way I came with Liam in tow back down to Nashau to show him that bike shop I discovered last weekend, and then head west from there. In theory (according to google) that would only tack half an hour onto the trip - so I'll have to run that by Liam. It is all in all a rather tempting idea, as I am almost dying inside to get back there, and really this is the best excuse to go there again.

Although there is also the home coming of Jon from Korea for 2 weeks soon, and when that happens - he and I shall be heading BACK into Northern NH to go for a ride up Mt Washington (I am tempted to invite Liam, maybe Paul, Chris, and perhaps Jack along on that, but have to ask Jon). I have informed Jon that he has no real choice, on the way back from THAT adventure we WILL be stopping at the motorcycle shop on Rt 111 NH.

So 6 hours on the bike this weekend, 2 tanks of gas for sure, maybe two and a half. Free dinner. Hanging out with Liam for 2-3 hours, granted about 2 of those hours will be limited to possibly shouting at each other over the winds.

Tomorrow at this time the motorcycle will be all but inspected. We got her insured today, and she will be getting the plate tomorrow. I am tempted to see if I can get a Handicap plate, actually MORE than tempted as I do have a placard for my car, and my car IS going away. Sooooo yeah. I mean I don't use it all the time, when I am feeling good I don't need it, but when I'm not and walking is such a challenge I can barely think straight, well... for those times a handicap plate on the bike will be down right necessary. The joy of the sidecar is there is really no reason they can't give me one. I mean when you look at it, you never put your feet down, you really mostly use your arms.

I am listening to one of my favorite Josh Ritter songs, its desperately simple, but I sang the lyrics I knew all the way home from NH on Saturday.


Peter killed the dragon and he did it with his bare hands,
Peter killed the dragon and he did it with his bare hands,
Paul killed the dragon and he did it with his bare hands.

Eight miles high, I saw you wearing a royal blue shirt,
Eight miles high, I saw you wearing a royal blue shirt,
Hiding in a hole in the blue from the world of hurt.

Well Mississippi mighty, oh and it's eight miles wide,
Mississippi mighty, oh and it's eight miles wide,
Standing on the edge, I saw your face from the other side.

And Even on the phone you're eight hours from my time,
Even on the phone you're eight hours from my time,
Wish I could hold you in my arms like I hold you in my mind.

'Cause i'm standing on a rooftop wondering if it's true,
I'm looking over rooftops hoping that it ain't true,
God could give or take away, well who would make such an awful rule?
God could give or take away, well who would make such an awful rule?

Peter killed the dragon and he did it with his bare hands,
Peter killed the dragon and he did it with his bare hands,
Paul killed the dragon and he did it with his bare hands.

When I was singing it, I only knew the first 3 lines... so naturally singing it for the next... 2 hours meant I had to improvise a little bit, and boy did I improvise! I actually was unaware that it was actually a full song until I looked it up on Amazon. Ritter has a habit of randomly inserting little bits of this or that into his live shows. He inserted a whole chunk of Mr Trooper by Springsteen into Harrisburg in one of his shows, and man did it sound fantastic! In the version of Peter Killed the Dragon that I am listening to now (which is also live) he must be in Columbia because he switched out Mississippi with Columbia.

Josh Ritter as far as I am concerned is our generation's Bob Dylan. He has been a long time coming. He is young, and god what talent. He has other songs, here are the lyrics to one which I find to be the best political song since Desolation Row (and its damned near the same length, and played just as gently.

I will bold the section that I find to be most political, and then I'll let you go, but oh my god the imagery!

I became a thin blue flame
Polished on a mountain range
And over hills and fields I flew
Wrapped up in a royal blue

I flew over Royal City last night
A bullfighter on the horns of a new moons light
Caesar's ghost I saw the war-time tides
The prince of Denmark's father still and quiet
And the whole world was looking to get drowned
Trees were a fist shaking themselves at the clouds
I looked over curtains and it was then that I knew
Only a full house gonna make it through

I became a thin blue wire
That held the world above the fire
And so it was I saw behind
Heaven's just a thin blue line

If God's up there he's in a cold dark room
The heavenly host are just the cold dark moons
He bent down and made the world in seven days
And ever since he's been walking away
Mixing with nitrogen in lonely holes
Where neither seraphim or raindrops go
I see an old man wandering the halls alone
But only a full house gonna make a home

I became a thin blue stream
The smoke between asleep and dreams
And in that clear blue undertow
I saw Royal City far below

Borders soft with refugees
Streets swimming with amputees
It's a Bible or a bullet they put over your heart
It's getting harder and harder to tell them apart
Days are nights and the nights are long
Beating hearts blossom into walking bombs

And those still looking in the clear blue sky for a sign
Get missiles from so high they might as well be divine
Now the dogs are howling at your door
Singing bout vengeance like it's the joy of the Lord
Bringing justice to the enemies not the other way round
They're guilty when killed and they're killed where they're found
If what's loosed on earth will be loosed up on high
It's a Hell of a Heaven we must go to when we die
Where even Laurel begs Hardy for vengeance please
The fat man is crying on his hands and his knees
Back in the peacetime he caught roses on the stage
Now he twists indecision takes bourbon for rage

Lead pellets peppering aluminum
Halcyon, laudanum and Opium
Sings kiss thee hardy this poisoned cup
His winding sheet is busy winding up
In darkness he looks for the light that has died
We need faith for the same reasons that it's so hard to find
And this whole thing is headed for a terrible wreck
And like a tragedy it's what we expect

At night I make plans for a city laid down
Like the hips of a girl on the spring covered ground
Spirals and capitals like the twist of a script
Streets named for heroes that could almost exist
The fruit trees of Eden and the gardens that seem
To float like the smoke from a lithium dream
Cedar trees growing in the cool of the squares
The young women walking in the portals of prayer

And the future glass buildings and the past an address
And the weddings in pollen and the wine bottomless
And all wrongs forgotten and all vengeance made right
The suffering verbs put to sleep in the night
The future descending like a bright chandelier
And the world just beginning and the guests in good cheer
In Royal City I fell into a trance
Oh it's hell to believe there ain't a hell of a chance

I woke beneath a clear blue sky
The sun a shout the breeze a sigh
My old hometown and the streets I knew
Were wrapped up in a royal blue

I heard my friends laughing out across the fields
The girls in the gloaming and the birds on the wheel
The raw smell of horses and the warm smell of hay
Cicadas electric in the heat of the day

A run of Three Sisters and the flush of the land
And the lake was a diamond in the valley's hand
The straight of the highway and the scattered out hearts
They were coming together they pulling apart
And angels everywhere were in my midst
In the ones that I loved in the ones that I kissed
I wondered what it was I'd been looking for up above
Heaven is so big there ain't no need to look up
So I stopped looking for royal cities in the air
Only a full house gonna have a prayer
Only a full house

Ural, Today, Whatever.

Well... I found a company out of Denmark that does a lot of parts for the Ural 650cc - sort of like the company for Royal Enfield parts out of England, but with less in mind for completely re-working things. What does please me is it is (if you ignore S&H) a good place to get reasonable priced spares that can't be had from the local/US companies.

In the list of Eventual stuff are two minor things, the first is really simple and really cheap.

^ This is the original headlight that was changed in the mid 90s. The current system works pretty good, but has its minor faults. The speedo, electrics, and everything else of the sort is in a plastic dash that is apparently prone to cracking over time. Oh you can get a chrome dash - but it costs the same as the above headlight. Now Brent don't go flipping out, I'm thinking about things that are a good 2-3 years out. I just.. like to think.

The other such item, which will be before any other major changes, probably next summer sometime, or a little further down the road, it all depends on money, and paying back those I owe it to, and so on.

^ If you remember I'd mentioned that I'd like to get a Russian made crank new, then rebuild it with good bearings, and replace the connecting pins with good quality, and such. Well the above does all that, but also has the fly wheels and con rods made out of proper metals. The pistons are of a higher quality too, and of course there is the benefit of more power, less gas use.

Then I was sitting outside, and I randomly took this:



Then later I was fiddling with the camera and this was a field test to see if I'd sorted the issue I was having with it (the built in cam on the laptop) and just as it was going off a local college men's track team ran by... thus the distracted look as I'm not at all paying attention to the camera.



ANYWAYS, gotta clean my room up a bit, and then later Mom & I are going out to the insurance company then the registry to get the Ural legal. Then tomorrow I shall ride the Harley back to Jon's house and drive my car back. Which will probably please the hell out of his old man. Should be an interesting day as I have gotten used to steering, braking in corners, and of course I haven't driven a car in a couple months!

Weekend?

So in true Greenman style I have no pictures of the airshow, the campsite, the ride up, nor the ride down. But I did ride up to Portsmouth on Thurs for an air show on Friday. Took 4 hours to get there, camped, went to the show, baked in the heat, back to the camp site, then Saturday headed home.

On the way home on Rt 111 NH I passed Triumph shop from the 50s with 2 BSAs, a Norton, and 2 Triumphs out front. Swung around and went back. There I saw 2 bikes I have never before seen in person, the Triumph Hurricane designed (body) by Craig Vetter:



And the Matchless G80 by Harris - a bike my father dreamed of buying for 20 years, but never found one in good shape. This one had 15 miles on it and was $5,000 - I could have wept, had I not been in a shop that was like heaven, surrounded by guys twice my age - all with equal mind sets on bikes.


I spent over an hour there just soaking it all in, bought new grips for the Ural for $10 and headed on my way. Arrived in Boylston around 5:30PM and waited for Brent to come back in the Ambulance from a call. We got dinner at the Pub, and then as I kicked the bike over to head home I discovered I had no lights. So I rode the bike to the nearest friends house (that had street lights) and set up there for the night.

Today, worn and weary I got her home, unpacked, relaxed, then when the temp dipped I started routing out the issue. All the fuses were good so i checked, and the headlight was blown, easy swap and I have lights again. On my bike when you loose the headlight you also loose the running lights. Good to know.

Snapped this picture after installing the new light but with the factory tools splayed out on the sidecar.


Its been a grand last few days. I am beat to hell, but sometimes you just got to get the hell out of town. I am pleased with the Ural. In one week I rode the bike from Northern Vermont to Worcester, then back up deep into New Hampshire, with a lot of miles in between trips.

The bike loves 4th gear at about 45-50mph. God I am on top of the world, I almost feel my age.

The Bike

I drove up to Vermont with my friend John on Friday to pick up the bike. As we went 4 miles up this dirt road it occurred to both of us that we could be killed and no one would ever know. At which point John looked right at me and said "You owe me big"

So I picked up the bike, a boatload full of spares and documentation. Then proceeded to ride it down to Spofford Lake (NH) where family friends have a house. Had dinner with people who tour the world on BMW motorcycles and slept in a very comfy bed. From there I rode it back to Worcester. The 3 pictures were taken at various stages in the trip.

The top one was taken on a cut through road I know in Winchendon MA to get from 202 to 140. The middle was in Vermont by a river, and the bottom of course was/is my driveway. See I took off the windshield on the sidecar.

Tomorrow (or later today rather) she will get new engine oil, gearbox oil, and final drive grease. She'll also probably get new spark plugs. She runs and rides great, I am deeply and madly in love with this motorcycle. It is everything I have ever wanted (give or take 15HP)

Later today I am riding her up to Portsmouth New Hampshire to camp for a couple of days and attend an air show I think. I should be back in Worcester sometime Saturday afternoon where I will probably ride to the Fire Station to show Brent.

The aim is to have her in my name on the road early next week.

Anyways, my hands hurt, and that's the bike!