JackFlash

From them who cry

racism the loudest,

display it the most.

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http://www.space.com/22404-blue-moon-science-august-full-moon.html

Pretty to look at, but

there is substitute for

a test ride.

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Pulled up to the house just before 3:00.  Was a great day for a ride.

I enjoyed it.  Riding in the morning, with an older group in Newark.

I can keep up with them.  Haha!

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>> r u guys at all headed toward cbus ?

I'm thinking Hutch/Blitz rides are often towards Coshocton.

Still waiting for others to show up. Making a call.

Still waiting for others to show up. Making a call.

I'm there. It's 10:10. Thought you guys left early, until I read the thread again.

I can drop down after work on Friday and Saturday. 

Holiday weekends are difficult times to get off work.

 

Sign me up for that, weather permitting.

 

Good news for me.  I have 122 hours of off time I have

to burn before the end of the year.  Today begins 16 days

of vacation, so I think I can make your event without a

problem.  I sure hope you can cook. 

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I once read that a certain company's success

was attributed to it spending 5% of it's budget

on advertising.  I suppose that was a higher

than average percentage of budget than was

typically spent.

Whenever businesses seem to pop up out of

nowhere and seem to be all over town in a

short period of time, I notice that they have

ads everywhere.

So, advertising, as much as you can do, as

much as you can afford, would help to implant

your business name in the minds of those who

could benefit from your services.

Given that word of mouth is the best advertising,

superior customer service, a professional

appearance, and excellent and extremely polite

communication skills (even when spoken through

gritted teeth), and even taking on a few jobs

at a price that barely buys the gas to drive there,

will get customers to recommend you to people

they know.  You can't buy advertisement like

that.

How your phone is answered and the tone in

which my call to you is handled will help me

decide if I want to use your services, not price.

I want someone to fix my problem properly the

first time.  I don't want to have to call them back

because I didn't get the service I thought I was

paying for.  If a ten year old answers the phone

when I call, I'm going to think you are an amature

that may be out of business next week when I

have to call back about a problem I've already

paid you to fix and has resurfaced.

I get a weekly bag of ads on my doorstep that

has advertising from many local businesses. 

You might check that out.  A magnetic sign on

the side of your truck isn't a bad idea. 

The appearance of your vehicle means a lot to

me.  Does it look like it's held together with bailing

wire and duct tape, covered in dirt, and used

on the weekend in the local demolition derby?

Or, is it well organized and clean, inside and out?

These things speak volumes to me.  They tell me

that not only do you take pride in how you

present your business to the community, there is

a good chance that you will take pride in the

the quality of workmanship and service you give

to me and the people I recommend you to.  This

extends to everyone you have working for you,

as well.  They can make your business look

good, or look bad.

Pass out some refrigerator magnets that are

made for sticking business cards on.  They are

likely to end up in a lot of kitchens, holding up

customer's young children's school art work. 

Leaving a coffee cup with your logo and contact

info at each job location will keep you in the

minds of those who's problems you have solved.

That's a start.  I don't know if it's anything you

were looking for, but that's what I have to offer.

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Look at 00:19 thru 00:28.  A car slowly creeps around

the corner and turns as if to park in front of the building

on the right.  I'll bet the perp got out of that car.

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So they didn't bother checking to see if the valves were bent BEFORE putting in a new timing chain?

 He should diagnosed bent valves before doing timing.

I'm not a engine mechanic but are the bent valves something that really can be found before the timing belt is replaced?

I'm guessing that the cost to check for bent valves would have added quite

a bit to the cost, with the same outcome, except with the heads off, they

could replace the valves, I think.  And, possibly the cheapest way was to

put in a chain and see if it works.  Just guessing.

.

I'm wondering, how old is the car, and do you want to keep it?

And, can you get an engine with less than 91k on it?

Plus, what is the car worth with a good engine?

It might be a better idea to unload it and upgrade to something newer. 

Talk to your finance company for the van and see about

rolling the van payment and a newer car payment into

one affordable payment.

Open that college savings account now.

Before you know it, he will be walking and

talking.  Take lots of pictures.  You can

never take enough as they are growing

up.

This time next year, it will be his 1st birthday.

Not real long after that, he will start school.

Then it will be, "Dad, can I borrow the car?

There's this girl...."

Enjoy, and the more activities you do together

the more enjoyable the whole growing up thing

will be.

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I wish I could go, but 3:30 AM comes

way too early for me.

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Good to read that you are a happy camper with the new place.

Sounds awesome.  I think we met once.  Wish your bike

expertise was closer to Newark.

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...nice big property with a big and beautiful barn that has a fully finished 2nd floor.

The barn on the Google map at street view looks like it could be a residence, with

those garage doors.  Lot's of shade to cool off in, around there, too.  Very nice

property your friend has.

.

I can drop down after work on Friday and Saturday. 

Holiday weekends are difficult times to get off work.

Sign me up for that, weather permitting.

Donations at the gate?  Sounds like this is going to

cost you something.

.

Try to get a list of Ohio law makers that have a current

motorcycle endorsement on their driver's license. 

Educating them and getting them on board with the

idea may be a good first step to getting some favorable

action.

If that doesn't work, we could do what other groups do

to get their way.  For example, check out what happened

in France when the Transport Ministry started talking

about citing bikers for filtering.

Like everyone else that whines, cries, and raises hell to

get their way, where are the Jesse Jackson's and Al

Sharpton's of motorcycling?

.

I'm real sorry to hear about your spill.

That stuff happens fast, before you

can even blink.  It might be a good

idea to just lay there and catch your

breath for a moment to see if anything

starts to hurt, as long as you are not

likely to get run over. 

I don't know how much more damage

could be done by jumping up too

quickly, but just in case, I want to

know what body parts are going to

need sewn back together before I

trust getting back on my feet.

I'm glad it wasn't worse.

.

I pulled into my driveway just before dark, with 102 miles on the

clock.

 

Edit:  It was supposed to read, 122 miles.

 

Plus, where's my edit button, Benny?

 

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A quick ride after getting off work today sounded like a real good idea.

I haven't ridden much this year.  There was that spill I took, back in

April, on the 555, just before the Epic ride out of Logan, with Doc and

many of you folks.  A pair of bent handle bars kept me from joining in

on all the fun that weekend.

With rainy weather, heat, and things needing done at home, my time on

the road this season has been much less than what is required to keep

me happy.  Today, on the way home from work, I decided that I was going

riding, even if it was only a trip down and around Buckeye Lake and

back up to Newark.  That was the plan.

When I got home, I got a bite to eat, geared up, saddled up, and headed

out. I'd gassed up at the end of my last ride, so after checking my tires all I

had to do was hit the road.  It was six o'clock when I pulled out of the

driveway.

Sharon Valley Road is a fast way to get out into the country, from

where I live in town.  That's the way I went.  I took it to it's end, in Welsh

Hills, and hung a right.  The plan was to skim across the top of Newark, 

on Price Rd, and over to Cedar Run, north on Fallsburg Road to Dayton

Road, and then drop back down on the east side of Newark, near the

"Basket."  From there, I planned on hitting Staddens Bridge Road to

Rt 668 south, 204 west, through Thornville and Millersport, then up 37,

and head home through the back door into Newark from West Main

Street.  Well, that was the plan.

I hit Fallsburg Road, somehow missed Dayton Road, and kept going.  It

was a nice day to ride, and I didn't care.  I ended up in Fallsburg and

decided rather than getting too much farther away from home, since I

have to work tomorrow, I'll just hang a right onto 586 and drop down

into Zanesville.   So, 586 to 146, and into Zanesville I went. 

I don't know my way around Zanesville.  I fumbled around a little and

finally got my bearings.  I figured I would go south of the freeway and

probably take 22 into  Somerset.  Well, that was the plan, revised.

Have you ever headed out, didn't really know where you were going,

just picked a direction and went?  Those seem to turn out to be the

best rides.  I was enjoying this one.  It was evolving as I rode.

I remembered that the mouth of the dreaded 555 was somewhere

south of I-70.  After a couple wrong turns, a quick check of Google

Maps put me on the right track.  I couldn't resist.  I hit the 555 and

headed south.

I must have missed a rain shower because the road was wet.  There

was a sign saying something about the road being closed on

weekdays, but I didn't pay any attention to it.  I just kept going.

The temperature was just right and I was enjoying myself.  I was also

being careful.  That road is a tricky one and I didn't want to limp my

bike back home a second time.

Shadows were getting longer as the sun was slowly falling out of

the sky.  It was time to find a route back home.  The map showed

that in Deavertown, instead of turning left and following 555 south,

I could just go straight and take 669 west, and then north, into

Crooksville.  That's what I did. 

669 heads west out of Crooksville, on Ridge Avenue.  I made a left

and headed west.  Once I connected with SR 13, went through

Somerset, and turned north, it was smooth sailing back to Newark.

I didn't want to take 13.  Up here, above New Lexington, it's straight

and it's boring.  But, like I said, shadows were getting long, and I

have to get up early in the morning.

I saw several groups of riders and some solo riders, like myself.  

I wonder which of you I passed today, out on the road. 

I pulled into my driveway just before dark, with 102 miles on the

clock.  It was not my intent to ride half as far as I did, but once

you are out there, and it's feeling good, it's hard to not keep

going.  Heaven help me if I ever start riding towards California.

Monday and Tuesday are my days off work.  The weather for both

days is looking good, so far.  Who's up for a ride?

Monday - 74 degrees with no rain.

Tuesday - 80 degrees with 20% chance.

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Lot's of riders out this way.  Watch the postings for weekend

rides.  SE Ohio and the Coshocton area are some of the

areas for rides.