Month: March 2017

First Firsts

mikemjensen Fishing, lake powell, Road Trip, Vanity Tags: , , , , Leave a comment

Hey Kids,bliss

During the next two months a few “firsts” will be accomplished. Tonight will be the first of the firsts.

Last October, I spent a couple days on Lake Powell and it was love at first sight/boat/fish. If you’ve never seen Lake Powell, look it up.

Following our trip, it became my mission to return, and to make it so we would return more than once. We investigated and invested into a houseboat. This weekend will be our first overnight visit. Although we won’t be able to take the boat out of the slip, we will be hanging out for a couple of nights. We do have the task to commission a new kayak and I have a few new rod and reels to baptize.

I hope to have enough Wi-Fi from the docks to post new updates. If I disappear for a few days, which wouldn’t be a first, I’ll catch you up on our return.

Wish us sunny skies and calm waters.

 

Post 3-090

Right Tool, Right Now

mikemjensen Life's Truths, Motorcycles Tags: , , , , , Leave a comment

Hey Kids,

The right tool for the right job. It always makes a difference. What could be a miserable job, when tackled with the right tool is easy- maybe even enjoyable.

Today called for rain. Lots of it. The morning was a balmy 51°at daybreak but the weather report warned about being led astray. An evil cold front was to roll through about mid-day.

Believe it or not, it was true and right on the money. The clouds darkened and the moisture fell.

By quitting time, the rain really opened up. But my motorcycle and I weren’t scared.

In my saddle bags resided my rain gear. A few minutes of donning the newly acquired Frogg Toggs and the rain rolled off of me like the back of a duck. I also wore the full face helmet so I didn’t have to worry about the feeling of 1000 bees stinging my face (how rain feels with an exposed face in rain at any speed over 30). It was nice, cool, and refreshing, despite the looks of pity from the cagers.

I had the right gear for the road conditions today. *Pats himself on the back*

Although when I think of right tools for the job, I usually and immediately think of working on cars. Others may have different ideas but it’s what I did for so long with all the wrong tools. I learned. Here are a few examples I can testify make a difference.perfect_tool

A spark plug socket instead of a long socket. Or a short socket with an extender on it.

A harmonic balancer puller, or any puller for that matter, over a hammer and two screwdrivers.

A flare nut wrench over a standard combo wrench.

A pneumatic or electric lug wrench over a star wrench.

American made over China made; any tool.

A volt tester over moistened finger tips.

What’s something you know that makes a difference?

 

Post 3-089

Color My World

mikemjensen Useless Observations Tags: , , , , , , , , , Leave a comment

Hey Kids,crayola

On the day that featured top stories like NASA released pictures from Jupiter, the UK began its official exit from the European Union, Jeff Bezos became the second richest human, Congress sold out another level of ISP privacy, and CNN fact checks a joke told by the White House Press secretary; it was also announced that Crayola is changing one of the colors of its classic 24 color crayon pack. 

But what color?!

 

Post 3-088

Curves Ahead

mikemjensen Life's Truths, Motorcycles, Vanity Leave a comment

Hey Kids,

The back and forth of the weather continues its tennis match. Yesterday it was full rain gear in pounding rain drops, bordering on snowflakes. Today it was sunny, warming into the lower 50’s. A cold breeze blew from the north but if shielded from it, one could feel the seasonal strengthening of the sun’s rays.IMG_20170328_220507

The bike can tell the difference too. The motor pulls stronger, and revs wind up faster, and the exhaust growls a little deeper. I can lean a little steeper into the turns, twist the throttle a little harder on the take-offs, and relax a little deeper into the seat. I can imagine cruising the mountain roads already.

But that will have to wait. There’s still 10’ of snow on those mountains. And this good weather will turn into pouring rain again by Thursday.

Spring is definitely the season of give and take. It’s a time to remember the past trials and to consider the promise of the future. By mid-summer, I’ll have forgotten about the cold rides, the slick road paint, and the freezing rain. Every day will be easy riding and warm sunshine.

It’s not just the weather outside that’s changing. I feel a spring of my own. I’ve traveled some dark, cold roads and now I go back and forth. Some days I feel I’m on top of the world, and then there’s others where I feel I’m in the depths of despair. If you ask me, however, the days are trending warmer.

 

Post 3-087

On One Hand or Another

mikemjensen Football, Sports, Useless Observations Tags: , , , Leave a comment

Hey Kids,

The news came out today that my football team, the Oakland Raiders, have received permission to move from the home cradle of Oakland, California to Las Vegas, Nevada. I have mixed feelings.

One one hand, Oakland is the Raiders and the Raiders are from Oakland. It just fits.

On the other hand, I moved. It’s not like I live in Oakland, attend Oakland games, or even contribute to Oakland economics. They have moved before too. I stayed a fan through it all.

On one hand, it’s a crappy thing to do to a loyal fan base.raiders

On the other hand, it’s Raider Nation. Not every team can claim such status. We’re not contained to a local area.

On one hand, the name “Oakland Raiders” has a ring to it. Maybe the Oakland Raiders of Las Vegas?

On the other hand, so does just plain “The Raiders.”

On one hand, it won’t make any difference to the players and coaches and play of the game. The actually team will still have to win games and the “where” you play has nothing to do with that.

On the other hand, it also doesn’t matter to me either. I still have to get up each morning and go to work. And even if they should win it all again one year, I will still need to go to work the next morning.

So whatever. Oakland, I feel for you; I feel betrayed as well. But Las Vegas is actually closer and easier to get to for me and with any luck, I might actually be able to go to a game one day.

Or not.

 

Post 3-086

Write Now, Fish Later

mikemjensen Fishing, goals, Life's Truths, Writing Tags: , , , , Leave a comment

Hey Kids,

Today would’ve been a lovely day to go fishing. It rained all day yesterday and this morning we woke to blue skies and sunshine. Of course if I had been going fishing, I would’ve been gone long before the sunshine ever showed up.

I had thought seriously about breaking out the kayak. This past week I had received some new lures in the mail and I’ve been hankering to give them a spin. I watched the YouTube videos on their use, the strategy, and the secret methods. Yes the sunny Sunday was to be my fishing extravaganza.

But there’s this thing about working.whining

I know the day job is Monday through Friday. So the weekends are for fun, right? Except when you have decided to write yourself out of the miserable existence that is working for other people.

So I passed on the angling and took to the writing. Good progress was made and the sun streaked across the sky and back into the western horizon. Day over.

Work is the name of the game. Without it nothing happens; with it, anything can.

There’ll be other days to fish. With any luck, they’ll be during the week between Mondays and Fridays.

 

Post 3-085

Shifting to Tomorrow

mikemjensen cars, Useless Observations Tags: , Leave a comment

Hey Kids,

I’ve always loved cars.

My opinion has always been that the best cars were made in the decade of the 60’s, just like me. Big cars, big motors and lots of roar, it’s hard to pick out a bad 60’s car; Corvairs excepted.169_main_l

Although slower and robbed of power by the smog controls and 55 MPH speed limit, the Camaros and Trans Ams of the 70’s slid their way in my childhood and will always remain a heart favorite.

The 80’s brought back fuel injection and the 90’s introduced aerodynamics. And since the 2000’s, the cars have been getting more powerful each year, even to the point to rival the best the 60’s had to offer. And with stability in the corners, AC, and good estimated EPA gas mileage as well.

Hands down, the golden years and all around cars of cars were in the 60’s. Period. Technology aside, they had the power and styling that the car companies of today are still trying to recreate. Those cars were that good.

Now the talk is about electric and self-driving cars. Electric cars will erase all speed records of a fossil burner and self-driving cars will erase the need for a driver.

Being a fan of the loudest, fuel wasting-est, bulkiest cars available, it would be reasonable to assume that I am not at all OK with self-driving cars. That assumption would be wrong. I am in love with the idea. I will give up styling, power, exhaust noise and maybe even power windows if I can set the destination and sleep the rest of the way.

Get off at 5, set the heading and wake up at the beach the next morning? Yes. Sign me up.

 

Post 3-084

Aaand they’re Gone

mikemjensen Motorcycles, Utah Tags: , , , Leave a comment

Hey Kids,

The First day of spring was a few days ago. Monday actually. It was 73°.

We went on to set a new high temperature of 74°on Tuesday.

My fairer weathered brothers and their motorcycles crawled out of their winter hibernations and we enjoyed the new season’s sun and the warmth. I broke out the lighter jacket and relaxed on the turns, knowing that ice had zero chance of waiting for me on the blind curves.

IMG_20170323_111904096

The Scene leaving the office today.

So today, being Thursday, it snowed.

And again I find myself alone on the road, among the fluffy snowflakes and the temperatures falling back down to 34.

 

Post 3-082

Got Your Ears On?

mikemjensen History, Useless Observations Tags: , , , Leave a comment

Hey Kids,

Language changes.

I read an article that asked how much of English would I understand even as little as 300 years ago. I would struggle I admit. When I read Shakespeare (written around 400 years ago), it’s a little tough at first to read smoothly but with a little effort it starts to flow.

Even with a reprogramming of my reading comprehensive skills, however, I still run into words and expressions that cause me to rely on the foot notes on the bottom of the page for understanding. The story line I can follow, but unless I lived back then, there’s no way to fully understand the language without someone to explain it.

Today I watched the movie Smokey and the Bandit. Maybe not the most classic movie in cinematic history but it’s a favorite of mine. Only 40 years old, I wonder how anyone not alive and immersed in the 1970’s CB lingo could understand barely anything said.smokey-and-the-bandit-1977-poster

Anyone could follow the simple story line- run from Atlanta to Texarkana, Texas and back, returning with 400 cases of illegal Coors beer at an outlaw’s pace- but the nuances of the conversations would be completely lost. The lunacy and frustration of the nationally mandated 55 mile speed limit has been blurred by time.

I loved and love that movie. It takes me back. As kids, we lived, spoke, and dreamed in the language of the trucks. We knew the difference between a Smokey, a County Mounty and a Local Yokel. We stopped and watched in awe at any Black Trans Am roaring down the road. We argued over which was better, Peterbilt or Kenworth? We 10-4ed, 10-20’d, and occasionally 10-100’d.

The Bandit was our Shakespeare, the CB radio was our language, and the movie is our history.

 

Post 3-081