Pecan Waffles

The predictions about the end of the world being predicted (mis-represented) by the Mayan calendar turned out to be wrong.  We are all surprised.

This time of year can be pretty lonely at work with everyone scrambling to use vacation for the end of the year before it is lost forever.  I'm surprised how many people (jokingly) mentioned the Mayan prediction in the Out-of-Office Autoreplies, "I'll be back if the Mayans were wrong on the end of the world.  So I may not be back.  More than likely I'll be back."  Some of them were quite humorous.  I replied to a couple of them and was surprised about how many people "on vacation" ended up responding back.  At least I am entering 2013 with all vacation that I need to use being happily used up.  I am carrying over 10 days, the limit allowed by the Co.  I'll probably be scrambling at the end of April to use them as I was this year.  But, if I ever go over that hump and lose days, I know I've crossed a line that tells me I am not in a place I want to be.
"Every now and then, you realize, with perfect clarity, that you are just not where you want to be."-Killraven
In reality, I may just be a whiner.  There are lots of people who would consider it an improvement to have the kind of problems I end up having.  That is something all of us need to be reminded of once in a while.

Once again, I've heard coworkers and friend complain about the stress of "the holiday season" that stretches from somewhere near Halloween to somewhere after New Years.  Simple is better, but even simplicity should be taken into moderation.

Lots of things could define 2012, for now I'm going to pick Pecan Waffles.  But, most reflections end up being wrong.  The mirror almost always distorts reality, especially when our face is pressed up against it.  Waffles represent as much of a reality as anything else in that many, many non-work mornings this year started out with them (and sorry for the superlative).

So Christmas is four days away.  The end of the year is 10 days away.  We've almost survived, enjoyed, hated, loathed but hopefully experienced 2012.

May your waffles always be perfectly browned.

2012 Christmas Letter

(Note:  Slightly anonamized)

It has been a good year.  Sure there have been some bad days, but perhaps they are just there to remind us that there are better days in the future.
“I want it all!  The crushing lows, the dizzying highs, the creamy middles.” - Homer Simpson

As is always the case, most of the year was spent doing mundane things.  But, there is a quiet contentment in pecan waffles very early on a weekend morning or in reading a book while watching the sun set in the evening...

However, life is more than books and waffles.  After a 2-year hiatus for other important things, we got back to real motorcycle touring.  This year’s late summer trip took us through 14 states as far away as the Tacoma Narrows and the Pacific Ocean.  Other experiences of the adventure include Eastern Montana’s Big Empty; the Bitterroot/Clearwater and Cascade Mountains; the John Day region of Oregon; the Nevada Desert and Bonneville Salt Flats.  The road wound through Utah and Nebraska to have wonderful visits with family before arriving safely back at home, better for the experience.
“We keep passing unseen through little moments of other people's lives.” - Robert Pirsig

F had several trips to see family and a trip to Disney with her sister in late spring.  She is preparing to abandon TJ for New Years for her second (yes, 2) trip to Disney this year.
TJ had his usual (not sure these could ever be considered usual) wild boar hunting trip in the winter and had several shorter solo motorcycle trips to connect with friends.

Work is still work, but it pays the bills.  
F's responsibilities continue to incrementally grow at {work}.  The economy has picked up a little this year and people still like {stuff} in their lives.
TJ survived two (yes, 2) rounds of cuts at {work}.  His work group got “help” from some external consultants for several months early in the year.  Think the movie Office Space except that reality is always more squalid than fiction.
“Chaos in the midst of chaos is not funny.  Chaos in the midst of order is.” - Steve Martin

The dogs are doing well.  FB still loves her walks as long as they are done on her terms.  J’s life revolves around the furniture.  S is doing remarkably well, still puttering along and patrolling the back yard at the age of 16.

F continues spending time making amazing quilts.  TJ began to look at some of the projects to do around the house.  A few got done, but most never went past the looking stage.  That is OK, we hope to live here for a long time.
“You better take care of me Lord, if you don’t you’re going to have me on your hands.” - Hunter S Thompson

It has been a good year.  We hope your year was and will be great as well.

A Brief Post on a Two-Year Anniversary

Two years ago today was move-in day for the house.

Which means two years ago right now, I was surrounded by boxes, mayhem and moving men and was slightly overwhelmed.  One of the movers had fallen down the stairs and bloodied his nose pretty good - I can't help but wonder if he remembers that or it was just another house in a long never ending series of moves.  Likely the latter.
I was also watching snow showers accumulate to around six inches by nightfall.  Quite a difference today with near boredom and temperatures almost warm enough to wear shorts.

2010 started out "normal" with no pretense of what was to come.  Mid-2010 changed to being all about buying a house.  2011 was all about selling a house.  I guess that means that 2012 has been all about searching for that new normal.  It remains elusive.

After moving, there was the winter period of making everything right; making it home, basking in the realization of the goal of a much newer house on acreage.  Spring came and there was pole-barn building, yard work to start, lawns to mow, etc.  And, as noted much of that year was spent working towards selling the old house.

With 2012 approaching a close there is still not a normal.  The new house requires much less upkeep (with the exception of the four acres to mow).  Between that and other life changes (simplification?), I often have more time for other stuff than I ever have before.  Much of that time seems to have been filled with work, which is very wrong.  I am not working today since I have a few days of vacation I need to use by years end, but I wasn't able to stop myself from logging in remotely, if only briefly.

And so the question remains, what am I going to be when I grow up?  Happy two-year anniversary!

 

We Have a New President!

Note:  This represents a departure from the norm of not writing anything about politics.

The fall election of 2012 is over.  Turnout for the election was good, meaning terrible.  Approximately 30% of registered voters did not vote, and a sizable minority of people are not even registered.  If any candidate or issue could tap into these groups, the election would be over before it started.
Turnout for presidential elections is typically higher than for off-year elections.  This is reactionary to the reality that while the president holds an important role, many other elections, whether issues or more local candidates arguably have a bigger effect on our day-to-day lives than the president.  But, the turnout on these elections is often 50% or less.  When unregistered voters are included, the turnout is abysmal.
It is easy to complain about the state or direction of current events and politics.  Decisions are made by apathy.  There is much complaining that the fringes of the two parties control the parties and thus the political machine.  The fringes vote, so they have the louder voice.  The fringe feeds the beast with the money it needs.  This feeds the impression that the country is more divided than it really is.
"To you:  The Great Silent Majority." - Richard Nixon

As the title of this post suggest, we have a new president.  He is the same physical human being as we have had for slightly less than the last four years, but this second election changes him.  It has to.  The type of personality that runs for president is an Uber-Type-A personality.  Obama started to think about the 2012 election the day after he was elected in 2008.  Or likely before.  He has more in common with the big business leaders he vilified in the election than the people who elect him.  Obama has more in common with Romney than the people who elect him.
People very often vote for the person who they think would be more like them, who would like to sit down over a beer with.  People in politics at that the upper federal level do not want to sit down with the common electorate.  The electorate are the tools they need to have their next career move.  It is instructive that people elected at the federal level are almost universally paid in the upper few percent of incomes in the United States.
Cynical?  Maybe, but honest.

Winning the election must be bit sad for Obama.  At the age of 51 he is at the pinnacle of his career.  He has four more years to be in the BabyFace-Nelson spotlight.  After that, his role will change to one of more a grandfatherly role for the Democratic Party.
Many presidents have gone on to do more important work after the transfer of power.  Nixon left in near-disgrace, but his behind the scene work in China laid groundwork that prevented the current US relationship with that country from being the current friend/competitor state, to outright enemy.  Carter left to go on to monitor elections around the world, calling corrupt third world elections free and fair while condemning minor issues in the US as disgraceful.  The odd-couple pairing of Clinton and GHW Bush is amusing, but further illustrates the point.  Yet, the spotlight is gone.
Most federal-level politicians will re-robe in politics for "major" elections, but it can not possibly be the same.

"This is my last election. After my election I have more flexibility." - Barack Obama
Winning the election must be very freeing for Obama.  At 51 he has the ability to do whatever he wants without the constraints of needing to reapply for his current job in for more years.  Financially, he and his family is set for life, but they already were years ago.
The reality is more complicated.  There is a separation of powers and in the short term, President Obama can only do what congress pushes his way.  He has other options for his agenda as president and commander-in-chief, but the Supreme Court also serves as a check.
While the three branches of government do serve as a roadblock to doing whatever he really wants to do, it is secondary to his own road block.  He is likely more worried about what his legacy will be, how history will perceive him in 10, 50, 100 years.  This includes what effect he has on his political partners and party.  If Obama were to push radical change he may (or may not?) believe in, but it resulted in years of set-backs for the political left, his legacy would be forever tarnished.
And so constrained by his own legacy, we are left with a political situation that exists only slightly different than what existed a few months ago.
If Romney would have been elected, things would be a little different, but the same personal constraints on history would have resulted in any difference being muted.

The press will deconstruct the election six ways 'til Sunday (I have no idea what that phrase means) and the political glitterati will speak prepared, tired lines about what the election really means and how this election sets the stage for years of change.
It may happen, but hundreds of years in this country suggest cynicism.  Globally it is the same, outside of dictatorial changes.
For most of us, we'll go on about our day-to-day lives.  Going to work, buying groceries and dealing with issues federal politicians can't possible fathom.  When is the last time that either Michelle or Barack Obama actually went into a Walmart to buy something?  Or went to Walgreen's since they were out of deodorant?  I'd suggest these mundane things we all do are about as foreign to both Obama and Romney as our visits to the West Wing.

And I'll move on to writing about more important things every week.  Especially since next week marks the beginning of my deer season.

2009 Toyota Tacoma Review

There are many reviews available for new cars.  Online reviews, magazine reviews, TV news reviews, etc.  The objectivity of these reviews can at times be questionable (who pays for the actual costs of the magazine).  How often do new car reviews really reveal what ownership may be like?
It does happen, but rarely are there true long term reviews.  I have now owned my 2009 Toyota Tacoma Access Cab truck for four years after buying it new.  I've put approximately 50,000 miles on it.  It has not had any major repair yet (more on that in a bit).  There have been a few warranty repairs, one recall and lots of maintenance.  Most of the maintenance I have done myself.
Details about the Truck:
2009 Access Cab (Generation 2)
2.7 Liter 4-Cylinder 2TR-FE Engine
5 speed manual R155 transmission.
Four Wheel Drive

I bought this truck in 2008 near the height of the high gas prices that year.  I had an F-150 that I liked, but it was starting to have issues with the transmission, likely started when I had a transmission line perforate with a pinhole due to corrosion and loose a lot of fluid.  I know it was fixable, but I had two hunting trips coming up a significant distance away and given the gas prices, it was time for a new truck.  The Tacoma was the only open-bedded pickup available with a four-cylinder engine and four wheel drive.  Compared to other 4wd trucks at the time, it gets comparably good gas mileage.  With the small engine, it can't pull anything, but I rarely to never need to pull a trailer.  The bed doesn't need to haul around a fifth wheel, but does need to carry bulky and bloody (hunting) stuff from time to time.

The only modifications I've made to the truck are installing fog lights in place of the ugly cup holders Toyota puts in the front bumper.  How can any car company do this when factory fog lights would only marginally add to the cost of the vehicle?  They all do it though.  The bed is made out of some kind of composite plastic and has held up very well so far.  It is very slippery though so I bought the Toyota rubber mat for the bed.  Oddly, the mat likes to grow algae.

Aesthetically, the truck is a good looking vehicle.  Of all the trucks I have owned, I have received more compliments on this truck than any other vehicle.  Surprising in that the Tacoma is not a very rare sight.  The "Electric Blue" paint does get noticed though.

I have not completed the only recall on the vehicle yet.  This is the floor mat and accelerator pedal issue that was in the news so much several years ago.  Frankly, given the anemic response of the underpowered engine, if the truck would suddenly accelerate fast enough to scare me it would be kind of refreshing.  I'll do it eventually, I'm not thrilled with the nearest Toyota dealer so it will take something else to get me in there.

As I've eluded to, the performance of the truck is anemic.  The 2.7 liter engine is adequate at best.  It sounds like an acceptable trade off for fuel economy, but given the performance the truck feels like it should get about 68 miles to the gallon.  To date, overall mileage is just over 23 miles per gallon.  Ford claims only slightly less than this in the turbo Ecotec V6 in their F-150.  Ram now has nearly the same in a normally aspirated V6 with the Pentastar engine and nearly 300 horse power.  Toyota has some catch up here - seriously!

The transmission is sound, but the shifter feels terrible, very rubbery.  This is surprising given that it is directly actuated and not done through cables or floppy rods.  Actually it is worse than terrible.  Toyota builds cars quickly and for the masses.  These are fast-food vehicles.  It is a truck, but it is not a Driver's Truck!  Toyota needs to drive some other manual transmission vehicles for comparison.  What I find surprising about manual transmissions is how bad they have gotten overall.  I cut my teeth on older British cars.  For all their faults, the transmissions shifted with a satisfying watch-like feel; the best ones "snicked" into gear.  The interior is laid out well with the exception of the cruise control.  There is a perfect spot on the steering wheel that looks like it was designed to house the cruise control buttons, but cruise control sits on an awkward stalk in the lower right quadrant hidden below the steering wheel.  All controls function well.  There was one clip in a door which broke loose resulting in horrid buzzing which was repaired under warranty - although the dealer seemed very put off at being asked to repair this $3 issue, asking me several times what I did to cause it.  When new, the radio in the truck had major issues.  It would turn on by itself, turn off by itself, randomly change stations and volume.  I had it replaced under warranty.  My local dealership took many many many months to get the new radio in.  I think they were totally jacking off at the time.

Despite the pathetic engine performance  the truck drives well.  It rides a little rough, but not unexpected given the light weight.  This is the first vehicle I've owned with traction control.  I was a little skeptical at first, but it works extremely well.  It can be annoying when it kicks in, like a parent taking over controls from a teenager, but it does work.  Rarely have I needed four wheel drive in winter and then only on the worst days.  Brakes are adequate but definitely not great.  They feel terrible.  Pressing the brake pedal feels like stepping on some rotten fruit.  Again, this is not a driver's vehicle.  It would have been nice if Toyota could have provided at least some brake pedal feedback.
I have done very little off-road driving in the vehicle.  In off-road conditions and when I have used it on deeply snowed roads, the performance of the four-wheel drive system has been flawless.  Given the light weight, I would have thought that driving in snow even with four-wheel drive would have been more difficult.  This is likely the strongest point of the truck.

The two biggest quality issues I have seen with the vehicle are the paint and the clutch.
After four years and 50,000 miles, I expect some chips and scratches in the paint.  However, there are obviously and significant flaws in the paint coming to through the surface.  This is not 1972 where cars are painted in lacquer and repainting should be expected.  This is horridly unacceptable.  The picture here shows one of the major flaws on the hood.

There are other examples spread over the vehicle so there is almost no chance the flaws are due to something external.  The most egregious example just happens to be in this most noticeable location.  Toyota should be embarrassed. The paint is starting to have issues on the wheels, but this is expected at this point in the life of the truck given the alloy wheels - I don't expect the finish to stay perfect.  Again, the paint flaws are numerous and tragic at this point.

On a few occasions  the clutch has been very slow to engage.  This has happened intermittently.  Unfortunately, this may mean that the clutch is starting to disintegrate, a failing common to the model.  There are other common and known clutch issues with this drivetrain.  Almost all of my driving is highway or rural roads.  Nearly half of the miles on the vehicle are from several trips taken across country on the interstate.  Given this and my conservative driving style, a clutch should last well over 100,000 miles and probably twice that.  What is most maddening about the clutch is that these trucks have had known issues with the clutches for years and years.  Toyota will only stand behind them for the original warranty even with multiple Technical Service Bulletins out on the issues.  See  T-SB-0066-11, T-SB-0128-12, T-SB-0103-11 for more information.  From what I've been able to glean, most of their clutches are iffy at best, but the LUK clutches should have been removed from new vehicles years ago.  Toyota should find other ways to cut costs rather than using substandard clutches.  The manual clutch is ancient technology, it is well past time to get it right.
The quality reputation of Toyota is more a myth than a reality.  I don't know how much longer they can ride on that magic carpet while knowingly doing things like building vehicles with questionable clutches.  Cost-saving mechanical gremlins that are cheap and easy to fix are one thing, but a clutch is just about in the middle of the vehicle.  Whatever bean-counting engineer thinks the current clutches in the Tacoma are acceptable should be shot.

In short, the verdict is mixed.  The vehicle gets adequate mileage and is a good choice when heavy hauling is not needed, but there are likely better options available now.  Or, at least there is serious competition for decent mileage trucks.  Overall, a truck that doesn't need to haul a trailer full of cows that gets good mileage and has realistic performance is still needed.
Aesthetics of the truck are above average and driving the truck is OK, but this is not a driver's vehicle by any sense of the imagination.  Four wheel drive performance and traction control combine to make a good vehicle for less than perfect driving conditions.
Fit and finish of the vehicle after four years is sub-par.  Other very expensive questionable issues that are acknowledged by Toyota remain for years making the overall quality of a Toyota more a myth than a reality.

Here's looking forward to another 50,000 miles.

Fade to Beige

"I’m beginning to believe that anything I do to extend my life is just going to be outweighed by the agony of living it." – Donald Pollock

I hate getting older.  No, that isn't quite right.  I don't hate being older or getting older.  I hate finding myself in an older state.

I hate worrying about things like fiber in my diet.
I hate RVs.
I hate that I work with people born in the 1980s - no, again wrong.  I hate that references to Bull Shannon are met with vague confused looks, never mind any reference to It's Your Move.
I hate that my demographics make me a better target for "Just For Men" hair dye than hair gel.  I don't want to use either.
I miss The Cold War and the Iron Curtain.
I hate that they make shoes with velcro straps.  If I ever buy a pair, I hope someone shoots me.
I hate that I get annoyed when my hair gets longer than about an inch.
I miss drinking Pepsi out of a tall glass bottle.
I hate Clear Channel.

About two years ago I wanted to buy a cart to pull behind my 4-wheeler for yard work.  Considering these are glorified wheel barrows, I found them surprisingly expensive.  I saw a couple used ones on Craig's List and one great one for sale on a street I drive often on my way home from work, but this was around the time I was moving and I didn't want to have to move one more thing.
After moving, I found a Rubbermaid cart on Craig's list.  It looked in pretty good shape and the price was about right so I went to look at it.

The seller was probably a little older than I was.  He had developed that Paul Simon "soft in the middle" shape (I'm well on my way there).  He lived in a newer suburban area.  He lived in a beige house surrounded by other domiciles robed in beige, grey and off-white.  He had a light-brown minivan in the driveway.  There were two kids in between his and the neighbor's house with beige hair.  He wore khaki pants.
I was hoping for something a little more beefy as I was having a hard time seeing this cart being pulled behind an ATV filled with rocks around my acreage.  But, the price was right and I was really busy at the time.  While discussing the price, the seller said, "Well, it is made by Rubbermaid so you know it's indestructible.  It will last forever."
I believe in modern polymers.  I own a Glock.  I own two motorcycles clad in tupperware.  Rubbermaid and indestructible do not belong in the same sentence.
As I was looking at this plastic cart, with its puny tilt mechanism and questionable tongue attachment, I couldn't imagine how anyone could see this as indestructible.
To be fair, I still own and use it, but I haven't used it as much as I thought I would.  The axle is a little bent and I have a hard time getting the sides to securely fit.  The tilt mechanism is a joke; it is easier to unhook it and tilt the whole cart.  It has survived considering being pulled by and ATV is likely outside of the original design specifications.

Finding myself in an older state, I hope I never see a Rubbermaid cart as indestructible.  This isn't to denigrate the beige man I bought it from.  I hope he is happy.
I'll embrace the older state.  Despite the tone of this post, I've got little about which to be uncontent.  Nothing scares me more than moving from here to even more boring.  Fade to...beige.

(and Happy Birthday Mahmoud Ahmadinejad)

Why Travel by Motorcycle

So I wrote this page and then decided to submit it to one of my motorcycle magazines that takes subscriptions from subscribers.
There is probably a 2% chance it will even get read, so I'll post it here in a few weeks after I haven't heard anything from them (for the 2 people that read this blog).