New Years (especially this one) seemed like a good time to go on a long walk (we went camping in the Santa Cruz Mountains,) kick some cans, and shoot some bb's with the old Red Ryder. As i look at this picture, I think of Stand by Me. Yep, just like in the movie, i was on a journey to get shit figured out-- i guess you could call it sorting out my New Years resolutions. And, just like the movie, we even (really) found a body (kinda) out there on our journey...
2008 was a tougher year for me. Couple rounds of layoffs at work. Some health problems that put me in the hospital. Struggled with some demons. Our country is in a tough spot. I say FUCK 2008, and the best way for me to fuck it is to shake things up differently for 2009...
OK, New Years resolutions may be lame to many-- but for questionable nuts like myself, I actually need any opportunity I can get to hit CTRL-ALT-DEL on myself. Part of my routine has to be shaking up my routine, or else i get depressed, go stir crazy and feel like rinsing my mouth out with a pistol. What can I say, my parents should have just gotten me a Pepsi, like Mikey wanted in the song, because it doesn't seem like those trips to the psychologist during my youth ever worked. Don't worry though, I'll be ok-- I've always done pretty damn good at figuring it out myself.
What better way to shake up life, than to shake up where you live? I've had the pleasure of living in a gamete of places through the years-- in the city like East Hollywood/Los Feliz, in Michigan rural farm country, up in the mountains in Big Bear, and currently in suburbs of San Jose. Right now, I'm sick of the suburbs. I'm sick of living in my cookie cutter box of a house there. This house was our first home purchase and, even so, there is really nothing about it that excites me.... it's really just got no soul, brother. So, it can just kiss my black ass goodbye.
With the economy fucked and common sense suggesting one save their money to avoid potential disaster, I've decided to do the opposite and spend it. Housing is cheaper now, i've always wanted an older house, and the devil on my shoulder is telling me that i gotta move. Thus, we've been working on buying a "new" house:
This baby is an un-restored 1890 built Queen Anne Victorian Cottage in downtown San Jose. Right now it's uninhabitable and about everything needs to be redone. That said, it has the best attribute to find in a project-- it's neat and nobody has fucked with it, so it's a mostly original lost soul (bank repo) that i think is a good match for us. The wheeling and dealing is done, offer accepted and i'm in escrow. If this beast isn't haunted, I surely will be after working all nighters fixing it up. I'm stoked about it.
In addition to how and where you live, I also like shaking up the "how you get there" part... During some time off recently, I also finished up some rides that are slightly different than the cars i normally work on:
END OF YEAR PROJECT #1: My wife wanted "an old bike" for Christmas. After some hunting, i found a good starter that needed a bit of work that i got done-- it's a 1948 BF Goodrich Schwinn ladies cruiser (Schwinn invented the fat tire cruiser in the 30's and 1948 was the same year that the founder, Ignaz Schwinn, died:)
Yeah, i know that i've got the wrong era seat on it, but someday i'll find one that matches right. And no, i'm not that gay-- it's a coincidence that the colors match the new house project.
END OF YEAR PROJECT #2- My daughter had been begging me all year to "fix the scooter" because she loves for me to take her out on rides w/ it. Being that the old motor died a long painful death, i pulled it and put in a brand new LML 150 engine so that i won't have mess with it much-- kinda like slapping a crate motor in a Chevy. Also put on some whitewalls, a white faced gauge, rebuilt the brakes and redid all the wiring & cables. Now it rides like new and hauls ass compared to before:
The above resolutions demonstrate the best two ways to run away from my problems:
1) Run from them like you're trying to ditch the cops. Run fast, hop some walls and change up direction quite a bit. Move from what's comfortable and routine-- to a new, better hideout.
2) Build car, motorcycle, scooter or bike type projects and just haul ass, leaving the problems in the proverbial rear view mirror (or lack thereof because mirrors don't help you go fast, so they should be taken off.)
Fight or flight, baby. Yep, many times i take the latter and run from my problems that i don't think i can't beat in a fight.
Happy New Year. I'm back from my blog break.
-scott noteboom
Dude,
That Schwinn is exactly my first bike. Except my dad welded an extra "bust-your-nuts" bar onto the frame and painted the whole thing orange in order to make it a proper boy's bike - that was almost (yikes!) 40 years ago! A time when making do was the same as making it great, and you could make it great with a $6 bike!
defendthewest.com
Posted by: defender | January 12, 2009 at 07:34 PM
before pulling out the welder, did your dad know the answer to the mysterious question i've always wondered-- why the boys bikes needed to have the nut buster top tube? i was thinking maybe due to frame flex, but why even worry about that on a cruiser? hmmmmmmmmmm.
Posted by: Scott Noteboom | January 13, 2009 at 04:59 AM
The colors of the scooter matches those of the bike and house!
Wonderfully color-coordinated and very metrosexual!
p.s. the house looks like a keeper for sure... good luck with it and have fun!
And may 2009 be a great year for you!
Posted by: Prof. Jonathan | January 16, 2009 at 02:12 PM
Wow, you have lived in a gamut of places. In which one of those did you reside in a gamete? Those don't have much floor space, do they?
Posted by: average_guy | January 16, 2009 at 04:35 PM
Jonathan-- you're gaydar is indeed impressive in spotting my metrosexual color coordination efforts. i'd ask you out dancing, but i'm much more excited by Average Guy playing naughty teacher with his firm lessons in spelling. I would have never dropped out of school had i known discipline like that. I can imagine the sweet sound of skin slapping against the ruler now. Thank you teacher, feel free to give me another anytime... :-)
Posted by: Scott Noteboom | January 17, 2009 at 02:55 AM
Beautiful!!!!!!!!!!!! You might be interested in this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rzMzwASNBrQ
Posted by: Nando | February 06, 2009 at 05:56 AM
I see biking has become a culture of each country. for it must be the habit that everyone healthy and working spirit. so so good work ethic
Posted by: schwinn mountain bike | August 15, 2012 at 03:25 AM