In House, and On Two Wheels

It seems like I blog less and less month by month. Part of the reason is that no one is actually reading this silly thing. But then, who would want to read something that only gets posted once in a blue moon? (sigh....)

But, here I go again.

We are in our new house - finally - and have turned in the keys to our apartment. The house isn't perfect, but it is our home now and we are enjoying that aspect of life. It is strange not to have people stomping around overhead. It is very odd to be able to pull into a garage, open the car trunk, and walk into the kitchen with groceries and not get drenched while walking up to a second floor apartment and avoiding a hernia. It is unusual to have bulky mail either put into a large mailbox and have a key left in our mailbox to access it, or to have UPS actually drop things off at a secure spot at our home. Packages actually arrive without being crushed into a small apartment mailbox!

Yes, things are better in many ways. Granted, our bills are higher, and our mortgage is much higher, but that is the price one pays for a home. I can deal with it for now.

In addition, my car went splat. The stick shift was starting to struggle again, and then the electrical system pooped out. I had a choice. I could either fix the car - again - or get something else. Strangely enough, it was my wife who suggested that I go ahead and buy a motorcycle. Even though it would cost more than fixing the car (this time), over time it would be less expensive. So, after doing my research, I narrowed things down to 3 bikes, all of which were small enough to be affordable.

Yamaha V-Star 250 - Cruiser bike. Okay, but nothing special.
Honda Rebel 250 - Cruiser bike. Smaller than the Yamaha in terms of seat height. Hasn't changed its style in 20+ years.
Kawasaki Ninja 250R - Sport bike. Me? On a sport bike?

The winner? The Ninja.

Yes, I know. I've heard the comments. "What? Do you WANT to die?" "You're an organ donor, right?" "Why do you want a crotch rocket like that?"

Guess what? Part of the safety concern centers around the rider. It's up to the rider to be attentive to his surroundings and to ride like everyone is going to pull out in front of him or t-bone him. It's up to the rider to obey traffic laws and posted speed limits. Nothing is perfect or perfectly safe, but a rider goes a long way to helping himself by riding safely and wearing high-quality safety gear. That's what I've done. I didn't skimp on the helmet or the armor. In addition, the Ninja has a more comfortable riding position and is more stable than the other bikes. Thus, I am the proud and happy owner of a 2009 Kawasaki Ninja 250R. So sue me.

One more thing: the California legislature acts like a bunch of children, don't they? You wonder why I have no confidence in humans to govern themselves? Just look at California and even the U.S. Congress. Pitiful behavior.

I think I need to go for a ride.