Ten Random Things

I don't often do these challenge things because, well, I don't. Slobberchops gets me now and again on a music challenge, but for the most part I leave them alone.

However, @natubat, a person that I like and admire asked me a specific question with her challenge so here I am. @twodorks actually started all this in this post and that's the place to read about the how and why.

@natubat's question:

If you could have Connie transported to any country in the world for a month's travels, which one would it be?

This has a strong possibility of change because there are probably 5 or 6 places on earth that I'd really like to ride but today it is Australia. I first started planning a ride around Australia in 1967 and have never let the dream completely die.

Connie in the flesh

So. Here are the 10 things:

1: I'm big now, but I grew up little. I was an at birth adoptee so with no genetic history doctors were concerned that I might have dwarfism in my DNA. I mean I grew up little. At the end of 8th grade I was the smallest kid in the class, including the girls. Turns out I was a really late bloomer, I didn't stop growing until I was 21.

2: I'm old. I am 67 years old, born in 1951. I am still a late bloomer, I expect to enter adulthood any day now.

3: I've had several brushes with death in my time. Starting when I was 3 when I had red measles. When I got to the doctor my temp was 106F and I was fading fast. They packed me in ice to keep me alive. My mom was in the hospital in the city so my aunt and uncle were staying with me. They had been married less than two months at the time.

4: Connie is not a name, it's a designation. This is a second generation Kawasaki Concours and they have always been known as a Connie. I owned a first generation Connie for a while and didn't like it. I've only named one motorcycle that I've owned, a Ducati Multistrada that I named Pato Rojo. Red Duck in Spanish.

Pato Rojo

5: I grew up on a farm in Eastern Washington. I loved farming and farmed with my Dad until we finally went broke. I had gotten my journeyman mechanic rating so went to work as a heavy equipment mechanic. I also loved working on big equipment.

6: I have always been an insane reader. I am currently reading "On the Rez" by Ian Diamond. I owned a first generation Kindle, a first generation Kindle Fire and just got a 7th Generation Fire. My series "Travels With Connie" is a direct theft from John Steinbeck's Travels With Charlie.

7: I love to camp off of a motorcycle. Packing becomes a science when you have to carry everything on a bike. Consequently, I owned a domain name that I never developed smallcampingdotcom. I wanted to run a drop ship site using products I had personally tested. Drop shipping soon became a nightmare so I abandoned the project.

Cold Camp in Utah

8: I'm not just a motorcycle maniac. I also love old cars, particularly early Ford v-8s. 1932-1953 Flathead motors, I am very proficient on them. I've owned 3 in my life and worked on lots more. I bought and sold lots of parts to collectors.

9: My last three classic sort of cars have been a 1964 Thunderbird, a 1964 Chevelle and a 1996 Camaro Z-28. I have also owned two Studebakers that I was pretty fond of. I sold the Camaro less than a year ago to a neighbor, I can see it from my porch.

10: I've owned over 50 motorcycles. I think I loved every one including the RM400 that is considered to be the most foul handling motorcycle ever built. I was in my late 20s and still bounced pretty well so the skills I learned on that bike help to keep me alive today.

11: One of my business practices is to give more value than I was paid for, so here is the bonus. I have a dog named Sam, who might be in the running for best doggy on earth.

Sam

So there you have it. 10 random things. I'm going to copy the example of my friend @sultnpapper and not challenge anyone specifically. I would encourage any and all to participate, it's been fun.

Thanks @natubat for the challenge, I do appreciate it!

All words and photos in this post are mine. For better or worse.

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