major revelations

This is a song that I started to write and wont proceed with. It is pathetic. It is about wanting somebody to be somebody else when that somebody else is not replaceable.

I'm not your type I'm not the one
I can't even talk about it.
I'm not your type I'm not the one
You don't even know
what that means

I want to live heart to heart
A place for my heart to nest
That place, it has to warm you
Warm you and answer all of your prayers

You make me grin Your voice a song
your eyes, they draw me in
You make me grin Your voice a song
I don't even know
what that means

I want to live heart to heart
A place for my heart to nest
That place, it has to warm you
Warm you and answer all of your prayers

If I can't
If I won't
If I'm not
Then I don't
If I can't
If I won't
If I'm not
Then I don't

I want to live heart to heart
A place for my heart to nest
That place, it has to warm you
Warm you and answer all of your prayers

I am so pathetic
There is nothing here complicated
If I was your one
you would know it
you would show it
you would know it
There is no mystery
It's not complicated

Chin's Chow Fun

I paid bills this morning and was out getting a can of paint stripper for the R75/6 project/ when Luke called me and asked if I would go with him to Milwaukee to look at a 1998 VW Golf. Sure. We found it, he test drove it, we liked it, he offered $2400, the guy said no, he was asking $2950 and it used to be $3100.
Luke and I started home and I felt like lunch so we stopped at Chin's and I got Chin's Chow Fun just because I liked the name. REALLY good choice. With hot tea and hot and sour soup. MMMM.
We were half way home when we discovered that neither of us had a drivers license. The guy had asked to hold one of our dl while Luke test drove and I gave him mine figuring that Luke needed to have his to drive and not realizing that Luke had already given his to this guy. Why would he take both of ours without saying something about it? Well, we had all forgotten. We called the guy and headed back to meet him at his apartment. I was kidding and said to Luke that the guy should give us $300 off for the trouble that he caused. Luke was not kidding and said that he would offer him $2650 to see if the guy would take it. HA. He did! Luke bought this really nice VW for nothing! Good job.

passionate kisses

jest foolin' ya.

this blog is named 'or your embrace' for a reason; because of one of Noah Riemer's songs from Ticklepenny Corner, but you would not know it because I keep on keepin' on about motorcycles and stuff and not a word is said about passionate kisses. So sad. I even have a blog L726-R75/6 that is about motorcycles but you don't catch me digressing about embracing over there, now do ya? Is it because I am shy about such things on the WWW? Is it because there is nothing to talk about? I have a feeling that not much is going to ever be posted threaded blogged whatever until the dam breaks. Until that day ... motorcycles are things that you can fix and ride and put them away iffen you don't want to right now. You can sell these old BMWs for a tidy profit if things just don't work out the way that you wanted. Besides, all the good old pickup trucks are already taken. Inside joke. If you were Charlene. But yer not.

rounder in february

I rode the RS yesterday and the day before that and today I rode the RT. The days in February may be limited as we might get some more weather this week and then the roads wont be this dry any more.

I bought an attachment for the air compressor that sprays from a bucket so that I can wash some of the road salt off the bikes after a ride.

Nicole called me. I missed Kaden's birthday which I realized lasterday. She may be coming back in June to visit and for weddings.

I talked with Tim last night for 26 minutes which is pretty good. We talked about roads to St. Paul MN that didn't have I's and him and Christine.

Luke and Chelsea took me to see 'Fool's Gold' which was ok but not after seeing 'Juno'!!

ice breaker

I was about to go crazy. I was really beginning to think that buying that R100RS in February was really a bad idea. I had it in the garage and cleaned up and .... could not ride it because the alley was ice and packed snow and undriveable. Well, I had a vacation day today and at one point I realized that there was some asphalt showing in the alley. Hmm. Just enough to make it from my garage to the south end of the alley. I spent about half an hour with a pick axe and a shovel to clear a path from the garage door to the alley. I got dressed and then went to start the R100RS. It started ok but soon died while I was trying to get it off the centerstand; did I say that the centerstand was broken? It did not have enough battery to start again. I stuck it on a charger and started Gilera up instead. Ha, Gilera wins again! We took a short ride around the neighborhood to prove that it could be done and then came back to start the R100RS. Started right up. I took a 27 mile trip to Lake Geneva and around and came back all happy, inside and out! What a nice bike! The front suspension is VERY stiff but not as problematic as I originally thought. I might even get used to it. I pulled 110 on a rolloff from 70 on an uphill grade. No problem. Handles real tight. The turbulence problem was caused by that Saeng Winglet; there was no turbulence without it. After about a half an hour my fingers were just beginning to realize the cold and my upper chest was cooling off. Not uncomfortable after a half an hour. I like this bike. The idea of selling it for a profit is fading very quickly.

I have a date tonight. Dinner and a movie, not in that order. Beth told me what to wear, as if...

she is mine ...

See the picture of the red R100RS in the previous post? The same was featured on Dec. 16 blog and I originally contacted the seller in late November. Well, it was meant to be. Today I drove 700 miles total down to east of St. Louis to pick this beast up. She is in my garage right now getting to know Gilera and Sharona. Constantine (R75/6) isn't talking right now 'cause she is tore down to the frame. I'm tired and ecstatic. In more ways than this.
Let's just say that I am doing something about it. Instead of the whining about being alone and having no friends ... wait ... even as I start to write this I realize that I am doing nothing but being available to what God can bless me with. And God continues to bless me ... in season. I actually went out on a date last night. I went to meet some one for dinner on the spur of the moment just so that we could meet. We had been emailing then phoneing and wanted to meet each other. Let's see where this goes to ...

September 26, 2006 was in Jefferson City MO

I started this blog nonchalantly or chalantly I am not sure when I was sitting in a hotel room in Jefferson City MO after a day of work on September 26, 2006. Happy anniversary or something. Well, it is not Sept 26 but I am in Jeff City again. I did not work, though. I started the day in Evansville IN after leaving Harrodsburg KY the day before. I stopped in Evansville because A] it was getting late and B] there was a stormfront coming through. Bad bad storm that killed a lot of people in the south. I started the day at Denny's at 58° and after going about 10 miles down the road the rain started again and the temperature dropped to about 33°. I was supposed to get to work in Jeff City about 1:30 PM but I goofed off. Two things.

1] I stopped to take another look at that 1982 R100RS east of St. Louis and take some pictures. I am pretty sure that I am going to get that beast with some of my tax refund.

2] I detoured to escape monotony and took a different road that was so much more fun and took more time! I left I70 where it said Truxton exit and went down into the Missouri River valley to US(?) 94. I had no traffic at all the whole route before me or behind me; no one to pass! I had a million tight curves and so much to look at. What a fun road; I would like to come back on a sunny day on a motorcycle.

I hear so many reports about the heavy snow at home; about 12". I wonder what that is really like. I wonder how it will be going home on Friday. ...

I called CC because Beth said that I should and was totally hooked on her converation. I feel so natural around her. So comfortable? at least relaxed. That was on Sunday. I spoke with her again for a while last night.

regret and on

I woke up thinking that to go up to a woman during the greeting portion of a church service and ask if she would like to go to coffee is akin to a bar pick-up. I felt really wrong for doing such a thing. After not thinking about it much during the day I must of dreamt about it cause that was what was in my waking thoughts. Was this inappropriate? If anyone ever read this blog I would ask them to take a poll and vote on it. Mind you, I never met or picked-up or even tried to pick any one up in a bar and I have never been the agressive kind but what did she percieve this to be? Was she aghast? Shocked? Repulsed?
I am leaving on Tuesday AM to got to KY for preparation of a customer visit there and then as soon as that is settled I need to go to JC, MO to help with a machine break down there. This forms an almost perfect triangle with legs of about 450 miles each. Crazy. The only good thing about this trip so far is that I got a company vehicle that had just been delivered; a 2008 Chevy Impala with 14 miles on the odometer. XM radio. Auxillary input. Plug in my GPS and that is all I need. Oh, and the money I saved getting my cell phone battery replaced on warranty I spent at Best Buy with a $5 coupon to get a BlueTooth hands-free.

thinking about it

I played both services today.
Carmen was at 1st.
I asked "Do you want to go for coffee sometime?"
Hesitation.
"Can I think about that?"
"Sure"
I go back to playing.
Is this glass half full or half empty? Is there anything in it at all?

I spent at least 4 hours putting together a historical blog documenting the story of the 1974 R75/6 BMW motorcycle project. http://L726-R75.blogspot.com/ It distracted me so that I would not attempt to analyze things and fall into a hole.

If I ever can stay in town long enough I need to get started on this project. I am really sorry that "or your embrace" blog is not full of personal relationships and that L726-R75 blog is going to get a whole lot more activity. sucks.
Good night and thanks for not reading this.

the place I need to go

In the secret of His presence, how my soul delights to hide!
Oh, how precious are the lessons, which I learn at Jesus’ side!
Earthly cares forever vex me; all my trials lay me low.
But when Satan comes to tempt me
To that secret place I go,
To that secret place I go.
words Ellen Goreh 1883, music Christopher Miner 1997, from the CD 'the Builder & the Architect' Sandra McCracken

Blessings:
I worried all week about how I was going to get the truck starter replaced. Shovel snow, move stuff out of garage, park motorcycles out in the snow, get Luke to help me push the truck into the garage and start the heater; that was the plan. I got as far as shovelling snow and then decided to try to start it just out of curiousity. It started! So, my theory about some moisture freezing the starter solid at sub-zero temperatures might have been true. It wasn't much over 0° but it had all week to dry out. thank you Lord.
In the same mailbox on the same day I got Derek Webb's "the Ringing Bell" cd and Sandra McCracken's " the Builder and the Architect" and "Gravity Love". I love it when husband and wife work together.
I pulled out some frozen chicken stock from the freezer when I got home yesterday and soaked some black beans. I brewed that all morning today and then figured it looked like it need rice. When that started coming together it looked like it might need corn bread. That should be done soon and then it is lunch. Lunch = blessing.

OK i'll add my own comments since I am the only one that reads this anyways. Did you know that if you brew your black beans in chicken stock from a roaster chassis that all of the meat becomes dark meat? It is like magic!
I also downloaded Andrew Osenga's Letters to the Editor vol. 1 and need yet to get over to order Over the Rhine's Trumpet Child to make life complete enough to start looking for something new.

how sad is that?

I spend my time blogging here and I blog to no one. No body ever reads this so am I technically just talking to myself? Am I really losing it?
With a new battery and all the truck would not start this morning; never mind that it was about -10°. Why a 2004 Ford Ranger wont start but a 1989 Jeep Commanche will, I don't know. I borrowed Luke's Commanche and got to church late for sound check, essentially just in time to start playing. I left between services to pick up Beth and try to start the truck again and got back in time to miss the 2nd service sound check entirely. Run Kevin run!
Carmen was helping out during 1st service and was in the congregation during the 2nd service. This was enough to verify to me that I am crushing on her. My playing and attitude and everything is different because I know that she is there. How immature is that?
Pastor Steve told me that somebody that knew me was looking for me after 1st service when I was running around getting Beth to church. Turns out that it was the Schommers!! Who woulda thought? Somebody that they know was checking into the house and they were there to visit. I missed them but just got off the phone to verify that it was them. I told them that they need to stay here next time instead of spending money on hotels and restaurants. That would be so cool.

cold

When I awoke it was below 0° and, sure enough, the truck would not start. I have company visiting and I can't get to the store to get breakfast groceries. The wind chill is to fierce to walk, I can't find Luke's spare keys for his truck, so I saddle Gilera up again. I was dressed right except for just blue jeans and the wind went right through that. At 30 mph for 1 mile; that was about enough but I did it.
We spent the day with Jaime and now he is off visiting friends before heading back to CA. I have a new battery in the truck.
hmm... further conversation with sleepy hollow debbie. Nice change.

home jaime cold sleepyhollow debbie

I am home from Kentucky on a Friday.
My brother Jaime is visiting from California on the coldest weekend of the year. Come on in!
Yeah, it's cold. So cold that I could not start the truck to go to the store. So I started up Gilera and took her. There is just a light powder on the ground and some slushy salt (sorry Gilera, I will wash that off as soon as I can!). My neighbor saw me coming home down the alley and told me that now I am certifiable. Did I need proof?
I am starting a conversation with sleepy hollow debbie. You never know. I just thought that I would say something other than motorcycle. This blog is entitled "or your embrace" but that is the one thing that I avoid talking about the most. What if I actually went there? What if I chopped up some onion and smashed some garlic and roasted that and then put that under some cheese on a corn tortilla quesadilla? That would be supper.
brilliant.

snug

I was putting things away this evening when I remembered that I had put that Laminar Lip on Sharona's windshield lasterday. Hmm, I should test it! I rode out of town in the dark and did not go very far but did get up to speed enough to get an impression. I was skeptical but it proved to work better than I thought it would. With the shield down the way I like the most it lifted the current from the bottom of my helmet to about my forehead. That current was not so turbulent as before. When I raised the shield all the way up where it used to cause the most buffeting it lifted the current a little higher and left some gentler buffeting. Then I realized that I had a pretty strong headwind. Nice. not perfect.

No, really

No, really, I really like my garage. I did just as proposed in the previous post and went to work out there mid-morning after dealing with some bills and stuff. I put Gilera (my 1980 R100) up on the stand and replaced the alternator that I ordered so long ago and replace the brushes. I am glad that Motorad Elektric gave me some leniency in returning the core right away, I think that I ordered the rebuilt armature about 2 months ago. It got cold, I got sent to Kentucky, some thing about Chistmas ... well, it is done now! That was so easy without frostbite! So, then I cranked up the thermostat to 70° so that I could attach the Laminar Lip to Sharona's (1988 R100RT) windshield. The installation instructions require 70° to stick the 3-M velcro tape to the windshield. I have to let that sit for at least 24 hours so I wont get to test that right away.
It was 34° in the heat of the afternoon at about 3:30 so I hopped on the newly rigged Gilera to take a winter spin. Yea, I like bike! I just rode randomly out of town and then started to wonder about why there was so much traffic out here where no one normally drives. Oh, that's it ... they all come out here to gawk at the tornado damage .... JUst gO away!! poo on yoo. I enjoyed my ride anyway after I figured that out and got away from those. I did not get one single ride in during December because of #%$^^^$%## abadmonth. Well, I got at least one January ride in relatively early in the month so I can prove to be a good old rounder still.

And he said yes I think it can be easily done, Just take everything down to Highway 51

OK that is a misquote of Dylan but he didn't write no Bible either.
did you know that I was wondering around in my vw bug once when I was like 17 and I was daydreaming about how cool it would be to go to the start of US 51 and drive all the way down the complete length of the highway to Louisiana? Did you know that I still keep thinking about doing that someday? Did you know that there is a freekin website about that now? HoW wEiRd Is ThAt?

http://explorehwy51.com/

I finished installing the garage heater last weekend when it was kinda warm (40s) and then left for Kentucky again. I'm back and it is pleasantly cold so I hope to try it out tomorrow morning. A high of 35° is predicted for tomorrow so this should be a fair test. Imagine the luxury of getting up in the morning and letting Shelby out in the backyard and turning up the thermostat in the garage, coming back in to make coffee in my new french press (I found a good one that I can afford!), having some breakfast, pay some bills and then wander back out to the garage to start working on motorcycles in the winter!!!!!!!!!!!!!! YOW.
I like my garage. This house is 103 years old but I don't think that the garage was built then (when did they invent cinder block?) but it is kinda old. It is prolly a Model A garage. A single car garage built into the side of the hill. It is prolly weak point in the value of this house but it works so well for me. There are 3 BMW motorcycles comfortably in there right now and when Paul was here there where as many as 5. So that is all that I need. A little garage built into the hill with new insulation in the ceiling should be pretty efficient to heat. Let's try it out!
I want to start a seperate blog to track the progress of the rebuild of the 1974 R75/6 that I got last summer and started to tear apart.