SpecialEd

Got it. My wife was 19 and I was 31 when we met. Neither of us had a desire to have kids back then, and we still don't (although she couldn't now at her current age anyway.) Unless you have an overwhelming desire to make copies of yourselves in order to save the world, I would advise against it. Here we go again . . . I just think the world is too complicated to bring kids into it without firm convictions about parenting, but know at the same time that this is the same thing our grandparents and parents thought . . . and they still had "us."

Tonik, I'm solidly of two minds at this juncture, and have learned how to coexist in my world as well as the decidedly twisted alternative reality OR represents. Let it whip . . .

Love it! Doesn't matter how we get there. You were wise to be honest with your wife and acknowledge not wanting kids--that's a big issue. I have had many students over the years who were clearly unwanted judging from parent interactions, and that used to make me sad until I realized that they will all "make it" somehow. Life is often messy . . .

Yesssssss! Those and the uber-excessive usage of the word "FUUUUUUUUUCK," which is the de facto currency on OR. I'm beginning to love all of youse guyz.

Point acknowledged. Some non-bike-related analysis: I'm 63 now, and life just seems to get better and better with the passing of the years--but in decidedly different ways. When I was in my 20s, sexual conquests were important and hitting on women at work was not yet at the "@meetoo" point it is now. I was focused on making lots of money back then, too. Built a nice house in the neighborhood in which I grew up, married my girlfriend, worked insane hours . . . Now . . . I spent nearly $10,000 on the restomoded/15 HP Honda CT70 HK0 that I ride to work each day but could not afford as a teenage pizza shop employee during my senior year in high school--I think they went for about $400 back then, new. Love my wife, house is paid in full, no kids (maybe regrettably--my wife is 12 years younger than me, and we could have had kids), and I'm still working at a job I love (teaching.) Life is just more satisfying as time progresses. End of unsolicited memoir . . .

Gixxus, I think you decisively won this rather juvenile and exhaustive bike bath "throw-down."

Agreed. The sound of that bike in the video combined with my romanticized memories from back in the day give me arm chills. It was nice to be young at that time in history. Such simpler times . . . or am I romanticizing THAT too???

Mello, you brought a smile to my face with your cannabis blast. The weed we smoked back then was so weak a baby couldn't cop a buzz off of a fat spliff 😆 Good times, though . . . Speaking of restomods, my prized ride is a 1970 Honda Mini Trail CT70 HKO. It's my daily commuter (I'm a high school teacher) and tops out at just under 70 mph with street tires and lots of other mods to make it roadworthy and safe at speeds it was definitely NOT designed for.

I don't remember this bike at all. Was in college when it came into production. Probably a good thing, too, as I would likely have bought one and promptly killed myself on it. Anyone remember this machine? It sounds incredible--like a wild animal.

Oh, what the hell: "fuck clean bikes." There . . .

Tonik, why not end the tedium and simply delete it? Gixxus had good intentions, but somehow it all just went rapidly south . . .

"THANKS CAPTAIN OBVIOUS!!!"

. . . if you live to tell us.

Play it safe and just hum along with the music 😅

https://www.google.com/search?q=wizard+of+oz+spa+scene&safe=off&client=tablet-android-samsung&prmd=ivsn&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwiAm6_EvMPiAhVJba0KHfZIBIgQ_AUoAXoECAsQAQ#isa=y

I take my bike to the spa ladies from the Wizard of Oz movie--y'know, the gals who buffed up the Cowardly Lion . . .

For fuck's sake! Why not just drop the damned bike off at a day spa? Cheaper and less time consuming.

Whoops: forgot to include cold-smoking the ribs for about 20 minutes with mesquite chips after removing from the marinade.

Ain't gonna let no expired https certificate silence me. Tonic, steak (rare) and eggs is my absolute favorite breakfast; only thing missing in yer photo is the mimosas, but obviously you had to ride home. Made killer baby back ribs last night: brined them for 8 hours in apple cider, 2 cloves garlic, 1/4 cup kosher salt, many turns of the pepper mill. Rinsed/dried 'em off, shook on equal parts Coleman's dry mustard, cayenne powder, dark brown sugar, and covered with Montgomery's BBQ sauce. Wrapped in foil. Baked in toaster oven at 250° for 2 hours. Magnificent!

Please remember that these controls are basically your lifelines! Why would you willingly (potentially) compromise them? Just sayin'.

Yup. Jim, this is obviously a matter of national security. You have experience working with with local government. The time to act is NOW.

Remember that hard-hitting documentary Alien Autopsy from 1995? It was filmed at Wright Pat--and there WAS a production model GE UFO included in the footage. Now is the time to come clean, Jim. No more chatty bullshit.

One second while I call the CIA . . . I'm a mandated reporter. Oh, and you're banned.

Personally, I would keep looking/spend the money. Taking a chance that your clutch lever may fail will likely make every ride less enjoyable; the possibility of the front brake lever becoming inoperable is, to me, at least, unacceptable. My two cents . . .