2022 is my year

[gush]

Last year sucked in many ways but I was so busy with work and other obligations that I played very little guitar, didn't get dirty on my ktm AND very little time on my Ultra Classic.

2022 is going to be different come hell or high water.

5 more years till retirement but between now and then I need to live MY way.

 

[Deleted member 5962]

I need to live MY way.

I don't know how to even do that, these days. The things I normally do for entertainment and enjoyment are mostly avoided now. I went to 2 high school football games and one UC game this year. Normal is 6-8 high school and 2-3 at least UC games. Haven't been to one HS basketball game this winter. Just missed the Cincinnati boat show for the first time in 40 years. Dream Theater is coming in 2 weeks and I am still thinking I'm not going... for the first time ever when they've been in Cinci.

At least when it warms up, we can go to the lake kayaking, camping, etc. and do other things outdoors, but it's been pretty hard to live MY way for the last two years. But I look around and see people with real problems, and feel guilty even thinking about that stuff.

 

[Simon Says]

2022 is a big wake up call for me too. After 19 years in service I realised that I just don't want to be a paramedic for much longer. At least not full time.

For past 3 months I'm getting ready to start my own biz which I hope will help me to balance time better and give more time to my family, friends and myself.

My son turned 13 last December and if I won't change my life big time I will just have less and less of the bound. Work right now doesn't give me much more time for days out with him not to mention trips and long term father / son projects. Haven't seen my best friend 6 months, my jam partners for close to two years.

2022 will also be mine!

 

[Daryl Jones]

There's little doubt that the last two ears have been, em, challenging. While not what I'd call "partyers" anymore, we were social people, and did as much visiting and gathering with friends as we could. One of my closest friends runs a DJ business and I spent a lot of time with mic in hand singing in pubs with her and her hubby. But that all changed, along with not being abler to teach in our dojo, and so many cancellations for road racing with my m/c track clubs. To say I miss all that is a gross understatement.
Gush, it's good to hear from a fellow rider. I run an RC51 on the track, and ride a Goldwing as well. Last season, I rode the Wing maybe two hours and 100 miles, and only spent 3 days on the track. That just sucks when I'm used to being on the seat of both 3-4 days of the week. And of course not seeing the crew in the pits and chatting fellow riders up on the road.
Getting together with anyone (especially family) has been non existent for almost the whole time. My niece is battling leukemia and the rest of us can't get together for anything for fear of spreading the virus to her in her immune compromised situation.
Even meeting friends and loved ones on the sidewalk and staying 6 feet apart sucks when we're used to a warm embrace or even a handshake. Never mind being able to get together and play our instruments or horse around with anything new. We tried zoom and other distance methods, but that just got old fast; I'm too Irish stubborn and Welsh angry-ish and can't be arsed with the dropouts and niggles. It just has to get better, right?

 

[gush]

There's little doubt that the last two ears have been, em, challenging. While not what I'd call "partyers" anymore, we were social people, and did as much visiting and gathering with friends as we could. One of my closest friends runs a DJ business and I spent a lot of time with mic in hand singing in pubs with her and her hubby. But that all changed, along with not being abler to teach in our dojo, and so many cancellations for road racing with my m/c track clubs. To say I miss all that is a gross understatement.
Gush, it's good to hear from a fellow rider. I run an RC51 on the track, and ride a Goldwing as well. Last season, I rode the Wing maybe two hours and 100 miles, and only spent 3 days on the track. That just sucks when I'm used to being on the seat of both 3-4 days of the week. And of course not seeing the crew in the pits and chatting fellow riders up on the road.
Getting together with anyone (especially family) has been non existent for almost the whole time. My niece is battling leukemia and the rest of us can't get together for anything for fear of spreading the virus to her in her immune compromised situation.
Even meeting friends and loved ones on the sidewalk and staying 6 feet apart sucks when we're used to a warm embrace or even a handshake. Never mind being able to get together and play our instruments or horse around with anything new. We tried zoom and other distance methods, but that just got old fast; I'm too Irish stubborn and Welsh angry-ish and can't be arsed with the dropouts and niggles. It just has to get better, right?

Sorry to hear about the difficulties last year brought you.

I was on a zx9r before my ultra and had done a couple track schools. Absolutely loved track time and am giving serious consideration to another spirt bike.

RC51 is one bike I always wanted to try, excellent alternative to a Ducati.

I think the Ducati 916 is the sexiest motorcycle ever created!!

 

[Tucson Thump]

Last year sucked in many ways but I was so busy with work and other obligations that I played very little guitar, didn't get dirty on my ktm AND very little time on my Ultra Classic.

2022 is going to be different come hell or high water.

5 more years till retirement but between now and then I need to live MY way.

I used to ride quite a bit but out of the blue one day in 2004 the world went pinwheel; couldn't even stand up against a wall when things started spinning. Sold the RT but still kept the leathers and Aerostitch riding suit in the hopes that I would ride again. In December of 2020 I suddenly realized that my left retina had given way, and unfortunately I didn't know when it happened (long story) but the surgeon said that it had been longer than two weeks so there was nothing he could do ..... no more riding, and now limited driving.

The moral of my story is DON'T WAIT UNTIL YOU RETIRE TO DO SOME OF THE THINGS YOU ARE LOOKING FORWARD TO. Excuse the shouting.

 

[Daryl Jones]

That's a worthy shout if I ever heard one!. Life is far too short to wait on things. I had a nasty off on the track in 2017 and got my bell rung real good. Thankfully I suffered no after effects once my ribs and collarbone healed. I worried far more about the possibility of ear damage from years of scuba diving than I ever did about injury from riding or racing bikes. Same could be said now about playing my guitars though I reckon. I have tinnitus (have had for years) and I know there's more loss than 20 years ago so I know there's hearing aids in my future sometime.
Tucson Thump, I feel for your vision woes, riding is a passion, but driving where I live is a necessity. Even if I lived in town rather than on an acreage, there's no public transportation option in small town Alberta (or small town anywhere for that matter) so good vision is a must for mobility.
Gush, I still love my RC51, even if it is badly outgunned by just about everything in the 600cc class or above. Ducs are super cool, and have a tremendous following, especially in the track circles. The 916 was in many ways ahead of its time, the frame and swinger especially. They are in fact, probably the biggest reason Honda developed the RC51. But the AMA and MotoGP RC championship bikes have very little in common with mine other than namesake and the HRC stamped into the right crankcase cover. But I don't care, I love my "flying pig" just the same. Even guys that have known me and my bike still come over to my pit and drool over it, and lots of them run Panigle's, R1's, ZX10's and S1000rr's

 

[gush]

That's a worthy shout if I ever heard one!. Life is far too short to wait on things. I had a nasty off on the track in 2017 and got my bell rung real good. Thankfully I suffered no after effects once my ribs and collarbone healed. I worried far more about the possibility of ear damage from years of scuba diving than I ever did about injury from riding or racing bikes. Same could be said now about playing my guitars though I reckon. I have tinnitus (have had for years) and I know there's more loss than 20 years ago so I know there's hearing aids in my future sometime.
Tucson Thump, I feel for your vision woes, riding is a passion, but driving where I live is a necessity. Even if I lived in town rather than on an acreage, there's no public transportation option in small town Alberta (or small town anywhere for that matter) so good vision is a must for mobility.
Gush, I still love my RC51, even if it is badly outgunned by just about everything in the 600cc class or above. Ducs are super cool, and have a tremendous following, especially in the track circles. The 916 was in many ways ahead of its time, the frame and swinger especially. They are in fact, probably the biggest reason Honda developed the RC51. But the AMA and MotoGP RC championship bikes have very little in common with mine other than namesake and the HRC stamped into the right crankcase cover. But I don't care, I love my "flying pig" just the same. Even guys that have known me and my bike still come over to my pit and drool over it, and lots of them run Panigle's, R1's, ZX10's and S1000rr's

I got to ride a BMW rr1000. Incredible bike. Unreal power delivery. Sharp handling but the brakes were crazy good I just couldn’t get over just how good the brakes were.

Not that uncomfortable to ride either.

My buddy had a Suzuki TL1000 very cool bike!

 

[Deleted member 5962]

I think the Ducati 916 is the sexiest motorcycle ever created!!

That bike is often cited as one of the best looking bikes ever. I love it but not "that" much. I have a couple things about it that always just struck me as odd. The single sided swing arm is something I've never liked. And I think the gas tank is just weirdly shaped. Otherwise, very cool looking bike.

But what do I know. This is my hog. Not very fast, but I can get 70mpg.

 

[Lola]

Covid has really put the kybosh on everything. I can’t see my band mates, can’t play with them. It just sucks to keep playing by myself. I haven’t even played or even thought about picking up my guitar. Been too sick with the flu and other stuff. My son has been home for two weeks with Covid. I feel awful for him. Just to hear him always coughing up a lung. If you don’t have your health you have nothing. That is the most important thing to me. Take care of yourselves. By the grace of God we will get through this together!

 

[ScottR]

Man you guys are killin me. Out of everything I miss after my accident, riding is and will always be my long lost love. The damage to my shoulder and back makes it impossible to ride safely anymore. I had a RC51 for almost 10 years. Loved it! Then, I almost got killed on a 2010 Yamaha R1 I had just picked up the same day to flip (pun NOT intended) One idiot on a cellphone and that all ended for good. But, I was blessed enough to live thru it, however, it has forever changed me. Regardless, I'm thankful for the 40+ years of riding I had without a serious incident up until that day.

Most of the guys here know, I worked in the motorcycle industry for almost twenty years, my pop was a partner in a dealership from 1968 until 1995. We sold all four Japanese brands, so I was lucky enough to always have demos. I tried them all over the years. I still dream about riding but, between the friends and customers I lost over the years plus the PTSD I have from the crash. Those dreams are still vivid but not in a good way. You guys just think about me the next time you throw a leg over one and as I've always said...keep the rubber side down and ride like you're invisible.

Anyway, on a brighter note...I'm still alive and playing music has done a great job of filling the void over the last few years. I truly believe finally picking up a guitar has saved me, not only has it been a great form physical therapy but pouring myself into music has proven to be the best cure for depression known to man. Plus, I can come here for a good laugh with some of the best people I've ever had the honor of getting to know.

Stay after it guys/girls! Get out there and make the best out of this year and squeeze every bit of goodness out of every day we have left in this crazy world. I say we all make 2022 our year!! Let's goooooooo!!!

 

[ScottR]

Covid has really put the kybosh on everything. I can’t see my band mates, can’t play with them. It just sucks to keep playing by myself. I haven’t even played or even thought about picking up my guitar. Been too sick with the flu and other stuff. My son has been home for two weeks with Covid. I feel awful for him. Just to hear him always coughing up a lung. If you don’t have your health you have nothing. That is the most important thing to me. Take care of yourselves. By the grace of God we will get through this together!

Hang in there! Hope everyone gets well soon. Heck I've been playing to a crowd of two to three (two dogs and occasionally my wife) everyday for a little over four years now.

I'll second that!! I took my good health for granted for waaaay too long. Now, it's the most valuable thing I possess by far. And I'm not mad about it!

 

[Mike J.]

I retired right at the start of this whole mess in March of 2020 at the age of 68. Lucky for me, my party years were long passed by this time and I knew how how I was going to spend my retirement (virus or not) long before and that was as a content homebody. But I really wasn't able to start enjoying my retirement until a few months ago due to a family matter that consumed a great deal of time and then found myself going through a big period of "mentally reorganizing." It's all good now.

I keep myself plenty occupied. I play my guitar a lot and I dabble in the art world with water color pencils, brush markers and on occasion acrylic paints. Been cleaning house big time lately finding what I can toss or give away. Got a long way to go. I'm also on my treadmill everyday and do a bit of a weight workout. Since I retired I've lost 30 pounds!

Been divorced and single since 1993 and these days my only social outings are church every Sunday and when I play there which is about once every 3 weeks. Oh yeah....going to the grocery store is another social out for me! Yeah, I'm a loner but hey, that's me and I'm comfortable with that.

I had many wild and active years and now it's nice to take stock in the simple pleasures. I'm not bored and I'm not lonely. It's nice to finally be living life on my terms, doing what I want and when I want with no pressure from anybody. Worked for too many bosses who were control freaks but now that's all in the rear view mirror. Now it's my turn!

But with the rare times I do venture out, I do with no fear. I will not cave into it the way some want us to. Got a lot to do around the house and by God I'm gonna do it this year!!

I wish you all well this year.

 

[Lola]

Like yourself Scott R I too suffer from PTSD . Music has helped me in so many ways. It’s the thing that saves my sanity every time. I take my life day by day. I can’t dwell on the past. Just too depressing. I need to live for today and nothing else. Who knows what the future may hold for us. Anyhow, I don’t care about the future and try not to get ahead of myself. Now is where I have my sites on. 6:08 Thursday January 27th. Making brownies for the family. Can you smell the chocolate? Lol

 

[Mike J.]

Like yourself Scott R I too suffer from PTSD . Music has helped me in so many ways. It’s the thing that saves my sanity every time. I take my life day by day. I can’t dwell on the past. Just too depressing. I need to live for today and nothing else. Who knows what the future may hold for us. Anyhow, I don’t care about the future and try not to get ahead of myself. Now is where I have my sites on. 6:08 Thursday January 27th. Making brownies for the family. Can you smell the chocolate? Lol

Brownies, chocolate chip and peanut butter cookies. That's my kryptonite! (That's why I never buy them!!)

 

[ScottR]

That bike is often cited as one of the best looking bikes ever. I love it but not "that" much. I have a couple things about it that always just struck me as odd. The single sided swing arm is something I've never liked. And I think the gas tank is just weirdly shaped. Otherwise, very cool looking bike.

But what do I know. This is my hog. Not very fast, but I can get 70mpg.

Just when I thought you couldn't get any dumber...you go and TOTALLY REDEEM YOURSELF!!!


Classic!!!

 

[Lola]

Brownies, chocolate chip and peanut butter cookies. That's my kryptonite! (That's why I never buy them!!)

I don’t eat them. I am vegan because of certain health issues. Being vegan let’s me live pain free. I am not one of those high and almighty vegans as I do this just for me and to feel good so I can carry on through my day with little to no pain and less medication.

 

[veinbuster]

Last year sucked in many ways but I was so busy with work and other obligations that I played very little guitar, didn't get dirty on my ktm AND very little time on my Ultra Classic.

2022 is going to be different come hell or high water.

5 more years till retirement but between now and then I need to live MY way.

I strongly support doing things you like prior to retirement. My wife and I practiced retirement for about 5 years before I retired. We took more vacations to interesting places, partly for fun, partly to pick places we wanted to spend more time at, and partly to see what we really liked (as opposed to thought we might like).

It worked really well for us. I slid seamlessly into 5 years of retirement.

 

[Mike J.]

Last year sucked in many ways but I was so busy with work and other obligations that I played very little guitar, didn't get dirty on my ktm AND very little time on my Ultra Classic.

2022 is going to be different come hell or high water.

5 more years till retirement but between now and then I need to live MY way.

It'll be here before you know it! Best part about retirement....sleeping in!! I had no problem getting used to that!

 

[gush]

I strongly support doing things you like prior to retirement. My wife and I practiced retirement for about 5 years before I retired. We took more vacations to interesting places, partly for fun, partly to pick places we wanted to spend more time at, and partly to see what we really liked (as opposed to thought we might like).

It worked really well for us. I slid seamlessly into 5 years of retirement.

Funny, that's kind of what we're doing now. Our anniversary is in November and we try to go to someplace cool as a means of sticking our toes in the water so to speak.

To be honest, we'll probably stay where we're at just because our girls live north and moving south would put us farther away. I am NOT moving to colder parts of our country.

We have considered moving outside the US. Someplace our money will go farther and allow us to live a bit more adventurous.

One thing is for sure...........the odometer on my ultra will be spinning like a slot machine!!!