Young love, first love...

[BillJ]

Twenty-nine years ago today, my true love and I consummated
our relationship. We've been together ever since!



Given that, prior to sobriety, I drank and drugged away all my
motorcycle money, and that, in sobriety, I've been down to
nothing but that bike, the fact that we're still together is proof
AA changes lives!

[toad]

At first I thought I was going to congratulate you on a lengthy marriage, now I realize that I am congratulating you on a lengthy marriage......many more Bill............toad

[Rarly Harley]

29 years with the same ride...! That is indeed a cause for celebration. Congrats to you both....

[sticker]

think Im getting tearie eyed sniff sniff,

[BillJ]

And even as my ever-faithful shovel awaits my loving caresses (translation: I'm still not able to get in and do the final adjustments needed to get it back on the road, dammit!) another member of my harem takes her leave. About an hour ago I let The Rust-Pile - my 1948 James Comet - be taken by another. She's gone to a good and loving home, and a master who will shower her with the kindness and attention she so richly deserves.

Meanwhile, I've got another few hundred bucks in my pocket to replace what we spent on the '86 bagger!

Bill and the 1948 James Comet in 1982

[toad]

Hey Bill cool picture...........who is that guy????



If that guy got sober, anybody can get sober.


Got my tour pack put on today.......if it would ever stop raining and snowing (today), I would geezer glide around town and look my age. Suppose to be 76 degrees Friday as I head to Eureka Springs, Arkansas for AA's Spring Time in the Ozarks. Hurricane get the mud off your bike and get it polished, and we'll head out.

Correction on Friday's weather. The news just said 70 and rain......they change their mind every hour....."God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change."

Next winter I want to live in Texas..........toad

[BillJ]

Originally Posted by toad

Hey Bill cool picture...........who is that guy????

That handsome devil? He's that crazy biker our mothers warned us about!

Originally Posted by toad

If that guy got sober, anybody can get sober.

True dat! If he can do it, anybody can!

Originally Posted by toad

Next winter I want to live in Texas..........toad

I know what you mean. Next summer I want to live in Colorado! :atv

[best]

I took a quick look around trying to find a picture of my first bike.
Will need look some more.

You must feel like a dad after a wedding as you watch your child leave the driveway. Is the Comet close enough that you will see her again and maybe see her on the road?

[BillJ]

The buyer said he'd bring it around after he got it running, and let me take a spin on it. I won't hold him to that - he's going to put a lot of heart and soul into restoring it, and I could never forgive myself if I dropped it! - but it would be nice to see the finished product.

[The_Hammer]

Daaanng it, I woulda at least thought about givin ya wanna my kidneys fer that comet.

[toad]

When I was 9 years old I lived in Paris France with my folks. We lived there for 3 years, my dad was in the Army. He bought me a French made Moblelette, and for the next two years I rode everywhere. I can remember going to the edge of the suburb we lived in and riding in the french country side for hours. The year was 1955-57. It wasn't until 1969 that I bought my first motorcycle, it was a Yamaha 250 Scrambler. I saw the movie Easy Rider and bought it. I rode it from Indiana to KC, and from KC to Springfield Mo. several times. My alcoholism escalated and I could not afford another bike until 2007. So this bike is my first love. I posted this to show you the tour pack. The dog is Shelby, and the chicken house is where I learned to smoke when I was eleven. We would blow the smoke out a knot hole in the back so my granny would not see us. Took 44 years to break that habit...........Love you guys, thanks for letting me share.

[harleyrunt]

You know it is funny how attached you get to bikes. My dad has a 1976 Shovelhead, beautiful bike. I could not figure out how to post it as a pic so I put the direct link to it below. This bike has truly been a member of my family My dad brought her (yes, were refer to the bike as a woman she gets a bit cranky sometimes, esp if my mom is riding on the back) My dad brought her home when I was 8 years old and I am almost 31 now. My father will never sell that bike because she is a part of the family. That bike has given me so many irreplaceable father/daughter moments. Every winter we would move her down to the basement and tear her down together do so fixing and make some adjustments for the follow riding year. I may just be sentimental but those times with my dad make that bike PRICELESS in my book!!


http://i227.photobucket.com/albums/d...dadsshovel.jpg

[BillJ]

Gotta love dem ol' shovelheads! Tell your Dad you know another shovel freak, and direct him to Shovelriders.com. Not the fastest forum on the 'net, but some good folks there, and links to other shovel-related boards.

Finally got mine down off the rack yesterday, and rolled it outside for a photo op. Thursday I get the pic-line out of my arm, and should be okay to ride. First time since before my last surgery on March 6th, and I'm already drooling at the thought. My palms are a little sweaty, too!

The Bitch, before its surgery:


The Bitch, yesterday afternoon:


And yes, that is a backrest from an old office chair! If it works, I plan to upholster it and paint the support bracket black.

[BillJ]

Originally Posted by The_Hammer

Daaanng it, I woulda at least thought about givin ya wanna my kidneys fer that comet.

Wish I'd known. Could always use a spare kidney!

I really screwed up when I listed that thing. After a search on the 'net, and finding only one James listed, at what I thought was a ridiculous price, I offered it on Craig's List for $400. The guy who bought it told me all about how he was gonna restore it, but it turned up on eBay the next day for $1000.

[BillJ]

Originally Posted by BillJ

The guy who bought it told me all about how he was gonna restore it, but it turned up on eBay the next day for $1000.

Well, I assumed something, and you know how that goes!

In this case, I saw that my buyer had ended his auction early, and assumed he'd sold the bike locally. I was outraged and enraged that the guy lied to me. Never mind all the folks I've lied to in my life. How dare this joker lie to me? My mind immediately went to violence and mass destruction, and how many different ways I could ruin this guy's life.

Instead, I e-mailed him, and told him that, while I had no problem with him making money on our deal, I objected to his dishonesty. He just wrote back to tell me that (as he'd predicted when we met) his wife flipped when he brought the bike home. He listed it at a ridiculously high price to keep the peace while he worked on sweet-talking the bike to her. She finally relented, and he de-listed the bike this morning.

Boy, I would've felt silly if I'd gone over there to lay waste to his entire homestead, only to find my old motorcycle in the ashes!

Thank God for the principles of AA! I don't have to go to jail today! Yay!

[tabfan]

I like reading your posts, BillJ.

I can relate to letting go of a "part of me". I've done that before.


I can relate to your "wanting to go over there to lay waste to the entire homestead"! Been there, felt that way! About five days ago, actually. It wasn't good. I haven't been in that situation for years! Dare I say "DECADES"! It wasn't comfortable, and I am just so thankful that God was guiding me!

[BillJ]

Originally Posted by tabfan

I like reading your posts, BillJ.

Thanks, and likewise. You've been a welcome addition to this board, and I'm glad you've stuck around a bit.

Originally Posted by tabfan

I can relate to letting go of a "part of me". I've done that before.

The trick is knowing when to let go of what. I don't know about you, but I had to work so hard in recovery to become and remain true to my own self. When that self - that core identity - is challenged (which is exactly what's happening in my life right now), I'm at a loss. Am I supposed to stay true to myself, be open to change, surrender, or what? Am I standing up for myself, or being willful and stubborn? What would HP want me to do?
:wtf2
Unfortunately, our literature offers no clear-cut guidance on questions like mine. Instead, I have to stumble around in the dark (not a new experience in sobriety, BTW) until I figure out what's right, or make so many mistakes that only one path is left to me. KWIM? Just between you and me, it would be so much easier if HP would just send me a freakin' telegram, and let me get on with it. But no-o-o-o-o-o-o! I have to figure it out on my own, dagnabbit!

Originally Posted by tabfan

I can relate to your "wanting to go over there to lay waste to the entire homestead"! Been there, felt that way! About five days ago, actually. It wasn't good. I haven't been in that situation for years! Dare I say "DECADES"! It wasn't comfortable, and I am just so thankful that God was guiding me!

My rage-o-meter is a good indicator of where I am in my program. If I've been making meetings, and paying attention to my steps, my prayer and meditation, I'm far less likely to want to stress-test some joker's eye-sockets than if I've been absent for weeks, not praying, and running on self-will and adrenaline!

Doesn't mean there aren't legitimate reasons to be angry. I don't know what was said to you the other day, but I gather it must have been pretty hurtful, and I'm sorry you had to go through that.

I'm also glad you've found some guidance through your HP. Always handy, isn't it?

[tabfan]

1948 James Comet! Wow! I never really saw that pic. And, I can't say I know much about the make and model, but . . . . WOW! It looks very cool. I especially like the springer front end. (Before springers were cool) Nice pic, Bill.

I am just writing to let you know today that I still plan on going to San Antonio. I have the registration in hand. The days off are scheduled. There are just a couple little snafu's that are threatening to hinder my trip, but I think they can be worked around! I have a friend in Houston. He and his wife said they might like to ride part of the trip with me. I have a cousin who works for the Border Patrol and I might spend an afternoon having dinner with him and his girlfriend, but other than that, the whole thing is still on the drawing table.

God didn't bring me this far to drop me on my nose. I KNOW that for a fact. I have a fairly good job and a brain in my head (with some brain cells still kickin') but the problem is, I am still an addict. I shouldn't say "problem". I am just human. I like to do things that are not all that good for me. I wish I could say I don't like to spend money recklessly anymore! I wish I could say I spend all of my leisure time reading and working my program, going to meetings and helping others find sobriety. Sometimes I just like to ride the Road King. And, sometimes I just go fishing! I am SOOOO human! *sigh*

Between the time I started writing on this here website and today, I have met a "special someone". He is in the A.A. program and that is good. It has NOT CHANGED everything about me. I am real glad we met. But, you know how it is when one first gets in a "relationship"......... It makes one re-evaluate. I have been analyzing my life as of late. My closest friends say I THINK too much. They say I need to just let go and enjoy life more. Hmmmmm.............

Trying my best to turn the whole thing over to God. My Higher Power has all the answers. I have none. Once again, I am stumped. The more I try to figure it all out, the more confused I get. Time for me to LET GO.

[BillJ]

Tabfan,

Check your PMs.

[toad]

Originally Posted by tabfan

I am just writing to let you know today that I still plan on going to San Antonio.

Trying my best to turn the whole thing over to God. My Higher Power has all the answers. I have none. Once again, I am stumped. The more I try to figure it all out, the more confused I get. Time for me to LET GO.

San Antonio is a nice town. The convention will be close to all the good stuff downtown. Corpus Christi is about a 2 hour ride if you plan to see the gulf. As you go through Austin, Bill knows of a Tex/Mex eating place that is very good.

If you are not going through Austin, or possibly on your return trip, Highway 281 runs from West of Ft. Worth to San Antonio through the hill country. A very scenic two and three lane road not traveled too much (most travelers stay on I 35). Texas Travel on US Hwy 281

Have fun at the International.....I won't be able to make it to San Antonio until later in the season.

[BillJ]

If you have time, there are all sorts of nice riding roads all around Central Texas, including the route Toad mentioned. I may be biased, but I think Central Texas is worth a visit just for the scenery, the food, the music, and, of course, the fun places to ride!

[toad]

Let's go to Luckenbach Texas with Waylon and Willie and the boys
This successful life we're livin' got us feuding
like the Hatfield and McCoy's
Between Hank Williams pain songs, Newberry's train songs
and blue eyes cryin' in the rain, out in Luckenbach Texas
ain't nobody feelin' no pain

[tabfan]

Thanks to the both of you for the suggestions on some cool roads to ride while in Texas! I'm definitely gonna try out as many as possible. Being on a limited time frame, I doubt if I will be able to do "much" riding outside of going to and from but I'm gonna try! : ) Everyone who knows me KNOWS that "that" ain't no surprise, as I tend to enjoy life to the maximum limits! "Pushing the envelope" is one way to describe my personality! Hah!

My friend and I plan on leaving this one-horse-town on Friday, June 25th. We will be packed and ready to go on Thursday night, but I have to work all day Friday and we won't be able to leave until I get off work. Woo-Hoo! Can't believe I'm finally going!!!

WOW! This is going to be the most awesome thing ever!

[BillJ]

Ride safe and have fun!

Oh, and be sure to take lots of pics to share with us when you get home!

[tabfan]

Toad,

Call me 406-748-5355 (work). My cell phone is down right now, but should be up & running in a couple days. When it "DOES" come back around, that # is 406-740-2944. Thanks.

Just wanted to "touch bases" with you along the way of our travels ~